What Can I Put on My Porch to Dissolve the Ice?

Significance

• Some cities and towns have laws that mandate snow and ice removal by businesses and homeowners for the safety of the public. While these rules may not extend to your porch, treating it with an ice-melting compound is still recommended, notes Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension. You will want to choose a product based on factors including cost and environmental impact.

Types

• Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension reports that most ice-melting compounds are chloride-based salts, such as potassium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride. Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension reports that calcium magnesium acetate, also known as CMA, is an environmentally-friendly alternative to salt products because it is biodegradable and is minimally corrosive. While CMA is more expensive than salt products, it may be ideal for use on a porch because smaller amounts are needed. Products made with nitrogen and phosphorus are polluting to water supplies and not recommended for dissolving ice, according to Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension.

Features

• Ice-melting products work by lowering the point at which water freezes. Normally, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but a chloride-based salt, for example, can reduce this temperature to as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The downside to using salts is that they are very corrosive; however, they do boast a minimal environmental impact, according to Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension. The University of Illinois Extension notes that you can use sand to melt ice around your home -- it works much like commercial salt-based products.

Considerations

• Ice melters that contain ethylene glycol are effective in dissolving ice but can be poisonous to pets, plants and people, according to the University of Illinois Extension. Ethylene glycol is an active ingredient in antifreeze. Products such as salt, sand or CMA, should be applied to a porch when a snow or ice storm starts. This will lessen the accumulation of ice or snow. However, ice-melting products are not intended to be a substitute for shoveling.