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Heated driveways
After a couple of years of heavy snowfall paired with a few seasons of freezing rain and ice, homeowners are finally getting past the idea of shovelling the driveway and the sidewalks and moving towards heated systems. The technology has been around for a while, but for some reasons, Canadians think that having a heated driveway is only for the rich or for the lazy. I can happily say that this is no longer the case, probably because of the number of ice-related injuries or even worse, fatalities from shovelling. Recently I put in a heated drive for a local on-camera meteorologist and she summed up it up perfectly. She stated that she works with weather every single day and that no two winters are ever alike. That said, we can never predict how bad it is going to get with the changes in our climate. Being prepared just makes sense, and looking after the safety of our loved ones doesn’t have a price tag.
If that doesn’t convince you, how about these situations—all perfect for a heated system.
Almost all of the homes that are built today have a grade change to allow for drainage when we have heavy rain. For most homes, the driveway slopes to the street to prevent the rain from flooding into the house. What do you do when your home is the opposite? When your driveway slopes from the road to the home? In many urban areas, this has become the norm so that buyers can maximize the amount of useable space from a small building lot. Sometimes these driveways are steep! Get a little ice on them and you are in trouble trying to get your car in and out of the garage. Even worse, consider having to shovel up the slope after a big snowfall.
I am also a fan of reducing the use of salt and chemicals to melt the snow. Too often, homeowners overdue it with the “melters” and the “de-icers”. We have a habit of thinking that more is better and spread harmful products on every single paved or stone surface. Even the ‘eco-safe’ options are now showing negative side effects according to many online sources. Not needing to use these chemicals at all seems like that best answer.
Technology has even reduced the costs of operating these systems. Instead of just setting your driveway at one temperature (like an indoor radiant floor) and letting it heat the great outdoors, you can now get smart systems which detect when the snow is falling or when ice is developing and only turn on when needed. This goes a long way to helping with your hydro bill and conserving resources at the same time.
If you are replacing your driveway, pathway or even stone steps, consider going with a heated system. Not only will they make winter a little easier to get through, they also go a long way to preventing unnecessary injuries or damage to your home, friends and family.
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