This time of year, my customers are starting to get all their outdoor projects completed. The air is really getting cold, the snow is starting to fly, and it’s time to hunker down for the winter inside your home. Well guess what else wants to hunker . . .
35 years ago my father, Dwight Umber, was upgrading our lawn & garden department. We had been selling American flags for quite a while, but when he noticed the Fort Wayne flag flying over a city building, he knew that he had to have them in our . . .
The other day a customer stopped in the store, and after we completed his hardware needs, he looked up at me and said, “How do you pick your topics for that newspaper article you do?” I told him that a lot of them come from everyday talks with . . .
It’s time! Like it or not, it’s time to get started on your fall gotta do list. It seems like all of a sudden September has come and gone and the cold chill of winter is just around the corner. So here are a few ideas to help you get started.
At . . .
Vinegar and what!! My wonderful wife told me the other day that it was time again to clean the walls of our fiberglass shower stall. I’ve spent many Saturday afternoons scrubbing with all sorts of cleansers, creams and contraptions mostly to no avail. . . .
So all the rain in May and early June kept most of us from completing all of our spring projects. And the way-too-hot temperatures of the first part of July kept us all inside. But now that normal summer weather has settled in, it’s time to get back . . .
So what is something that every one of us has at least one of in our home, is mounted securely in place, has 2 lids, a seat, holds water, and is 1 size fits all? The almighty toilet! It’s an item that everybody takes for granted, but if it stops . . .
Many of our customers come into the store still wanting the good ‘ole incandescent light bulb. They quickly follow that request with a question of why did they change something that worked so well? So I figured that I would bring out some facts, . . .
With all the rain we’ve had the last few weeks, why the heck should I do anything to my lawn? It’s already growing too fast! In all honesty, what you do to your lawn now can really help your yard through the hot, dry days of summer.
Besides the . . .
Young, old, male, and female, we have hundreds of customers that just can’t wait for the arrival of their hummingbirds each year. If we don’t have our hummingbird supplies out by the 1st of March we hear about it! Normally mid-April is when they . . .
Last week we got in our annual truckload of Scotts fertilizer. In my 45 years in the business, there hasn’t been a year go by that this wasn’t our go-to, top of the line, lawn fertilizer product for our customers. But over the last few years there . . .
-13° below zero for heaven’s sake! And what, -40° wind chill? Schools, businesses, mail/paper delivery, and sporting events closed for days. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen that kind of temperature extremes around here. Hopefully you got . . .
You made it! You made it once again to the end of the holiday season. So now what? How about just hunker down in your Lazyboy with a good book and wait until spring? Well just wait a minute. I have a few suggestions! Get out your pencil – take . . .
A customer came in last week and was having a little electrical problem. He said that all of the sudden the circuit breaker that was connected to his living room outlets kept tripping. The first thing I asked him was if there was something new he was . . .
The most popular way to seal up any type of leaky window is by putting a sheet of plastic on the inside that covers the whole window. You can nail the plastic up with cardboard or wood strips and wire nails, but the most popular way is to use a good weather strip tape. And we also have window kits that come with the plastic and double-sided tape. Makes it a very convenient and quick way to stop the cold.
When I put up plastic inside that old house, it stopped the draft all right, but the plastic surface was still cold. A customer of mine told me that I should also put up plastic on the outside of the window. He said that by doing that, I would create a dead air space that would be almost 8” deep and that would keep the inside plastic warm, which would also keep the room warmer. I did it and it worked well.
Then I noticed that on a few windows, the outside plastic would frost up. And on one window the inside plastic frosted up. The guys that fix storm windows in our repair shop set me right on that one. They told me that when the plastic on the outside frosted over, that meant that warm air was leaking past the inside plastic, and turning to frost once it came in contact with the cold sheet of outdoor plastic. And visa-versa when the cold air leaked in against the warm inner plastic, the inside frosted up. And if you have aluminum storm windows, the same inside/outside frosting over condition can happen to you too. There should be strips of pile weather strip around the aluminum frame. If it is missing or worn out, there may be air leaking one way or the other adding to your winter woes. That weather strip is replaceable. You can do it yourself or bring your worn out storm windows in to your local hardware store for repair.
