‘Tis the season to get ready for the regular removal of snow. When people move to the Northeast and other colder parts of the country, sometimes they aren’t prepared for what a chore it can be. Holiday movies always show pretty snow floating down, but never the miserable task of shoveling several feet of it later on. If you’d like to keep the snowy months as stress-free as possible, and eliminate the chances of bodily injury during shoveling, read on. Here are some snow removal tips; Protect your yard from winter weather.
Plan ahead.
First, make sure you’re ready for winter by purchasing a really good shovel. Don’t go cheap when buying this tool, because you may find yourself paying extra in medical bills. Get plenty of rock salt to keep on hand in your garage to melt snow faster on the driveway and walkways. And if you have a snow blower, examine it before the first snowfall to make sure it has enough gas and is ready for use. Also, follow all the safety precautions, and keep your hands and feet away from moving parts.
Identify the areas where you’d like the snow to be piled up, so that your driveway, walkways and other traffic areas on your property will remain clear. Before monster storms, some people put stakes at the edges of their driveway, so they’ll be able to see where it is once the snow covers everything!
Last but not least, try to get yourself in good shape. Shoveling can be a nice workout, but if you don’t exercise often, it can be dangerous to your health. This is because many homeowners don’t realize how much exertion is involved, especially if they’re dealing with heavy, wet snow. When you go outside in the cold, your blood vessels constrict, and if you exert yourself too much when your body isn’t used to it, this can cause a heart attack.
Shovel smart.
The first rule of shoveling: keep the loads light. Don’t try to carry a densely packed pile of heavy snow on your shovel. Only shovel what you can comfortably handle. Many people overdo it, underestimating what a strain shoveling can be on their body. In fact, over the years, more than 12,000 people went to the emergency room for shoveling-related injuries! Next, don’t shovel first thing in the morning. This is the time when you’re most likely to get a slipped disc or other back problem because of fluid build-up overnight while you sleep.
When it comes to shoveling, do a little at a time and do it often. Don’t wait until you have several feet to clear off the driveway. If you take it one layer at a time, you’ll have less of a strain later.
If you’re dealing with sticky snow that doesn’t want to come off your shovel, spray the shovel with WD40 or cooking spray. This will help the snow to slide right off the shovel.
Practice good snow blowing techniques.
If you’re snow-blowing the driveway, it’s a good idea to start in the middle and alternate the position of the chute, so you have an even amount of snow piled up on each side. Also, go at a good pace. If you go too slowly, you won’t have a high enough aim for the snow to go a good distance—off your driveway!
Snow blowers can be expensive, and shoveling can be a constant chore, especially when you have to be at work and can’t remove it in easy-to-manage layers. That’s why many homeowners hire snow removal services, so they don’t have to worry about it.
The Veron Company is a full-service snow removal and preventative maintenance company, serving Marlborough, Massachusetts. With a snow removal service, you usually pay an upfront cost for the season.
The Veron Company has one of the largest fleets of snow control and removal vehicles in the area. In fact, our equipment is so innovative it was featured in Lawn & Landscape magazine.
Keep checking our blog for more maintenance tips, and contact us today to let us go to work for you!
The Veron Company, serving Marlborough, Massachusetts and surrounding areas, including Cape Cod since 1982.
