Not clearing snow from driveway

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angelescrest
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Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by angelescrest »

So we are still somewhat new to the colder, and much snowier winters. Our neighbors, much older than us, are extremely diligent at snowblowing any inch of snow off the driveway. We, not so much. If it's a lot, I'll do it. Last year we survived the polar vortex and tons of snow. if it's not too much, then we'll just drive over it. It's flat. Usually after a few days with some sun it tends to melt off.

My question is, is there a cost to this? Are we hurting our concrete driveway in any way? Is there something we don't know, and this should be done every few inches? Or are we just not the diligent generation like those around us (who also now their lawns every 3 days in the summer)? Maybe we are just slackers.
denovo
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by denovo »

Snow becomes water. Is water going to hurt your concrete? No. The only thing I can imagine is that some areas have ordinances relating to the actual sidewalk and snow. And there could be liability issues if someone slips. Where's your mailbox? If the mailman has to come up a walkway, I'd clear that area too.
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Lost Laker
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Lost Laker »

If you have cracks in the concrete and water is getting in there and you have thawing and freezing cycles, that may over time take its toll. But I think there's only so much you can do. Eventually you will have to incur some expenses for the driveway. Just part of life up north. Getting out there and scrubbing with a toothbrush won't stop that process.

I do agree with the safety aspect, particularly if you have an incline to your driveway. It's not fun to fall on your rear and slide on your back into the gutter along the street (speaking from experience).
The Wizard
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by The Wizard »

I clear snow from my blacktop driveway, the edge of the street up to my granite curb, and my side yard around to my brick patio out back.
I do this with my snowblower as soon as feasible after each storm.
We presently have three to four feet of snow piled up everywhere except the aforementioned areas.

Not clearing the snow wouldn't hurt anything outside but would cause more ice and hardpack, making it dangerous for people and harder to deal with the next foot of new snow...
Last edited by The Wizard on Tue Feb 17, 2015 5:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mrs.Feeley
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Mrs.Feeley »

We have a blacktop driveway. One year we shoveled only half the driveway, piling snow on the other half. When spring came and the snow piles melted, I noticed that the blacktop where snow had been piled high was extensively cracked while the portion of the driveway that we had kept clear had not. The cracks probably came from the weight of the snow and ice. Now we clear the entire driveway. The OP was asking about concrete driveways, but I mention this for anyone considering not clearing their blacktop drive.
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Kosmo
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Kosmo »

If you drive over it and compact the snow...and it snows again, you have a nice thick layer of ice on the driveway that will take significantly longer to clear off. I'm about to go shovel my driveway right now...
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Toons
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Toons »

Don't forget to "Seal" your driveway. :happy

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nordlead
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by nordlead »

I live near Syracuse, (the snowiest big city in the US averaging 124"/year, 2nd in North America), and I also don't always clear my driveway. My parents driveway is getting pretty bad at the moment.

It doesn't harm anything other than your back a few days later if you have to clear it and possibly anyone walking up your driveway (do you like visitors?). It also gets your feet wet if you don't have good boots on if you walk through it. My mailman walks through our yard (and flower beds :annoyed ) so I have no reason to clear it for him. I can see why some people always clear their driveway (it is nicer), but it takes more work than I'll put into it.

Just this past Saturday I cleared 1-2" of snow/ice off of my driveway that got compacted on. It was a lot of work, but since we haven't been warming up I've been getting concerned I'm going to get dumped on again just making things that much worse. We then got another 5" that night and clearing the driveway on Sunday was a breeze compared to what it would have been. Right now I have ~0.25" of snow on my driveway, it won't melt, but I'm not going to bother clearing it either. I've heard we are going to get another storm, I'm really hoping we get a melt down instead as the snowbanks are getting too high for my snow blower to easily clear.
johnubc
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by johnubc »

Yes you should clear your driveway.

