The average annual snowfall across the country is around 28 inches.
Glenview, Illinois gets more than three feet of snow every year.
Plowing, shoveling, scraping and putting down snowmelt chemicals is a part of life for six to eight months. Snow removal is time-consuming, labor-intensive, exhausting and awful. When the temperature drops down to negative twenty degrees, spending any amount of time outside is downright dangerous. Bundling up in layers of sweaters, heavy boots, thick jacket, gloves, hat and scarf to keep warm makes it difficult to move around. There’s also the issue of where to pile all that snow. The drifts get huge, and we still need to be able to access the garage. I just recently invested into a snowmelt system, and it’s such a relief. My house is outfitted with a boiler and radiant flooring. The boiler is located in the basement and heats up water that it pumps through a series of pipes concealed beneath the floor. The heat from the pipes radiates across the surface of the floor, gradually rises upward and warms up the whole room. Radiant flooring is extremely effective and energy efficient. The snow melt system operates similarly to the radiant flooring. I now have a network of pipes installed beneath the pavement of the front steps, walkways, garage floor and driveway. The system activates in response to temperature drop and moisture. Hot water travels through the pipes, radiates heat and melts away snow and ice. I no longer need to shovel or worry about slipping and falling on icy surfaces.