Keeping Your Driveway Heated This Winter

If you’re like us, living up here in the Northeast, you grew up looking forward to wintertime! As a child, maybe you looked forward to snowball fights, snow castles, and a nice break from school. However, as adults, the view of winter may be a little different.

Save Yourself Some Winter Work

As homeowners, we deal with wintertime home care, essential cold-weather maintenance, and of course, snow removal. Here’s where modern tech can really help us make life easier and safer!

Heated driveways are an excellent resource for homeowners to save hundreds of hours removing snow and add a huge margin of safety with the prevention of ice build-up.

What is a Heated Driveway?

Exactly what they sound like! Snow and ice are greeted with a heated surface that helps prevents snow accumulation. Though it may seem like a luxury to some, the elimination of shoveling, icing, falling, and salt damage is well worth the investment.

After installation, the heating elements are typically wired to a junction box. For those with a whole home generator, it’s safer to have the system wired to the generator. This way, after the worst winter storm and power knockouts, your driveway will be just as safe, warm, and protected as your home.

The Risks of Snow Shoveling

More than ever, people are concerned about safety and health. Falls become costly as we advance in age, and what was once a minor annoyance becomes a serious health concern or a hospital trip.

A study published in 2017 showed a significant amount of heart attacks over a 30-year period were directly linked to exertion after a substantial snow fall. If you or someone in your family is in a fall or cardiovascular risk category, it may be wise to consider a heated driveway. By eliminating snow shoveling, you are also eliminating the risk of hip fractures, hypothermia, and heart attacks.

How to Install a Heated Driveway

Heated driveways may be a simple concept, but installation does take a fair amount of experience and the right set of tools. Many driveway companies and some landscapers are qualified and can be hired for the installation. Usually, a fresh concrete pour is needed, but if you have an asphalt driveway then you’re in luck! Repaving asphalt can be cheaper and the heating system installed at the same time. The cheapest installation is for driveways made up of brick pavers.

Connecting to Your Generator For Convenience & Safety

Whether you have a heated driveway on the list of future home improvements, or already have one installed, it’s one of the many great things that you can make sure is safely and securely connected to emergency generator power.

Our Generac whole home generators are more than up to the task, and our experts can set up the connections you need to keep the driveway warm and safe. Get in touch with us to discuss the best setup for your home and property!