1 - Ice Hazard - Someone probably your spouse will slip and fall. If you are unlucky it will be someone else like the mailman, ups, etc.
2 - re-Freeze Hazard - the freeze thaw cycle will exasperate any cracks in your driveway - turning a small fissure into a new driveway in a short while
3 - Carpet Hazard - tracking the snow and ice into the house as you cross your driveway each day will bring more salt and mess into your home. A clean driveway will allow much less tracking of this dirt.
4 - The next storm - having a packed base and another storm coming is not a good thing. You will struggle to clean up after the second storm.
5 - Salt - salt and concrete are like vinegar and baking soda. Use only sparingly if at all - non shoveling usually leads to increased salt usage.
6 - It looks better. You have an investment in your home - keep it looking good.
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nisiprius
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by nisiprius »

I don't think it's a problem. We have a 60 foot driveway with no garage at the end of it, and in winter we tend to clear only part of it--enough for our car and one guest car to fit in easily. For over thirty years now we've been regularly clearing only part of the driveway and have never noticed any obvious difference between the part we clear and the part we do not clear. The driveway was not new when we bought the house, and about 8 years ago we decided it was in rough shape and had it completely rebuilt at a cost of a few thousand dollars. We do NOT have it sealed.

I think it is freeze-thaw cycles underneath pavement that damage it, not snow on top of it.

My guess is that keeping the driveway very clean is just your neighbor's personal schtick.

P.S. To what johnubc says, I don't know where he lives but I can tell you that where I live the successive waves of snow on snow on snow have gotten everyone tired out, and in our neighborhood nobody is doing everything they "should" do.
Last edited by nisiprius on Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
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larryinnewyork
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by larryinnewyork »

I'm in the same situation.
I keep my driveway cleared in Winter / because I have the time.

The way I see it, Winters can be long and brutal.
If I keep my driveway cleared, the Sun comes out and melts any remaining snow,
I AM THE WINNER in the battle between me and Winter.
I AM IN CONTROL OF WINTER ............ at least in my driveway.
Do you know what I'm saying ? ? ?
German Expat
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by German Expat »

I only cleared the sidewalk in front of the house and the walk way to the house but left (except in extreme snow conditions) he driveway itself alone and just drove over it. You don't want anybody to fall on our property but our driveway to the garage was only used by our cars. Also in Colorado snow usually melts pretty quick and the driveway was south facing. Our walk way to the house was separate and the mailbox was out on the sidewalk.
Greg17
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Greg17 »

denovo wrote:Snow becomes water. Is water going to hurt your concrete? No.
That's not completely true. A lot of the potholes (yes, I know it is pavement) is formed when water gets underneath the pavement and freezes and then expands. That can definately happen to concrete as well.
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Swampy »

Our neighbors, much older than us, are extremely diligent...We, not so much...is there a cost to this?
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likegarden
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by likegarden »

Possibly the elderly neighbors have some experience you do not have yet.
I live in upstate NY, have a 2 car 50 ft long driveway. During a snow storm snow plows dump a 1 ft ridge of heavy snow at the road which is tough to drive through and likely will become ice soon thereafter. Our garage is in the shade with snow not melting there. I learned in my 40 years with a house that the most efficient way in winter is to snow blow and scrape the driveway clean whenever there is snow. Compacted snow also will turn into ice and will lead to accidents.
Sagenick48
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Sagenick48 »

My spouse is happy that we have the cleanest driveway in the neighborhood. But we are an elderly couple so we don't have all the obligations of younger families, dance practice, hockey practice, etc. We also have a south facing driveway that is very steep, so keeping it clear makes it easier to get up and down. The only problem we experience are the few times when we have sleet and that turns the driveway into a sheet of glare ice and we need to salt/sand. I do keep the driveway clear for safety/liability reasons. Also, we have less salt and sand tracking in. A happy spouse is a happy house. We don't have a sidewalk so visitors need a safe place to walk. We have been in the house four winters now and haven't noticed any maintenance issues.
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angelescrest
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by angelescrest »

Thank you all for the very thoughtful responses. My main concern was the possibility of freeze thaw damaging the concrete. I do have one major crack near the road but there definitely some soil problems beneath it.

