Snowstorms during the winter months can be hugely troublesome for businesses and homeowners alike.
Parking lots become inaccessible, entryways get blocked, and driveways become slippery and dangerous. Snow presents enough of a challenge for walking and driving, but hardened snow can be even more troublesome. Over time, snow can harden either through the slow melting and re-freezing as the sun rises and sets, or through compaction.
Walking and driving on snow compacts it into solid ice, making it much harder to shovel away. Thankfully, there are ways you can handle it, and today we want to share some handy tips and tricks with you.
Melt the Ice
Melting the ice is easily one of the best ways to get rid of it. Hardened snow and ice can be tough to crack and move, so melting it is the obvious alternative.
The question is…how do you melt it?
Many businesses stock up on bags of salt in preparation for the winter, and it’s always recommended to lay salt before the bad weather arrives. However, applying salt on your driveways will help melt the snow and give you more of a grip.
If you don’t have salt, try combining a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, a teaspoon of dish soap, and around a half a gallon of water. Mix it up in a bucket and pour it over your driveway, focusing on the spots that have been most impacted.
Plastic Tarp Instead of a Shovel
If you’re tired of shoveling snow out of the way, the plastic tarp could save you a lot of time.
When you expect snow to fall, place a plastic tarp over important parts of your sidewalk or driveway. Then, when you need to use the driveway, simply pull away the plastic tarp and the snow will move with it.
Naturally, if there’s a lot of snowfall, the tarp may become heavy to remove – but if you’re able to do it, it’s much quicker than shoveling snow every day.
Leaf Blower
Leaf blowers are extremely powerful, and you can bet that all of that power they exert can work absolutely fine with snow. The only problem, however, is that when snow becomes too hard, the leaf blower may not have the effect you need.
Use the leaf blower earlier on during a snowfall event, and try to keep on top of it if you can. Once the snow becomes too hard, the leaf blower will become totally ineffective.
Wet/Dry Vacuum
A wet/dry vacuum is perfect for smaller outdoor spaces that need to be cleared of hard snow. These devices can suck up fluid and damp materials without damaging the equipment, so as long as your vacuum is big enough, it should be able to handle fluffy snow and only recently hardened snow.
A better way of using the vacuum, however, is changing the setting to blow. Good wet/dry vacuum cleaners will offer this option, meaning you can enjoy the effect of a leaf blower without splashing out on a brand new piece of equipment.
Call Local Experts Instead
While these are fall fantastic tips for any homeowner or business owner who wants to quickly remove snow, there is a better way!
At Earth Development we have decades of experience helping businesses and homeowners keep their outdoor spaces safe to use during the winter months. Not only do we offer snow removal services in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, but we also offer preventative maintenance.
The Earth Development team uses salt and various other deicing agents to treat your driveways, pavements, and parking lots. We act pre-emptively on the advice of meteorologists and ensure you’re prepared for bad winter weather.
So for more information about our services, for a free quote, or even to see our fleet of vehicles and to meet the team, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Save yourself the hassle and call your local experts at Earth Development today, or contact us online!
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