4 Ways to Keep Your Ice and Snow Under Control
Keeping ice and snow under control can be the difference between spending all winter inside and being able to navigate out of your area safely. It’s important to keep your home area safe and accessible in case of emergency. If you run a company, it’s important to do your best to prevent injury and keep the mess of melted snow under control.
Of course, once winter hits, keeping ice and snow under control is much easier said than done. Check out the following four tips to help you manage ice and snow!
1. Get A High-Quality Shovel
Keeping a quality shovel on hand makes a world a difference when it comes to clearing snow. There are a ton of different shovel designs, which can make it difficult to choose the right one without actually using it first. If you don’t want your shoveling sessions to turn into all-out workouts, stay away from wide shovel blades.
Small scoops on a shovel are easier on your back and make shoveling less intense. Small scoops make shoveling take longer, but the design relieves the physical burden of clearing snow on a daily basis. Look for shovels with a secure, D-shaped grip. If you’re worried about your back, look at models that come with an auxiliary grip that reduces the need to bend down.
2. Use Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium chloride has a long history of being used to de-ice walkways, highways and parking lots. Magnesium chloride prevents ice from bonding to surfaces which makes snow removal much more effective. Magnesium chloride can be applied to your walkways and stairs before a big storm or a drop in temperature to make it harder for ice to form.
Magnesium chloride is also great in combination with salt since the wet salt sticks much easier to various surfaces. One downside is magnesium chloride may eventually degrade concrete surfaces with repeated use. However, because of its effectiveness, using magnesium chloride is the best way to keep ice under control on your premises.
3. Invest In Rubberized Treads For Stairs
Rubberized treads are a great preventative measure to take before cold weather tasks over. Rubberized mats trap ice instead of letting ice stick to the surface which can cause falls. A simple stomp on the mat shakes ice loose and makes it easy to sweep or shovel away.
Putting the mats on your stairs before winter comes is an excellent way to prevent ice from building up on your stairs in the first place. Having the rubber treads adds an extra layer of support and makes it easy for people to navigate up and down the stairs without worrying about their safety.
4. Invest In A Snow Blower If Your Budget Allows
What turns people off to snow blowers is the initial cost, fuel expenses, maintenance and the storage space you need for your snow blower. However, no one has ever disputed their effectiveness. If you live in regions where annual snowfalls reach over 2 feet, you should highly consider a snow blower. Snow blowers are obviously less physically demanding, and they make it easy to get a consistent snow clearing routine going. If you have a small to medium sized area, consider a snow thrower. Snow throwers are smaller than blowers and remove snow in one continuous motion. Snow blowers are bigger and suited for larger areas since they throw snow much farther than snow throwers.
Using the tips discussed in this blog post in combination is the best way to keep ice and snow under control. Investing in ice control helps you prevent injuries and keeps your home or workplace safe and accessible.