1.  Slipping on Icy Sidewalks – This is a BIG one. Everyone has taken a nose dive on an iced over sidewalk. It’s no fun… and can really hurt.  The most common solutions for this probelm are ice melting chemicals or thawing mats.  Both are very effective at eliminating ice and snow, but chemicals are a temporary solution where snow melting mats offer a longer term fix for those nasty trouble spots.  We recommend Powerblanket ice snow melting mats or Qik Joe melting chemicals. 

2.  Black Ice & Frozen Roads –  I still remember the first time I drove during a snow storm.  I grew up in Phoenix and was visiting Salt Lake.  The weather conditions turned nasty and I found myself sliding all over the road.  Lucky I didn’t get killed.  Salt products and liquid chemicals are often used to clear roads and bridges of troublesome snow and ice, but many areas of the country are moving away from salt based products.  Snow plows still move the big stuff followed up with some type of chemical or salt /sand combination. 

3.  The Slippery Staircase – So just how do you melt away nasty ice and snow from staircases and elevated platforms?  We still suggest a thawing mat or blanket designed for cold winter weather.  The blankets we reviewed are all water resistant and carry a full 1-year warranty. Check out Powerblanket & allMATS for best selection.

4.  Roof Snow & Icycles – Snow and ice buildup on roofs can be a winter nightmare.  Clogged rain gutters, dangerous pile-ups, damage to roofs and drains, and the list goes on and on.  In our experience there are 2 main trouble area relating to roof snow: 1. On the roof and eves 2. On the ground directly below the roofline.  Roof melting systems and ground thawing blankets are becoming popular due in part to advances in heat technology. 

5.  Snow Covered Driveways – Heavy snowfall used to mean getting out the snow shovel, plow, or blower.  But with advances in technology, several new methods for carport snow removal are becoming fast and affordable.  First, we mention the heated driveway.  If you’re building a new home and have it in your budget, a heated driveway system is a very popular option for melting away driveway ice and snow.  For those of us who can’t afford a preheated solution, may we recommend an affordable heated outdoor melting mat designed to thaw snow and ice fast. 

6.  Parking Lot Snow Piles – Snow plows are notorious for piling up huge snowbanks in parking lots and sidewalks making it vertually impossible to pass.  Sidewalks become huge snow dams and parking lots house mountains of the fluffy white stuff.  So what’s a person to do?  For commercial applications we recommend machines that melts 70 ton of snow per hour. For smaller jobs salts and heated blankets work well.

7.  Ice Dam Removal - Ice dams on the roof and eves are a real pain in the backside.  Removing them can be even trickier.  Powerblanket makes a portable thawing blanket that works perfectly for melting stubborn ice and snow.  We highly recommend the Powerblanket for such projects.  Plug it in and walk away.  Within hours, the ice dam is melted and you’re back in business.