Preparing for winter II

stumpycat

Primrose wrote: »

OK, so I've just got in a small supply of garden salt. When's the best time to put it down?
When the weather forecast is forecasting a below zero temperature overnight?
Or just before snow is forecast?
When it's been raining and is expected to freeze overnight and turn to ice?

Don't want to waste it unnecessarily. How do other people use it?

I keep salt to put on ice - say you've cleared a path and then it freezes over and gets slippy. I also chuck down a bag of cat litter (the stony stuff)

Cat litter works quite well on compacted snow as well - our chickens didn't want to walk on the snow (I don't think they could see what they were standing on) but are much happier with stuff they recognize as 'ground'

sb44

I am going to have to gen up on what you need for the car in bad weather.

I think a few people are going to be starting their Christmas journeys early because of the snow predictions.

The thing is, do you delay and go later or go earlier.

I don't mind getting snowed in somewhere but I don't want to not be able to get there in the first place.

sb44

stumpycat wrote: »

I keep salt to put on ice - say you've cleared a path and then it freezes over and gets slippy. I also chuck down a bag of cat litter (the stony stuff)

Cat litter works quite well on compacted snow as well - our chickens didn't want to walk on the snow (I don't think they could see what they were standing on) but are much happier with stuff they recognize as 'ground'

Our next door neighbour used cat litter for the first time last year, his wife nearly killed him.

It kept getting walked into the house, nearly ruined the carpets and it was on his drive for weeks after the snow had gone. I'm not sure which type it was but it was the white one not the pink/brown stuff.

sb44

sb44 wrote: »

Hooray! Found some of these screws by chance yesterday. It was a box of 120 Rolson screws for £2.35.

I won't be able to use all of them as some are too long but there are enough in there for at least 3 pairs of adult shoes.

I found some old walking boots and put 10 in each shoe.

I'll have to dig out the electric screwdriver though as I have a blister in the palm of my hand from the screwdriver, you have to apply a bit of force to get the screw started.

If you look at the pic of them, the edges of the hex are raised and this is what helps the shoe grip the ice.







I used a socket driver like the red one in the picture on the site below.

http://www.competitiverunner.com/screwshoes.html

Had a walk about in the garden on the paving slabs in these and they felt fine but sounded like I was crunching something underfoot!

I'm sure they will be fine once there is a layer of ice/snow on the ground.

Charis

kittie wrote: »

So christmas or not, no-one should put celebration food before well being. Whats wrong with frozen broccolli and a tin of peas

They're so hard to stuff

Sorry, only joking.

NualaBuala

sb44 wrote: »

Had a walk about in the garden on the paving slabs in these and they felt fine but sounded like I was crunching something underfoot!

I'm sure they will be fine once there is a layer of ice/snow on the ground.

I think there is more snow coming so you may get your chance to give them a test run soon! Very impressive and MSE!

stumpycat

sb44 wrote: »

Our next door neighbour used cat litter for the first time last year, his wife nearly killed him.

It kept getting walked into the house, nearly ruined the carpets and it was on his drive for weeks after the snow had gone. I'm not sure which type it was but it was the white one not the pink/brown stuff.

If you're truly money saving you sweep it up & tip it into the cat litter box! :rotfl:
I use the brownish shingle stuff and it seems to stay put quite well.

sb44

stumpycat wrote: »

If you're truly money saving you sweep it up & tip it into the cat litter box! :rotfl:

They would have to get a cat first!

Fruball

sb44 wrote: »

They would have to get a cat first!

And I was going to say, to be REALLY MSE, they wouldn't have a cat

Diana_Prince

Hi all, briefly skimmed through this thread but wondered if anyone could give my their 'top tips'!! We have no heating and the house barely makes it above 10 degrees!!! Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!!

(We have a wood burner in the front room, which does have radiators running off of it but this only makes a difference if its going all day and it doesn't get lit until I get home at around 5pm!)