dnw64
Veteran Member
Ok, on a more serious note, my conclusion is that to melt snow/ice effectively, you need to get that chemical to every square micron of surface area. The town/state can get away with using "rock" salt, because the hundreds/thousands of vehicles driving over it crush and redistribute that salt. However, on a home driveway, very little of that happens. So the smaller the initial granule the better. I have been using an "Ice Melt" product which has a maximum size of about 1/8". Far, far better than the "rock salt" at our local store that is mostly 1/4" up to 1/2"(!!) dia. If I could find cost effective "table salt" I would use that.
Based on the above, I can see that a liquid product could be very effective. I have found that even with granulated product, having it in place before the snow falls is very effective in after-storm clean up. While I hate Hate HATE the slushy roads we get from the town/state dishing out salt at the beginning of the storm I genuinely appreciate how quickly the roads clear when it's over.
BTW I spread salt with a manual/push lawn broadcast spreader. No, they aren't made for that and yes, they do rust out, But for fifty bucks or whatever they cost, they last 5-10 years and work fine, with a little modification to the "tires". I use 1/4" hex head x 1" drill screws and drive them in every 1-1/2"or so. That provides the needed traction to ensure operation under slippery conditions, and doesn't affect operation on the lawn during summer in the least.
Based on the above, I can see that a liquid product could be very effective. I have found that even with granulated product, having it in place before the snow falls is very effective in after-storm clean up. While I hate Hate HATE the slushy roads we get from the town/state dishing out salt at the beginning of the storm I genuinely appreciate how quickly the roads clear when it's over.
BTW I spread salt with a manual/push lawn broadcast spreader. No, they aren't made for that and yes, they do rust out, But for fifty bucks or whatever they cost, they last 5-10 years and work fine, with a little modification to the "tires". I use 1/4" hex head x 1" drill screws and drive them in every 1-1/2"or so. That provides the needed traction to ensure operation under slippery conditions, and doesn't affect operation on the lawn during summer in the least.