By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer
Snowmelt systems are designed to take the sting out of Utah winters.
Last week we discussed permanent systems to keep snow and ice off your driveway. These systems, which can be expensive, feature electric cables or hot water pipes running under your driveway.
Today we’ll discuss some other options that may add convenience to your winters without sending you to the poor house.
Snowmelt tracks are an affordable way of keeping a clear path on your drive in winter.
The first option is to use an electric cable system, but to install it judiciously, heating only critical areas. For instance, instead of heating an entire driveway, you could heat only narrow strips corresponding to the wheel base of an automobile.
This would allow access in and out of a garage without having to shovel the entire area until a more convenient time.
Perhaps you are concerned about the safety to the walkways around your home. Portable snowmelting mats are one solution.
The mats are designed to lie on top of existing surfaces as opposed to being imbedded in the walkway. The electric units can be placed in any area where snow and ice accumulate and work on the same principle as other snowmelt systems, continuously melting snow as it comes in contact with the warm surface.
The mats are manufactured with an electrically operated heating element sandwiched between two protective surfaces of nonslip rubber. They are durable and provide a much more secure footing for pedestrians. They are not appropriate for use in driveways.
Portable snowmelt mats operate by plugging them into any outlet. They come in either 110 or 240 volt options and in sizes ranging from 2 feet by 5 feet up to 3 feet by 20 feet. Mats can be custom made for different sizes or several mats can be hooked together to achieve a configuration to suit your situation.
Snowmelt mats cost about $32 a square foot.
Snowmelt mats come only in black, but there is another option if you already have a mat or outside rug. You can purchase an underlay mat that functions the same way as a snowmelt mat, but it only features a heating element without the rubber surface.
Stairs pose another concern. Electric rubber treads have the same slip-resistant surface as the mats but are sized to fit one to a stair tread. Sizes range from 11 inches by 31-inches ($138 each) up to 11 inches by 8 feet ($290 each). The treads are wired together and operate from a single plug.
There is also a more robust (though pricey) solution to icy stairs. Heated aluminum stair treads can replace the steps of an existing stairway or be used in constructing a new exterior staircase. These range in cost per tread from $397 for a 11-inch by 3-foot tread up to $850 for an 11-inch by 8-foot tread.
Portable snow mats and stair treads come with the option of automatic moisture and temperature sensors, so they can respond automatically to the climate if you are not home to plug them in. They offer the same convenience and safety as a full-blown snowmelt system without melting away all your funds. As always, we welcome your home architect design questions at
as*@re*******************.com
.