Ice Removal on Composite Decking?

[Ironhorse]

Early last fall wife and I decided to have a new deck installed replacing our old treated lumber deck. Came out very nice, well pleased. Not cheap but as they say "cheap isn't good and good isn't cheap" Did not think to ask then when the weather was in the 60's-70's. Today not so much, temp 19, windchill 7 and gusts to 30-35. Come on SPRING TIME !!

Did get a bit of icing early this morning on the deck and got me to thinking about ice removal. Any one with some good tips or products that can safely be used that does the job with no damage to the composite deck while removing the ice?

[mongocanfly]

remove boards from deck
load boards in truck
take boards to Florida

that's all I got..

[mongocanfly]

I did Google it and it says rock salt or icemelt

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

I did Google it and it says rock salt or icemelt

Forgot to add in the post I had Googled the question and came up with the rock salt or icemelt. Said "wash deck as soon as practical" That can be a problem after application during our winters here in Kansas. Was hoping someone had other possibilities? Thanks for your response.

[GOPAPA]

I would not do this with your decking or mine either,,but when I worked at a nuclear site back in the 70ies ,,we had to impregnate all our wooden saffold planks with a salt solution to prevent them from catching on fire.. so,, I guess if you don't get all the salt off ,it may be a good thing.

[special-K]

I don't know if it's any better for that stuff, but I use urea or high nitrogen fertilizer to melt snow. Got into doing tht back when I contracted snow clearing. We had a concrete parking deck they had just spent a heap on to resurface due to salt eating it away. No salt allowed. We used urea (granular cow pee) because it was friendly to the concrete.

[61_FL_Apache]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

remove boards from deck
load boards in truck
take boards to Florida

that's all I got..

I will be looking for the delivery guy!! Thanks!

[harpo231]

calcium chloride and rinse as soon as can.

[68C15]

Walk carefully and wait for spring

[harpo231]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Forgot to add in the post I had Googled the question and came up with the rock salt or icemelt. Said "wash deck as soon as practical" That can be a problem after application during our winters here in Kansas. Was hoping someone had other possibilities? Thanks for your response.

ya yer gonna wanna wait till water wont freeze .

[special-K]

There is always the don't fight it route and toss a little sand down so you can walk on the ice. Doesn't take much

[In The Ten Ring]

Let's say you do remove the ice from your deck.....what are you going to do then----lounge around on the deck in subzero temps?

Shovel your deck off, let the sun do the rest.

If ice on your deck really bothers you that much, put a roof over it and walls around it. I am being practical here.

Salt on wood...it won't rust but the nails/screws probably will. You can then track that salt into your house.....oh joy.

Let it melt man. Decks are for summer, not winter.

[AJBert]

I've got wood decks front and aft. For the front I sweep the snow as it comes down, for the back I shovel once the snow stops. We tend to get sunshine between storms and that will melt off whatever is left on the decks.

Same goes for the drive way, about 300 feet long. If we get a good snow fall, I wait until about a foot builds up, break out the snow blower, wait for more to fall and do it all over again. If you can keep on top of the snow as it falls you won't have to worry about ice build up.

[In The Ten Ring]

And don't walk on your deck before you shovel it....doing so compacts the snow into ice and it's harder to get that off.

I own a ski condo with a wooden deck. Whenever possible I shovel that off to keep the "I ain't never seen snow before!" renters from tracking that all back into the living room.

Yep, the sun will melt it off once you get the insulator (snow) removed. I mounted a board with two spring-loaded clamps to hold both a snow shovel and a broom on the outside wall. Next I want to do the same thing with my front and rear porches at home.

[Ironhorse]

Have no plans for lounging around on the deck during winter. The deck area and steps is also the entrance way into the house from the garage and parking area. Mostly thinking of someone slipping on the iced over composite steps leading up across the deck into the house. Thankfully what little sun we did have yesterday finally did take care of the situation later in the day. That won't always be the case when we get a harder ice storm.

Will look into the urea as Tim (special-k) suggested. Sand on the composite I think will eventually damage the composite surface and also be tracked into the house and carpeting.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Have no plans for lounging around on the deck during winter. The deck area and steps is also the entrance way into the house from the garage and parking area. Mostly thinking of someone slipping on the iced over composite steps leading up across the deck into the house. Thankfully what little sun we did have yesterday finally did take care of the situation later in the day. That won't always be the case when we get a harder ice storm.

Will look into the urea as Tim (special-k) suggested. Sand on the composite I think will eventually damage the composite surface and also be tracked into the house and carpeting.

I automatically assumed you were asking this because this is a regular path of entry. Many decks are used as entry. They are actually a type of porch and always have a door into the house.

I have used sand when it was too cold to melt the snow. Anything you throw down will get tracked into the house. Sand gets everywhere, true. You just have to be diligent with pulling boots (or shoes) at the door and keep the broom handy. I only use it when it is that or walk on slick ice.

I never saw 1/2" of snow hang around so long as when it was teens or lower for days. Even below freezing the sun's radiant heat will melt snow. Not this time. It was full sun and places that burn right off barely lost any snow. When it's too cold to melt it can also evaporate, but that is way way slow.

[Tiger Joe]

I've never found a good solution to keeping ice off our deck.

We have a very large deck that is how I get to my garage. only thing that works if its snow is to just sweep with a broom or use a plastic shovel as quickly as I can. If its an ice storm I'm stuck waiting for it to melt

[special-K]

I don't have a deck to deal with. But now that I think about it, might be fruitless to try getting it off. It's the same principal as "bridges freeze before roadways". That freezing temp is throughout that board and an inch away on the other side. You are fighting that.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Have no plans for lounging around on the deck during winter. The deck area and steps is also the entrance way into the house from the garage and parking area. Mostly thinking of someone slipping on the iced over composite steps leading up across the deck into the house. Thankfully what little sun we did have yesterday finally did take care of the situation later in the day. That won't always be the case when we get a harder ice storm.

Will look into the urea as Tim (special-k) suggested. Sand on the composite I think will eventually damage the composite surface and also be tracked into the house and carpeting.

There are removable studs one can put onto one's boot soles...let me find you a link. *I have three sets but haven't used any.

As for decks and ice, I'd also suggest good railings.

Glad you aren't going to sunbathe on your deck this winter.

Do you wear your shoes into the house? This is a common American practice I have never understood.

I had the non-spiked ones in mind for you.

https://cozywinters.com/ice-cleats/ice-cleats.html

[midniteblues]

I once saw a fella use a propane torch( the kind used to burn weeds) and a leaf blower too melt and blow dry a wooden wheelchair ramp leading up to a deck.

Seemed to work pretty good.

Depending on how many and how big your deck and steps are perhaps a heat gun?


I have one of those blue blower floor fans mine only has a timer on it but don't they make one with a heating element in ti

[In The Ten Ring]

I shoveled my parents' driveway on Saturday so the sun could remove the ice that was under the snow. (By afternoon, the ice was completely gone).

And I thought about your problem......I don't think shoveling is a good idea for you, it might scratch your decking, even with a plastic tip to your shovel. I think I'd just use a broom.

Do put up good rails.....a fall isn't good---worse are broken elbows.