Heated Driveway News

Radiant Snow Melting - The Gift that Keeps on Giving

It’s getting deep into the season for heavy snow fall. You can’t turn on the news and not see some place getting hit hard with the white stuff. Brace yourself for a few more months of it. The meteorologists have been forecasting a wet winter for a while now. (I guess El Niño is visiting us folks in the Western U.S.) Fortunately, not all of us have to labor shoveling snow off of the driveways or sidewalks. Some lucky homeowners have snow melting systems that do all the snow removal for them.

Nothing could be easier than getting up in the morning and seeing a clear driveway on a snowy day. With radiant heat snow melting cable installed in your driveway (and/or sidewalks), your worries are gone. As the temperatures and conditions present themselves, the heated driveway system’s snow sensor triggers the unit, automatically activating the system and voila, and your wintery troubles melt away.

Radiant snow melting systems are the thing to have in this day and age of electronics. It’s the easy way to stay ice-free this winter. If you have just settled in for a long winter’s nap, don’t forget these systems can be installed over existing driveways. No need to pack up and build a new house. Put a radiant snow melting system on your Christmas list for next year. It really is the gift that will keep on giving.

Try a Turn Around the Ice Rink or Down the Slopes Instead of Shoveling Snow

When the first blades of grass peak through the snow each spring I race to pack up my winter gear. No more bulky coats, itchy hats, or sweaty gloves. They will take a rest for a spell. And I will take a rest from the worries of winter and icy storms. I’m thinking this year I’ll reinvent the use for these bulky clothes. I’ve pulled them out of the winter box and hung them with care, knowing that this year the uses for them will be fun instead of work related. Having a heated driveway means I don’t have to haul out the mittens, coats, and hats to clear my driveway. The fully automated snowmelt system I have installed will do all the work for me.

This year I’m going to put on that winter gear and slap on some skis, or maybe some ice skates and take a few turns around a rink. I’m going to smile while I wear this gear, instead of moan and groan as I push snow around the drive. My sidewalks will be happily clear too, thanks to my heated driveway system. The radiant heat cables lying snugly beneath my asphalt is doing all the hard labor for me, using minimal energy and taking cues from the smart snow sensor hung incognito on the roof beside my garage. I drive away on my driveway clear of snow and yelp with excitement as I get closer to the ski resort. This year my winter clothes are going to have some fun – and I am too!

Driveway Heating is More Sophisticated Than Ever

None of us like to be Guinea pigs when a new operating system comes online or when the latest cell phone gadget is invented. Luckily if you are just coming onto the smart heated driveway scene, you are in luck. The technology has been tested and proven time and again with many happy snow-free customers. Installing a heated driveway system right now is not only a smart move for your property it is also fully automated and hands-free. You can sit inside with a hot cup of cocoa and watch with contentment as the snow falls outside, knowing you’ll never have to pick up a shovel. You can reserve your snow clothes for fun outdoor recreation like skiing instead of clearing snow from your driveway.

With the help of a snow melting system control unit you can install a heated driveway and never worry about it. A wall-mounted control unit uses smart technology to detect precipitation and outside temperatures, thereby turning your system on and off when, and only when, it is needed. The heated driveway system controller is easy-to-use and consists of a timer and digital operator interface with manual override capability. Now is the time to investigate a snowmelt system and how you can put technology to work for you.

Come Again Another Day, Maybe After I Install A Heated Driveway

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could make a simple call to Mother Nature and ask her nicely to please make it stop snowing? I’d put her on speed dial every November and place a well-timed call as the temperatures dip. Sadly if you live in a climate that gets snow, there isn’t a way to make it go away. It would be nice if it could hold off at least until your heated driveway system is installed and up and running. If you have a heated driveway it doesn’t matter quite as much when the snow flies, because at least while you are home your driveway and sidewalks are protected from pesky snowfall.

