Heated Driveway
How to Install Radiant Heat
Radiant Snow Melting
Radiant Snow Melting Systems
June 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
September 2008
January 2008
Automatic Snow Melting Driveway heat Driveway Heating Driveway Snow Melting Driveway Snow Melting System Driveway Snowmelt Eco-friendly heated driveway Electric Driveway Heating Electric Heated Driveway Electric Snow Melting System Green Heating Heated Brick Paver Driveway Heated Driveway Heated Driveway Installation Heated Driveway System Heated Driveways Heated Sidewalk Heated walkways How to Install Heated Driveway How to Install Radiant Heat Hydronic Snow Melting System Installing Heated Driveway Installing Radiant Heat Installing Radiant Snowmelt System Installing Snowmelt System Radiant Heat Radiant Heat Installation Radiant Heated Driveway Radiant Installation Radiant Snow Melting Radiant Snow Melting Costs Radiant Snow Melting Systems Radiant Snowmelt System Radiant Snowmelt Systems Sidewalk snow melting systems Snow Melting Snow Melting Information Snow Melting System Snow Melting Systems Snow Removal Snow Sensor Snowmelt System Snowmelt System Installation Snowmelt Systems Under paver heating
Heated Driveway News |
Save Yourself Time Through Automated Snow RemovalOne of the more unpleasant things about living in colder climates is going out in the morning and finding your car iced over. It doesn’t need to be that way. Snow melt systems are available utilizing electric radiant heat. Everyone on the street will envy the guy with the heated driveway.
The heat from an electric radiant heated driveway up will also help to keep your vehicle from getting that difficult to remove crunchy ice build up. Not only will you not have to shovel snow and ice but you save time and reduce the chance of damaging your driveway or car by chiseling that ice off. There probably isn’t much excuse these days when building a new home in snowy areas to not install a heated driveway. It's easy and affordable to install, not to mention it will increase the value of your property. Believe me, installing a radiant heated driveway is a decision you won't regret. What a convenience to walk out and jump in your car and take off. Be careful though, the street won’t have one. |
Snow melting systems have sensors that detect
when it is needed. Once they switch on it doesn’t
take long for the snow to disappear. Sure, a garage is
nice but it's even nicer with a radiant heated
driveway. Heated driveways utilize durable electric cable
embedded in the concrete. Danfoss GX cable is the
recommended heat cable, and one of the longest
lasting, most reliable heat cable available. In addition
to its affordability, it carries an industry-leading
manufacturer warranty. Snow and ice melting has never
been easier. 
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
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
Now that you are finished designing and gathering tools, the next step is LAYERS. This blog the third 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). Layers. All paving is made up of multiple layers that improve the structural quality of the paving. Sub-grade is the first layer – the bare raw earth. You will need to reduce the sub-grade to formation level, in other words dig down. As you reduce the layer, keep in mind that you are creating a space deep enough to accommodate not only the brick pavers, but the sub-base as well. Make sure the formation level is as even as possible, removing all high spots and low spots until it mimics the profile of the proposed driveway/patio/pathway. Check for any soft spots that need to be excavated and filled with the harder clay based soil of the formation level. At this point in the process, many people choose to put down a geotextile separation membrane. This layer has many different names but the goal of the layer is the same: to keep the sub-grade and sub-base layers from mixing and creating settlement. However, a geotextile layer is not needed for every job. If you live in an area with a sub-grade that is dry and firm, you can omit the geotextile layer with a minimal risk of mixing between layers. For sub-grades that are anything less than dry and firm, a geotextile layer can dramatically improve the performance of the completed project. So what is a geotextile layer? Surprisingly, it’s a simple sheet of non-woven fabric. After the sub-grade layer comes the sub-base. The sub-base provides flexibility between the sub-grade layer and the base. Although you may not always need a sub-base layer for all patio projects, it is an essential layer in the creation of driveway paving. The biggest cause of settlement and shifting of the base layer is a non-existent or unsatisfactory sub-base layer. Most residential building projects require an unbound sub-base layer such as crushed rock or recycled crushed cement (versus cement-bound and bitumen-bound sub-bases). The goal is a mixture of larger particles and fine particles (sand) that creates a firm void-free layer. After spreading the sub-base layer, level it out using spades and finish off with a rake. Next use the vibrating plate compactor to compact the layer and eliminate as many voids as possible. The sub-grade layer should be between 100-200mm in depth (after the compacting process). To achieve a depth of 150mm, a safe rule of thumb is spreading 200mm depth of non-compacted sub-grade. After the compacting process, the depth will be reduced to 150mm. |
|
After designing and planning is finished, the next step is gathering proper tools. This blog the second 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).
|
||
You’ll
probably want to rent the block splitter. They
come in many different forms, but usually use a
lever to close upper and lower
blades. Depending on the size of your project,
you may want to forego using the
block splitter and use a power saw
fitted with a diamond tipped blade to make all
your stone cuts.
|
The first steps for building a brick paver driveway or pathway is design and planning. This blog will be the first of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series will feature 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).
DESIGN
PLANNING |
When choosing the stone, it is important to keep
the function in mind. Will the area be used by
children? Will small wheels cross the stone? Answering
these kinds of question is important because many
stones are uneven, and this will affect your ability to
easily slide a patio chair, or for a child to bounce a
ball. Choosing a stone using only aesthetics may leave
you with regrets later on.
