Snow Removal Techniques
If you live in an area where it snows on a regular basis during the winter months, then you know the challenges of snow removal. Employing the right techniques and tips can allow you to get the job completed in a more efficient manner. Make your winter more enjoyable and less stressful by using the right tools while working smarter not harder.
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Snow Shoveling Techniques
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Pick up only a half shovel of snow each time. This will allow you to continue shoveling longer without becoming burnt out and will reduce the chance of an injury which could occur with heavy lifting.
Break larger pieces of ice with a pick or other hard handled object before you attempt to shovel them. If you attempt to shovel a large block of hardened ice, you will hurt your hands, wrists or back while making little progress in the process.
Shovel snow soon after it falls if possible, especially at night. If snow is allowed to harden and melt in the early morning or afternoon sun, it can harden into clumps of ice before you have a chance to remove it.
Snow BlowingTechniques
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Blow the snow in your driveway, yard or walkway in thinner lines instead of trying to make one full pass each time. This will keep your blower from becoming clogged and wasting valuable time as you struggle to unclog it.
Allow the snow to blow downhill if possible, to avoid it melting and merging back into ice and snow that you have yet to blow. This will also allow you to end up with all of the snow in a pile at the end of the yard instead of thrust back into the area that you just removed snow from.
Set your blower from 1 to 2 inches above the ground if there are rocks, gravel or mulch in the area where you are blowing. This will stop debris from blowing out the back of the machine and causing harm to people or your home.
Snow PlowingTechniques
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Raise your snow plow several inches if the snow in a specific area is especially deep. Shearing off the tops layer first will allow you to avoid clogging the snow plow or causing it to break.
Use a back drag method in order to remove snow that is piled up close to buildings without causing damage. Raise the plow drive close to the building and lower the plow back down. Move in reverse dragging the piled snow away from the building's edge.
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