Snow in the Chicago area usually starts showing up in late November or December, and the first real storm always seems to arrive on a busy morning. A little preparation now makes clearing snow faster all winter and helps protect your lawn, beds and concrete.
Mark the edges of your driveway and walks
Once snow covers everything, it is hard to see where the driveway ends and the lawn begins. Driveway markers, the tall thin stakes sold at hardware stores, show the edges so a plow or snow blower stays on the pavement instead of tearing up the grass. Put them in before the ground freezes, along both sides of the driveway and any walks, and next to anything low that could get hit, like landscape lights or the edge of a bed.
Clear the edges before the first storm
Pick up hoses, garden decorations, loose stones and fallen branches near the driveway and walks. Anything left out gets buried and can damage equipment or end up thrown into the yard. Finishing your fall leaf cleanup before the snow also keeps leaves from matting down under it.
Choose ice melt carefully
- Rock salt (sodium chloride) is the most common and least expensive, but it works poorly in very cold weather and can damage grass, plants and concrete.
- Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride keep working at lower temperatures, and you usually need less of them.
- Use it sparingly. More ice melt does not work better, and the extra ends up in the lawn and beds along the driveway.
- Be careful with new concrete. Concrete poured in the last year is more easily damaged by deicers. Ask your installer what is safe to use.
Think about where the snow will go
Decide where snow can be piled before it starts falling. Avoid piling it on top of shrubs, which can break under the weight, and keep it off storm drains and away from spots where melting snow will refreeze across the driveway or walk.
Book snow service before the first storm
If you plan to have someone else clear your snow, set it up in the fall. Seasonal service means your property is on the route before the first storm, instead of calling around once it is already snowing.
StoneRidge Landscapes clears driveways, walks and parking areas for homes and businesses in Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Villa Park, Elmhurst and Oak Brook, with ice melt available on request. See snow removal for details.
Want to get on our snow route? Request a free snow removal quote or call or text (630) 376-8880.