If you live in a cold-weather zone where snow removal is a must, you have various alternatives for cleaning your sidewalks, stairs, and concrete driveway. With so much snow, plowing your driveway manually can be a time consuming chore that can also be exhausting. You may want to consider contacting a concrete contractor for a heated driveway or implement other alternatives that can quickly speed up the snow clearing process. Here are some of the quickest and easiest ways to remove snow from a concrete driveway:
Snow blowing for a quick driveway cleanup
A surprising percentage of residential residences in snowy areas will have a gas-powered, electric, or battery-powered snowblower. A snowblower is a highly useful item to have in areas where there is frequent winter snowfall. In certain areas, they may be as common as lawnmowers. Tiny corded electric or battery-powered snow blowers are good for short sidewalks and small driveway pads with snowfalls of 6 inches or less, but a gas-powered snowblower is better for anything greater.
Depending on how your property is laid out, your clearing tactics could differ. In general, you do not want to put snow on top of already cleaned pavement. Snow blown by your blower will pack down and adhere to the pavement, making it more difficult to remove. For driveways with clearance on both sides, start in the middle and throw the snow toward one border of the driveway. Make a U-turn and return down the opposite side and continue to alternate. This eliminates the need to adjust the chute as frequently, and any snow that falls short will be cleaned on following runs. In an ideal world, you usually will not need a second pass. If you have any physical constraints, you will enjoy how a self-propelled equipment simplifies your task. In addition the speed that snow blowers are able to clear snow from your driveway is much more efficient when compared to manualing shoveling or plowing.
Snow tarps for those lighter snow falls
Those one- or two-inch snowfalls are among the most inconvenient. They are just enough to need removal, but not enough to make the effort worthwhile. Instead of scraping off more pavement than snow in an attempt to clear such minimal snowfall, consider laying down snow tarps before it falls. Cover your driveway, car, and even the roofs of small structures with tarps or other cloth. Simply hold the far edge of the tarp and draw it back over itself once the final flake has fallen, allowing the snow to roll and slide into a nice, out-of-the-way mound on your grass. An important consideration is that this method only works for light snow, as heavy snowfall can be extremely heavy to pull up.
Surface heating mats
Heated snow melting mats are a winter solution to automating snow removal. These mats, consisting of specially engineered, long-lasting thermoplastics, diffuse heat uniformly and maintain an average temperature of 5 degrees Celsius above the ambient temperature. The mats are designed to be left outside all winter and should be left plugged in. A snow detection controller allows the mats to switch on automatically when there is moisture present and temperatures fall below a certain degree. There is also a wireless remote control outlet and switch option, which allows mats to be turned on and off from within the home by pressing a button.
Heated mats are designed to be energy efficient. Mats may not be as fast as shoveling or snow blowing but they do require a great deal of less energy and time to clear your concrete driveway. They can be turned on while you are doing other tasks instead of solely focusing on expending energy clearing the snow manually from your driveway.
Heated driveways
Installation of a heated driveway system is suggested for home owners searching for the most dependable approach to keep their property ice and snow-free. What may appear to be a challenging project might be simplified with new market alternatives. Heated driveway systems add value to a home and provide peace of mind with automatic activation choices. If you are tired of dealing with snow removal and want one of the fastest removal systems, installing a heated driveway system this winter might save you a lot of time.
Hydronic systems: which are linked to a boiler in your home, are widely renowned for their low operating expenses. However, because of the boiler and the necessity for a completely new driveway, outdoor hydronic systems are an investment that will require a great deal of consideration before moving forward. While the decreased expenses of outdoor hydronic systems are appealing, it is vital to examine the impact on heating. It takes longer for hydronic systems to heat a surface above freezing. Finally, you may have some period where buildup is visible on the surface. It is critical to consider elements such as original investment and maintenance expenditures. However having a heated driveway can save you time and energy when removing snow and ice from your concrete driveway.
Electric heating systems: A heated wire embedded in the driveway material makes up an electrically heated driveway system. Outdoor electric heating systems have a negative image for having high operating expenses, but due to product advancement, more homeowners and businesses may now install practical electric driveway or pathway heating systems. When compared to employing snow removal or plowing services, installing an outdoor electrical system often saves homeowners additional expenses. To provide a snow and ice-free surface at all times, an electrically heated driveway system is intended to activate at the first hint of snowfall below freezing. This will ensure that the surface is more or less cleared no matter how much snow has already fallen making this solution one of the fastest ways of removing snow from concrete driveways.
During times of heavy snow and cold days, you may want to avoid staying outdoors for extended periods. Shoveling can be exhausting and take a great deal of time. Especially if you are in a hurry to leave for work and beat the morning rush hour. As described, there are a number of alternatives that can quickly clear up a concrete driveway of snow. From using a snow blower, to installing a heated surface, there are snow clearing tactics for any homeowners’ needs.