When Will We Get Snow Again
Wintertime is all virtually staying warm and cozy. And it's also all about staying safe. If you live in an area that sees frequent flurries or big blizzards, y'all know that snow accumulation can present its own item safety hazards all around the house. Fortunately, you can go on your outdoor surroundings comfortable — not to mention easier to navigate during wintertime's worst — and information technology all starts in the driveway.
You might already know the importance and benefits of keeping your driveway gratuitous of snow. Merely y'all might not know some helpful secrets nearly removing all that pesky white precipitation. These driveway snow removal hacks can aid make the chore (and maintenance) much more manageable and so yous can keep your home accessible and focus on wintertime fun.
Enlist the Help of WD-40
When you lot're outside shoveling snowfall, it'due south likely you lot want the task to go as rapidly and smoothly every bit possible. There's goose egg worse than stubborn clumps of snow clinging to your shovel, slowing you downward as yous're trying to piece of work. To preclude this holdup in the middle of a driveway-clearing session, wait no further than a trusty tin can of WD-40 for assistance.
Employ a liberal glaze of the WD-40 to your shovel's bract earlier you begin. This liquid is technically a type of oil that'southward known as a "water-displacing spray" (that's where the "WD" in the name comes from). What does that mean for yous? It'll keep the snowfall from building up on the shovel — displacing the h2o — even equally the tool gets colder while y'all work. You lot may need to reapply the WD-40 a few times before you're done, depending on how large your driveway is, but this should brand the removal process a breeze.
If you don't have whatever spare cans of WD-40 on manus, cooking spray can also work. No matter what you utilise, make sure that you make clean off your shovel blade with soap and water when you're washed to continue any oil rest from staining the floor or wall where yous store the shovel.
If y'all accept a larger driveway and use a snowblower, information technology's of import to make certain you aren't surprised past whatsoever unexpected rocks, cords or even frozen newspapers as y'all're immigration the space — they tin can jam the auger that scoops upward the snow. The all-time fashion to achieve this is to keep an centre on the forecast and get your driveway prepped before it snows.
If your local meteorologists are predicting wintry atmospheric condition, take the opportunity to give your driveway a good sweep earlier flakes start to autumn. Mark off the locations of any cords, cables or extension cords y'all're running while y'all all the same have a clear view of the driveway so you don't run the blower over them. Better yet, unplug and move them if possible.
You can fifty-fifty go the extra mile and marking the edges of your driveway and walkways. Exercise your best to poke around the end of the driveway in search of any stray newspapers, children's toys and other possible obstructions earlier you begin.
1 more note near blowers: If you're even so in the market for one, consider what your driveway is fabricated out of. If it's paved, a single-stage blower tin can work well. If you have a gravel bulldoze, on the other paw, it's best to become for a 2-stage blower. The auger paddles on two-stage blowers don't make contact with the ground (whereas those on unmarried-stage machines do), and so y'all won't chance damaging the machine if it picks up loose gravel.
Put a Sock (or Cleat) on It
Among the biggest dangers of driveway snowfall removal is the possibility of slipping on ice that lurks beneath the fluffy surface. However, you tin take a few precautions to boost your stability during the driveway-cleanup procedure.
Purchase a pair of slip-on shoe covers with cleats. These footwear enhancers are typically made of durable rubber straps studded with small metal spurs that provide traction by digging into slippery surfaces. Because they're made of rubber, they stretch right over your winter boots and stay snug to requite you more than confidence while y'all're traversing the driveway.
No fourth dimension to order cleats? You're notwithstanding in the clear. If you have a pair of heavy wool socks, they tin can work much the aforementioned way. Sideslip them over the outsides of your shoes or boots earlier you caput outdoors. While they might not be as stabilizing as cleats, they'll certainly do in a compression.
Employ the Tarp Method
No snowblower? Not necessarily a problem. One helpful and oh-so-unproblematic — no specialized tools required — snow removal alternative comes past way of prepping beforehand by lining your driveway with large tarps when you lot're expecting snow to fall.
In one case it'south started snowing and a manageable amount has built upwardly, grab one side of the tarp and let the snowfall slide over to and off the other side — and off your driveway onto the grass. Y'all tin also enlist the aid of a family member or neighbour to grab the other side so you tin can elevator the unabridged tarp and relocate the snow to a more user-friendly surface area.
1 trick to keep in mind with this method is that you don't want to wait until the tarp is covered with a foot of snow before you try to move it. For best results, lay out the tarps before the snow starts falling and clear them every time the snow level reaches an inch or two. If you need to, you lot tin ready an alarm or notification on your phone to remind yourself to head out and check the tarps periodically.
Create a DIY Snowblower With Other Tools
While this hack works best for lighter snowfalls, it can come up in handy in other circumstances, too. If y'all don't have your own snowblower — maybe the flurries don't autumn too oft where you lot are — then brand an impromptu tool out of a leaf blower. Go along in mind that the powderier the snow is, the meliorate this technique will work.
To get the driveway clear, bundle upwards and use the leaf blower to direct the snowfall out of your desired area just like you lot would use it to clear leaves. You can as well make a similar DIY snowblower with a shop vac running on the reverse setting or by hooking the hose up to the vacuum'due south frazzle vent.
Articulate Your Windshield With Rubbing Alcohol
When you eventually excavate your car from the snow in your driveway (or use the tarp trick to keep snow off your vehicle), you might still face a layer of water ice, this time on your windshield. While you can wait for your car to warm upwardly enough to cook it, your medicine cabinet probable contains the key to a quicker method y'all can use when you're in more of a hurry.
If you lot're anticipating frosty weather, mix upward a batch of homemade deicer you can store and use throughout the season. Make full a spray bottle with ane part water and two parts rubbing alcohol and spray it over your icy motorcar windshield and windows. So, wipe it with an onetime towel. You'll exist pleasantly surprised to find that the ice slides away. While information technology may non odor too keen, the rubbing booze will as well exit your windshield nice and streak complimentary, and information technology can even assistance to prevent fogging.
Consider Installing Snowfall-Melting Mats
If yous're not up for taking any chances with certain areas of your driveway, walkway or outdoor stairs, snow-melting mats may exist the answer for you. Made from thermoplastic material, these heated mats tin can typically melt abroad a couple of inches of snowfall every hour, and they provide some added traction on slick outdoor surfaces.
The mats come up in a wide diversity of shapes and sizes and piece of work independently or connected to each other — just exist sure to mensurate outset and choose the right size for the area where yous want to install them. From walkways to driveways to stairs, they're a great mode to ensure you lot can enjoy a skid-free surface. Once they're installed, continue them in identify all winter for convenience.
Use a Sneaky Tactic for Free-ish Help
If you've got kids and aren't in a rush, it may be time to host a snowman-edifice contest in your yard. Enlist any neighborhood children who seem interested, and enquire them to utilise only snowfall that comes from your driveway or other areas yous'd like cleared.
Reward their efforts in the class of hot cocoa, cookies, some pocket money or other treats. You may exist surprised at how much easier information technology is to become driveway snow removal help from your kids' friends than your own!
While you'll likely take to finish the driveway off yourself, information technology'due south a great way to become started and give the kids the opportunity to have a blast playing in the snowfall. You might even consider bringing out carrots, buttons, old scarves and other traditional snowman-making materials to encourage the fun.
Source: https://www.reference.com/science/driveway-snow-removal-tips-tricks?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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