So far, winter has not pleased the central regions of Russia with snowdrifts. But, as always in our country, snowfall can happen unexpectedly and simply cover up everything around. Therefore, we decided to talk ahead of time about how you can remove it from the site quickly and without special effort.
Shovel and shovel are different
What do Russian people do when their own house is covered in snow? That's right, those who are richer take up motorized snow throwers (the sophistication of which directly depends on the level of wealth of their owners), and the overwhelming majority of the population still takes shovels bought at the next sale from the barn and begins to manually turn over cubic meters of snow masses.
However, individuals make their work much easier by showing remarkable ingenuity in this matter.
So, a military pensioner from Mordovia Valentin Alekseevich There are several shovels in the arsenal. And which one should be used in each specific case depends on a number of factors.
“If I have to clear a site at the beginning of winter, when the snow is falling on the bare ground and has not yet compacted or frozen,” says the man, “then I take out a plastic Chinese shovel, of which there are plenty in ordinary chain stores. Firstly, it is very light in itself. Secondly, its edge, as we popularly say, “scoop,” is equipped with a duralumin attachment. This means that it will glide along the ground quite smoothly, without getting caught on anything.”
When precipitation is heavy and occurs at the height of the season, then, according to Valentin Alekseevich, there is nothing better than a good old Soviet plywood shovel. Especially if its bucket is not flat, but slightly curved. “What did the kids ride down the slides on when there were no ice tubes in sight? he asks. — Just on cardboard and plywood. So such a wooden shovel, despite its archaic nature, will help you cope with the task faster. With a slight push forward, it rolls well along the previously trampled snow base, thus picking up more snow and cleaning up a little more space. But plastic won’t work like that; it’s too light for this, whereas a plywood shovel with a wooden handle has just the right weight for this.”
If you need to remove snow that has fallen and become compacted, then, the pensioner believes, a shovel with a metal bucket will be just right. “There was a special demand for them in the mid-eighties of the last century,” the pensioner clarifies. “By the way, the production of these from duralumin or galvanized iron was often carried out by workers in factories at the rate known in those days.” So, with such a tool, Valentin Alekseevich assures, it is very convenient to break clods and trim the boundaries of paths. “Chinese plastic, of course, can also be used in this way,” he does not deny. “But it’s fragile, it can crack, and then what’s the use of it?” And if the metal bends or becomes jagged, then the defect can be corrected in a couple of minutes with two or three blows of a hammer or using a file.”
At the beginning of spring or during a thaw, the pensioner complains, you have to combine all three: “You can’t leave the melted snow with plywood, it’s heavy in itself, and the shovel also gets wet.” Plastic, again, can crack under load. The metal one gets caught on the bottom hard layer every now and then. Therefore, I proceed as follows: I cut off the metal border and fold back the plastic one. And if you just need to move the snow, I take a wooden one, turn it over to face me and rake it like a rake to make it more even.
Basin, brick and tarpaulin
“I live in a private house alone, my children and grandchildren have left all over the world,” says another pensioner, but this time from the Ryazan region, Marina Viktorovna. — When I was younger, I didn’t count how much snow I had to move with my hands per day. Now my health is not the same, I’m afraid I’ll break my back, so after light snowfalls I clean the paths in the area using the “old-fashioned” method.”
According to the woman, it is extremely simple and effective. You just need to put a few bricks in a metal basin and tie a rope of the required length to the handle. “All that remains,” Marina Viktorovna develops her thought, “is just to roll these “sleds” back and forth around the site, and the main job is done. And the remaining snow rolls can be easily swept away with a plastic broom or an ordinary broom.”
Freelance copywriter Maxim K. all year round lives in one of the remote dacha villages of the Shatursky district, and assures that it is better and more peaceful to work here. “There is only one significant drawback,” he emphasizes, “in winter you have to clear the snow yourself, not only in the yard, but also along the street. In order not to break my back, I had to improve the snow shovel.”
