Heated Driveway News

He's cool, he's classy, and he keeps you and your driveway happy all winter long.

If you've ever wondered why people's driveways are so delightfully free of snow in the wintertime, then this article is for you. If you've also wondered why you're driveway is never free of snow and why you're wasting your time shoveling it day in and day out in the wintertime, then this article is also for you. You know why? I'll tell you--because there's a huge void in your life right now that can only be filled by one thing--a radiant heated driveway.

Radiant heated driveways are your new best friend. They obliterate the snow on your driveway without a lick of effort from you, leaving you ample time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the hot cocoa. Intimidated? Don't be. Heated driveway systems are the easiest, greenest, and most affordable way to peace of mind this winter.

Heated driveway systems use radiant heat to melt snow efficiently and affordably. Electric heated driveway systems can heat up to 30 percent faster than other snowmelt systems, meaning it takes less time to achieve perfect results and puts more money in your pocketbook. Additionally, radiant heated driveways with an area of 300 square feet operate for the low, low price of approximately $.50 per continuous hour of operation. That's right--$.50 an hour in exchange for the unparalleled power of renewable energy. Try and tell me that's not great for you AND Mother Nature.

Worried about the hassle of installation? Well, stop, because heated driveway systems can be installed by pretty much any motivated handyman. The system is designed to be 100 percent user-friendly with only one connection, meaning you get a better product in half the time of the other snowmelt systems.

Last, but not least, radiant heated driveways offer you safety and peace of mind this winter. Ice is everyone's bitter enemy in the winter, and slipping on your driveway at 6 in the morning on your way to work is definitely not the preferred way to start your day. Radiant heated driveways heat the driveway at the slightest hint of a snowstorm, meaning you're driveway is ice- and slip-free by the time you wake up.

There you have it--a fully-automated, environmentally-friendly new best friend that will save you a lot of money and grief this winter. Tell the snow shovel goodbye once and for all and say hello to the friends-with-benefits privileges of radiant heat!

Install Driveway Heating in the Off Season

Are we really so desperate that we have resorted to stealing lobsters from casinos? Sounds like something I made up, doesn’t it? Sadly, the red-faced stoop in this story got caught trying to paw 91 lobsters from an Atlantic City casino kitchen. I understand fully the times we are in and desperate times may seem like a call for desperate measures…but stealing overpriced seafood seems a bit over the top. This newborn fishy smelling criminal will spend four years in prison for the crime, proving that crime doesn’t pay.

However, making smart investments in your personal life does pay. Installing a driveway heating system in the off season is an investment that keeps paying you. You won’t even have to wash the fishy smell off your hands.

Heated driveways are more affordable in the spring and summer months. This logic follows the same smart shopper who dives into their local super store the day after Halloween, hoping for a good deal on candy. Simply put, a snow melting system is more affordable when there is no snow. Ah hah, I bet our lobster thief never thought of that idea. Heated driveway systems are an affordable, energy efficient investment that helps protect the life of your driveway and increase the value of your home. If you purchase a driveway heating system now, you might even want to splurge and enjoy a lobster dinner in your home (after you’ve paid for them first…naturally).

Heated Driveways Take the Shovel out of Your Hands so you Don’t Overdue it

Did you know there are great risks associated with snow shoveling and your health that could simply be avoided by installing a heated driveway? Winter conditions along with plummeting temperatures have long been associated with an increase in heart attacks over the winter months. And your snow shovel is the culprit.

Back strain, muscle soreness, high risk of heart attack are the obvious culprits, especially with those of us who are over 40. If you aren’t prone to exercising on a regular basis, the sudden exertion of energy required to shovel your driveway could kill you. Did you know that deaths from heart attacks have actually been shown to triple during the winter months due to snow shoveling?

Radiant heated driveways could save your life. Unlike shoveling, these fully automated, low-maintenance systems that require little effort to operate. Sensors controlled by a wall-mounted box respond to moisture and temperature changes below 38 degrees, activating the system in inclement weather. You can also take advantage of a manual timer feature to preheat your heated driveway before that big storm rolls in, keeping the snow and ice at bay.

If you’re worried about cost, radiant heated driveways are relatively inexpensive when you consider the benefits over time. Choose driveway heating and you’ll avoid damage to your driveway from harsh chemicals and snow shovels, save time shoveling, and save money if you hire out a snow removal service. The good news—you don’t need to pour a new driveway to get heat. Existing driveways can be easily retrofitted with a radiant system.

In the end, shoveling might seem economical. Why take a chance with your health to save a few bucks when you can install a radiant heated driveway and enjoy the time savings, equity boost, convenience and safety these systems offer?

