Should You Clear Snow Off Your Driveway in Ontario?

With serene winter comes heavy snow in Ontario, which can be both a blessing and a curse. When Canada experiences heavy snowfall during the winter, people quickly take their shovels and snowblowers out to clear snow off their property. However, many people ignore maintaining their property and end up with injuries, accidents, and damaged surfaces. To prevent that from happening, make sure to clear snow off your property, especially your driveways, to ensure an accessible and safe area for everyone. Let’s explore a few reasons why you should keep your driveway snow-free. 

Why You Should Clear Snow Off Your Driveway

During the winter season, Ontario experiences significant snowfall. This is why clearing snow from your driveway is essential for your safety and property maintenance. If not removed regularly, snow and ice can layer up and create severe hazardous conditions such as slipping and falling on the driveway. Here are a few reasons why you should clear snow off your driveway:

Prevent Ice Formation

Clearing snow from the driveway after every snowfall is essential to prevent ice formation. This can be very dangerous for anyone walking or driving on the driveway. Regular removal of snow will stop the freeze-thaw cycle, which is basically the cycle of compacted snow turning into hard ice. When the ice hardens, it becomes extremely slippery and difficult to remove. You cannot shovel it off until it melts, which can take days on its own. To prevent that from happening, you should clear snow off your driveway so that thr area is more manageable. 

Enhance Safety

Accumulated snow or ice creates a slipping hazard for everyone using that area. Clearing snow from the driveway will ensure that the surface is non-slippery, and people using it can walk on it without the risk of slipping or falling, especially elders and children. So, to ensure everyone’s safety, remember to shovel the snow right after the snowfall, as fresh snow is easier to shovel or blow off than hardened snow. 

Comply with Local Regulations

One of the primary reasons to clear snow off your driveway is to stay in compliance with local laws and regulations. In Ontario, removing snow from the driveway is not only for safety but also a legal obligation that must be fulfilled. This is because property owners in Ontario must remove snow and ice from their property by law within only 12 to 24 hours of snowfall ends. If they fail to comply, they may have to pay a fine. The Municipal Act and Occupiers’ Liability Act hold property owners responsible for clearing snow from their driveways and sidewalks to ensure that the property premises remain safe for everyone. Complying with the local regulations will help avoid penalties and promote responsible property management. 

Access Your Vehicle

One of the biggest challenges people face in Ontario is accessing their vehicles during the snowfall. If your car is parked outside during the snowfall, the snow can quickly accumulate on the car and cover it completely. Even several inches of snow will freeze doors and locks, making it challenging for you to access your car until the snow is melted and cleared. Plus, in windy conditions, snow drifts can form around the vehicle, making it difficult for you even to open the door. So, during this condition, you first need to clear the snow to access your car eventually. This can be tiring and time-consuming, especially when you are in a rush. To prevent that from happening, make sure to quickly shovel the snow so that when you need to access your car, the pathway is clear and safe. 

Protect Your Driveway’s Surface

Did you know that not removing snow from your driveway is actually damaging its surface? Snow can significantly damage your driveway, and one of the main culprits is a freeze-thaw cycle. During this cycle, the snow melts and seeps deep into the cracks in the pavement, where it eventually freezes again. Repeated freezing and thawing can be seriously damaging, especially to concrete and asphalt driveways. To avoid this, regularly shovel your driveway or hire a professional snow removal service in Ontario to get the job done for you. With regular cleanup, you will not only maintain the structural integrity of the driveway but also ensure it is well looked after, even in extreme weather conditions.

Maintain Curb Appeal

Removing snow from your property, especially the sidewalks and driveways, right after a snowfall gives it a clean, accessible, and well-maintained look. This not only shows the property is maintained regularly, but it also makes it more accessible for family, friends, and visitors. Especially in January, which is the snowiest month of the year, a clean and accessible driveway leaves a positive impression on visitors, enhancing its curb appeal. 

Eco-friendly Tips For Quickly Clearing Snow From a Driveway

Clearing snow from a driveway can be extremely challenging and time-consuming. However, with the right tips, tools, and methods, you can speed up the process. Here are some of the best and fastest ways to clear snow from a driveway:

• Apply cooking spray on the Shovel: shovelling is one of the best and cheapest ways to clear up snow from the driveway. However, the snow gets stuck to the shovel, making it difficult to shovel off the snow and ice quickly. To avoid this, apply cooking spray on the shovel to minimize the snow sticking to it. Plus, invest in a lightweight and ergonomic snow shovel to speed up the process even further and make it less tiring for you.

• Invest in a snowblower: While shovelling is the most eco-friendly way of getting rid of accumulated snow, blowing it off is much faster and easier. Using a snowblower to blow the snow off will clear large areas quickly without needing to put in any physical effort. Therefore, invest in a high-quality, battery-operated electric snowblower to get the job done effectively. 

• Sprinkle salt after clearing snow: After you remove the snow entirely from the driveway, sprinkle salt using a salt spreader and prepare it for the next snowfall event. This is because rock salt acts as a natural deicer that prevents snow from bonding to the surface of the driveway, making it easier for you to shovel it after snowfall ends. You want to repeat the process every time you clear snow off your driveway for better and quicker results.

• Use a Leaf blower for light snow: Yes, a leaf blower for removing light snow from the surface surprisingly works like magic. So, during the light snowfall days, you can take out your leaf blower and blow off the snow from your sidewalks, steps, ramps, and driveway before it hardens and ice forms. This will give you practical and fast results without needing to shovel the entire area. 

• Use DIY hot water mixture: A mixture of hot water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap can melt even the stubborn ice in no time. So, if the snow has already melted into hard ice, prepare this DIY mixture and pour it all over the surface. Doing so will quickly melt away the ice without damaging the surface of the driveway. 

Best Practices For Protecting Your Driveway While Removing Snow

To maintain your driveway and protect it while removing the snow, follow these practices: 

1. Always remove any debris and objects from your driveways before the snowfall so that you do not accidentally damage the surface when plowing or shovelling.

2. Make sure you are cleaning the gutters and drainage pipes so that the melted ice and water quickly drain and do not accumulate on the surface. 

3. Ice and snow will eventually damage the surface of the driveway by penetrating the cracks. However, if you apply a seal coat on its surface, it can prevent melted ice and moisture from penetrating. 

4. Make sure to use the non-abrasive tools and equipment that are designed to clear snow off the driveways without scratching or damaging the surface. These tools include plastic shovels, snow blowers, snow brooms, salt spreaders, and more.

5. Avoid using harsh salt products to speed up the snow removal surface. Especially if you have asphalt and concrete driveways, you should look for alternatives, such as calcium magnesium acetate, for damage control. 

6. Removing snow after every snowfall can be a daunting task, but it is the best way to ensure the snow does not accumulate around vehicles and on the driveway, which can be challenging to remove. 

7. Suppose you cannot clear snow off your driveways regularly. In that case, it is recommended to hire professional snow removal services in Ontario like Custodia who specialize in clearing drivways while protecting its surface.  

Conclusion

Regular snow removal is essential to keep your driveway clear, maintained, and safe for use. Plus, with well-maintained driveways, you can access the vehicle without worrying about slipping and injuries. However, for elders, it can be very challenging to go out and shovel the snow off the property. So, to assist individuals like these, professional services like Custodia build custom senior support home management plans and offer a number of services, including snow removal. This ensures the driveway is accessible and safe for elders, children, and everyone in the house.