It’s only December, and many places across the U.S. are already getting buried under the snow, which means one thing: time to break out the shovel. Here are a few, shoveling tips to help homeowners spend less time out in the cold clearing their sidewalks, driveways, outdoor decks and patios, and more time inside enjoying the holidays.
Get a Good Shovel.
Now, many homeowners have invested in snowblowers to make short work of their driveways, but those who have outdoor patio and decks still need to keep a snow shovel handy. After all, trying to run snowblowers on wooden decks would only damage them, and what homeowner would honestly want to hurt their investment? And it’s not like homeowners can just leave the snow on their wooden decks, either. Even if they’ve been waterproofed, that much moisture will inevitably cause the wood to swell and damage it, or even let rot set in.
No, wooden decks need to be shoveled, which is why homeowners should invest in two snow shovels. First, they need a good push shovel. The blade of this type of snow shovel is shaped not unlike a plow, and can make fast work of large areas of the wooden decks. Secondly, they need the regular snow shovel, which will help them finish cleaning their wooden decks.
Find a Place to Put the Snow.
Before homeowners even start clearing their driveways or wooden decks, they need to find a place to put the snow. It only takes a minute to think about, and will save a lot of time in the long run. Sometimes, fences, hedges, or bushes will get in the way of where the snow would logically go. If homeowners start shoveling their driveways or wooden decks without realizing those obstacles are there, they’ll have to start over again and move all the snow somewhere. Thinking about where snow should go will help homeowners do things right the first time.
Start in the Middle.
Once homeowners have their shovels, and know where they’re going to be dumping the snow, it’s time to have at it. The best place to start is in the middle, and divide driveways or outdoor wood decks in half. It might seem like it’s more work to shovel two areas, but each one requires less effort, making the whole chore go faster.
Whether shoveling driveways or outdoor patios and decks, a good shovel, a place to dump the snow, and an attack plan are all necessary. If you’re still not sure how to clean a wooden deck of snow or know of any other quick tips, feel free to share in the comments. More like this article.
