Winter weather can be tough on your home in Millersville, MD. Snow and ice accumulation make it difficult to maneuver around the property and can damage the structure of your home if you’re not careful. While snow removal is an essential part of winter preparation for any homeowner or business owner, people make several common errors when shoveling and clearing their properties.
To help ensure you don’t make these same blunders this winter, here are five snow removal mistakes you need to stop making in Millersville.
1. Not Preparing Equipment
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to snow removal is not properly preparing their equipment. Before shoveling or using a snowblower, check your tools to ensure they are working. Guarantee all parts are intact and functional and that no hoses or blades are worn down from prior use. Replace or repair your tools before starting the job.
2. Overlooking Gutters
It’s easy to forget about your gutters when it comes to snow removal, but they can be one of the most important areas to clear. Snow and ice buildup in gutters can cause them to become clogged and unable to drain properly. To avoid this problem, make certain you always clear your gutters of snow and ice before starting any other job.
3. Not Shoveling Properly
When clearing a large area of snow, be sure to use a wide shovel and push the snow away from your home rather than scooping and lifting it. This will help prevent damage to your property and ensure that you can remove all of the snow in one pass.
4. Not Removing Ice
While it can be tempting just to leave the ice in place, this can cause problems later on when temperatures drop and the ice expands. To avoid this problem, use a de-icer or rock salt to break up any areas of thick ice before shoveling them away.
5. Not Adequately Clearing Walkways and Driveways
Be sure to shovel or blow snow away from these areas, and use a de-icer or rock salt if necessary. Doing so will help ensure that you don’t have any slippery patches in these high-traffic areas and that your property remains safe for all visitors this winter.
Following these tips can help ensure that your property is safe and that winter weather damage is minimized this season. For more information on gutter protection in Millersville, MD, contact Gutter Helmet®. We provide the best rain gutter system and gutter guard cleaning for homeowners in Millersville, MD. Call us now at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our online form.