5 Top Tips to Remove that Cincinnati Snow
Use Proper Materials to Melt Ice
Gravel or sand can keep snow from freezing, and it can provide some necessary grip for shoes and tires on frozen ground. Once everything melts, you will have a messy situation to clean up, but that can be preferable to a hazardous, slippery iced walkway. The sand or gravel will help your boots or shoes keep their traction on slippery surfaces, and sand and gravel have a significant advantage because they do no harm to plants or creatures in or around your yard.
Some people prefer salt to help melt snow or prevent ice from forming. Salt works by lowering the freezing temperature of water, giving you a few extra degrees of cooling before your sidewalk, path or driveway become ice covered skating rinks. The melting snow absorbs the salt, and that can make it seem like the salt has disappeared. But the salt that has been dissolved into the freezing ice or snow is still there, and when everything melts, it will run off to the surrounding area. Rock salt, aka sodium chloride, is the cheapest salt option, and it can be harmful to plants (including your lawn) and pets. It also only works to inhibit ice formation at temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are pricier, but worth the expense if temperatures are dropping. They are both effective at lower temperatures than rock salt and are also much better for animals and the environment.
Get a Snow Blower
A gas-powered snow blower can be a great help in removing snow, and it’s also fun to operate (more fun than a shovel, anyway)! If you only have a small area to clear, you might consider a cordless model or an electric snow blower, but many of these are not self-propelling, so consider the effort involved when you make your purchase.
Pick the Right Shovel
A two-foot shovel is better for big snowdrifts, while an 18-inch shovel is easier on your back and better for lighter snowfalls. Don’t overdo it and try to lift too much snow at once — many people strain their backs shoveling snow and trying to break up ice every winter, and even suffer heart attacks. Take it easy, take breaks, or better yet, hire help. If you are committed to shoveling snow on your own, it’s important to get out there early and often. It’s better to do several passes over the same area than to wait for it to finish accumulating and try to tackle it all at once.
Put in a Heating Grid
You can install heating tubes under your driveway. This is not cheap, but it could increase the value of your home (and save you a lot of shoveling or snow blowing effort). These systems are similar to those that heat bathroom floors, and they’re safe and effective at reducing the amount of accumulating snow and ice.
Once the snow starts falling, you turn the grid on, and it keeps the surface warm enough that snow melts as soon as it hits the ground, and the warmth of the surface prevents ice from forming where the snow has melted. It’s a great choice all around (if it’s in your snow removal budget)!
Call Us
By far, the easiest way to handle your snow is to call a snow removal company and let us do it for you. Our professionals are quick and courteous, and we have plenty of experience with all types of snow removal. Give us a call to find out how we can save your back this winter.
