K-Guard Blog

Safe Shoveling Practices

Wintertime is officially here and the snowfall is about to ramp up. It isn’t usually until late January that we start to see continuous snowfall here in Colorado. While we Coloradans love wintertime activities like skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing, dealing with all the snow we get can be a nuisance, especially if you own a home.

Shoveling is crucial to keeping your family and others safe in the winter months. It prevents walkways and driveways from becoming too slick and allows our vehicles to get in the driveway much easier. Shoveling frequently in heavy snowfall is paramount when it comes to keeping your family safe.

Colorado receives on average between 58-100 inches of snow per year. To say we’re skilled in the practice of shoveling isn’t a stretch. While most homeowners are advanced shovelers, there are some safe shoveling practices you should be aware of to stay safer this winter- keep reading to learn more.

 

Shovel Consistently

If we’re expected to receive more than a few inches of snow, you’ll want to keep up with shoveling. Keep an eye on the snowfall and go out to shovel every couple of hours to ensure there isn’t too much snow that’s left to build up. The heavier the snow the harder it is to remove. Shoveling consistently will make it easier each snowfall.

 

Push Snow vs. Lifting

Oftentimes people lift snow while shoveling and throw it into a pile in their yard. Snow is heavy – the weight of each snowfall depends on how much water is in it. The lighter the snow, the lighter each shovelful is. Likewise, the wetter and heavier the snow, the heavier the shovelful.  If you find yourself lifting snow you’ll most likely end up exhausted just a few minutes into shoveling. To alleviate the stress shoveling can have on your body, push snow rather than lift it whether it’s lighter or wetter snow. While pushing snow can also be heavy, it’s much easier to push than to lift. Your body won’t get as tired and you’ll be able to keep up with shoveling much easier.

 

Choose the Right Gear

Removing snow requires the right gear. You don’t want to waste your time trying to remove snow with the wrong tools and you want to make sure you’re wearing the correct clothing to keep you warm for the duration of shoveling.

For shoveling gear, choose products that will make shoveling a little easier. For light fluffy snow, consider using a leaf blower to easily blow it away. For wet, heavy snow, grab a snowblower or a shovel that’s durable and has a wider bucket at the bottom to allow for more snow to easily be pushed.

Regarding clothing, be sure to dress appropriately for inclement or frigid weather. Dress in layers and don’t forget to wear gloves to protect your hands from the cold while you shovel. Not only will they be warmer but you’ll get a better grip while shoveling or snow-blowing.

 

Stay Alert

Be sure to stay alert to your surroundings while you’re outside shoveling, especially around walkways and driveways. Snow can be slippery especially when it’s mixed with freezing rain. The eaves of a roof along with the gutter system can form ice dams or icicles that can be very dangerous. 

Ice dams form when heat produced from inside a house melts accumulated snow or ice on a roof. Add in freezing rain that’s left to sit and melt and refreeze inside of a half-round gutter system and you have a recipe for disaster. Ice dams can cause leaks and sagging gutters as well as injuries.

Most gutter systems will have ice dams in the winter months here in Colorado, however, the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is a complete system that helps prevent ice dams from ever forming. Our curved hood allows for snow and ice to simply slide off, preventing it from accumulating and creating ice dams. No ice dams mean your family and your home will be safer during wintertime.

Shoveling isn’t a fun chore but it has to be done in Colorado for many months out of the year. Homeowners must keep up with shoveling to keep their driveways, walkways, and sidewalks clear and safe. Following the tips above will keep you safer and will make shoveling this winter a little easier.

To install the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System, contact our team of professionals today. Homeowners have chosen K-Guard for many years and our expert team of professionals will help you every step of the way during your gutter installation.

K-Guard is the premiere gutter company in Colorado, providing a leaf-free gutter solution for homeowners for many years. We proudly install the K-Guard Gutter System across the state of Colorado including, but not limited to, the following locations: Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton, Centennial, Aurora, Boulder, and Fort Collins. Schedule your free estimate today!

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