Maxim no longer remembers on which Internet resource he saw the idea that sank into his soul, but it turned out to be very effective. The essence of the know-how is as follows: a bushing is attached to the handle of the shovel, and an ordinary wheel, for example, from a teenager’s bicycle or a garden wheelbarrow, is put on it. Moreover, the attachment point is chosen in such a way that part of the handle with the bucket forms the short end of the lever, and its top is correspondingly long (it is important that external corner the contact of the shovel to the ground was as blunt as possible). “This device works very simply,” says Maxim. — Place the shovel on the wheel, tilt it slightly, and roll it forward until the bucket is full. Then you lift it up a little and take it to Right place and reset it. In terms of strength expenditure, I always get the feeling that I’m not clearing snow, but walking with a baby stroller. True, such a “car” rolled poorly in the loose snow at first. Therefore, we had to carry out “additional tuning” - wrapping the wheel rim with a metal chain.”
It is not known for certain whether a summer resident from the Voskresensky district once visited Sergey E. he drew the same site or idea, as they like to say in certain scientific circles, “from the general information field of the planet,” but his adaptation is an obvious creative modification of the previous one. Only in this version a wide scraper is used, and instead of one wheel there is an entire axle from a stroller. The operating principle is the same.
Another “people's inventor” from the Vladimir region, Nikolay M., removes snow on his property using a tarp, salt and ropes. But this method requires preliminary preparation.
“If I know that, for example, there will be snowfall tomorrow, or it has just begun and threatens to turn into a protracted snowfall, I do this,” Nikolai shares his experience. — I sprinkle the area that needs to be cleaned with coarse salt, then I lay out ropes in a random order (about a finger thick) and cover it with a tarpaulin on top (the salt and ropes prevent it from freezing). When the precipitation stops, I simply take the tarpaulin by one edge and roll it along with the snow to the side. I used cellophane before, but it has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, it can tear under the weight of the snow, and secondly, it is very slippery, you can break your legs on it if you need to walk on it.”
True, in this way Nikolai clears only a wide concrete path to the gate and blind area around the house. “Otherwise,” he says, “the soil can be so salted over the winter that nothing will grow in the garden in the summer.”
There is no more beautiful time than winter. Light frosty freshness and snow-white snowflakes floating overhead. Trees and houses wrapped in snow caps. Everything is as if in a fairy tale. However, just a few hours after the start of this delight, every owner will think: how to remove the snow? This necessary work, if you don’t clean everything at once, then within a day there will be ice on this place and you can get into big trouble.
Sometimes the onset of snow comes as a surprise. However, you should respond immediately. To clear the path of snow near the house, you can use a plastic shovel. If suddenly you don’t have a shovel at home, you can quickly make one with your own hands. Our grandfathers also used this method.
You need to prepare:
With the help of these simple items you can assemble a good shovel that will last at least a few days until you can buy a new one. If the plywood is strong, you can take a wider piece. Then the device of this shovel will allow you to quickly remove snow in the yard.
The advantage of modern shovels is their lightness. Since the snow mass itself is not always light, and when clearing it there is a large load on the spine, plastic shovels are simply ideal.
Sometimes machinery is used to clear snow. Snow removal machine local area somewhat reminiscent of a lawnmower. It also has a motor and a device for gripping snow. This machine then presses the snowflakes into blocks and stacks them. All mini snow removal machines can be classified as follows:
When choosing such equipment for your home, you should also consider the power and height of snow that this particular model can remove.
Of course, there are also huge snow removal machines. They have higher equipment, greater power and size. However, they are of no use for a private home. They are used for removing snow from roadways, wide paths in parks and parking lots. Machines of this class are often equipped with equipment for spreading anti-icing compounds.
It’s understandable why you need to remove snow from roadways, walkways and courtyards. But sometimes it becomes necessary to completely remove snow from the area. For what? Sometimes there are reasons for this.
Some plant species cannot tolerate snow. In a relatively short period of time, they can freeze irrevocably. Other plants may simply break under the weight of the snow. This forces the owners of such delicate crops to carefully monitor them in winter period and clean them from snowflakes. To do this, it will be enough to simply shake off the snow from these plants at some intervals.
Experts advise that such plants should be prepared for winter while still warm. Usually they are wrapped in a special material or simply in polyethylene. Tree crowns can be tied with rope. This will make it easier winter care for heat-loving plants.
For ordinary lawns and shrubs, the presence of snow is just for the better. It protects against severe frosts and nourishes root system, so in this case there is no need to clear the snow. However, when leaving snow, you need to ensure that its surface is not covered with an ice crust, otherwise the plants may die.