Here’s some other tricks to keep your feet warm. If you don’t use your patio door in the winter, use a large, single piece of plastic to cover it just like the windows. If you feel a draft coming under your front door, you can replace the rubber seal on the threshold, you can put a rubber door sweep on the bottom of the storm door, or we even use cloth draft seals that wedges under your door. And don’t forget outlet and switch plate insulators. Thin pieces of foam that fit under your electrical plates on your outside walls. You would be amazed how much cold draft can come into your home right through your walls!
So if your old farmhouse is a little leaky around the edges, or your old aluminum storm windows need a little love, just stop on in to your local hardware store and we’ll fix you right up! Stay warm!
Dave is the owner of Umber’s Do it Best, which has been a family owned and operated since 1944. Whatever your project needs are, we can help. Stop in today at 2413 Lwr. Huntington Rd. Ft. Wayne, In 46809. Call (260) 747-3866.
During WWII, a lady that worked in an ordinance factory, Vesta Stoudt, mother of 2 Navy sailors, noticed that the tape they were sealing ammunition boxes with was not waterproof and would not easily tear off, thus slowing down the quick access needed to get to the ammunition. She even wrote a letter to president Franklin D. Roosevelt, detailing her idea of a cloth-based waterproof tape. Johnson & Johnson was eventually given the task, and a thin cotton duck material coated in waterproof plastic with a rubber based adhesive on the bottom was born!
During the war it only came in an olive drab color and quickly spread as the go to product to repair anything from vehicles to weapons. Did the name come from the cotton duck layer of material in the middle? Was it called duck tape because it shed moisture like “water off a duck’s back?” Or did it get the name because of its needed use on the military’s amphibious military vehicle DUKW, which was pronounced “duck.” It’s not quite clear which version is correct, but the legend of duck tape had begun.
After the war, the housing market was booming. And duck tape found a home taping joints in heating and air conditioning ducts. Its color and name was changed to match the duct work it was used on. But it was soon discovered to fail new building code requirements, and duct tape faded away. In the 70’s, a company by the name of Manco, purchased the rights to the product with the plan to market it to homeowners. They decided that the original name, duck tape, was more marketable and the trademark name, “Duck Tape” became official. This time the name stuck, it now comes in 100’s of colors and designs, and I’ll swear, with as much as we sell, there must be a roll in every garage in Waynedale!
Duck Tape fun facts:
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While it’s not time to start putting those plastic sheets up on the ‘ole windows yet, it is time to put your fall job list together.
Here are a few reminders to get you thinking.
Before the leaves fall off of your shrubs and trees, spot the dead branches and go ahead and get them removed. There’s plenty of time later to do some general fall pruning, but why not go ahead and remove the dead branches while you can still tell the difference. I have a few hedges that grow like crazy so I have to prune them at least twice a year. Generally most hedge growth is done by September 1st, so get it on your list.
Last weekend I went ahead and edged my driveway and sidewalks. The rainy weather really seemed to make the grass creep over the concrete and getting it done this fall will help save some time in the spring. I also keep an extra set of mower blades sharpened, and ready. They always go on the 1st week of September. I figure the grass needs all the help it can get going into winter. Take a good look at your mowing job from last week. Grass tips look a little shredded? Sharpen your blade!
You’ve been looking at that dirt, mold, and mildew that has been collecting on the south side of your house. Just go ahead and get the power washer out and get it off of there! Any chipping paint to scrape and redo? Do it now! And if you read my article very often you’ll know what I think about yard care in the fall. This is the best time of the year to fertilize, kill weeds, and even plant grass seed if you can get it going before all the leaves hit the ground.
Every fall change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries. And if you have central heat & air, now is that time for your final filter change of the year. Do you need to put window plastic up? How about the switch and outlet plate insulators for your outside walls? That, and your leaky windows might be the reason your feet were cold last winter. I even had a customer come in and was getting ready for his fall garage cleanup project. He said he wanted to get all the clutter off the floor and make more room before his vehicles were inside all the time once the snow flies.
And we have already had dozens of snow blowers brought in for their annual tune-up. Bring yours in to your local hardware store and have it gone over to be ready for that 1st big blast of winter that always seems to sneak up on everybody.
Wait a minute…. Snow? I was just setting out on my front porch with a cup of coffee and looking at my locust trees! Don’t worry, there’s still time. But start that list, and as the weather starts to break, why not go ahead and get started. And you know where to go if you need a little help!
