Custom Stone Resurfacing operates out of the lovely Centennial State, Colorado. This means that we are no strangers to snowy and icy conditions. And because we use natural river stones to create our epoxy systems, they provide great traction and slip resistance in said conditions. Even still, on particularly harsh Winter days you may still need to use some sort of deicing agent to ensure that your path is safe to walk on. And while our systems are hardy and durable, we just wanted to share a few gentle deicers that you can use this Winter season that will help to prolong the life of your walkway, as well as be nicer to the environment at the same time.
Pickle brine may seem like a strange suggestion, but it works extremely well at deicing and it is something that most people have somewhere in the house. The reason that this brine works is due to its high salt content. It is effective at keeping ice at bay at temperatures as low as -6°F. It works best if you lay down a layer over your driveway and walkway the night before ice or snow is supposed to arrive. And this will make it much, much easier to shovel afterwards.
If you find yourself without any pickle brine around or you do not have a large supply of it, you can simply make your own salt brine by mixing 2 lbs of salt to every gallon of water needed.
As we highlighted earlier, our pebble stone walkways provide excellent traction. But if you want to add even more traction when snow or ice is present, try throwing some sand over top. Really any gritty item that you have lying around the house will do the trick. Some alternatives to sand could be, coffee grounds or ashes. Darker things will attract more heat from the sun and will aid even further in melting ice.
If you are afraid that using beet juice on your beautiful stone walkway will stain it, let us put your mind at ease. To make this effective deicer, beet juice is mixed with salt and the resulting product is a bit of a brown color. This mix creates a sort of gooey substance that will hinder salt from traveling easily into nearby water supplies, making it a great eco-friendly option.
And there you have it! Try one of these alternatives or try them all! Either way, your life will be just a little bit easier and the surrounding environment will thank you.
By Custom Stone Resurfacing | 11-30-2020