How to De-Ice a Paver Stone Driveway

Crystal-like snowflakes, snowmen built in honor of Frosty himself and snowball fights galore mark the arrival of the winter season. Along with the breathtaking views and fun-filled activities, you face the task of keeping snow and ice-covered outdoor pavements safe. A paver stone driveway can handle winter weather well and takes the application of de-icing products in stride. Prepare for winter weather, before you install your paver driveway, by installing special de-icing systems or use chemical de-icers to remove the ice and snow from your paver stone driveway.

Gloves
Calcium chloride
Sand
Shovel
Electric ice and snow melting system

Instructions

- 1
  Install an electric ice and snow melting system prior to laying your paver stone driveway. These systems heat the ground beneath the stone, creating warm temperatures that keep the ice and snow from sticking to the surface in the first place. Snow melting systems help eliminate the need for shoveling, which can potentially harm the paver stones.
- 2
  Put on a pair of gloves and sprinkle calcium chloride or salt tablets over your paver stone driveway. Apply even amounts to the surface for uniform melting. The Iowa State University Extension suggests using up to 3/16-inch, sphere-shaped tablets for the best result as their shape tends to melt faster.
- 3
  Mix sand with calcium chloride to lessen the amount of salt applied to the pavers. Additionally, the sand increases the melting efficiency of salt. Use 50 pounds of sand for every 1 pound of salt.
- 4
  Shovel away slush before the temperatures drop. This prevents the slush from refreezing. It is important to remove the chemical salts from the stone pavers as prolonged exposure can damage the stone.
- 5
  Rinse the chemicals and sand from the surface with water once the weather warms.

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