Believe it or not, but we never walk on our 75 ft driveway, and the mailbox is on the road. It's as flat as a Midwest pancake. We never wear shoes in the house so can't imagine tracking the mud in. The area that I noticed ice buildup is where it meets the road, particularly as snow plows dump piles of often wet snow. I have noticed our blacktop roads are getting thrashed after a couple years of hard winter, and our state is letting them fall apart. My kids won't have a road to bike on (no sidewalks here) without hitting potholes.

I'll do my best to keep it clear, and the neighbors from gawking at me being the only one with an electric snowblower. We city kids are still adjusting. But being the only ones on the street with little children, I'm afraid we aren't as capable of just walking outside every time the snow falls and spending an hour clearing.
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dbCooperAir
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dbCooperAir »

I just enjoy clearing the driveway and tend to keep it down to the concrete. The drive is about 20x80, with the smaller 1-3" snow I shovel by hand anymore and I use the blower. Gets me outside and keeps me moving. I don't think its going to make a difference if you shovel or not. Our snow typically does not melt off in the winter, what comes down stays for 6 months.

We have some neighbors who drive over it until they can't get thru it anymore, no biggie, to each their own.

I don't spend much time on my lawn, we have a couple of acres of grass and just gets mowed, no water, chemicals etc. If we were in town this would be frowned upon where golf course looking lawns are the norm.
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dbCooperAir
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dbCooperAir »

boroc7 wrote: Believe it or not, but we never walk on our 75 ft driveway, and the mailbox is on the road.

I'll do my best to keep it clear, and the neighbors from gawking at me being the only one with an electric snowblower.
Pick up a gas power blower and enjoy the perfume. Depending on the amount of snow you get a decent 2 stage maybe in order. They are not all that expensive being a decent one will last 20+ years. A 75' driveway is a lot of area for an electric blower, if you normally just get 6" or less snow falls a single stage would be just fine, they have come a long ways in the past 10 years.

Life to short to not enjoy good tools and using the right tools for the job. I'm about as cheap as they come but this is one area I don't go cheap on.
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Gill
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Gill »

Thanks for the vivid reminder of how fortunate I was to land a job in Florida 38 years ago, after spending the first half of my life in Western New York. I well remember selling the snow blower and leaving the shovels for the next owner of the house.:happy
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angelescrest
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by angelescrest »

dbCooperAir wrote:
boroc7 wrote: Believe it or not, but we never walk on our 75 ft driveway, and the mailbox is on the road.

I'll do my best to keep it clear, and the neighbors from gawking at me being the only one with an electric snowblower.
Pick up a gas power blower and enjoy the perfume. Depending on the amount of snow you get a decent 2 stage maybe in order. They are not all that expensive being a decent one will last 20+ years. A 75' driveway is a lot of area for an electric blower, if you normally just get 6" or less snow falls a single stage would be just fine, they have come a long ways in the past 10 years.

Life to short to not enjoy good tools and using the right tools for the job. I'm about as cheap as they come but this is one area I don't go cheap on.
The electric is fantastic, and I make as good pace as my neighbors. It's not the problem, time is my issue. Last year I did it by hand, so the electric is a big improvement. A 100' 12 gauge cable is all I need, and it's a lot easier to navigate due to driveways being narrow, more than my electric lawn mower in the summer. But folks around here have never seen these electric machines, at least says everyone who sees me using them and feels the need to comment.

Okay...I'll stop "wasting" time on bogleheads and go use that time instead on my driveway...should be a better return of my time. :wink:
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angelescrest
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by angelescrest »

Gill wrote:Thanks for the vivid reminder of how fortunate I was to land a job in Florida 38 years ago, after spending the first half of my life in Western New York. I well remember selling the snow blower and leaving the shovels for the next owner of the house.:happy
Gill
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nordlead
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by nordlead »

Yes, the freeze/thaw cycle can damage your driveway, but clearing your driveway probably won't make much of a difference.