Heated Driveways take the Shovel out of your Hands so you don’t Overdue it

Did you know there are great risks associated with snow shoveling and your health that could simply be avoided by installing a heated driveway? Winter conditions along with plummeting temperatures have long been associated with an increase in heart attacks over the winter months. And your snow shovel is the culprit.

Back strain, muscle soreness, high risk of heart attack are the obvious culprits, especially with those of us who are over 40. If you aren’t prone to exercising on a regular basis, the sudden exertion of energy required to shovel your driveway could have serious health ramifications. Did you know that deaths from heart attacks have actually been shown to triple during the winter months due to snow shoveling?

Radiant heated driveways can make your life a whole lot easier; heck, maybe even save your life! Unlike shoveling, these fully automated, low-maintenance systems require little effort to operate. Sensors controlled by a wall-mounted box respond to moisture and temperature changes below 38 degrees, activating the system in inclement weather. You can also take advantage of a manual timer feature to preheat your heated driveway before that big storm rolls in, keeping the snow and ice at bay.

If you’re worried about cost, radiant heated driveways are relatively inexpensive when you consider the benefits over time. Choose driveway heating and you’ll avoid damage to your driveway from harsh chemicals and snow shovels, save time shoveling, and save money if you hire out a snow removal service. The good news—you don’t need to pour a new driveway to get heat. Many existing driveways can be retrofitted with a radiant system.

In the end, shoveling might seem economical. Why take a chance with your health to save a few bucks when you can install a radiant heated driveway and enjoy the time savings, equity boost, convenience and safety these systems offer?

Snow Removal - the Easy Way

Have you driven down the street after or during a snow storm and noticed that the snow doesn’t stick on a few driveways? Others are covered in snow and some are getting impassable. There is a very good reason for this. Those in the know have installed a radiant heat snow removal system. Also known as a driveway snow melting system or heated driveway system, these are forms of electric radiant heat. When a driveway goes in, just before the concrete or asphalt is applied a grid of heat cable is installed and the finish surface is applied over that. A sensor switches on when conditions are favorable for snow, activating the system. There you have it – one of them fancy driveways that seemingly “repels” snow! (Well, actually, it melts the snow, but you get my drift; no pun intended.)

If you live in an area where you get lots of that white stuff, a heated driveway makes all the sense in the world. Don’t worry if you already have your driveway in and don’t have this system. It isn’t that difficult to install over an existing driveway. The wire grid is laid over the existing driveway and a layer of asphalt or even concrete is applied over that, no major demo is even required. I think it’s quite a bit easier than moving to Florida or Southern California. No packing required.

A radiant snowmelt system may not be the first thing you think of when looking for conveniences to have on a new home but it wouldn’t take too many failed attempts at driveway traversal for that to change. The look on your face as you get out of a car on a perfectly clear driveway when your neighbors are snowed out (or in) would just about make it worth it right there. Consider this as your next remodel.

Prudent Thinking, Prudent Spending (Part II) 

Heated driveways are highly effective, yet low maintenance, low impact systems. Once you install a heated driveway, you’ll find that it practically becomes invisible in its operation. The snow sensor signals the control unit when the temperatures and precipitation levels warrant its use, activating the system only when it is needed. Basically speaking, you can install a heated driveway and forget about it year round. (Of course, you'll be reminded that it's there every time you look outside on a snowy day and see your nice, clear driveway.) Many people install heated driveways in second homes where it is not possible to remove snow after each storm. Having a heated driveway provides the peace of mind that you’ll never be blocked when entering your property or have to dig yourself out when exiting.

Having a heated driveway is safer for your health and easier on your driveway and can extend the driveway's life span. The health benefits of a radiant heated driveway are obvious, as the need to perform back-breaking work each time a storm hits is eliminated. The convenient electric radiant heat goes to work for you under your pavement. No more shovels, no more digging out, no more sore necks, backs, or wrists.

Generations moving into their golden years no longer have to worry about moving into a condo where the joys of a garage and a yard are left in suburbia. Having a snowmelt system installed means even if your bones and aching back no longer wish to haul out the snow shovel, you can still live where the snow falls and not worry about manually removing the snow from your driveways and sidewalks.

Another benefit of a heated driveway is that without shovels or snow plows constantly scraping the surface of your driveway, the lifetime of your driveway increases. Driveway heating systems also eliminate the need for salt or ice melt which can corrode and damage the driveway as well as harm nearby plants and grass.

