I received a great question from Bob K. (thanks, Bob!) about how to remove ice and snow from an ipe deck.

This is a wonderful question not just because it’s winter, but because it’s just not a good idea to scrape ice off your deck using a snow shovel.

How do you remove ice off of ipe decking?

It’s recommended that you use a pet safe ice melt as it is a less corrosive/abrasive than rock salt and is also eco-friendly.

Why not use a rock salt product? Rock salt is never recommended for wood. In fact, applying rock salt onto wood is a great way to ruin it forever. Not only is rock salt not eco-friendly, it is also not recommended for areas where a pet may walk. Why? Because the salt actually DRIES out the naturally moist padding that your dog or cat has. This drying out leads to your pet’s skin cracking and splitting. Cracking and splitting…Sound familiar?

Remember, wood absorbs and releases moisture and expands and contracts throughout the year. If you put a chemical product on a deck that corrodes and rapidly dries it out you are basically counteracting the natural processes that the wood undergoes and thereby making the wood more brittle and less stable.

Not only that but rock salt will stain your deck.

So, to keep your deck as stable and as good looking as possible, don’t use rock salt on your deck!

As with any product you’re looking into, you must do your research into ice melting products for wood decking. Hopefully, the information in this article will help you make a more informed decision.