Preparing for Winter

p00

havent been able to get salt from anywhere in the last week. We havent had much snow at all in Staffordshire but its icy underfoot.

xxp00

newleaf

I bought a pallet of 40 x 25kg bags of salt off ebay for £120 inc delivery, which I split with my neighbours as we live on an unadopted road and clearing the snow is our responsibility.
(I had been paying £4 a bag at the tack shop, and having to hump it home myself).

nippyone

nykmedia wrote: »

Guess who forgot to stock up with extra salt to ensure the doorway, footpath and steps are all kept ice-free?! :rolleyes: I've already used up my spare bag, so salt is first thing on my shopping list for the start of 2010. I'll also need to invest in more winter wooly welly socks, as getting stuff dried quick enough isn't easy when there's no central heating or tumble dryer.

On the plus side, I did get a lovely, fleecy Slanket for Christmas and it is fantastic! These things are HUGE!

At least if you wait til the start of the year before you do your shopping you "might" be able to get salt! I live in Ayrshire, in a crescent owned by a housing association which is not gritted and is like an ice rink (like most places in the country), and we have not been able to get any kind of salt in any supermarket anywhere here for the last week! So good luck;)!

anguk

You could try ringing your local council to see if they have a salt store where you can pick salt up free. We're quite lucky, our local council depot & salt store is only about a mile away and they have 2 big grit bins outside that they keep topped up for the public to help themselves.

I've got 2 big builders buckets that I bought cheaply from poundstretcher and keep them full in the shed, there is a gritbin at the end of the street but it's always empty. My OH is an amputee and walking on ice & snow with a false leg is very difficult & dangerous so I like to keep a path from the back door to the car clear.

newleaf

Nippyone, try equestrian or smallholders suppliers, they usually have salt in stock
Our council don't give it away unfortunately.

nippyone

anguk wrote: »

You could try ringing your local council to see if they have a salt store where you can pick salt up free. We're quite lucky, our local council depot & salt store is only about a mile away and they have 2 big grit bins outside that they keep topped up for the public to help themselves.

I've got 2 big builders buckets that I bought cheaply from poundstretcher and keep them full in the shed, there is a gritbin at the end of the street but it's always empty. My OH is an amputee and walking on ice & snow with a false leg is very difficult & dangerous so I like to keep a path from the back door to the car clear.

Thanks, I'll try that but I'll need to drop the hint to my neighbour who has a car as I can't drive. I don't know whether he'll help or not, but it's worth a try assuming our council have a salt store for public use!

Frugaldom

Being prepared in most other ways, I'm just sitting it out until the ice thaws before risking borrowing car and heading for town. The main 'A' road between us and town was completely closed this morning because of ice. I'm shocked at that, as it's the main route for traffic boarding the ferries to Belfast and should have been kept clear.

mardatha

We've had snow for DAYS and this morning it was minus 13, the snow is set like rock now. Our back door is frozen shut and there's a huge overhang of snow waiting to fall off the rones..

Kimitatsu

To all you salty experts I have dogs and our courtyard was like an ice rink last week as it would thaw a bit and then refreeze and did this for several days! OH and I were talking about salting the paths but my concern was that it would get onto their paws and they would then likck it off and give themselves salt poisoning (told you it was a daft question!)

So am I just being silly and it wont bother them at all or if I got the council to deliver grit would that be the solution as that is not just salt is it?

I have OA so falling on my knees is very painful and also makes the arthritis worse on the long run so it would be great if I could find another solution.

Thanks in advance

newleaf

There is salt all over the pavements & roads where the council does grit, and to the best of my knowledge I don't think there has been a huge influx of salt poisoned doggies at the vets?
I would definitely use some, it wil make your life so much easier.