There is so much snow here, that the ground will be completely saturated, and water runs down the street from the melting snow. That water will re-freeze under the end of my driveway and break it up. I can't do much about it other than complain to the town that they got rid of the concrete curbs that used to separate the driveway from the street (so the water would stay in the street instead).
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by TomatoTomahto »

We have a cobblestone driveway, so we can't ever snowblow it down to the stones. Timely thread, my wife and I just came back from an errand, and I was debating whether to clear it off or not. Decided to see if it snows more, and as you can tell, I'm on the forum rather than outside :D
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Dude2
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Dude2 »

This is clearly going to be an answer that varies by where you live. I echo the response of the person from Syracuse. When you have to live with that much snow in your life, you adapt to what works and what is necessary versus hypothetical. In many of these locations, concrete driveways do not exist for the reasons mentioned concerning freeze/thaw cracking issues. People have black asphalt driveways. Also anybody with a long driveway will typically employ a plow service. Anybody with a reasonable driveway will own a snow blower (unless you are some kind of old-school holdout). The bigger and fancier the snow blower, the better. Essentially, you get into the mode that blowing the snow is just like cutting the grass, just a regular duty that you have to perform. If you don't do it, nobody is going to call the cops on you. Yes, you can play games in which you bet that the sun is going to melt it for you. That works in certain cases. Otherwise, if you do not clear it, it will compress and turn into very difficult ice. Everything, all factors, depend on temperatures as to how much effort to put into this. The worst situation is where it continually snows, melts, and refreezes. Yes, there will be particular home-owner related issues involved, that, if somebody were to get hurt on your property, the question will focus on if you did a reasonable job to prevent such a situation from occurring. I defer to the lawyers for that aspect.
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Ron »

First priority is to use the snowblower/thrower on the back lawn to provide an expansive area for the dogs to relieve themselves.

While I'm out there, I'll also take care of the driveway/front walkway.

I was born/raised/live in snow country (Mid-Atlantic; not as much as the Northeast, but snow enough). Clearing snow is just something you do, without another thought. At our last home (in town), you had to clear the walkways in front/side/rear of your home 12 hours after the snowfall stopped, or be sited for not clearing the public areas.

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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by ShiftF5 »

TomatoTomahto wrote:We have a cobblestone driveway, so we can't ever snowblow it down to the stones. Timely thread, my wife and I just came back from an errand, and I was debating whether to clear it off or not. Decided to see if it snows more, and as you can tell, I'm on the forum rather than outside :D
If not by snowblower how do you clear cobblestone?
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Gill »

boroc7 wrote:
Gill wrote:Thanks for the vivid reminder of how fortunate I was to land a job in Florida 38 years ago, after spending the first half of my life in Western New York. I well remember selling the snow blower and leaving the shovels for the next owner of the house.:happy
Gill
To each their own. Florida, for me and all my visits there, is pure misery.
Sorry to hear that. I agree some parts of Florida are pure misery. I wish there were a few million other tourists who thought the same as you. :P
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Spirit Rider
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Spirit Rider »

ShiftF5 wrote:
TomatoTomahto wrote:We have a cobblestone driveway, so we can't ever snowblow it down to the stones. Timely thread, my wife and I just came back from an errand, and I was debating whether to clear it off or not. Decided to see if it snows more, and as you can tell, I'm on the forum rather than outside :D
If not by snowblower how do you clear cobblestone?
Not speaking for TomatoTomahto, but if you do use a snowblower on cobblestones, you have to adjust the skids to leave a substantial clearance. You also have to do this with a gravel driveway, landscaping, etc... Then you have to decide if it is worth it to clean up afterwards.
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PaddyMac
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by PaddyMac »

We were new to snow in New Mexico when we moved here a few years ago. We've found from experience that driving over a few inches of snow will make ice, hard-packed ice. There is a section in the shade that will be ice for weeks if the weather is cold…and it's very hard to dislodge once it has formed ice like that. With experience, we've found that if you go out as soon as the snow has stopped, it's usually light and fluffy and easy to clear. On the other hand, you do have to watch the weather - if the next few days are in the 50s then it will melt on its own.
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bru
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by bru »

