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Ash and Snow

Posted: Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 5:10 pm
by joeq
I've heard members in the past recommend using the left-over ash for their walkways, to melt the snow. I really couldn't get into it, cause all I could see was being hollered at by the boss for tracking mud from my shoes, into the house floors. I think I may have tried it at the end of the driveway, but wasn't that impressed with the results. A couple 3 years ago, I scratched up my side lot, and laid down a gravel driveway, for the Mrs. to enter a new doorway that I installed to the house. she's the only one driving on it, and only exits the car, up by the house. Today I needed to discard some ashes that accumulated in a small bin I use, and had the idea to spread it around a small rise at the beginning of said driveway. We received about 6-8 inches of fresh snow yesterday, and the drive is difficult to clear, due to the crushed stone. So by throwing the ash at that end, I'm hoping to see some of the white stuff disappear. I'll keep you posted.
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Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 5:20 pm
by coaledsweat
It works great but momma won't like it tracked in the house.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 5:26 pm
by CoalJockey
I can’t say much for melting the snow, but it does wonders for traction. Just a little bit sprinkled throughout your wheel tracks will take you any place you want to go.

We have done coal deliveries in the middle of snow storms and could not get in. After finding the home owners ash buckets good and dry, and sprinkling all over the area, we marched right in like Grant took Richmond.

One asphalt driveway I recall was so steep, and we attempted to back up several times to no avail. After ashing the whole driveway, we came wheeling right up, even after previous attempts created a sheet of ice. If I had not seen it I may not have believed it.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 5:32 pm
by warminmn
It gives decent traction. As far as melting snow, its mostly the dark color of it that the sun warms up and it melts thru the snow... unless your ashes are hot. Mine doesnt melt much as my driveway slants downhill to the north. In the spring most the ash washes away onto my gravel road and little bits of coal stays. It gives me kind of a black rock cow path driveway. my driveway hasnt seen gravel in at least 50 years.

When I dont need it for traction I started bagging it up and am going to try a cement driveway project similar to what Fred has described in one of his posts.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 6:09 pm
by WNY
i put some salt in mine to melt the ice and the ash gives you traction and like he said, it heats up and melts the snow/ice IF the sun comes out.
works good on ice, our driveway is gravel and on the north side and usually get very icey after it's packed down a bit.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 12:24 pm
by Sunny Boy
Joe,
I think you'll be surprised how quickly the ash will disappear into the gravel. Vibration, temp changes, driving on it, and melting snow and rain all quickly move the fine ash down into the stones so that it doesn't get tracked in on shoes.

And the gravel will be firmer, yet quickly drain during rain storms.

13 years I've been dumping about 3/4 ton of ash each winter on my gravel driveway. It's only made the driveway firmer, quieter to drive on, and the snow blower doesn't turn into a stone thrower anymore. ;)

Paul

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 4:29 pm
by joeq
I hope you're right Paul. It would be nice to have my gravel packed tighter. It's a pain trying to clear the snow, W/O losing the rocks. Here's a couple pix of the 1st and 2nd day, of the ash I put down yesterday. Guess I've found a new place for ash disposal. Top one is when 1st applied, bottom one the next day, none applied :)
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Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 4:56 pm
by Sunny Boy
Joe,
You can speed up the process by lightly dragging a rake over the ashes - one of those leaf rakes with the springy tines. Like shaking the grates, it helps move the ash to fall through the gaps in the stone.

I keep a 5 gal pail of cooled ashes to spread on icy walkways. When I started doing that we had the same worry it would track ash in the house. However, we've always wiped our shoes/boots on one of those cheap plastic astro-turf kinda door mats outside on the porch and that keeps it out of the house. I have a black floor mat like you see in the entrance of public buildings, right inside the door and no ash shows up on it, much less on the floors. ;)


Once I did track ash chunks. I had just spread hot ash on the driveway and without thinking walked right back over it. I had lots of chunks of ash crumbs melted into and stuck to the rubber treads of my work boots. :oops:
Paul

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 5:13 pm
by joeq
Thanks for the rake tip Paul. I'll give that a try next application.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 11:35 pm
by hank2
Sunny Boy wrote:
Mon. Dec. 11, 2017 4:56 pm
Once I did track ash chunks. I had just spread hot ash on the driveway and without thinking walked right back over it. I had lots of chunks of ash crumbs melted into and stuck to the rubber treads of my work boots. :oops:
Paul
It's a comfort to find out that I'm not the only one who's done that! Actually, a whole hot coal. I haven't stoned my driveway in 15 years, but it could use it. I don't own a 4wd anything anymore, so the ashes are our friend. By summer, it's a pretty hard surface of fines and ash. Hard rains will make some mess though.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Tue. Dec. 12, 2017 6:45 am
by freetown fred
Really helps if ya got a yard roller--plus rakin it smooth--sprinkle some sakrete on the drive in the spring & roll the tears out of it. My drive is better then most of the asphalt ones around here-- hard rains, no problem, no slop.

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Tue. Dec. 12, 2017 6:08 pm
by joeq
Sakrete, huh Fred? Sounds like in time, I'll have my own concrete drive-way. I like it. :yes:

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Tue. Dec. 12, 2017 8:40 pm
by hotblast1357
What an idea!!

Spread sakrete with one of these over my
Driveway, it consists of concrete and asphalt crushed to item 4 gravel size.

Would it in time make it impermeable?

Re: Ash and Snow

Posted: Tue. Dec. 12, 2017 8:43 pm
by freetown fred
I'm gonna shoot in the dark-- impermeable?????????????? Ya mean hard? .>) But--YEP!! LOL PS--that will work great!!