Alternatives for an Icy Sidewalk Without Salt

Melters

• Salt can damage your sidewalk, your lawn and your pet's feet. A chemical de-icer will melt the ice. Non-salt versions of this include calcium chloride, potassium chloride, urea, and calcium magnesium acetate. Buy these products at a home goods store. KIMT news says calcium magnesium acetate won't damage plants or concrete. Pet supply stores also offer non-salt de-icers that are safe for your pets.

Traction

• If your main concern is preventing slips on ice but not melting it, you can throw something on top of the ice to give it more traction. Sand, kitty litter or ash from the fireplace are popular choices for this. Note, though, that these methods don't get rid of the ice and can create a mess you have to clean up when the ice does melt, particularly if you add several layers of the product.

Labor

• The best way to get rid of ice without salt is also the hardest. It involves using good old hard labor. Break up the ice using a shovel or ice pick and shovel the ice away. If using this method, it's smart to keep an eye on the situation, never letting the snow and ice level get too high without giving it a quick shovel before it does.

Heat

• A more expensive yet easy solution for melting ice is to use radiant heat. In this case, you place heat wires underneath the sidewalk and turn up the heat as the weather cools down. In general, it's easier to do this when building a new home than it is to tear up an old sidewalk just for the installation. Still, if you were thinking of re-doing your sidewalks, it's smart to consider laying down this system as part of your renovation.