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jmurray01 said:

I'm talking about those bottles you can buy that have a powdery substance in them, and they say they melt snow and ice...

I always shovel up the snow from our paths in winter, but can never get all the ice up, so should I buy some of this for the ice ?

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Ice melter pellets? Yes it works very well. If you apply by hand make sure you wear some gloves. There is a low temp where it will no longer melt ice. Think it's around 0 degrees F.

Most "Ice Melt" granules work quite well. Make sure that you keep it in a tight container to keep it's effectiveness. It loses it's effectiveness if left exposed to the air. Two years ago we had more ice than normal and the Ice Melt didn't affect the ice. I bought a fresh bucket and it worked fine.

Some products are only effective down to about 20 degrees while others work to zero or below. Check the label before you buy it.

Pay attention to the precautions on the label if you have new concrete. Some Ice Melt products will cause pitting in new concrete.

I use a Whirly Bird type fertilizer spreader when needed and it works great. Use a brand that is "Pet friendly".

There are some liquid products that are intended to be put down before a snowstorm to keep snow from sticking to the pavement. It doesn't melt the snow, but makes it easier to remove. I've never used them, but they are quite expensive compared to the granular stuff.

Is this for cement paths ? Some products will eat away at the surface plus kill the grass along side the path.

Sammy the Red said:

Is this for cement paths ? Some products will eat away at the surface plus kill the grass along side the path.

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Yes, it is cement. However they are as old as the house - 30 years old, so as long as it doesn't leave big holes in it, I'm not really bothered about dulling or anything, as it is already quite scruffy!

If it's calcium chloride, then it's safe for concrete. The "rock salt" as used on highways is sodium chloride and will cause damage to concrete.