# Melting Ice on a Gravel Driveway



## sday88

I have a long, fairly steep gravel driveway. I always salt it and sure enough am left with a mush pit. Is there anything available to melt the ice? I know I could use sand or cinders or whatever for traction, but I want it melted. My wife very nearly totaled her car this year after the tail end kicked out and nailed a tree. It's a pain to have to park at the bottom of a 300 foot driveway and have to walk up and down the driveway, sometimes in the pitch black dark.

Thanks,

Scott


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## Burkartsplow

have it asphalted this summer and the salt will work great.Only thing i can think of.


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## t.i.b

ive got a gravel drive and the only thing thats worked for me is a torch.


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## albhb3

I guess you could move


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## ColumbiaLand

Moving? HAHA


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## hydro_37

I have used the big water softner salt pellets before and theymelted the ice and didn't leave a muddy mess.


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## highlander316

after it's salted and becomes slush, you'll have to remove the slush otherwise it'll freeze up again. Your best best would be sand and cinders IMO. Unless you have enough sunny days after each snow event to melt it up.


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## Burkartsplow

highlander316;756621 said:


> after it's salted and becomes slush, you'll have to remove the slush otherwise it'll freeze up again. Your best best would be sand and cinders IMO. Unless you have enough sunny days after each snow event to melt it up.


He lives in Ohio. We have an average of 88 sunny days a year. I believe the lowest of all the states. We usually use them all up in the summer months and once winter comes it is just gray out. But hey its ohio and we love it,


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## highlander316

Burkartsplow;756630 said:


> He lives in Ohio. We have an average of 88 sunny days a year. I believe the lowest of all the states. We usually use them all up in the summer months and once winter comes it is just gray out. But hey its ohio and we love it,


hahaha, i didn't see his location. That kinda sucks lol.


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## sday88

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'm stuck with what I got. I don't think I could afford 5-10k on asphalt. It's not really possible to remove the slush after salting because I've got "driving ruts" that are a few inches deep and when I plow it doesn't get down in the ruts. Along with not having many sunny days, my driveway winds through the woods so the trees (even though there are no leaves on them) keep what sun we do get off the driveway. Guess I'll have to invest in some cinders next year.


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## REAPER

sday88;757054 said:


> Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'm stuck with what I got. I don't think I could afford 5-10k on asphalt. It's not really possible to remove the slush after salting because I've got "driving ruts" that are a few inches deep and when I plow it doesn't get down in the ruts. Along with not having many sunny days, my driveway winds through the woods so the trees (even though there are no leaves on them) keep what sun we do get off the driveway. Guess I'll have to invest in some cinders next year.


Find a concrete/asphalt recycling center. If there is a major road project around your area they may have a portable one set up on site. Go in and ask if you can buy asphalt grindings. it is a real cheap way to take care of your problem.

It may cost a $1,000 to do your drive but that is dumped on your drive. Then rent a roller. Maybe $200 for the day and pack it down. It wont be complete asphalt but if you roll it out good and keep the real heavy weight off it it works out pretty good. Do this a couple of years and you could start using salt in the winter.


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## scottL

I have several gravel driveways I plow. 2 drop down hill into a main street. Some snows there is not much of a problem and the ruts and gravel work fine after moving the top layer of snow. In other cases we drop salt - lot's of it for the last 40 feet. It melts just fine and there is heavy tree top coverage.


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## KGRlandscapeing

Burkartsplow;756630 said:


> He lives in Ohio. We have an average of 88 sunny days a year. I believe the lowest of all the states. We usually use them all up in the summer months and once winter comes it is just gray out. But hey its ohio and we love it,


Tell your wife to learn how to drive? And Aaron u make is sound like some dark crappy place to live and to think ill have no skin left due to skin cancer by the time i retire from outdoor work. If u salt it ull have a mess thats the whole reason we let it freeze so it hardens up


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