Jeff's Tips - Now's the time
According to NOAA, The National Oceanic & Atmosphere Adminstration, a severe winter has been forecasted for our area. We can expect a very snowy winter with a very busy lake effect season.
Aside from escaping to the tropics for four months, there are some basics to help manage the effects of a snowy winter.
Hiring a professional snowplow contractor can ease the burden of keeping your drive and walkways clear. We offer the choice of a season contract price or per push contract. For some it’s a personal choice and for others it’s a coin toss to decide the most cost effective approach. Since, there is no way to predict the number of times plowing will be needed, our seasonal contract prices are based on averages.
It is certain; you’ll need to stake your driveway. When areas are snow covered, stakes identify turns and bumps in the pavement, as well as outline the drive and parking areas. Stakes need to be sturdy and clearly visible. Ugly old fashion wood stakes or the new fiberglass stakes (if you can pound them in) both clearly mark the areas of concern. Sometimes keeping stakes upright can be a chore, when the ground is frozen and snow covered, but well worth the effort to define the drive for snow removal and to help guide truck deliveries or friends who don’t necessarily know the drive’s boundaries.
In a major snow event, snow falls fast and furious. Quickly, kid’s toys, snow shovels, and garbage cans are covered with snow. Keeping outside areas free of these obstacles helps avoid unforeseen damages. Exterior house lighting, though offering additional light, can also be a hazard to the snowplow driver. At 2:00 am in blizzard conditions, the supplemental light reflects off heavy falling snow and in fact can be a more of a hindrance than help. If your lights are on for safety reasons, that’s fine. To turn them on for the arrival of your snowplow contractor is not necessary.
Dealing with winter weather is a lot about managing risk. It’s a real good idea to have a couple bags of salt or calcium on hand for icy conditions. Both deicing agents have their place. Salt can undeniably damage asphalt, cement, and turf. If used in moderation, I feel it is safe and very cost effective. The new calcium products are safer and work at lower temps but cost up to four times the cost of salt.
