Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Removing Ice from a wood Deck

Hello all,
To use the front door of my house, I have to climb several wood stairs and cross a wood deck. I'd like to be able to keep this releatively ice free during the winter storms. However, I also don't want to damage the wood. I have a 'jug' of Driveway Heat from prestone. This product mainly consists of Calcium Chloride, which i believe is all the rage these days as far as Ice melters go. Is the CaCl safe to use on wood? if not, what is, and where can I get it?



Thanks,
Adam

Adan,
Your driveway 'melt' should not damage your pt wood deck. It may have a small degree of effect on your deck stain, but most of the salts should rinse off in the spring. I too use a deck entrance quite a bit and I've found if I keep it clar of snow that I don't get much of an ice accumulation. Once you walk a few times on snow it quickly turns to ice.
fred

[QUOTE]Originally posted by afab01
[B]Hello all,
To use the front door of my house, I have to climb several wood stairs and cross a wood deck. I'd like to be able to keep this releatively ice free during the winter storms. However, I also don't want to damage the wood. I have a 'jug' of Driveway Heat from prestone. This product mainly consists of Calcium Chloride,

Near Ottawa, Canada, we get several feet of snow.
We use:
(1) Coconut matting nailed with battens to the
wood stairs, all the way to the front door.
(2) Plastic-bladed snow shovels: one wide,
to push snow through the railings and off
the deck, one narrow for stairs etc.