Dave is the owner of Umber’s Do it Best, which has been a family owned and operated establishment in the Fort Wayne community since 1944. Whatever your project needs are, we can help. Stop in today at 2413 Lwr. Huntington Rd. Ft. Wayne, In 46809. Call (260) 747-3866 or order online umbers.doitbest.com
WD-40 was developed in 1953 in San Diego. Chemists were trying to create a water dispersing product for the aerospace industry. After 40 tries, they were successful. Hence the name Water Displacement, 40th formula. Or as we know it, WD-40. And its first commercial use was to protect the skin of the Atlas missiles from rust and corrosion. Interesting!
I don’t know if it is still used on missiles, but personally I’ve used it for squeaking hinges and rusted bolts, taking stickers off my bumper, and I think years ago I tried to get the fan belt on my old pickup truck to stop screeching with a shot of good ‘ole WD-40.
The WD-40 website gives 1000’s of uses for their product. Besides using it for all things squeaking and sticking, have you ever tried these?: removing crayon marks from walls, removing ink stains from about anything, keeping snow from sticking to your snow shovel, and keeping garden tools rust-free. And a few more exotic uses listed were: keeping flies off of cows, repelling pigeons (they don’t like the smell), removing gum from wallpaper, shining shower doors, polishing brass and silver jewelry, unsticking 2 drink glasses stuck together, and a bus driver in Asia actually used it to remove a python from the undercarriage of his bus! They also noted that there is a misconception that WD-40 will cure arthritis. Not so, says the manufacturer. They won’t release what the secret ingredient is, but it is some sort of petroleum distillate, and they say there is no reason to be smearing it on your skin.
Now I don’t know about all of those uses listed above, but last week a customer of mine told me that when she was growing up in Kentucky, her dad used it for everything. Including getting the tobacco tar off his hands after harvesting his crop. Now that’s different! And as I was doing a little research for this article I saw a video of a guy stopping the squeak in his ceiling fan with a little of this water dispensing, 40th try, lubricant. And you know what? It worked in my house!
So if you have a situation that you think maybe a little WD-40 might help? Try it! If you come up with a fun use for it, let me know. And if you go after the cows or pigeons, I want pictures!
Dave is the owner of Umber’s Do it Best, which has been a family owned and operated establishment in the Fort Wayne community since 1944. Whatever your project needs are, we can help. Stop in today at 2413 Lwr. Huntington Rd. Ft. Wayne, In 46809. Call (260) 747-3866 or order online umbers.doitbest.com
Hopefully everybody has weathered the storm of the attack of the Japanese Beetles. For a solid month customers purchased a ton of all the different versions of the insecticide Sevin and all the beetle traps. But we also sold Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil, and a new Bee Safe Insect Killer with sesame seed oil to combat those bugs in a more organic way. There are many environmentally safer products out on the market to curtail outdoor insects.
Another thing on the beetles, watch out for a month and a half from now. Those mating beetles have laid their eggs around your plants and will soon change into a grass root eating larva. And about September 1st you won’t be able to figure out why your grass is looking a little thin in a few places in your yard. The white larva, now the size of a thin kidney bean, will feed for a month or so, and then burrow deep, only to hunker down for winter so they can come out strong again next summer. We have some options on how to get ‘em then too.
For years, the best mosquito repellent ingredient has been DEET, officially known as N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide. And every good hardware store will have versions in aerosols, pump sprays, wipes, clip on, stick on, name brands and generics. And as long as the products are at least 25% DEET, they will all work quite well at keeping mosquitoes away. But each year I always hear from a few people that DEET is an irritant to their, or their child’s, skin. Or they are looking for something more earth friendly. So here are a few organic options that you may want to try.
The highest rated organic repellents are ones with the oil of lemon eucalyptus and pine oil extract. Repel & Off! distribute products that include these as a base. You may have to apply it every few hours, but is a good alternative to DEET based products.
Here’s another angle. Mosquito repelling plants that you can grow. Consider marigold, lavender, basil, rosemary, catnip, scented geraniums, and citronella grass. They all put off a scent that has been tested and verified to keep the mosquitoes away.
And here is an option that we are putting in on the front porch of my homestead. A ceiling fan! Seems that a constant moderate movement of air keeps the little critters from being able to land and do what they do.
And last but not least… get rid of the standing water on your property! Especially the small amounts in the shade. Keep the dog’s water bowl and the bird bath filled with clean water!