Caring owners of their homes make sure that snow is also removed from the roofs. Of course, until it gets warmer outside, it will not cause any inconvenience. But when the melting begins, it will be too late to remove the snow on the roof. A ice blocks can damage your home's roof and even tear off your gutters. Icicles falling from above can cause harm to health and can even take the lives of people around. How to remove snow from the roof?
It would be good if this house was built with your own hands and snow holders were provided on the roof in advance. It is best that they are dispersed over the entire surface of the roof, and not just in one place. Then the snow will not slide in whole blocks onto people’s heads, but will melt gradually. But it’s not always lucky to start from scratch and provide for everything in it.
Removing snow from your roof is important because the total snow mass can be hundreds of kilograms. In addition, the slightest melting can lead to roof leaks and damage. internal area Houses. If the winter is long, and even with temperature changes, then in the event of a leak, the internal beams will not have time to dry out, which will lead to rotting, and subsequently to the destruction of the roof frame.
You can install a heating system on the roof. A cable is laid around the perimeter, which will gradually melt the snow cover, thus preventing snow from accumulating on the roof. However, usually this method of protecting the roof from snow is not cheap and is unaffordable for many.
If the roof of the house is made of ondulin, slate or metal tiles, and the angle of inclination is not so great, then you can safely climb onto the roof and clean it manually. It is important not to use shovels with metal tips. This may damage the surface of the coating. The shovel should have either a plastic attachment or a wooden one.
The sequence for removing snow from the roof is as follows:
Do not remove ice from the roof, as this can easily damage the coating. Use special care when cleaning soft roofing materials. For example, bitumen coatings become very brittle and brittle from frost.
If you have to work on a roof with a large slope, then you definitely need to tie yourself with a safety rope. In addition, it is not advisable to work on a steep roof alone. It's good to have a partner. He will be able to provide insurance and provide tools if necessary.
To remove snow from roofs, today shovels have been invented that can easily remove snow even from the ground. A special scraper with an extendable handle will rake the snow layer by layer, while the person stands quietly underneath.
Once you remove the snow from your roof and yard, you can consider half the job done. However, it is important to keep track of where the snowdrifts are stacked. If you put them under the house, then by spring you will have to repair the blind area and pump out water from the basement. One of the good options for where to put the snow would be to scatter it evenly over the garden or lawns. You can collect it into piles yourself, but they should not lie on the walkway or block the flow of water into the gutters. If this is not possible, then it would be good to take the snow mass outside your territory.
To understand how important it is to clear snow from your roofs, it’s worth knowing how much it weighs. These seemingly light, weightless fluffs can turn out to be much heavier than you might think. The weight of snow can vary significantly depending on humidity, the size of snowflakes, and air temperature. Newly fallen snow can be both light and wet. As experts have calculated, a cube of snow can contain from 50 kilograms of freshly fallen dry snow to 600 kilograms of melting snow. From this we can conclude that if the roof area of a house is about one hundred square meters, then up to six tons of snow are located above the heads of household members. Knowing how much snow weighs, you will most likely want to remove it as quickly as possible, no matter what difficulties this may cause.
If you do not remove snow from your home in a timely manner, at the first warming it will lead to icy paths and ice in the yard. Then you will have to not only shovel the snow that has become incredibly heavy, but also break off the ice blocks. There are also special scrapers and crowbars for this purpose. However, this will take a lot of precious time and a person will spend a lot of effort. Conclusion: it is better to do everything in a timely manner.
Clearing the first clean snow brings great joy. Snow brings purity and ease of breathing. Plus, the freshly fallen snow is not heavy, which means it won’t be difficult. Of course, if the owner of the house does not need to rush to work at six in the morning, then you can arrange a wonderful winter holiday for yourself and enjoy the white beauty with the whole family.
As you can see, removing snow from the area and from the roof does not require too much time and effort. In addition, it is important to remember how many different types of equipment have now been created to help a good owner. All these tools will turn snow removal not into a hard chore, but into an enjoyable family job!
While there is no snow, there are no photographs of our own either. But now, I found one. The photos here are all someone else's.
It's a touching picture, isn't it? For a cartoon or as an illustration for a fairy tale, it’s quite suitable. But not for real life. Again I remembered the story, not a fairy tale at all.
