Ash Disposal

redhorse said:

We dump them in a large 45 gallon galvanized trash can with lid. As far as what to do with them when the season is over... it's never a problem. We have a half mile long drive way, straight up. If anything, we're looking for more!

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OK , Well ........ I looked out at my back driveway to get the Suburban out of its little hideaway garage .... and the HILL is a sheet of ICE !!

I'm going to TRY the "ash on the ice-y driveway " deal ...........

Stay tuned ........ :bug:

was talking to a guy and he said not to put ashes on gravel because it will make a soft spot there. said they did it once and you could barely get through that spot.
i have never heard of this. i have put ashes on my driveway and we did it when we were kids. could there be any truth to this? i must be they just did not have a very good driveway top begin with, right?

A couple of years ago, I emptied a tin container that was holding ashes that I removed 5 days prior, I was shocked to find embers still glowing in the middle of the can. Could not believe after such a long time in winter temps, that they were still hot! Be careful!

punchy said:

was talking to a guy and he said not to put ashes on gravel because it will make a soft spot there. said they did it once and you could barely get through that spot.
i have never heard of this. i have put ashes on my driveway and we did it when we were kids. could there be any truth to this? i must be they just did not have a very good driveway top begin with, right?

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I call BS on that . . . unless he is saying he dumped the ashes in one spot and it melted all the snow and ice and made a rut due to the surrounding snow and ice.

I spread the ash around like I am spreading seed in the wind (making sure to not do this facing any wind by the way) and it does a great job of melting the snow and ice . . . in the Spring and into the summer on my gravel driveway I will see some traces of small coals . . . eventually these work their way into the gravel and become part of the gravel base . . . with no soft spots.

I let the ashes cool in a metal bucket, sift them through 1/2" hardware cloth (large char goes back into stove for reburn) then spread out on the lawn or garden. Windy days are good for larger coverage.

Metal bucket is always on cement floor. Never near tinder. I usually clean the front 4 - 5 inches of ash out, they tend to have less char and are cooler...found hot embers two days after burnout!