If you have lived in New England for a year or more, you are well aware of the responsibilities and back-breaking labor associated with shoveling the snow off the driveway and walkway to your home. If you are unable to shovel it for yourself, then you are well aware of the financial cost associated with having someone else do it for you. Shoveling snow is one of the chores that New England homeowners must deal with, as we are required by local laws to be responsible for keeping the snow cleared for safety purposes. This is not just for ourselves or for our families, but also to provide access to postal workers, utility personnel, meter readers and other service providers.
While there are now tons of tools, gadgets and equipment that can be used to help you shovel and clear the snow much faster than ever before, the act of clearing it is still a chore. From snow blowers to special shovels, hiring the neighbor kid or getting your own kids to do it, either way you will still have to actively make sure that the work gets done. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if your driveway could be automatically cleared of both snow AND ice through the use of an under paver radiant heat product that was installed under your custom paver driveway or walkway? Well, dream no more because heated driveways are a reality through the use of the ProMelt snow and ice melt system.
What Are Heated Driveways? Is That Real?
Yes Massachusetts, heated driveways are real. They are also becoming more and more popular, especially in areas like Brockton or anywhere else in New England where the snow and ice are especially unkind to homeowners beyond a seasonal White Christmas smattering of precipitation. While it is not exactly a low-cost addition, the investment in having a snow and ice melt system installed when you update or upgrade your custom paver driveway or walkway will pay off in just a few years compared to the time and money you would normally spend in clearing away all that cold, white stuff.
Heated driveways work by keeping the pavement in your driveways, walkways and even patios, porches or any other type of custom paver hardscaping project, warm enough to melt the snow when it makes contact with the surface. This prevents the snow from piling up and stops ice from even getting a chance to form. There are two different methods used to produce this effect, an under paver radiant heat system, which is what the ProMelt snow and ice melt system is all about; and a hot water tube and pump system. J&J Materials, which has two locations in Southeastern Massachusetts, sells the under paver radiant heat system because of its overall success rate, cost-effectiveness and return on investment compared to the hot water version.
The Advantages of Heating Your Custom Paver Driveway
While it might seem like a frivolous expense, there are many real advantages to installing an under paver radiant heat system underneath your new or remodeled driveway. Of course the snow removal and ice prevention advantages are quite clear, but there are other reasons why many homeowners are choosing to add a snow and ice melt system to their driveways and other outdoor living spaces.
- Freezing Rain – Heated driveways will also prevent the accumulation that can occur during a freezing rain, hail storm or even on a chilly night after a warm rainy spring or fall day.
- Safety Purposes – Walking to the car or backing your car out of the drive is much safer and easier when the driveway is heated and the snow and ice are melted by the under paver radiant heat system.
- Salt – There are so many damaging properties associated with using salt to clear your driveway, especially to the materials of your brand new custom paver driveway. Installing a snow and ice melt system eliminates the need to use salt.
- Chemicals – In addition to salt, many homeowners use chemical snow and ice removal products to keep their driveways and walkways clear. Unfortunately, these chemicals often find their way into the groundwater when the ground thaws in the spring, making their way into local water supply sources. Heated driveways eliminate the need to use any of these chemicals to remove snow and ice.
When to Install Under Paver Radiant Heat
The best time to install a ProMelt snow and ice melt system is when you are remodeling or putting in a brand new custom paver driveway. Most homeowners don’t have the funds to just demolish their existing driveway for the sake of putting in under paver radiant heat, so the best time to install heated driveways is when you are already replacing or remodeling your current driveway. Installing ProMelt as part of your overall hardscaping project will be much more cost-effective and will provide you with a better return on your investment.
Speak with one of the representatives at J&J Materials about how much it will cost to purchase materials for the driveway and what it would cost to have the custom paver driveway installed. Then ask how much it would cost to have the ProMelt under paver radiant heat system installed at the same time so you can compare the cost. In many cases, the cost associated with installing the additional snow and ice melt system will end up being much more affordable than most homeowners might imagine.
Where to Get the Best Snow and Ice Melt System
J&J Materials sells the ProMelt under paver radiant heat system as a tried and true solution for South Coast residents who want heated driveways and walkways. In our many years of experience providing hardscaping, landscaping and masonry materials to homeowners, property owners and commercial businesses in the Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island area, we stand by the snow and ice melt system made by ProMelt and highly recommend it to our customers.
For more information about the ProMelt system or to find out more about our materials available for custom paver driveway, walkway, patio and other hardscaping projects, please stop by one of our locations, call our customer service agents or use our online contact form to make a request. J&J Materials has two locations in Southeastern Massachusetts, one in the Seekonk/Rehoboth area and another down in the Bourne/Cape Cod area. Our delivery service extends to all of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
