As winter quickly approaches, homeowners are starting preparations to winterize their homes and prepare for the cold and snowy months ahead. Some of the to-do items on homeowners’ lists include replacing screens with storm windows, changing the direction of ceiling fans, taking shovels out of the basement and restocking on salt to help clear ice off sidewalks and driveways.
Once the snow finally arrives, alarm clocks need to be set about 15 minutes earlier, as well, to leave enough time to shovel the driveway. While some may view morning snow shoveling as their morning workout, most people dread having to throw on snow gear and head out early to clear their driveway of last night’s snowfall. Some people may elect to hire a plow service, or the kid down the street, to get rid of the snow, but if the plow or neighborhood shoveler doesn’t arrive on time, these people end up doing the work themselves anyway.
Wouldn’t it be great to wake up in the morning on your own time, knowing that no matter how much it snowed the night before, the driveway will be snow-free? Believe it or not, it can be done. Heated driveways are a great way to eliminate the need to shovel or hire a plow, and they also keep people safe from slipping on dangerous ice that often accumulates on the driveway.
Last year’s harsh winter that dumped heaping piles of snow across the country led to a drastic increase in heated driveway installations over the year, according to The Times Herald. With weather experts forecasting another harsh winter this year, a heated driveway doesn’t seem like a bad investment, especially since other types of driveways can take a beating during the winter.
While small-stone gravel driveways provide good traction, they can be ruined by plows and shovels. Regular concrete driveways can also be harmed in the winter from being overloaded with road salt. As salt melts the snow, excess moisture in the concrete can cause concrete driveways to crack. Heated driveways melt snow as soon as it touches the surface, and prevent ice patches from building up, as well.
Heated driveways can run on the pricier side, but what homeowners are really paying for is peace of mind, and can you put a price on that?