Snow always falls unexpectedly, but requires a quick response from the owners of the house. Since sometimes it even interferes with going out into the street, and if it is not removed in time, it will only accumulate. How to properly clean snow – read our article.
Brief content of the article:
The best ways to manually clear snow
We will consider the most common types of snow removal from the territory, which have proven to be effective.
Shovel
The first thing that comes to mind is cleaning the snow by hand with an ordinary shovel. In addition, it is cheap, but you have to pay for the price with impressive physical labor.
The buckets are made of plastic. But there are plywood or metal, although they are not always convenient. Often, swinging a 7 kg shovel will tire your back and arms. Especially for this, telescopic models with a lightweight body are produced, but they are less durable.
Overall, a shovel has the following benefits:
- Simplicity. In principle, a good shovel does not break down for a long time, it does not need to be adjusted and prepared for work. Only if it is steel and the paint has peeled off, it should be coated with oil after work.
- Price. Even if it breaks, a new one will come out inexpensively.
- Compactness. Telescopic models fold up and do not take up space at all.
The disadvantages include manual labor. Removing snow on the site takes time and considerable effort. For the rest, you can even clear cars with a shovel that have been blocked or roofs of houses, garages, greenhouses.
Scraper
If cleaning the surrounding area with a shovel is too difficult, but you want to meet the minimum budget, a scraper will come to the rescue. Its bucket is similar to a shovel, but the sides are much higher. The handle is double and arched. In essence, this is a manual bulldozer.
Unlike a shovel, snow does not need to be transferred to another area. The scraper picks up large clods and drags them.
Has the same benefits as a shovel. And in addition to them, you also need to apply less force. The man rests on the handle with all his weight and pushes forward, working with his body weight. Plus, it does a great job with sticky snow.
Its disadvantage is bulkiness. Cleaning the area from snow will not be difficult, but it will be difficult for them to clear a thin path.
Plus, on surfaces like paving slabs, it’s almost useless. Due to their low maneuverability, they cannot clear the roof or the car.
Salt
Putting salt on ice is a classic of housing and communal services and management companies. Many have adopted this experience for private houses, as it is cheap and fast. The whole process consists simply in the even spreading of salt on the snow, from which it melts quickly.
Such clearing of the site from snow has the right to life only if the snow is removed from the sidewalk paths. Although effective, salt does not disappear after dissolving. Penetrating into the ground, it kills and impoverishes it. There are frequent cases when perennial plants simply do not sprout and die after such harvesting.
The same can be said about Pescosol. This is a ready-made mixture of sand and salt. It is even more destructive for plants, but it is better to sprinkle sidewalk paths for it, since sand increases the friction force. By the way, it is sold in large bags of 20, 25 and 50 kilograms.
Be sure to remove all residues afterwards. The melted snow will turn into ice overnight and it will hardly be possible to simply shovel it off with a shovel. You will need to sprinkle with salt again and only then remove.
By the way, the stores also sell mixtures called “Anti-Ice Reagent”. These mixtures lower the melting point of ice and it turns into water.
Unlike salt, they last longer. But they are made on the basis of chlorine, which quickly spoils shoes, especially leather ones.
Mechanized snow removal
How to remove snow quickly? You will need equipment that automatically rakes and throws drifts to the side. For a private plot, the following 3 options are suitable.
Snow deflectors
Here’s a 21st century approach to snow removal! Snow spreaders throw away debris in clods by 10-15 meters in a matter of minutes. Snowblowers for the home are bought if you need:
- Remove snow every day. Not everyone is able to wake up every day and take a shovel in their hands, especially if you still need to go to work. Snow throwers will do this faster than a shovel or scraper.
2. Process a large area. It is not so easy to clean 400 square meters on your own. It will be much more convenient to automate the process.
Moreover, snow throwers are not expensive. The entry-level models sell for $ 110, but are sufficient for mid-sized lots. By the way, since they can send all the snow into one pile, then it is worth ordering the removal of snow from the territory.
Their disadvantage is huge energy absorption. Almost all snow blowers work on electricity and consume it very willingly. The average car is equipped with a 2 kilowatt engine.
Motoblocks for universal use
For cleaning the suburban area, universal walk-behind tractors are also suitable. Although it is a kind of compact tractor, some have the additional function of a snow blower.
The shops sell attachments and snow removal equipment.
Motoblocks often run on gasoline, which turns out to be cheaper and more mobile, although they work using a similar technology with snow spreaders – throwing clods several meters away.
In addition, even a walk-behind tractor will be much more useful, since it will find application in the summer.
Blade for ATV
The ATV is not only entertainment transport. If you buy a snow bucket for him, as in the photo, he will turn into a special equipment. This rig has 2 advantages:
- Maneuverability. It is much more convenient to drive an ATV than a walk-behind tractor or a snow thrower. It is much more agile and control of the road is higher.
2. Modularity. The blade can be removed in 5 minutes and the buggy can be used again for fun.
Cons: price. This bucket costs 2 times more than an inexpensive snow blower or a good walk-behind tractor. On average, the blade costs $ 650-700, which is comparable to the ATV itself.
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Post published: 24.08
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