One reason I bought the house I did was because it faces west (technically slightly north of west). My previous house faced due north and would not get enough sun to do any melting. I shovel my driveway, kind of obsessively, and the sun (when we have it) also helps keep my driveway clear.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by TomatoTomahto »

Spirit Rider wrote:
ShiftF5 wrote:
TomatoTomahto wrote:We have a cobblestone driveway, so we can't ever snowblow it down to the stones. Timely thread, my wife and I just came back from an errand, and I was debating whether to clear it off or not. Decided to see if it snows more, and as you can tell, I'm on the forum rather than outside :D
If not by snowblower how do you clear cobblestone?
Not speaking for TomatoTomahto, but if you do use a snowblower on cobblestones, you have to adjust the skids to leave a substantial clearance. You also have to do this with a gravel driveway, landscaping, etc... Then you have to decide if it is worth it to clean up afterwards.
We do use a snowblower, but very seldom do we get to clear it down to the stones. When we're lucky, we get close enough and then the sun will do the cleanup work for us.

It's too late now, but sometimes I wonder if an underground heating system would have worked. With the size of the cobblestones, I doubt it, but it would have been nice.
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AZAttorney11
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by AZAttorney11 »

Life is too short to live in a place with snow.
dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

If it keeps piling up, It's impossible to clear off, at least for me when I used to do it myself. It is a walking and driving hazard. We're talking accumulated feet of snow.

I would never have been able to drive through the amount of snow that accumulates here, so I assume you have a four wheel drive vehicle or something of the sort or you aren't getting much snow.

You are liable, I believe, if someone falls and hurts themselves on your sidewalk or property. Many places have ordinances requiring that sidewalks be cleared subject to fines.

Here the post office requires curbside mailboxes to be drive up able so that the letter carrier does not have to get out of the truck at every house and walk on ice, besides the extra time. Thank your lucky stars they apparently deliver to your at the house mailbox instead of just the curb. Also, UPS and FedEx will just leave stuff at the street instead of going through unshoveled pathways.
Last edited by dolphinsaremammals on Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

AZAttorney11 wrote:Life is too short to live in a place with snow.
Image
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by AZAttorney11 »

dolphinsaremammals wrote:
AZAttorney11 wrote:Life is too short to live in a place with snow.
Image
Life is also too short to live in Florida :D

By the way, that gator can probably be grilled and fed to the whole neighborhood for a couple months.
autonomy
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by autonomy »

dolphinsaremammals wrote:
AZAttorney11 wrote:Life is too short to live in a place with snow.
Image
Touche!

There are 7-foot piles of snow all around my condo, but my parking spot, car, and deck are snow-free. I've also been waging war on icicles and roof-snow on top of our kitchen. Just makes me feel a little better about this awful snow we've been getting to see a few snow-free spots.
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Ged »

Where I am now there is an ordinance requiring the sidewalks be cleared within a mile of schools. There have been times where I've skipped clearing the driveway but that was before I bought a snowblower.

When I lived further north, in Syracuse I had a plowing service and cars were always parked in my garage. The plowing service came by every 6" or so, lots of times when it snowed and we didn't have a clear driveway.

The battle with snow in Syracuse was to a large extent with the mailbox. It was roadside and the snowbanks often buried the it. Sometimes the plows would come by with an outrigger to knock the banks down and that often damaged the mailbox. Once after they had crushed a mailbox and I had to cut the mail out of it I replaced it with a plastic mailbox that would recover its shape after being hit with the plow. Then once the plow knocked the mailbox completely off the post so I had to hunt for it in the snowbank. After that one I tied a rope to it so I could pull it out of the snow. Because attacks of the plow was also hard on the posts holding the box the actual post was a custom design where the mailbox was mounted on a swivel arm that was held in place with a shear pin. When the plow hit it the pin would break and the arm would swivel out of the way.

Neighbors who were less stubborn would go out an push a broomstick into the snowbank and hang a bucket from it before the arrival of the postman.

When it got really bad we just let the post office hold the mail for a break in the weather.