So get ready, plan wisely, and whether it’s for you, the kids, for work, or play, you should be able to get the upper hand on the unofficial Indiana insects of summer. Your local hardware store is right around the corner to help you arm yourself for the battle of the bugs!
Dave is the owner of Umber’s Do it Best, which has been a family owned and operated establishment in the Fort Wayne community since 1944. Whatever your project needs are, we can help. Stop in today at 2413 Lwr. Huntington Rd. Ft. Wayne, In 46809. Call (260) 747-3866 or order online umbers.doitbest.com
With all that is going on right outside your back door, grilling safety is something that has to be remembered. Each year there is an average of 8,900 house fires created by outdoor grilling. Let’s do all we can to make sure that your home isn’t one of them. So here is a few safety tips to follow.
The most frequent story of damage that I hear of is by those that don’t move their grill far enough away from the house. Damage to vinyl and aluminum siding, burnt wood deck railings, and also damage to overhangs, shrubs, and trees can easily be done. 3’ From the house, railing, and anything that grows should be a good rule of thumb to follow before you fire that cooker up!
Keep your grill clean. Especially on the inside. Grease buildup can easily be ignited and get out of control. Besides ruining your burgers, flames rolling out of your barbeque can be a big source of trouble. With most grills, it’s not too hard to do a little disassembly to gain access to all that goo. And on some, like Weber grills, it’s easy to slide out a removable tray to get to the buildup. I suggest that you give the guts of your grill a good scraping out at least 4 times a year. And one last grill inferno suggestion- know where the closest fire extinguisher is! Just in case, of course.
I remember when I was young, it used to be fun watching dad soak that pile of charcoal with lighter fluid, and then watching the flash, and hearing the whooomp, when he tossed a match in. Even though it’s not as fun, I’ve replaced my starter fluid with a charcoal chimney. This accessory uses only a couple wads of newspaper and a metal container to light your charcoal in a clean and safe manner. And for you gas grillers, keep your electronic ignitors in working order! Using a stick lighter or match and bending over your grill to see if it is lit just doesn’t work for me. I can hear that whooomp from dad’s grill all over again. Be careful!
If you have a gas grill, check for gas leaks at the start of, and a couple of times during, your grilling season. A mixture of soap and water applied to all hoses and gas fittings is what you need to do. What you are looking for is bubbles that would be made by any escaping gas. If you find some bubbles, shut off your propane supply at the tank, and it’s time to visit your local hardware store for some new parts.
Even though it may not be convenient, it is best that your grill be attended at all times. Especially when small children are at your cookout. A hot grill does not necessarily look hot to a young child. Keep an eye open for curious pets too!.
So, whether you still have one of those antique disc charcoal grills or a regular backyard cookin’ kitchen, be safe, and enjoy the summer holidays!
Dave is the owner of Umber’s Do it Best, which has been a family owned and operated establishment in the Fort Wayne community since 1944. Whatever your project needs are, we can help. Stop in today at 2413 Lwr. Huntington Rd. Ft. Wayne, In 46809. Call (260) 747-3866 or order online umbers.doitbest.com
Every year in the hardware business we plan for the unofficial beginning of spring. Because once the weather breaks, our customers start their annual outdoor spruce up and fix-up chores, which naturally brings them into their local hardware store! Normally, just like clockwork, mid to late March is when it all begins. This year it took another 30 days for spring to get going! Wet weather, few warm days, and mostly cold and below freezing nighttime lows really slowed everything down.
Besides adding to your bad case of cabin fever, did you notice how much your lawn grass, trees and shrubs were affected?
Lawn Grass:
Normally, everybody has mowed at least once by the 1st of April. Not this year! Not only did the grass not grow, it seemed to stay dormant(brown), for much longer than normal. My 1st mowing was the 3rd week of April.
Dandelions:
Also slow to come around. I saw only a few yards of dandelions by mid-April. Personally, my dandelions didn’t go yellow ‘til after May 1st. About 2 weeks behind schedule. Then what seemed odd to me was the length of time the dandelion blooms stayed yellow. Almost 2 weeks! The good thing with that was that many people took advantage of getting a Weed & Feed or Weed B Gon product on their yard before the dandelions went to seed. If you haven’t attacked the dandelions yet, you still can. You don’t need to have yellow flowers actively growing on your dandelion plants to treat them with a herbicide. You can still do it now, or anytime ‘til mid-fall.