If you are environmentally conscientious, installing a heated driveway can help save the planet. Yes, it’s true, there is one more way to love Mother Earth. Using an intelligent snow sensor allows the driveway heating system to operate only when needed, thereby sparing unnecessary energy usage. Having an electric heated driveway also allows you to avoid harsh chemicals or products used to melt snow, scrape ice, or keep driveways clear.

After putting prudent thought behind prudent spending a good place to start when considering whether or not to install a heated driveway system is by locating a trusted product backed up with customer satisfaction. Warmzone's renowned ClearZone radiant heat cable is known as the premier snow and ice melt radiant heat product. Using ClearZone cable for your driveway heating projects gives you unmatched durability. This cable can be safely installed in new concrete pours and under harsh, high temperature new asphalt construction projects. The heat cable is easy to install, and once activated offers a fast response time compared to other radiant snow melt systems on the market. With the companion use of the high-performance snow sensor the system is fully automated and essentially maintenance free.

For those lucky few living in Florida, we gaze enviably on your sunny winters. However with the popularity of electric heated driveways throughout the country, homeowners are discovering the convenience and long term benefits of having a dependable snow melt system, making winter a bit more bearable for the rest of us.

Prudent Thinking, Prudent Spending

How many of us plow out of the other side of winter saying to ourselves, “I think I’ll move to Florida?” After the back breaking, agonizing work of shoveling snow and clearing driveways and countless sidewalks, the Sunshine State with its charming flower, the Orange Blossom, seems like a blissful way to survive next year’s snowy months. Sadly, most of us don’t have the luxury of picking up our lives and shifting to greener, sunnier pastures where orange blossoms, well, blossom. Winter is almost behind us this year and the memory of that hard work is still fresh in our minds. Right now is the most prudent time to start thinking about installing a heated driveway snow melting system.

As the final signs of winter move behind us for another year, many products go on sale in the hope of clearing shelves for brighter, cheerier summer products. Snow shovels and sleds are the clearance “item of the week” for many hardware stores as they hope to make room for plastic swimming pools and sand toys. The same can be said for radiant heated driveways. Installing a heated driveway during the off season can always save you money. It’s like rushing out to buy Christmas lights for your house, the day AFTER Christmas. There is always a good deal to be found.

What type of driveway heating is right for you? The answer is, “it depends.” The bottom line is that installing radiant heated driveways is easier than ever and very affordable, making it a prudent way to spend in this tight economy. Heated driveways can be installed in new construction or under existing driveways and sidewalks, so maybe you won’t have to move to Florida after all. Consider the following:

There are two types of radiant heat for your driveway, electronic and hydronic. Both systems require heating elements be installed beneath the surface of your driveway. Electric driveway heating systems utilize durable long-line heating cables while hydronic systems generate heated water which is pumped through plastic tubing. Electric driveway heating systems are generally cheaper and easier to install than hydronic systems. Electric heating is ideal for home use, while hydronic is better suited for larger heating projects in excess of 4000 square feet.

Heated driveway systems are highly customizable and can be installed in any phase and configuration of home construction. It doesn’t matter if you plan on concrete, asphalt, or brick, a heated driveway system uses radiant heat to warm the surface you choose. As a plus, if you live in an existing dwelling where the driveways and sidewalks are already in place, radiant heated driveways can easily be installed. Using concrete saw-cut technology, appropriately measured grooves are cut into the concrete (or asphalt). Once the grooves have been cut, radiant heating cable is laid into the grooves, sealed using an epoxy topcoat and driveway heating becomes a reality. Weather is rarely a factor for installation, so there are few limitations on the timing of placing a driveway snow melting system. A side note to be aware of is that it is recommended that all electrical connections to the master control box be handled by a qualified electrician.

The cost to install a heated driveway is minimal compared to the long term benefits. Electric snow melting systems have three basic components: the heating element, the controller, and the snow sensor. Thanks to DMC-100 master control unit, which was recently developed for use by Warmzone, the snowmelt system features fully automated operation and manual override capability, as well as energy-efficient driveway heating. An outdoor snow sensor is connected to the master control unit and is programmed to automatically activate the radiant driveway heating cable when the sensor plate detects precipitation and temperatures are below 38 degrees Fahrenheit. With this smart technology you never have to worry about running the system needlessly, thereby eliminating energy waste and saving you from high operational costs.

A home that boasts the convenience of a heated driveway system has added property value. While the initial monetary outlay exists to install a snow melting system, installing radiant driveway heat ends up being a smart investment in the long run as you reap the property value benefits and the added convenience of never buying and replacing snow shovels, blowers, ice melt, ice picks, salt and other harsh chemicals.

