Snow And Ice Removal Recommendations To Help You Protect Your Property
Winter is just around the corner and with it will come snow, ice, a frozen landscape, and a layer of snow over your vegetation and pavement. It is helpful to plan for snow and ice removal to keep your pavement, vegetation, and other elements unharmed from winter maintenance. Here are some recommendations to think about when you are planning to arrange for winter snow removal from your property.
Protect Your Landscaping
Although your yard and its landscaping will be covered in a blanket of snow this winter, you still need to keep it in mind when you handle snow removal. If your landscaping borders are difficult to see under a layer of snow, or if they are curvy or low to the ground making them difficult to see with their low profile, place markers in your yard to help you keep an eye out for their boundary.
You don't want to accidentally scrape away snow and ice with a snow shovel or plow only to realize you have scraped off a layer of your favorite perennials, lawn, or shrubbery. In the spring after, this type of damage will be obvious and take some time to get it back where you want its growth.
Place some metal posts or garden flags into the edges and corners of your landscaped areas to mark off where your pavement stops. This will help you or whoever else is handling your snow removal to recognize where the vegetation is so as to not destroy it. These markers will also make it easier for you to apply ice melt chemicals in the right places so you don't harm your vegetation with salt and other chemicals.
Use Concrete-Safe Chemicals
Another important factor to consider is the concrete on your property. Concrete is strong and durable but when it is exposed to certain ice melt chemicals it will degrade, crack, and crumble apart. Don't apply any type of ice melt product before you check its safety to use on your concrete surfaces. Look for a chemical containing calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, which do not damage concrete. Avoid anything with potassium chloride in it as this will cause harm to your surfaces.
You can also look for a chemical-free option, such as cat litter or sand, which you can sprinkle over your icy pavement. Just be sure you shovel the snow first before sprinkling either sand, cat litter, or both. These materials will improve the traction in the area but do not promote the ice to melt.