In one village where I went to visit, a neighbor came to see the owner of the house where we lived. winter evening- Drink some tea. And he told the unpleasant news - another neighbor, Kolka, had a wolf kill his sheep. There was a pause, and then the owner summed it up: “I told you, Kolka is a bad person, and everything about him is not like other people!”
I was confused by this turn of thought. Uncle Matvey, I say, how can this be? A person has misfortune, and you say, “he’s bad,” but it can happen to anyone...
- No, young man. Not with everyone. Have you ever seen a fox gnaw off my chicken?
- I haven’t heard of this...
- And you won’t hear. He has a picket fence around the house, with kindergarten stole an old picket fence, messed with it... Fool! Have you seen his dog? Kabysdoh, not a dog! He feeds her once a month, and she sleeps in his house, almost crawling into his bed. Went.
We went out into the frosty yard, and Uncle Matvey pointed to the neighbor’s house. Indeed, the frail picket fence behind the house is visible with snow, there are wolf tracks in the snow, and the “kabysdoh” does not crawl out of the box. To the plank toilet trampled a narrow path, and everything else is snowdrifts, snowdrifts, snowdrifts - right up to the vent in the dirty window.
But, it turns out, we didn’t go out to admire the chaos in someone else’s yard. Uncle Matvey gave me a snow shovel, armed himself with the same one, and for half an hour we cleared the snow that had accumulated during the day. The path from the gate to the porch, from the porch to the bathhouse was made two meters wide, the gate and entrance for cars had room for two cars to pass each other and turn around, and the house, barn (where a one and a half meter wide path also led) and the bathhouse were cleaned one and a half meters around the perimeter.
We attached the loose board to the fence. Added antifreeze to door hinges barn and in the hinges of the gate. They knocked the ice off the porch. They let Belka and Strelka off the chain to run - the dogs in Uncle Matvey's house had certainly been called that since the sixties, in honor of the astronaut dogs.
I asked:
- Well, the paths are understandable, but why clear so much space behind the gates and around the house?
- Young man, at least don’t say that again, huh? Well, it looks like you’ll be finishing sixth grade in June! And if - here Uncle Matvey took a break, but not for the “theater”, but to breathe, his chest was already constricted - what if... FIRE?
I saw the outcome a year later. Kolka got burned. They pulled him out - Uncle Matvey carried him out. Cutting obscenities. And everything that was in the house... Forgive me, goodbye. The fire truck arrived quickly - still district center not far away, and the neighbors came running. But the car couldn’t drive up to the house; the hose didn’t reach the well in Uncle Matvey’s yard from the neighbor’s property. Kolka also had a well - but under the snow. Find where he is, still in the dark.
So here it is. Bad person Kolka. Uncle Matvey was right.
So. They say there will be a lot of snow this year. This means we need snow shovels.
And it’s better not plywood, but plastic, with several stiffening ribs - they last longer. We start snow removal from the first snowfall - then there is less work. From the gate to the house there is a wide path, about two meters long. IN outdoor toilet, to the barn, to the woodpile - one and a half meters. If you need to bring a board or something else from the shed for repairs, you can turn around and go, and not show circus tricks. Dig up the gate to the road! Inside, clean the entire width of the gate and with a “mustache” - so that two cars can enter, stand up like human beings, and turn around. So the truck can turn around! There is a circle around the well, with a radius of two meters. And here is a two-meter wide path. It is more convenient to walk with a rocker arm.
On modern site, where the well is replaced by a well, the pump in the house is warm, and the toilet is internal - less work, more amenities. But digging around the house and barn, the woodpile, the generator room, and the path to the second exit from the yard is a must!
Grandfathers learned this through great troubles.
But as for shovels, a plastic shovel, if handled carefully, will definitely last three or four seasons. Especially if you don’t let the snow compact under its own weight. It is necessary to remove snow once every 2 weeks, even if no one lives at the dacha in winter.
And such a projectile perfectly helps to make the family more united! Collaborative work...well, remember how it is, right?
And next time I’ll tell you about the generator. It will be funny! But not without meaning.
The article is posted in sections: NATA KARLIN
Waking up in the morning, you saw that all the approaches to the house were covered with a dense layer of snow. This is a common thing for our latitudes, but we need to get down to business and clear the path. There are several ways to help cope with this task without harming your health.
Preparatory stage. Clearing the area of snow requires serious physical activity. Therefore, people who have should be careful. According to statistics, a huge number of citizens end up in hospitals with heart attacks, complications of spinal column diseases, and fractures after another snowfall. IN in this case A snowplow or hired worker will help you.
