Wood Ash – The Original Ice Melt
Wood Ash – The Original Ice Melt. I would hesitate to say, without doing any real research, that ashes from a wood fire would have probably been the first thing used by people living in winter conditions, to add traction to icy spots. To quicken the melting process as well. But, like I said, I haven’t done any real research to back that up. Call it a hunch.
Wood Ashes Today
Probably the biggest factor in the decline of using ashes for ice-melt, is that most people no longer have readily available wood ash. Growing up in New Brunswick we used it all the time, mainly because we had wood ash. Wood was our main heat source. Now, in Alberta, natural gas is our main heat source (for now). We have a fire place in the house mainly for ambiance, and one outside for basically the same reason. This gives us a little ash surplus that we can use in the garden.
Wood Ash – The Original Ice Melt Zone 4
If you live in zone 4 like I do. Or, any zone below that. Then your garden is probably frozen for a good part of the year. Which sucks I know. Because, the above and below pictures show the same stretch of sidewalk.
With the freeze/thaw cycle we get here in winter, caused by chinooks, la nina years, and just topography, the ice can get built up on hard surfaces like sidewalks. You could go and get “Ice-Melt” from the store, and I do. There are options out there that are less harmful than others, but they are mostly by-products of some other chemical process. Year after year, I replace sections of lawns and gardens people have killed by adding ice melt on the sidewalk, and then shoveling it onto their property on the next snowfall.
Wood Ash – The Original Ice Melt
When I clean out the stove or fireplace I collect the ashes and try my best to screen any sharp things out. I use a lot of waste from the wood shop as fuel in the outside stove. Though not pressure treated wood, it will often will have nails and staples left in it. If you only burn virgin wood then you don’t really have to worry about this. Though it is still a good idea to sift through it, especially if your putting it on a public sidewalk.
Things To Remember About Wood Ash
Here are a few other things to keep in mind .
Don’t use contaminated wood ashes, or ashes from pressure treated wood.
Screen/Sift the ashes first.
Wear gloves
Pay attention to wind direction and stay down wind.
A little bit goes a long way.