Stone dust for traction on ice

[Oaktree]

heck give it try and give us update.
If it's a fine dust not sure how much traction you shall get...need little more grit.

I dunno...I use woodstove ash on ice here and it works better than sand. It's about as fine as it gets. Downside is it tracks more than sand too. We remove our shoes before coming in the house so it's not as big a deal.

 

[Hay Dude]

Usually there’s 100lb bags of coarse sand available at your local masonry supply. They are manageable and can store for a few years before the bags give out.
Dirt cheap, too.

 

[jmc]

Might make a difference of what kind of stone that's available. We only have limestone around here, which is famous for retaining moisture and clumping when cold enough. Haulers warn about spreading #53's* when it's freezing because of clumping.


* part gravel, part limestone dust, for packing

 

[Paddy]

I had a pile of limestone dust, on ice it was like white mud and did not help much. I'd think crushed stone "11's" would be much better, about the size of small pea gravel

 

[LouNY]

I use pit run sand, I get a triaxle load every couple of years, it has some salt mixed into it to slow down the freezing in the pile.
This year when I got my load I added 500 pounds of more salt to the top and mixed it in a bit.
I also use coal ash most years to as a good way to use the ash.

The last 3-4 sacks of salt spread out

mixed into the top layer and all pushed back

Tarped and ready to be uncovered and loaded into the sander.

sander ready to be loaded and spread

 

[alexinPA]

Usually there’s 100lb bags of coarse sand available at your local masonry supply. They are manageable and can store for a few years before the bags give out.
Dirt cheap, too.

Do they freeze up in winter?

 

[Hay Dude]

Lou, very nice work.

 

[Hay Dude]

Do they freeze up in winter?

I have not had that problem so long as the buyer or the supply house doesn’t leave them outside.
Typically when I did masonry work, the masons didnt want it to freeze, either. My supplier stacked the bags under roof and off the bare ground.
I kept the bags in my garages along with 80lb bags of rock salt. I would load my spreader with one bag of salt, then one bag of sand, mixing along the way, until the spreader was full.

 

[Ehanson]

I think it will work, I use North Thompson River sand, well, what I do is in the fall when the water level is low, I take 5 gallon buckets and a shovel down to the sand bar, load up a few, bring them home, then use it on my icy gravel driveway. As long as the ice is not to hard, it works incredibly well to prevent slips or falls. sprinkle the sand on, traction gained.
I have thought about heating the sand slightly to "melt" it into harder ice, but, have not tried it yet.

 

[alexinPA]

I'm getting different opinions on adding salt. Some people say salt increase moisture.. wondering what is true