Now I'm living in New Jersey, and while there is a lot less snow I detest the hot summers. You can always put on another layer of clothing but when it's 95+ and humid there isn't anything you can do that makes being outside palatable.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by TomatoTomahto »

Lest it sound that I'm putting delivery people at risk, I have removed the few feet of snow we got this winter. I was debating getting rid of the 2" or so we got last night. Salt has been spread, but it's not that useful in single digit (and lower) temps.

Once the ground thaws, I'm getting a mailbox for the end of the driveway, not because of snow but our dog. Our usual mailman, UPS guy, laundry delivery guy, landscaper , etc., know our pit and are perfectly comfortable with her genial nature. Some of the substitutes don't know her, and while I can't imagine anything bad happening, it's not fair to make them fearful.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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BostonBoy
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Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by BostonBoy »

Gill wrote:
boroc7 wrote:
Gill wrote:Thanks for the vivid reminder of how fortunate I was to land a job in Florida 38 years ago, after spending the first half of my life in Western New York. I well remember selling the snow blower and leaving the shovels for the next owner of the house.:happy
Gill
To each their own. Florida, for me and all my visits there, is pure misery.
Sorry to hear that. I agree some parts of Florida are pure misery. I wish there were a few million other tourists who thought the same as you. :P
Gill


+1
pshonore
Posts: 8212
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:21 pm

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by pshonore »

If you heat with oil, you will soon learn that its very important to clear your driveway of ice and snow particularly if there's any slope involved. Oil trucks for some reason have terrible traction. DAHIKT.
Rodc
Posts: 13601
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:46 am

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Rodc »

Life is to short to live without snow covered mountains, skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing and such. Or a colorful fall and awakening spring. Heat and humidity for months on end? No thanks! :) (differences of opinion make the world interesting).

I doubt skipping shoveling is generally bad for a driveway, anecdotal evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

And if one completely leaves part unshoveled and expects to just leave it that way, sure why not? For example just clear the end by the road and a walkway to the house.

But at least where you can't expect fairly quick clearing by sun, and you get fairly frequent snows, the value of clearing to the ground will become apparent during your first winter. If you want a pretty well clear driveway it is a lot less work to just do the job well each time, rather than deal with the hassle of trying to clear a driveway with a bunch of melted and refrozen, packed snow/ice stuff stuck to the ground.

Now if you don't mind a rutted out slippery driveway, just drive over it and let it get packed down. Won't hurt anything.

I find over the course of a winter, just the difference of walking on a nice dry clear driveway every day vs slipping and sliding, wet shoes etc from a non-cleared driveway is worth the trouble of shoveling well. Heck, I need the exercise anyway; if I shovel enough I can skip going to the gym that day.
We live a world with knowledge of the future markets has less than one significant figure. And people will still and always demand answers to three significant digits.
dolphinsaremammals
Posts: 2094
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:18 pm

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

TomatoTomahto wrote:Lest it sound that I'm putting delivery people at risk, I have removed the few feet of snow we got this winter. I was debating getting rid of the 2" or so we got last night. Salt has been spread, but it's not that useful in single digit (and lower) temps.

Once the ground thaws, I'm getting a mailbox for the end of the driveway, not because of snow but our dog. Our usual mailman, UPS guy, laundry delivery guy, landscaper , etc., know our pit and are perfectly comfortable with her genial nature. Some of the substitutes don't know her, and while I can't imagine anything bad happening, it's not fair to make them fearful.
Or some idiot hurting her. Also, UPS and FedEX cannot legally deliver to mailboxes, only the USPS can.
drawpoker
Posts: 2809
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 6:33 pm
Location: Delmarva

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by drawpoker »

I shovel show the old-fashioned way, no snow blowers here, but my driveway is only about 30 ' long, (townhouse) Also I do it for the usual reasons already mentioned, including frost heave (what we call the freeze/thaw cycle that also buckles concrete sidewalks)

But I have a question for the poster who wrote about his electric snow blower and his 12-gauge 100 foot cord. What about the cord getting wet (from the snow) Isn't that dangerous?