Flowering Trees:
Boy did my crabapple trees have beautiful blooms this year. They were late like everything else, but they held their blooms ‘til May 20th.
A good friend of mine is a morel mushroom hunter. He said that normally the crop is done by May 1st. This year it didn’t start until May 2nd and he still found some on May 17th! And I heard that the hummingbird pilgrimage from down south was delayed for about 10 days.
Even though early spring was definitely out of whack this year, it doesn’t look like any damage was done. It doesn’t take long for Mother Nature to get back on track. My grass is now growing like crazy. The 1st crop of dandelions have come and gone. And the new, spring growth on my pine trees looks better than it has in years. And the extended forecast looks normal. And after the spring we had, I’m looking forward to it!
A FEW FUN FACTS:
-Grass in your lawn can grow up to 3/8” per day!
-Dandelion puffballs can contain 72 – 154 dandelion seeds!
-Dandelion roots can grow over 10’ down into the soil.
-Dandelion flowers can be used to make wine and the leaves can be boiled like spinach or added uncooked to salads and desserts.
Most of my lawn care customers know that you have to put down your crabgrass preventer early, and that you better be ready for the attack of the dandelions following right behind. Well that’s a good rule of thumb to get you going, but have you ever heard of Growing Degree Days (GDD)? If you farm for a living, you got this already. If your job is keeping a golf course proper for an entire year, you know all this by heart too. Now let’s apply this knowledge to your front yard!
Growing Degree Days (GDD) is a mathematical equation that will actually calculate when your crabgrass seeds will germinate, or your dandelions will bloom. Seriously, you can figure it out! It might be hard to convince Mother Nature to bring us warm spring days, but it’s really not hard to figure when the dandelions will bloom. She has a rule that even if the daytime high is warm but the nights are still cold, she just doesn’t let the growing begin. So, a combination of the warmer highs and warmer lows have to be at a certain point to get things going.
To start the figuring, take your high temperature of the day, add to it the low temperature of the day, and divide that total by 2. That gives you your base # for the day. If the high is 66 and the low 40, your formula will be: 66 + 40 = 106 / 2 = 53 degrees. Do this computing for every day of the year starting January 1st.
Anytime your daily computing comes up with a number over 50, the closer to spring blooms we get. With the formula we used above, we are 3 degree days above 50, so you add 3 to your total for the year. You only count degree days above 50. If the day produces a total below 50, nothing is added.
66 + 40 = 53 – 50 = 3 degree days accumulated that day.
Everyday you add or don’t add to the total. And here is the kicker, all weeds, flowers, trees, produce, grass, etc. do their different seasonal things once the GDD# gets to a certain point. A certain GDD level.
Crabgrass Seed Germinates at a GDD level of about 200. Dandelions at 140. I have Zimmerman Pine Borers after my pine trees. I spray them when the GDD gets to 100. And on average, adult mosquitos will make their appearance once the GDD reaches the 230 range. And on, and on. Pretty cool, huh?
When you get good at this, not only can you pick just the right time to battle the lawn weeds in your yard, but also some other intriguing things like when to plant vegetables, attack certain insects, and I even saw an article that set the proper degree day to tell you when turtles come out of hibernation!
The best website I have found to track our GDD is from Michigan State University. www.gddtracker.net You plug in your zip code and it will chart out exactly where we are currently at, and whatever the target # is for whatever weed you want to chase.
It looks like right now in Fort Wayne we are at about 60 Degree Days. Last year at the end of April we were over 240! So, get ready to battle and maybe this year with a little GDD knowledge under your belt, your success rate might just be a little higher!
Would love to talk to you about GDD! Got questions, come see me!
Your calendar says spring is here. The robins and the 1st plants of spring say that spring is here. And finally, our average highs for the day seem to say that spring is here. So, Mother Nature is ready…are you?
In the hardware business, our spring prep consists of bringing in our truckloads of mulch, top soil, decorative rock and all those bags of Scotts fertilizer. Replacing burnt out light bulbs, getting the tile floor waxed, and gussying up the outside. That’s what we do. What’s the spring regimen at your house?
