View Poll Results: How do you clear your drive of snow?
Pay someone else to shovel, plow or snowblow
6
17.14%
Clear it yourself (plow, snowblower, etc.)
9
25.71%
Shovel it yourself
15
42.86%
Other
5
14.29%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll
Merged Dealing with snow - plow, blower or shovel? & how do you clear your driveway
Sep 11th 2013, 3:04 pm
#1
Under blue skies
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Location: East Anglia->New England
Posts: 3,624
Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
Just curious about how people handle this.
We've just bought a house in New England.
We've just bought a house in New England.
Sep 11th 2013, 3:10 pm
#2
Mouthy Yank
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,229
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
When my family lived in snow country, my father's answer would have been, "Buy three shovels and hand them to the kids."
Sep 11th 2013, 3:23 pm
#3
Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,049
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
I shovel it myself when necessary, though I may not be able to keep it up for may more years and would probably have given up already if I had a larger driveway or lived in New England or other far northern state. As it is, there are more times when I have to spread salt to melt the ice than shovel snow.
Regards, JEff
Regards, JEff
Sep 11th 2013, 3:51 pm
#4
.
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
Ya missed the obvious option ..... Move 
Sep 11th 2013, 4:05 pm
#5
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,022
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
We used to clear it ourselves using snowblower/shovels until last winter...then we got it plowed..
Sep 11th 2013, 4:33 pm
#7
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,542
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
We shovel it, but also we park both cars less than six feet from the road, so pretty much all we have to shovel is the bank the plow throws up. I shovel a pedestrian path from the house to the cars, but it's only one shovel width wide.
Sep 11th 2013, 4:40 pm
#8
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
I shovel it myself. We don't have a big driveway and it doesn't take that long. If it snows while I'm at work, I have my son carve me out a car-width path so I can get in the garage then I take over.
I work for a company who does snow removal - as a larger company, we're really geared towards multi-residence HOAs or commercial/municipal sites. The pricing for a single residence for driveways and paths is just too much, unless you go with one of the smaller guys but then a big storm can back them up to the point where you might end up getting missed, even for the simple reason that they can't actually get to you because of the roads.
Much easier just to do my own
I work for a company who does snow removal - as a larger company, we're really geared towards multi-residence HOAs or commercial/municipal sites. The pricing for a single residence for driveways and paths is just too much, unless you go with one of the smaller guys but then a big storm can back them up to the point where you might end up getting missed, even for the simple reason that they can't actually get to you because of the roads.
Much easier just to do my own
Sep 11th 2013, 4:42 pm
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,204
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
We have a long driveway so really need a plow guy. Neighbors have those snowblower things but I couldn't be bothered doing that.
Sep 11th 2013, 4:51 pm
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 83
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
Same as last post. We hire a plow as the driveway is long and i'm too old to shovel or snowblow it all
I use the snowblower for around the cars and shovel the path
Last year in MA we were lucky as most storms came on Friday, work was cancelled or at weekend.
It is no fun getting up at 5am or earlier and heading out in the dark to clear away snow
Anyone who can invent a better way than any of the above will be a billionaire and don't say chemicals
I use the snowblower for around the cars and shovel the path
Last year in MA we were lucky as most storms came on Friday, work was cancelled or at weekend.
It is no fun getting up at 5am or earlier and heading out in the dark to clear away snow
Anyone who can invent a better way than any of the above will be a billionaire and don't say chemicals
Sep 11th 2013, 4:58 pm
#11
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,542
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
Same as last post. We hire a plow as the driveway is long and i'm too old to shovel or snowblow it all
I use the snowblower for around the cars and shovel the path
Last year in MA we were lucky as most storms came on Friday, work was cancelled or at weekend.
It is no fun getting up at 5am or earlier and heading out in the dark to clear away snow
Anyone who can invent a better way than any of the above will be a billionaire and don't say chemicals
I use the snowblower for around the cars and shovel the path
Last year in MA we were lucky as most storms came on Friday, work was cancelled or at weekend.
It is no fun getting up at 5am or earlier and heading out in the dark to clear away snow
Anyone who can invent a better way than any of the above will be a billionaire and don't say chemicals
Sep 11th 2013, 5:03 pm
#12
Wondering if...
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Clarence, NY
Posts: 1,214
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
We hire a plow guy. He also happens to be our lawn guy so we get a good rate - and the contract covers repairs to any lawn damage done while plowing.
Just to note...he loves doing plowing and hates doing lawns; wishes it would snow all year round!
Just to note...he loves doing plowing and hates doing lawns; wishes it would snow all year round!
Sep 11th 2013, 5:11 pm
#13
Turning into a PA gal!
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: State College PA, finally!
Posts: 3,563
Sep 11th 2013, 5:13 pm
#14
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,542
Sep 11th 2013, 7:12 pm
#15
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Maine
Posts: 2,043
Re: Snow country USA--how do you clear your driveway in the winter?
Pay the plough guy $35 then get my 8 year old to snow blow the front path then I shovel what's left. We have a long drive...