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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:35 pm
by Spitfire
Hi guys,
Run a Landscape Gardening business, and more increasingly new customers have sloping driveways, and next to keep buying grit/salt or that chloride stuff, I was wondering if anyone had any good ways of solving the Ice problem
Was contemplating getting my hot water pressure washer out and giving that a go! lol
All ideas welcome thanks ???
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:37 pm
by GB_Groundworks
there is a drive in wigan way some where, a bip sloping drive like 100 odd metres long and its heated. there some family involved with Tiles my dad always points it out.
other than that just shovel it or get yourself a snow blower like the one we've got.
pressure washer i hope you were joking because your replacing snow which is ok for traction with sheet ice which is a nightmare,
i lived in munich for 2 years in the winter we had 3 months of snow and temps down to -25
they used a sharp angular gravel 2-5mm rather than grit to make the top layer of snow have some traction.
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1262698760
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:29 pm
by lutonlagerlout
yeah in Reykjavik,they have central heating under the main roads,mind you they have free geothermal power
other than that its the old shovel routine
LLL
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:47 pm
by bobbi o
the secret is to clear the snow before it is compacted by vehicles or thaws and re-freezes. then get the salt down.
we're currently paying £5 per 20kg bag for clean rock salt. the same stuff was selling for £2.60 per bag in november. even with the price rise,the stuff is like gold dust up here.the main non council supplier has run out and is quoting end of jan delivery.
i sold 50 bags today,without trying too hard. would recommend anyone who can get their hands on the stuff at a reasonable price to buy in,even if you dont make much, it at least gives the boys something do do in this weather.
anyone know what the going rate is for cleaning up snow before salting?
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 8:31 pm
by GB_Groundworks
where i lived just outside munich all the local farmers were contracted to clear the roads and pavements, they all had chains and ploughs and gritters spreaders on their big 4x4 fendts or john deeres. they also did the industrial estates car parks etc kept everything working there.
might get a plough in the summer for our deere at a auction for next year give my number to a few industrial estates or tesco etc . seen so many ploughs and blowers go through the auctions for nothing be going for quadruple that now i bet.
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1262723518
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:25 pm
by bobbi o
Go any salt lined up GB? heavy sprinkles forecast for down your way.
saw a nice wee plough for the front forks of a skid steer going for 580 on flea bay. but....we might not get weather like this another 20 years and i dont want anymore unused kit sitting in the yard! man with big shovel and 3cx or skid with half tyre jammed in 4in1 bucket it is...
i'm thinking 250 a day + salt cost for man and skid inc operator
the supermarket contracts are all tied up- tried that. plenty of other big operations arent tho. biggest problem now for me is getting enough salt,looking like the big freeze is here for another 2 wks.
anyone else buying in?
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:46 pm
by GB_Groundworks
not sure about the salt, the council yard at chapel has a mountain of it. and our quarr lads run 24x7 this time of year running salt from the pit at winsford, cheshire. its that taking a chance the snows been getting worst year on year for a few years. if you've got room a 20 ton load in summer would be dirt cheap. our local independent bm had 1 ton bags for £50 before xmas but i bet they went like hot cakes.
yeah got the 3cx and a few old rubber tracks of 3 ton or 8 ton knocking around. our john deere 6400 is ex aberdeen council was on gritter loading duties got a big front bucket on it, seen a few rubber lipped plough off the gritters going through stoodley plant auctions for £50-£200. be worth getting one and adapting it to fit the loader. skid steers ok but you've got to get it to the area to clear haha.
local plant lad in buxton, barry wood sends his back hoe's out to the council on snow duties with the tyre in the 4 in 1 dont know what he gets for them though. seen a few maintenance companies clearing shop car parks etc with hand pulled gritters. hard work.
guess its a gamble, the plough would be worth it for us just to get in and out in the snow.
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1262728074
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:18 pm
by GB_Groundworks
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:21 pm
by msh paving
Been gritting the local town centre today, it's private owned, as the paving maintainance contractor I got the gritting work,the council highways would not sell me salt due to private finance contract with salt union, had to get the town centre to pull some strings did 2 ton outa back of discovery and plant trailer 2 ton lined up for morning, been a nice little ££££, the days are gone where you could cross the salt dump shovel driver palm with silver, least i've done a bit off work first since 16 dec 09 MSH 
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:24 pm
by msh paving
That gritter is for sale 28 miles from me giles, looks a nice bit off kit bet it drinks the fuel MSH
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:28 pm
by lutonlagerlout
thing is fellas, theres a reason why no one has ploughs etc. and the reson is that as soon as you spend out on it ,it wont snow for another 30 years like this
i remember the last time it was this bad in 1980,me and my pals were dropping shopping trolleys off the bridge in wardown park,trying to break the ice on the lake to no avail
last 10-15 years we haven't really had winters
snowing hard outside now,no chance of work tomorrow 
just sitting at home watching the kid/dog starve
LLL
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:34 pm
by bobbi o
Dave L might buy that and haul tar in it.
MSH-how much you paying for salt/whats your day rate?
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:41 pm
by GB_Groundworks
we have snow out on the farm at least 3 times a year, normally only day or two and light showers not had it his heavy for a while but i think its going to be a regular thing for next few years.
mum and dad are at 400+ metres above sea level so they get hit harder and being in the peaks.
yeah that american one is more a show truck i bet, there some older 6x6 fodens on ebay with gritter bodies.
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:44 pm
by msh paving
The salt i cant buy from salt union due the private finance bit,so the town centre partnership has done a deal for me to collect and haul the cleaners spread it i drive it about what a job the day rate i get is over £42 hour which is the slab repair rate +all materials and sundry expenses you could call it new money for old rope MSH
Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:32 pm
by Spitfire
GB_Groundworks wrote:snow which is ok for traction with sheet ice which is a nightmare,
Heard about heated drives but as someone mentioned no way this guy will pay for an occasion that is once in a blue moon.
The snow isn't the problem m8, its when its Ice, on a 15 degree incline running to a brick wall at the bottom, (drive exit is a turn at the bottom) and the block paving keeps icing over. they got heavy ppl carriers.