Heated Driveway News

Now let’s heat things up!

This blog is the fifth of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

There are a lot of radiant products out there for building heated driveways, but not all products are created equal! Loose cable options (usually come on a spool) are about five cents per square foot less than a cable ‘mat’ which is the same product, but arrives pre-spaced and ready to roll out. I recommend using the Danfoss GX mats for a brick paver heated driveway because they roll out easily on top of the bedding layer of sand, and won’t require extra materials or steps to keep cables in place. A loose cable option is more appropriate for concrete driveways where remesh is used. The remesh provides a sturdy frame in which to attach and space rows of loose cable properly.

The amount of heating cable you’ll need for your project varies – spacing rows closer will increase wattage consumption and decrease the operating time to complete snow melting. If you are on a tight budget, spacing the rows farther apart will decrease the amount of product you’ll need to buy, but increase the operating time to complete snow melting.

Here are some basic guidelines that you can follow to determine proper installation:

1. Never space heat cable rows closer than 2 inches.
2. Never space heat cable rows farther apart than 5 inches.
3. Heat cable cannot be cut.
4. Heat cable cannot touch other cable.

If this is your first time installing a heated driveway, it is a good idea to consult the experts at Warmzone to help you determine voltage, quantity, and installation instructions specific to your project. Because of varying sizes of projects, locations, and power requirements, it is impossible to provide universal guidelines that will apply to all heated driveway projects. If you purchase the Danfoss GX system from Warmzone, they will provide you a professional layout specific to your project parameters, free of charge. They also have technical staff on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may face during the installation process.

In addition to the heating cable, a heated driveway system requires an automatic sensor unit and a control box. The placement of the sensor is key to a properly functioning heated driveway system. Because of the importance of proper installation and the dangers of working with high voltage electrical currents, I recommend hiring a professional radiant installer for this portion of your DIY project. An experienced installer should be able to complete the sensor and control box installation in about 5 hours.