Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
Sharp sand will not melt the ice or snow, but it will cut into the surface of it thus assisting a bit of grit.
Cat Litter seems to be popular, but the chemicals in it are supposedly not good for the environment.
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Technically you're correct in that Sharp sand doesn't itself melt the snow or ice. However it does absorb heat from the Sun, even the winter sun, and this raises the temperature of the ice/sand mixture. I don't know how low temperatures have to go for this to remain effective but it does work during daytime just now in the West of Scotland (-7 last night). There is refreezing overnight but the resultant sand/ice mixture isn't slippy because of the angular gritting properties of the sharp sand.
It is also a plant friendlier option as a lot of plants are salt intolerant.