What fresh hell is this?

17 January 2022, 05:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rontuner:
Midwestern folks tend to be helpful.

Especially guys that got new snowblowers and are having a good time feeling neighborly and battling the elements!

People with two stage snow throwers feel especially powerful and tend to clean up the whole neighborhood.

Don't ask me how I know this....

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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training

17 January 2022, 05:31 PM

wtg

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get up from my sickbed

Are you still feeling the effects of omicron?

17 January 2022, 06:07 PM

Steve Miller

Yes. I thought I had gotten off easy but on Friday I started feeling pretty sick - like a bad flu. No cough though, just mostly fatigue.

I slept through most of the weekend and right now I don’t feel too bad.

17 January 2022, 06:14 PM

ShiroKuro

Oh no, sorry to hear this Steve! Hope it resolves quickly!!!

17 January 2022, 06:25 PM

wtg

How about Sharon and Kim? Hopefully they're improving....

17 January 2022, 07:41 PM

pianojuggler

Oh, carp, Steve. I'm sorry to hear you are under the weather. I hope you are feeling better soonest.

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

17 January 2022, 08:25 PM

piqué

Our neighbors are always plowing our road and our driveway. We had one neighbor that did it daily, but then he moved away. Now the others take turns. We just have a snow thrower, while they have plows. We usually give out gift certificates to say thank you.

Steve sorry to hear you are sick! Maybe it was a neighbor who knew you weren't up to it.

17 January 2022, 08:59 PM

CHAS

Oh carp, Steve.
Hope you are better soon.

18 January 2022, 09:52 AM

Steve Miller

I feel pretty good today. Thanks, everyone!

Time to address the outdoor situation. My driveway, while plowed, is now a solid sheet of ice. I need to get salt or something. What should I look for?

Streets are plowed but icy. I see traffic on the road in the distance but not very much. This area is very flat, no hills. Am I crazy to think I can drive up to the Auto Parts store and get some salt? Should I wait until tomorrow afternoon when it’s supposed to be 40 degrees?

Should I get some Yak Tracks or something for walking in ice?

I have an aluminum grain shovel that seems to move this light snow fairly well. Should I get a snow shovel anyway?

18 January 2022, 10:05 AM

rontuner

Yak tracks are a great addition to the winter walking toolbox!

Got any sand? Throwing a bunch on top of the ice will provide grip until you get some salt. There are dog paw-friendly versions that cost a bit more.

When it's really cold, salt won't melt the ice, but provides some grip until the temps warm and melt/evaporate the ice/water.

Have you seen videos of cars and trucks sliding around slowly with the wheels locked? ABS helps a lot, but.... think twice or three times before heading out!

Oh, and here's a tip from an older piano tuner - Your shoes are warm when you first head out and warm soles make for slippery shoes. Stand still for a few seconds to let them cool down a bit before heading down the stairs or sidewalk.

18 January 2022, 10:08 AM

jodi

Get the pet friendly/garden friendly stuff for the ice in your driveway - that way you won’t kill your grass. it comes in easy to shake containers - make sure you keep the lid closed, mine always seems to grab moisture and turn to mush if I don’t. Walmart has it, if thats closer. Yak traks are a good idea if it’s super icy. If your area is used to storms, they will do a good job of sanding the intersections, etc - just give yourself extra time to stop! (When it’s icy here, I sometimes leave more space between me and the intersection or the car in front of me, that way if I see somebody coming too fast up behind me, I have a little room to move up if they aren’t paying attention! And yes, i keep a shovel in the car if we get a lot of snow around here, as they don’t plow any of the side streets.

18 January 2022, 10:11 AM

wtg

There are others here with more experience with ice (, but here's my 2c.

If it's really icy out on the roads, I'd just wait.

Most of the salt products work if the temp is in the mid 20s and above. Look for products that are considered paw/pet safe; they're a little friendlier to the landscaping than regular salt.

Coarse sand provides traction. Home Depot usually has a pretty wide selection; you can check their inventory online to be sure they are likely to have some at the store near you.

Other factors come into play, too. Is it sunny outside? Will your driveway get any sun? Ours is blacktop and faces south; it will melt and dry when our neighbor's concrete driveway stays icy.

Never worn Yaktrax but have considered them.

I like plastic snow shovels. Lightweight and the snow tends to not stick to them as much. I'm not a fan of the bent handle ones that are supposed to be back-friendly but lots of people love them. If the snow isn't too deep I just push it to the edges of the driveway and minimize the lift/throw motion.

18 January 2022, 10:11 AM

Steve Miller

I find it odd that they don’t allow snow chains here. We used them up in the mountains, and with 4wd and chains in the front we could go nearly anywhere.

I see guys carrying sand bags in their trucks, probably for better weight distribution. If I had some I could also use it on the ice.

Adding to list…

18 January 2022, 10:14 AM

jodi

In Maine we did a salt grit mixture (because the ice got so thick, you just couldn’t melt it. I don’t do sand here because I don’t want to track it in the house - I don’t want it scratching the floors (had trouble with that in Maine). I don’t have any trouble melting the ice here on my walks or driveway (and we get *Really* cold) - as long as you clear the snow and the layer is thin enough, you’ll be ok. I also have this ice breaker thingie - I’ll see if I can find a photo of it - it is heavy and is really good for breaking and then scraping the thicker patches of thicker ice off the areas on the concrete where you dont want it.