How to Melt Away Your Snow-Shoveling Chores
Chuck Ross
With winter now in force, the snow shovel and bag of ice-melting pellets have returned like migrating songbirds to their seasonal perches on my back deck. I live in a part of southeast New England that doesn’t get a lot of snow, on average, but is also quite capable of getting buried if a nor’easter follows just the right track up the coast. I’m hoping to make some landscaping improvements over the next year or so, and just thinking about the possibility of upcoming blizzards has me wondering about ways I can make winter living here easier.
One option I’ve been thinking about is a heating solution that could minimize my need to put the snow shovel and ice melting products to use. I’ve looked at mats that can simply be laid on top of stairs or walkways and plugged in to an outside outlet, and they’re certainly an option, but when I get my back steps redone, I might go for a more permanent, built-in solution.
Adding a snow-melting system under pavers, asphalt or concrete when redoing an outdoor walkway, stairs, patio – or even driveway – could be an easy upgrade and a great investment for a number of reasons. These products, sold either as mats or tracer wire, are installed under pavers or embedded into concrete and asphalt surfaces as they’re being poured, so they’re ready to operate anytime (even for that surprise late-season snowstorm that shows up after you’ve put away the shovel). They are also hardwired and can be ordered with temperature and moisture sensors that turn them on automatically when conditions warrant.
There also are environmental benefits to these devices. I look for the most environmentally friendly ice-melting products I can find because I live on sandy soil next to a sensitive wetland, and I don’t want salty runoff getting into the groundwater. But not having to use any chemicals would be even better. And, of course, health concerns are on my mind, too. Shoveling heavy, wet snow can be seen as good exercise, but it’s also responsible for an uptick in heart attacks, back problems during the winter months. So, I’m beginning to think that adding a little extra to my exterior upgrade budget might be well-worth the investment – as might any future buyer if I ever decide to up sticks and head for a warmer climate.
One option I’ve been thinking about is a heating solution that could minimize my need to put the snow shovel and ice melting products to use. I’ve looked at mats that can simply be laid on top of stairs or walkways and plugged in to an outside outlet, and they’re certainly an option, but when I get my back steps redone, I might go for a more permanent, built-in solution.
Adding a snow-melting system under pavers, asphalt or concrete when redoing an outdoor walkway, stairs, patio – or even driveway – could be an easy upgrade and a great investment for a number of reasons. These products, sold either as mats or tracer wire, are installed under pavers or embedded into concrete and asphalt surfaces as they’re being poured, so they’re ready to operate anytime (even for that surprise late-season snowstorm that shows up after you’ve put away the shovel). They are also hardwired and can be ordered with temperature and moisture sensors that turn them on automatically when conditions warrant.
There also are environmental benefits to these devices. I look for the most environmentally friendly ice-melting products I can find because I live on sandy soil next to a sensitive wetland, and I don’t want salty runoff getting into the groundwater. But not having to use any chemicals would be even better. And, of course, health concerns are on my mind, too. Shoveling heavy, wet snow can be seen as good exercise, but it’s also responsible for an uptick in heart attacks, back problems during the winter months. So, I’m beginning to think that adding a little extra to my exterior upgrade budget might be well-worth the investment – as might any future buyer if I ever decide to up sticks and head for a warmer climate.
Photo courtesy of EasyHeat