I mow my grass in summer with electric mower and the same 12-guage, 100 foot outdoor rated cord. But I am meticulous about checking no new dew remains on the grass, or any other moisture anywhere the cord could contact, as I thought it was dangerous to let these cords get wet.

Have I been fearing electrocution needlessly :? :?

? ? ?
dolphinsaremammals
Posts: 2094
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:18 pm

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

drawpoker wrote:I shovel show the old-fashioned way, no snow blowers here, but my driveway is only about 30 ' long, (townhouse) Also I do it for the usual reasons already mentioned, including frost heave (what we call the freeze/thaw cycle that also buckles concrete sidewalks)

But I have a question for the poster who wrote about his electric snow blower and his 12-gauge 100 foot cord. What about the cord getting wet (from the snow) Isn't that dangerous?

I mow my grass in summer with electric mower and the same 12-guage, 100 foot outdoor rated cord. But I am meticulous about checking no new dew remains on the grass, or any other moisture anywhere the cord could contact, as I thought it was dangerous to let these cords get wet.

Have I been fearing electrocution needlessly :? :?

? ? ?
I have a bird bath heater with a miniscule cord attached to an exterior extension cord in place all winter. Contrary to my fears, nothing bad has happened. I'd think water would get in where the cords join, but apparently not. Puzzling. I don't see why an exterior cord itself getting wet would matter.
drawpoker
Posts: 2809
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 6:33 pm
Location: Delmarva

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by drawpoker »

dolphinsaremammals, if your bird bath heater is the kind I am thinking of it is a very low voltage/low amp affair.

My fear of getting fried mowing grass is because a lawn mower (like a snow blower) is going to be drawing a heck of a lot of juice (amps).
westie
Posts: 601
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:00 am

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by westie »

My neighbor has an ATV, he loves to use it. The 6 inches we got last night was cleaned off my driveway by 11am :happy

I used to have everything.... power washers, blowers, root tiller. Now I rent for an occasional project, I don't like to own, maintain, or store "stuff" anymore.
User avatar
TomatoTomahto
Posts: 17158
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:48 pm

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by TomatoTomahto »

drawpoker wrote:
Have I been fearing electrocution needlessly :? :?

? ? ?
I have a heated mat that I sometimes put down to melt ice on our landing. It came with its own GFI power cord.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
Casper
Posts: 311
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:32 pm

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by Casper »

dolphinsaremammals wrote:
drawpoker wrote:I shovel show the old-fashioned way, no snow blowers here, but my driveway is only about 30 ' long, (townhouse) Also I do it for the usual reasons already mentioned, including frost heave (what we call the freeze/thaw cycle that also buckles concrete sidewalks)

But I have a question for the poster who wrote about his electric snow blower and his 12-gauge 100 foot cord. What about the cord getting wet (from the snow) Isn't that dangerous?

I mow my grass in summer with electric mower and the same 12-guage, 100 foot outdoor rated cord. But I am meticulous about checking no new dew remains on the grass, or any other moisture anywhere the cord could contact, as I thought it was dangerous to let these cords get wet.

Have I been fearing electrocution needlessly :? :?

? ? ?
I have a bird bath heater with a miniscule cord attached to an exterior extension cord in place all winter. Contrary to my fears, nothing bad has happened. I'd think water would get in where the cords join, but apparently not. Puzzling. I don't see why an exterior cord itself getting wet would matter.
Yeah, a cord getting wet is not dangerous. Drawpoker, I think you can stop checking for dew before mowing the lawn.
nordlead
Posts: 739
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:09 am

Re: Not clearing snow from driveway

Post by nordlead »

Outdoor extension cords have molded plugs and a solid insulation outer layer, so dragging the cord through the snow/wet grass shouldn't be a problem. Both ends of the cord should be protected from the elements well enough (sheathed tassel on the equipment and the outlet is in a garage or porch), so there isnt much concern for electric shock. Just inspect your equipment regularly for cracks.
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