A driveway snowmelt system uses radiant heat cables placed in a grid beneath the surface of your existing or new driveway. The cables utilize energy-efficient heat to keep your driveway warm and clear of snow and ice. These radiant snow melting systems can be used in a variety of applications. You won’t have to do any more “Snow, Snow Go Away” chants because it simply won’t matter to you if it falls. In fact, let it fall and let your heated driveway do all the dirty work. With the automated, user-friendly control unit you can set it to your desired specifications and then watch the snow fall from the comfort of your couch. So light a fire, grab a cup of something warm and sing a new song. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Keep Loading Docks and Ramps Snow and Ice Free This Year

Radiant snowmelt systems have many applications. One to consider may be on a property with multiple loading docks or ramps used by employees and vendors alike. Keeping these areas free and clear of snow during the winter months saves snow removal costs and could also help provide safety and protection for anyone using these areas. Warmzone snowmelt systems keep areas clear of snow and ice with a highly customizable and automated system. Working with a Warmzone professional means you’ll be guided to the best radiant snowmelt system for your company.

Heavily used areas with high traffic such as loading docks and ramps are especially vulnerable to accidents and injuries. Workman’s compensation claims could be sliced in the winter by taking a few extra steps to ensure your employees safety and well-being. Installing a snow melting system is a cost-efficient way to protect employees and property during big storms. It also provides high work efficiency since the automated systems work without the need of an operator.

The smart snow sensor tracks precipitation levels and heats the system only when needed. This means if a large storm hits over the weekend the radiant snowmelt system will perform even if no one is there to turn it on or off. When the snow melting system detects snow or a certain temperature it activates and keeps things clear, so when your crew shows up Monday morning they can get right to work on the docks. Snowmelt systems provide protection for you and them, so you can all work efficiently and safely.

Radiant Snow Melting Cable - A Gift of Modern Technology

It wasn’t that many years ago that I sat and listened to my grandpa talk about how he walked to and from school every day in the snow. The school was miles away, and oddly enough, the trek was up hill – both ways! Anyhow, I do respect what he went through. Flash forward to today and our grand folks might be amazed at some of the conveniences we enjoy, not to mention how “cushy” our lives our. Radiant snow melting cable would have to be one of the modern conveniences that would make their eyes roll back in their heads – but I'm sure my grand dad would be first in line to install a radiant heated driveway.

Radiant snow melting cable installed under pavers for heated driveway.

Heat cable, or snow melting cable, can be installed in a wide variety of applications, including concrete, asphalt or underpavers. Heat cable is laid out and then the finish surface is applied over that. You don’t even have to do a thing as the radiant snowmelt system is all fully automated. A sensor will activate the system when needed so you can sit and watch the snow melt from your cozy living room. Grandpa and grandma would be amazed.

Radiant snow melting systems aren’t just for the sidewalk or driveway. They are also handy for melting snow buildup on your roof and gutters. No more broken gutters due to ice buildup and no more ducking as you walk under that area where the ice cycles drip on you as you go under. (Or worse yet, they hang like menacing daggers, waiting to impale the next unsuspecting pedestrian.)

It’s the 2000’s folks. Automated driveway heating systems are affordable, maintenance free and here to stay. Sure, grandpa may think I'm spoiled, but I'd be a fool to not take advantage of the technologies that are available today.

A Radiant Heat Solution Might be the Best Answer

There’s a legion of garage-less homeowners that would be served well by a radiant heated driveway. With limited outdoor storage space (of the shed variety) storing snow blowers, snow melting chemicals and shovels can prove troublesome, and snow removal services, costly. I am faced with such limitations for the first time this winter, and I’m thinking a heated driveway might be the way to go.

It’s easy to look past the initial cost of heated driveway installation when you consider the value it will add to your home. With flagging home values, most of us are interested in ways to recoup our losses, and heated driveways are an inexpensive way to build your equity. In my neck of the woods, at least, a radiant heated driveway would be unique to my block, and a unique selling point.

The good news is that radiant heat can be installed under almost any medium, whether pre- or post-construction. Heated driveway systems are easy to operate, and include sensors that activate the system when moisture is present or the temperature dips below 38 degrees, so your driveway is cleared and ready to go when you are.

Better still, you’ll avoid the mental and physical effort of layering up and heading out to hoist a shovel or push a gasoline-belching snow blower up and down your drive. I have enough time allocated for chores and child rearing already. Just think, if your driveway had radiant heat you could enjoy a hot beverage in the comfort of your living room while your neighbors are out battling the elements. If I did have a heated driveway, I’m thinking I’d be hitting the snooze button for the third time instead.