Cloth. Dress warmly, but in such a way that the clothes do not restrict movement and are not too hot for physical labor. After five minutes of work, you will begin to sweat profusely. Wear clothing in several layers so that it can be easily removed.
As soon as you feel that your body is warming up, remove upper layer clothes. And so on. Your body should be hot and dry. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to get a cold from hypothermia, which you won’t even notice. A draft that penetrates under clothes on a damp body, and you have pneumonia;
Be sure to wear mittens or gloves. Both options are suitable for working with a shovel;
Put a hat on your head. Even if it is a thin woolen thing, your head should not freeze;
Wrap yourself in a scarf. It is necessary that he closes his mouth so that you do not inhale the icy air that will enter your hot body.
Shoes.
Wear shoes that fit comfortably on your feet and do not rub or slip off.
These should be warm boots. They do not restrict movement and do not interfere with work. Stable grooved soles will protect you from possible injuries.
Tools. Nowadays, shovels with curved handles are on sale. They allow you to keep your body straight, relieve stress from the spine, and greatly facilitate a person’s work. The main characteristics of such a device are as follows:
Long comfortable handle;
There is a choice between plastic and light metal options;
There are two modifications of cutworms: digging and raking. With the help of a scoop, it is easier to move away a layer of snow rather than lift it;
The shortened plane of the scoop greatly facilitates work and reduces the risk of damage to the spinal column.
Use a shovel with a flat surface that is made of smooth material. Snow will stick to it less and, accordingly, decreases exercise stress. In order to reduce the friction force, the following methods can be used:
Apply silicone ski wax to the scoop;
Lubricate the surface of the scoop blade with regular animal or vegetable fat.
Charger. You can’t start working until your muscles warm up a little. Do the usual exercises that everyone does in the morning. Special attention Pay attention to warming up your arms and legs, bending and squatting.
Salt and sand. Sprinkle salt or sand on slippery areas of the ground. You could simply slip on an icy hillock and get seriously injured. This method will allow you to stay on your feet and not fall.
As a rule, snow removal begins in the morning. But it’s better to do this immediately after the next snowfall. Fresh snow weighs much less than old snow, covered with crust and melted. In addition, wet snow can melt and freeze again. And instead of a “white fluffy blanket” in the yard, you will get an impromptu bumpy skating rink, which will be much more difficult to remove.
Don't clear the front parking lot first. A passing snowplow will negate your efforts because it will pile up a new mass of snow. It’s better to start with the platform and path in front of the house;
Remember that an overfilled snow shovel can hold up to 10 kg of snow.
Plan. To avoid doing the same thing twice, develop a snow removal plan for the area. If the site is in front of the house rectangular shape, start cleaning it from the center. Clear the perimeter of snow and move to the middle. Move gradually from the center to the perimeter, and start again. Now you can remove all the snow from the area
Cleaning the car. Before you start cleaning the area, clear the snow from your car. special brush. This will help you avoid doing the same job twice.
Cleaning the snow correctly. If the snow falls wet and heavy, try not to lift it with a shovel. Move it gradually into piles. Otherwise, you risk serious spinal injury.
Hold on to the shovel correctly. Place your hands on the shovel, as far away from each other as possible. This position will help to correctly distribute balance and effort when working.
Clearing snow drifts. If you are digging through snow to reach soil or objects, proceed in the same way as when digging soil.
When shoveling snow, position the shovel at an angle and push in front of you.
Move the scoop handle up and down the body according to the force applied.
To properly distribute the load on your back, keep your body straight. Even if you squat or push, try not to lose the natural curvature of the spinal column.
7. Let's rise. Get into a stable position. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and focus on the line of your knees. At the same time, the load is removed from the spine. Do not move the shovel far from the body, it should be close. To throw snow, use a not too wide range of motion. It's better to make several smaller throws, but do not injure the bones with one serious effort. As you straighten your body, tense and then rise. Try to use the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
8. Finding the right place for a pile of snow. Choose a place for a pile of snow so that it is located in the direction of travel. It is advisable to work with a shovel in front of you, and not throw snow to the side. If this is not possible, try not to turn your whole body behind the shovel, but to move your legs while making the turn.
