Tips To Prepare Your Lawn And Driveway For The Snow
If there's a lot of snow where you live, you will want to prepare your home and property for the upcoming winter season. Snow can do a number on your lawn and your driveway, so it's important for you to prepare the outside of your home for the inevitable. Then you don't have to worry about finding damage once the snow melts and the weather warms in the spring.
Plants
You should place tall stakes in the plants that surround your driveway and walkway so a snow removal service will know where to stop. Another handy tip to keep in mind is to not shake the snow off of plants that are buried under a lot of snow — you'll end up doing more harm than good. Place reflective poles at the outline of your driveway, so whoever plows or removes snow from your driveway knows exactly where the driveway ends and where your lawn begins. This will help avoid the snowplow repeatedly driving onto your lawn.
Use a Melter
You can use a blend of liquid magnesium chloride and apply with a garden sprayer. This is best done a few hours before a pending storm, and this can help melt snow about two inches or less, and keep the ice from sticking to the driveway. You can purchase this mixture at your local home improvement store.
Use the Right Shovel
Be sure to use a lightweight shovel that has a nonstick finish. This helps to gather the snow and unload it with relative ease. Don't purchase a shovel with a blade that you'll be tempted to overload. To save your back, use an S-shaped shaft. And don't use your metal blade on soft surfaces, like your wood decking. You may want to consider purchasing a pusher for soft, fluffy snow.
Rock Salt
Rock salt is an inexpensive snow removal formula that works. It's hard on your grass and plants, however, so you'll want to be careful when applying. There are nonsalt options that you can look into as well, if you don't want the added mess that comes with using rock salt. A snow removal service may prefer you not sprinkle rock salt onto the driveway before they arrive to plow — check to see if it's best that you wait to apply your rock salt.
Talk with a snow plow service, such as Johnson's Carpet Cleaning, about the different snow removal processes you can utilize as well.