Snow removal and construction tips

When buying a home, what are the things I should consider regarding snow removal? First, how will you remove the snow. The options are 1. shovel 2. snow-thrower 3. plow (either yourself or hire someone else). Once you determine the removal method, that determines the home you buy, here's why. If you are shoveling the snow yourself, you want to buy a home where you can park your car nearest to the road that is plowed by the county or someone else. Be careful here. I used to work with a womon on a town board. She lives on a road where the town had just stopped plowing. She sued for the plowing to resume, and lost. So she quit the board in protest. But I digress. So for you, buying a home with a parking place or garage right on the road might be best. 2. If you are using a snow-thrower, you want a driveway that is paved and not too long or too steep. Snow-throwers don't work very well without pavement. 3. If plowing is your removal method, then be sure the plower has a place to move the snow to. You don't want your septic field driven on. Driving on your septic field will, over time, damage it. This can be very expensive to repair, so don't drive on your septic field. For example, when I had LaPointe Builders, in Petersham, build my two-car garage, George was careful to keep himself and his sub-contractors, off my septic field. This was especially important when the cement truck arrived. Also, when the trusses were delivered, George roped off an area for the delivery driver to put them so they wouldn't be on my septic field. Think of these things when plannng construction work and plowing.

No matter how you remove the snow from your driveway, be sure to plan your construction and yard design plan for mounds and mounds of snow, up to six-feet high and six-feet wide, on either side of your driveway. So don't put plants near the driveway, for instance. Delivery trucks will, inevitably, back down your driveway. If your driveway curves, like mine does, then they might not know that. They'll back straight out and run over your plants. And the heavy snow will not be good for plants either. So keep empty a wide area on either side of your driveway for snow piles.

By the end of winter this year, I had snow so high I could not see oncoming vehicles when leaving my driveway. Plan for this and be strategic when removing snow. This year I blew the snow on both sides of my driveway. Next year I plan to blow it away from the street as much as possible to prevent the tunnel-effect. Also, I will blow it to the right side, where the ground is lower and so when it melts it will go downhill. This way, there will be less ice on my driveway. This is because during the warm days the snow melts and in the evening that water becomes ice on my driveway. Next year I want that ice on my septic field, not my driveway!

And, remember, every town has a place where citizens can go to pick up free sand, take advantage of this! Take a few buckets and a shovel with you and keep sand onhand for when your driveway becomes an ice rink for you and your vehicle. You'll be very glad you did.