Heated Driveways Ease the Pain of Snow Filled Mornings

Remember when that snow was falling and you were cursing the drive to work? The cold weather isn’t far away at all now. It doesn’t have to be that bad; at least not in your own front yard. Driveway heating is the new convenience that before long is going to be a standard in many areas. Driveway heating, often referred to as an electric heated driveway or a snow melting system is just that. It melts the snow off your driveway so you don’t have to.

Radiant snowmelt systems consist of a grid of heat cable installed under the surface of your driveway. The finish concrete or asphalt is then laid directly over the heat cable. A sensor installed along with the wiring will detect when temperatures and conditions are right for snow and will trigger the snowmelt system's control unit which will then in turn send current to the heat cable, warming the driveway surface. This will melt the snow and leave you free to spend your time doing other things. It couldn’t be any easier than that. You don’t even have to be awake. You don’t even have to be around. It’s the modern convenience that is just too convenient.

These systems are virtually maintenance free. Once installed you are free to sit and watch the snow melt from your driveway as your neighbors shovel snow from their driveways.

Class is in Session: Three Lessons you Should Learn About Heated Driveway Systems

Fall has finally arrived, and all the kids are heading back to school to hit the books and improve their academic prowess. It may not be fun, but kids know they have to get smart to get ahead. Just like their kids, however, adults across America are getting smart, too, but instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic, adults are studying up on the awesome benefits of radiant heated driveways.

Heated driveways are the most important subject in this year’s home improvement curriculum. Thousands of Americans have studied up and are already experiencing the benefits, and with a little diligence and dedication to safety and peace of mind, you can, too. Here are the first three lessons to help you educate yourself on the benefits of heated driveways systems.

Lesson #1: Safety
Safety should be every family’s top priority, and nothing jeopardizes a family’s safety like an icy, snowy driveway. And shoveling snow is just about as dangerous. Back pain, blisters, broken bones—all maladies that can easily be avoided this winter with a radiant heated driveway.

Lesson #2: Efficiency
My personal favorite benefit of heated driveways—ease, convenience, and automation. That’s right, heated driveway systems are fully automated. These babies turn on automatically at the slightest hint of a snow storm, meaning the driveway is snow free before you even wake up with absolutely no effort from you. Instead of shoveling, you can now sleep in an extra hour and eat a good breakfast to help give you that extra boost for classes later in the day.

Lesson 3: Affordability
School is expensive—books, tuition, fees—they’re enough to kill you. With the money you save with your radiant heated driveway, however, you’ll be able to fund your education and have a little extra left over for that midnight Beto’s run to fuel your study marathon. Heated driveways can heat a 300 square foot area for just under $0.50 an hour. What’s more, heated driveway systems only turn on when you need them and turn off when you don’t, meaning you don’t waste energy and rack up your electric bill.

And thus concludes our first lessons on radiant heated driveways. However, your education doesn’t stop there. Call Warmzone today to learn more about what radiant heated driveways can do for you. It requires a lot less work than school, and the benefits are probably cooler, too, so don’t wait around. Finish your radiant heated driveway education today. Class adjourned.

Install Driveway Heating in the Summer

True, it may sound crazy to the sun lovers soaking in the warm rays of the lazy days of summer but it may not be crazy to start thinking about the cold coming months. In fact, we may do well to avoid focus on those harsh temperatures looming altogether. Sadly, pushing those thoughts away won’t make Mother Nature any more soft when it comes to passing the buck to Jack Frost and letting winter rage.

To soften the blow, why not think warm while it’s still warm outside. Now is the perfect time to install a radiant driveway heating system . A driveway snowmelt system is going to be more affordable in the off months, plus it will definitely be easier to install a snow melting system when there isn’t actually any snow to contend with.

Summer is the smart time to think about warmth and to prepare yourself and your home for the inevitable blowing flurries and the pelting ice. The onslaught of winter will be made so much easier to tolerate if your home is set to combat the snow with a heated driveway. You can think warm now, with the sun blazing on your bare shoulders and you can think warm in the months to come as the snow hits your heated driveway and melts into manageable warm drops of water.