I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?

Smitty Two wrote:
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?

A conference center/hotel/golf course I recently helped set up a satt
dish on (on the first tee, no less), had something I had never seen
before- the wood was textured, much like you would knurl a tool on a
lathe. Not sure how they did it- some sort of special roller, I guess-
the pattern obviously was embossed after the boards were laid. (Long
wooden boardwalks and decks between all the porches and cottages.)

But yeah, the old reliable of sand mixed into porch paint or stain is
probably the way to go for you. Or get some strips of stainless pierced
steel planking to lay out for walkboards or something. You could also
map the ponding points and use a garden hose, and fine-tune reality to
cure any low spots, using extra screws and cross-cut or routed shallow
drain grooves.

--
aem sends...

Smitty Two wrote:
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our
new house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or
suggestions of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form
of electric heat?

We had a ramp at work that had a similar problem. "We used play and in a
coat of clear urethane. It worked well. It was originally slippery when
just wet and the sand eliminated all of that, but in ice, it was effective,
but did lose a bit of grip, as you may expect. Still, it was far better
than nothing.

If the deck in winter is only used to walk across, string a rope from the
door to the end as an assist also. A bit of stability goes a long way.

On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:55:54 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?


Roof shingles can help, last a long time.

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?
We have wood steps leading down from our back porch that sometimes have the
same issue. I tried a few things and finally started using plain old table
salt on them. I bought a couple boxes as SAMs for a few bucks and just
throw a handful on the steps in the morning and it melts the ice, doesn't
stain the wood or get tracked into the house too much on people's feet. It
doesn't do much for thicker ice or snow, but that frost cover sort of think
ice it works great!

Check to see if the boards are cupped if it's wood. I bult a deck and
had some boards cupped and water laid on each board and frooze.
Jerry


http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage



http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/1974RuppCentair

get some overshoes that contain metal spikes. I use these whenever
there is ice (which is often).


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it.

Freezing rain is a perennial problem he standard remedies:
1. On wood decks or steps, coconut matting nailed down with
battens at the beginning of the season. Next spring we just
leave it out in the rain for a couple of days to rinse out gravel,
then dry and store it.
2. For outdoor boots, ice crampons secured by velcro straps.
(These used to be a standard item in Canadian shoe stores,
then disappeared, then reappeared after the 1999 Great Ice Storm. . . )

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On Jan 14, 8:55*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?

If the deck in in shade and slippey just wet like my deck than it
could be mold, I have mold and kill it with laundry bleach a few times
a year. Some decking is real smooth and slippery all the time, I have
old powerwashed PT that is now fairly rough from cleaning alot and is
less slippery

Smitty Two wrote:
I know we've done the slippery deck recently, but I wasn't paying
attention because it never freezes where I live. But, it does at our new
house, where she lives, and she has a job that forces her to keep
farmer's hours. So the wood decks tend to have thin but treacherous
layer of ice in the early mornings. Note that we're not talking about
snow, just frozen dew or possibly frozen rain.

Standard options I can think of are self-adhesive non-skid strips, or
paint with sand in it. Wondering whether either or both are subject to
ice-over if enough water accumulates to fill the porosity. Also
wondering whether they pose a significant obstacle to sweeping.

Any comments on benefits or drawbacks of either approach, or suggestions
of other methods to deal with the issue? Rugs? Some form of electric
heat?

Have you tried just spreading some coarse sand on the deck during cold
weather? If there is just frozen dew, seems it should give some
traction to walking. Sweep away when done with it.