Heated Driveway
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Snow Removal doesn’t Have to be a Back BreakerIt’s that time of year again. The season’s have changed. Remember what’s it’s like to go out in the morning and be snowed in? If you don’t, Mother Nature will soon deliver a reminder. Shoveling snow doesn’t have to be a time consuming task; that’s old fashion these days. Install a radiant heated driveway and make the job an automated affair.
Driveway snow melting systems aren’t really that new. They have been around for years but it’s a little funny that people don’t often think of that when looking at a potential future residence. A heated driveway could make the difference between getting up the driveway and not. Strange how far we have come in just a few generations. Mom and dad had to walk to school in the snow and grandma and grandpa had to do it uphill both ways, and now we don’t even have to shovel snow anymore. Driveway snow melting systems are becoming the convenience to have. Go ahead, loan your snow shovel to your neighbors. It doesn't really matter if they ever return it. |
If you aren’t
familiar with heated driveways, grab a seat, it won’t
take long. Heated driveways are the new thing. Coming
in electric and hydronic (using water circulating
through tubing), driveways can be heated to melt snow
for you with a push of a button, or automatically. How much
more convenient could it get? Actually, pushing a
button is even a bit of a stretch. The system's snow
sensor will do that for you. Once it detects
precipitation and temperatures are below 38 degrees, the
heated driveway will switch itself on, eliminating any
snow accumulation from your driveway.
The Environmental Benefits of a Heated Driveway
An electric snow melting system has the brain-power to automatically detect moisture, so it only uses energy when needed. Utilizing this renewable energy to heat your driveway is a smart and eco-friendly choice. By electrically heating your driveway, you also eliminate the need for salt or harsh chemicals that harm the environment. What about the snow shoveling, the soggy gloves, the frozen eyelashes, and the cranky, aching back? The great news is that not only can you save Mother Earth by installing an electric heated driveway, but now you can save YOU too! I’m not sure I see a down-side to driveway heating yet. It’s a beautiful thing. Melt snow, save energy, and no more visits to the Chiropractor, all in one step. Simply look into an electric heated driveway and you are half-way there. |
Now you can be gorgeously green, eco-conscious
AND save your aching back this winter by installing an
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Laying the paving – almost done! First things
first, take care not to step on the compacted bedding layer
by laying the first blocks parallel to the edge. An edge can
be set using a taut string line along the perimeter of
the paving area. Starting at the edge of the middle
and working across, pay attention to the pattern to
prevent drifting as you lay each block. Use a rubber mallet
to tap blocks into line and keep joints tight. |
To get started, the first blocks should be
positioned from the edge or from outside the pavement
area. Setting the first set of bricks is the most difficult
part of the paving process and will set the stage for
the placement of subsequent blocks. Depending on the
pavement pattern you choose, this will be done in a
number of different ways. Since we cannot possibly
accommodate every kind of pattern and paver type here,
let’s start as simply as possible: square
pattern. 
Shapes of driveways/patios/pathways are
not always square shaped with straight edges. Keep
your pattern on course and omit blocks on the edges that
will require cutting to accommodate varying shapes and
curves of the course. Once all the blocks have been
laid, the cuts for these blocks will be easily
determined and measured. If you are offsetting the blocks,
half blocks will need to be cut to fill the edges.
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Now let’s heat things up!
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.
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. |
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.
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Halfway there! Final layer – bedding. This blog the fourth 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).
If you get
confused about how much sand to apply to the bedding layer,
a general rule of thumb is applying a depth that is
equal or slightly less to the depth of the brick
pavers you have selected for the project. For
example: a paver with a depth of 40mm will need a bedding
layer of approximately 35mm. The process for laying
the bedding layer is similar to spreading the sub-base
layer. Spread. Rake. Compact. Compacting can be done
twice over for the DIY-er that likes to be extra
careful. Use a float level to check your work before
proceeding to the next step. |
Bedding - Just when you thought you were done
with layers, another one comes along! Now that you’ve
cleared the area and dug down to the formation level,
put down a geothermal sheet, and a sub-base layer; the
next step is bedding. The bedding is the last layer
before the addition of the heat cables and brick pavers and
provides support for the paving units. A quick
rundown: bedding comes in either bound or unbound
types. Bound bedding is suited for a rigid base surface,
while unbound is best suited for a flexible base surface.
Sand is the most popular form of unbound bedding
materials. The main requirement of unbound bedding is
for the material to be fine enough to be leveled out
without leaving voids, but not so fine it retains and soaks
up water.
Heated Driveways are more Affordable than EverDriveway heating systems have always been thought of as something that only the rich can afford. Many homeowners have seen a heated driveway, but have never considered the possibility of owning one for themselves. New technologies have emerged that have lowered costs, raised efficiency, and simplified installation, making it possible for any handy "do-it-yourselfer" to install the system. Now every homeowner can enjoy the benefits of owning a heated driveway! Older driveway heating systems take 30 percent longer to heat than current systems, which means they cost more to operate and must remain on longer to effectively remove snow. Today’s heated driveways only activate when the automatic sensor detects precipitation, and automatically shuts off when snow removal is completed. The sophistication of the new systems eliminate wasteful energy consumption. Many home owners report only a slight increase in their power bills, which is little when compared to the benefits of automated snow removal. Some unfounded claims have been made against the use of heated driveway systems, including the argument that they contribute to global warming by heating the outside air. The new radiant systems only run long enough to complete the snow removal process and do not produce enough heat to warm the air. Driveway heating systems are actually beneficial for the environment, eliminating the need for salt and snowmelt chemicals that harm nearby vegetation, pollute streams and water tables. Radiant heated driveways also can protect and increase the lifespan of your driveway.
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