(Continued. See Part II )

Choosing Eco-friendly Snow and Ice Removal

Now that Earth Day has come and gone, many of us are resolved to find new, meaningful ways to contribute to our environment, including driveway heating . Not only do radiant heated driveways take the shovel, and the responsibility of snow removal out of your hands; they are darn good for the environment.

Electric heated driveways are unobtrusive snow removal systems and virtually maintenance free. Embedded within concrete, asphalt, or placed beneath paver stones, radiant heated cables comprising these systems are activated by a snow sensor when conditions warrant, providing a clean, silent, efficient, eco-friendly alternative to traditional snow and ice removal methods.

Unlike driveway heating, using harsh snowmelt chemicals can really take a toll on your driveway and the surrounding landscape, killing grass and other foliage. Salt and chemicals also tend to find their way into unsuspecting dog paws, and greedily gnaw through our leather boots and shoes. With the spring thaw, most of these chemicals also make their way into our groundwater system, contaminating our drinking supply.

Snow blowers are just as destructive. They scrape asphalt, tear up yards and spew smoke from incredibly loud gasoline-powered engines. Unlike eco-friendly electric heated driveways, which draw on a renewable energy source, these fossil fuel burning machines emit harmful pollutants into the atmosphere as you work. They also make enough noise to wake the dead, as I’ve discovered with my neighbor, who is both a proud snow blower owner and early riser!

While more traditional methods of snow removal can damage your driveway, your yard, and the environment, installing an electric heated driveway will boost your property value without destroying your investment. Yet the biggest incentive (for me, at least) is the time and effort I’ll save with a fully automated snow removal system. I’d rather start my day relaxing with a nice cup of joe, watching the snow fall while my neighbors are outside pushing snow around!

When it comes down to choosing the right snow removal solution, you might not associate environmentalism with a radiant heated driveway. But considering just how *cost and energy efficient heated driveways are, living a greener life has never been easier.

*The cost for a 500-square-foot heated driveway to operate continuously for 5 hours is approximately $7.50.

Clearing Your Driveway in Your Sleep

Remember when you used to have to get a shovel and go outside and shovel snow and ice? Remember when you used to have to run taxi service for your neighbor when he was stuck in the driveway? Why not say “goodbye” to those days and start enjoying the benefits of an automated driveway snow melting system?

Electric heated driveways have been around for a while now. What you may not have known is how easy they are to install and maintain. These snow melting systems are about as convenient as one could ever hope. A snow sensor monitors weather conditions and activates the system only when needed. How much easier could it be to watch the snow instantly melt as hits lands on the driveway? (Was it Sylvester the cat who used to say “simultaneously even?” I’m getting fuzzy on my cartoon characters nowadays. Saturdays just haven’t been the same for many years now. I digress.)

Heated driveway systems consist of heat cable installed underneath the finish surface. The automated sensor signals the snowmelt system's control unit, which then activates the system. The heat cable generates heat that radiates throughout the driveway surface (concrete, asphalt, tile or brick pavers, etc.), so the driveway is warm when the first snowflake hits; thus, melting the snow even while you sleep. It doesn't get much better than this! I like the idea of my driveway being cleared while I sleep – or perhaps I just like the idea of me being asleep. Regardless, driveway snow melting systems is an idea whose time has definitely come.

Radiant Heated Driveways - The Driveway of the Future

When shopping for a home, how many of us have thought of looking for a house with a radiant heated driveway installed? Okay, it might not be the first thing you think of when organizing your criteria for a new home, but maybe it should make the list somewhere. Heated driveways are a convenience that won’t go unnoticed for sure. Imagine getting up in the morning and seeing all the new fallen snow and then seeing your driveway totally clear of snow and ice.

Radiant driveway snow melting systems generally use a form of electric radiant heat. They utilize an electric heat cable that is laid in the asphalt or concrete, under the finish surface. Sensors installed near the surface detect when the snowmelt system is needed and current is applied to the heat cable to warm the driveway and melt the snow. How much easier could it get than that? It’s a modern convenience that is a sign of the times. And because these systems run on electricity, they are environmentally friendly, eliminating the need for corrosive salt and harmful snowmelt chemicals, which can damage nearby plants and grass.

Heated driveways will only get more popular as more people become aware of their affordability and reliable performance. No more concerns about whether snow and ice will prevent you from getting up your driveway when you get home. Just don’t forget you loaned your snow blower to your neighbor. He’s probably not going to remind you, especially after he notices your snow-free, heated driveway.