Early spring seems to be when I’m the most eager to get to the outdoor chores at home. I’ve been cooped up way to long and can’t wait for more days like we are having now to dig in to the outside. Here’s a checklist of a few things that you might want to make sure that you get done before the sounds of the lawn mowers fill your neighborhood.
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I am frequently amazed by the projects that my customers tackle. Some because I am so darned impressed with the plan that their mind has put together. And some because I’m a little afraid about the outcome of their mission. Some people just don’t seem to understand that oil and water just don’t mix!
With the advent of all these home improvement shows and YouTube videos, more and more people have been tackling their own small to intermediate sized home improvement projects. New homeowners especially seem willing to change that light switch, replace that faucet or refinish a piece of furniture. The feeling of accomplishment from completing a new home improvement project is hard to beat!
But it’s like the couple wanting to paint their bathroom. Think it out a little bit before you dig in. If you’re not use to working on a ladder, dealing with electricity, or handling power tools, be careful. Your project may seem simple by watching that Saturday morning home improvement show. But, if you’ve never done it before, or if that video missed a couple important steps, what seemed as a 15 minute fix could easily turn into something much more time consuming, or more costly.
My energetic bathroom painters had wallpaper to take off, there were a few nail holes, they weren’t sure about color, and didn’t know what painting tools they had at home. And then I found out that even though they were a number of years older than me, neither had held a paint roller in their hand before!
Before you start a new home improvement project make sure you think of the risks you are taking and just what all will this project take to complete properly? Do you have the time to complete it if a few things go wrong? Is there a buddy available with a little more knowledge that you could ask if you do need a bit of help? And what about a professional? We have phone numbers of many good trained professionals posted in our store. Sometimes it just might be worth making that phone call and spending a little bit of money to make sure that project gets done the right way.
All that being said, February is a great time to knock off a few more indoor home improvement projects before spring hits. Do your research ahead of time. Maybe watch the shows and the videos, but also don’t forget to stop in your local hardware store and get suggestions! You can do it! Go for it!
And, oh ya, the outcome with the couple wanting to paint? I sent them home with some wallpaper stripper, a spray bottle, and a wide putty knife to tackle the wallpaper. That’s a good start. They should be back next week and we’ll see if they are ready to tackle a paint roller!
Ice melter comes in many different strengths, with many different ingredients, with many different results available. Probably the biggest question we get from our customers is “Is it safe for my concrete?” And the answer is, well kinda, sometimes, it depends! Let me explain:
The rule of thumb is that if your concrete is less than 1 year old, don’t use ANY ice melter of any kind! Newly poured concrete needs plenty of time to cure. Applying an ice melter can weaken the concrete and make it more susceptible to future damage. We suggest brown sand to at least give a little traction to that slippery ice. And if the sun is out a bit that day, the dark sand can absorb a little bit of the sun’s warmth and maybe melt that icy glaze a little bit. It’s also a fact that you should be careful about putting ice melter on asphalt driveways that you have recently sealed. Some products can actually break the bond between the asphalt and that nice new black coating that you put down in the fall.
But here is a little ice melter education so you can figure out what is best for you.
All ice melters have some version of salt, also known as “chloride”, as an ingredient. It could be a potassium-based chloride, magnesium-based, sodium-based, or a calcium-based chloride. And just like the best grass seed is one that is a blend of different kinds, the same goes for ice melters. Some chlorides in ice melters are great at working down to a very cold temperature. Some do little damage to plants. Others can really mess with concrete, asphalt or wood decks. Some are less dangerous if ingested by your pets. And, some are quite inexpensive. It’s important that you buy the best ice melter that fills your needs. And it sure helps if you get it from a store that has staff that is educated to help you make those important decisions…like your local hardware store!
Our favorite ice melter is our private label version that has magnesium chloride as one of its main ingredients. It can work down to -7°, it’s ok with pets, and safe in most situations on concrete and grass. All at a fair price. Always a good choice.
But a few years ago, we came across a new product that actually mixes a distilled agricultural by-product with magnesium chloride and produces an ice melter that works to -20°, very safe for pets and concrete, and you can use 20 – 30% less and still get great results. Stop on in and check out Ice B’ Gone Magic.
Whatever you choose to use, make sure that you use the least amount of ice melter that you can, if possible don’t get it on your plants or grass, remove undissolved ice melter granules off your concrete or asphalt once it is not needed, and don’t forget…don’t use any on your new concrete!
Be safe!