How To Increase Traction On An Asphalt Driveway During Winter?
Winter has arrived, bringing harsh weather patterns detrimental to concrete and asphalt. Nevertheless, asphalt is a famous road and driveway paving material because of its simplicity of installation and extended lifespan. Bitumen, typically created during the oil refining process, holds aggregates together.
Asphalt is a rigid, water-resistant material that absorbs heat and light. Moisture, freezing temperatures, and oil or gasoline spills can influence traction on asphalt surfaces. But hazardous conditions and toxic chemicals can ruin your asphalt driveway. So, we need to keep our asphalt driveway secure while making it safe to walk on ice without slipping.
Driving on Black Ice
Driving on black ice is one of the trickiest winter challenges. This thin coating of glazed ice on the roadway is nearly transparent, causing the road’s surface to appear black and leading to unexpected slippery conditions. When driving on black ice, it’s vital to keep your speed low and avoid sudden braking or steering, as this could cause your vehicle to skid.
Tire Traction on Ice Driveway
Improving tire traction on ice driveway is crucial for safe winter driving. Winter tires can help as they are designed to provide better traction in snowy and icy conditions. However, even with winter tires, gaining traction on ice driveway can be challenging. So, how to get traction on tires?
Here Are Some Pointers For Increasing Traction On The Asphalt Driveway
- Traction Is Crucial
As per the weather prediction, you can use various products to offer traction before snow and ice develop. For example, to help you acquire more excellent footing, throw kitty litter, birdseed, or sawdust on top of the ice. Sand can also improve ice traction. But it must be cleaned up after usage to avoid clogging drains and run-off into plants and gardens. Same way, kitty litter can turn out to be a messy product.
The best way to get traction on any surface, including asphalt, without harming is an effective mineral-based traction agent. It’s disposable can is easy to carry and use. The natural ingredients absorb water and provide you grip for safe walking and driving. It works better than the walk-on ice grips for shoes as you don’t need to worry about size and fit.
- Get The Shovel Out
Shoveling is perhaps the most effective way to keep your driveway safe during icy weather. With this method, you won’t have to worry about damaging your pets, plants, rivers, or driveway. But it is a tiring and time-consuming task and should be avoided by the elderly and people with health issues.
- Sidewalks And Driveways That Are Heated
Electric heating coils under the asphalt in heated driveways and pathways or hydronic tubes are installed after pouring the concrete surface. These heating elements let you adjust the temperature to keep the walkway or driveway warm enough to prevent ice and snow from forming. However, an amenity like this necessitates a significant initial investment, including increased energy bills.
- Traction Strips and Alternatives to Melt Ice on Concrete
Driveway traction strips can also be a good option, providing an anti-skid surface that can help both pedestrians and vehicles maintain traction. When it comes to melting ice, chemical-based ice melts are often used, but they can be harmful to concrete and harmful if ingested by pets or children. A safer alternative to melt ice would be to use a product that is safe for the environment, pets, and children, like Safe Thaw, which is toxin-free and safe for concrete.
5 Tips For Keeping Your Asphalt Driveway In Good Shape
• Stay away from chemical deicing agents and rock salt-based products. Although they can swiftly melt ice, their corrosive properties can damage asphalt.
• Instead of using a metal snow shovel, use rubber blades. Metal shovels with a pointed tip should be avoided at all costs since they can damage your pavement.
• Be sure the blade of your shovel is set to the proper height. It can scrape the asphalt if it is too low.
• Make sure your driveway is adequately drained. To help with runoff, a two-inch strip of grass along the driveway’s border is typically helpful.
How to Keep Driveway from Freezing Before It Becomes a Problem
Instead of only reacting to icy conditions, it helps to think ahead. How to keep driveway from freezing is a common winter question, and there are a few practical approaches. Sealing asphalt every couple of years creates a protective barrier, preventing water from seeping in and freezing beneath the surface. Promptly shoveling snow before it compacts into solid ice is another easy step that makes a big difference.
For those who want to go a step further, pre-treating with traction agents before a storm can reduce how firmly snow and ice stick to the asphalt. Heated driveways are another option, but for most households, layering prevention with safe traction aids is a more affordable way to keep surfaces safe through winter.
Kitty Litter for Ice Driveway: Helpful or Messy?
Of course, not everyone invests in sealing or heating systems. Many rely on quick fixes, and one of the most common is tossing cat litter around. But does kitty litter for ice driveway surfaces really help? The truth is mixed. Clay-based litter absorbs water and quickly turns into a frozen, slushy mess. Silica-based litter scatters easily but doesn’t stay in place long enough to be effective.
While kitty litter might give a short-lived sense of grip, it often creates more problems than it solves — especially when it gets tracked indoors. A mineral-based traction product, by contrast, stays put, provides reliable grip, and doesn’t leave behind a muddy cleanup in spring. It’s a small shift that makes winter maintenance much easier.
Get ready for winter with Walk On Ice instant traction on snow and ice
How to Get Unstuck from Snow Without Making It Worse
Driveways don’t just challenge walkers — drivers get caught too. Few things are more frustrating than spinning your wheels in the cold. So, how to get unstuck from snow without damaging your tires or making the situation worse? The trick is to avoid flooring the gas. Instead, gently rock the car back and forth, clear away packed snow from the tires, and place traction material under the wheels.
This is where carrying a traction aid pays off. While kitty litter or sand may scatter, a product designed specifically for traction locks into the ice and gives your tires something to grip immediately. Keeping a small container in your trunk ensures you’re never left waiting for roadside assistance when a simple sprinkle could get you moving again.
Choosing a Safe Deicer for Concrete Near Asphalt
Asphalt driveways often connect to concrete sidewalks or steps, which introduces another concern: what’s the safe deicer for concrete that won’t damage the surface? Traditional salts like rock salt or calcium chloride melt ice quickly, but they corrode concrete, harm plants, and irritate pets’ paws. Over time, they can even shorten the life of your driveway edges.
A better option is eco-friendly deicers like Safe Paw, which melt ice while remaining gentle on surfaces and safe around kids and animals. When paired with traction agents for instant stability, safe deicers give you the best of both worlds — melting where you need it and gripping where you can’t wait.
Conclusion
So while increasing traction on asphalt is the starting point, winter safety is about layering strategies. Knowing how to keep driveway from freezing reduces the amount of ice you’ll face. Understanding why kitty litter for ice driveway often makes a bigger mess saves you cleanup headaches. Learning how to get unstuck from snow gives you confidence on the road, and choosing a safe deicer for concrete protects your property for the long haul.
No single product or method is the answer. The smartest approach combines prevention, safe traction agents like Walk on Ice, and eco-friendly deicers. That way, whether you’re walking across your driveway, shoveling steps, or backing out of a snowbank, you know you have a safe and reliable plan. Winter will always bring ice — but with the right tools and habits, it doesn’t have to bring accidents or damage.
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Safe Paw
The Original and #1 Selling Pet and Child Safe Ice Melt for over 20 years. Guaranteed environmentally safe – will not harm waterways and sensitive wetlands. All products are made in the USA.
Safe Thaw
Imagine an ice melt you can put down and never worry about. It won’t harm pets, kids, and your property. That’s Safe Thaw. Unlike anything else on the market, Safe Thaw can change how winter affects our planet.
