Heated Driveway News

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.