Winter is a magical time of year. Unfortunately for homeowners, a picturesque winter wonderland also brings with it one of the most annoying and tiresome landscaping tasks of the year—snow removal.
It would be wonderful if snow could melt away as quickly and effortlessly as it falls to the earth. But since that’s not the case, it’s important to have a snow removal plan in place to keep your landscaping in good shape and safe for all household members—and our grounds maintenance experts have a few tips to help you perfect your strategy!
1) Set a shoveling schedule.
A lot of people make the mistake of waiting until the snow stops falling to begin the removal process. The truth is, waiting until snow piles up makes it more difficult to remove and more likely to stick to the ground, freeze over, and create dangerous icy conditions. If possible, try to shovel every 1-2 hours or snow blow before snow reaches 6 inches in height, even if it’s still coming down.
2) Be careful with salt.
When overused or used incorrectly, rock salt can seriously damage your landscaping. The chemicals in ice melt can kill off vegetation, get absorbed into soil and inhibit spring growth, and melt into the pores of your hardscaping, causing cracks. To preserve your landscape, opt for rock salt alternatives that don’t contain sodium. Or, if you do use standard salt, apply it very carefully only in the areas that need deicing.
3) Follow snow removal safety measures to prevent injury to yourself and damage to your property.
Shoveling and snow blowing are exhausting physical tasks, and large mounds of snow can do more damage than you think to the structure of your home. Here are a few safety tips to follow if you’ll be DIYing your snow removal this season:
- Don’t pack your shovel too heavily—pick up half of the depth at a time for heavy snowfall.
- Bend and lift with your legs, not your back.
- Point the snow blower chute away from your house in case it picks up a stray object that can cause damage. Keep it pointed to one side of the driveway for the most efficient removal.
- Don’t pile snow next to your home’s foundation, where it can compromise the structural integrity of your property.
Your best bet for ensuring snow removal on your property is done quickly, correctly, and efficiently, is to hire a professional snow removal service for the season. At VistaPro Landscape & Design, our snow removal team will come up with the best plan for your individual property and use the top techniques and best equipment to execute it according to the schedule you need.
Contact us today to book our snow removal services!