Choose a location for the snow pile that is close to where you are working. This is necessary in order not to carry snow far;
When starting to clear snow, dump the first shovels further away so that you throw the last shovels at a close distance;
Do not throw snow from a shovel behind your back. If you need to throw snow back, pick it up on a shovel, turn around and throw it in front of you.
9. deep snow. Do not try to lift snow with a shovel in one layer. It is better to remove each layer gradually. This will reduce the stress on your core and avoid injury.
10. Rest. Do not try to clean the entire area at once in one go. Rest often and drink plenty of water. In the cold, the body does not send signals to the brain about dehydration. Therefore, you yourself should know this. Make the breaks between work so that you have time to rest and begin the next stage of work with renewed vigor.
11. Pain. If discomfort, dizziness or pain occurs, you should stop immediately. This could be a harbinger heart attack or spinal column injuries during work.
12. Postman. Don't forget to clear the area around your mailbox. Think about the person who brings you mail.
13. Salt and sand. Use salt only as a last resort. When dissolved, salt negatively affects the roots of plants in your flowerbed, and when the snow melts, the salt dissolves in the water and will damage your shoes. Additionally, salt sprinkled on the ground before a snowfall will increase the snowdrifts on your driveway. Dry snow, falling on the salty ground, sticks to the soaked salty slurry, and is swept away from untreated areas.
14. Cup of hot tea. A cup of hot tea, cocoa or chocolate will help relax your muscles and soothe them after heavy physical activity.
Don’t leave elderly neighbors in the lurch or those who cannot clear snow drifts in front of the house on their own;
Do not throw snow that you have cleared onto public sidewalks and roadways;
Call a member of your household or a neighbor for help. The more assistants, the faster the work goes;
You don't have to take a shovel to remove a thin layer of powdered snow. A broom can also cope with this problem;
There is a way to clear snow without the help of a shovel or snow blower. Buy a piece of tarp that fits the area you need to clean frequently. Sew ropes to one edge of the fabric so that you can easily grab them. Before a storm warning, place a tarp on the ground.
After snowfall, grab the handles and roll the fabric to throw the snow to one side.
Do not step on the tarp because it is very slippery in cold weather;
Clean up the chipped edges of the scoop using a knife. This section of the shovel needs to be smooth and thin;
If you don't have time today to remove snow from your parking lot or driveway, do it as soon as possible. With each passing hour, the fallen mass of snow becomes denser, and then it is difficult to remove it;
Do not smoke or drink coffee while cleaning. This can lead to a heart attack.
And most importantly, protect yourself from injuries!
In true Olympic spirit, I wanted to try an effective and easy way how to quickly remove snow from your car, driveway or driveway in a way that even Homer can be proud of. This is a concept I've been wanting to test for over a decade, and I finally got my hands on it. I found several links and videos describing this method (tested); so it's not original idea. The idea of how to quickly remove snow is very simple: put a tarp or plastic sheet before the snowfall and pull it out after the strategic time has expired. The original concept was to have a really giant tarp that covered the car's driveway, walkways and walkways that could be pulled out onto the street from the car. It's actually illegal in most jurisdictions (throwing your snow outside). So if you're going to do this, you need to figure out a way to pull it into your yard.
All you really need to quickly remove snow is a tarp (plastic sheeting, even your mattress bag will do). I also need firewood to hold the tarp up so the twine doesn't fly away and rope to provide multiple towing options.
The full-scale version of this concept will cover much more land, and I'm considering covering my van as well when I pull out the tarp. If you intend to use a tarp of this size to quickly remove snow, you will need to provide a more secure tarp tie (wrap heavy balls around the corners or tie around a rock, as shown in the image). In this case I simply used the existing double twine nests. The node is called "Lark's Head".
You basically just need to cover the required area and make sure the tarp doesn't fly away. If you are covering a car, you could use small bungee cords to tighten around the bottom of the car. I used several logs of firewood to hold the tarp on the ground in this case. There was a good layer of snow overnight and I threw out all the logs so I didn't have to deal with it later. I tied the twine to the handle of the shovel so I didn't have to dig around to find it after the storm when it was time to quickly remove the snow.
If you use this technique on a large scale, covering a wider area, you may end up needing extra horsepower to move the tarp of snow. I was envisioning using a machine to pull the load outside, but this is not legal and has many potential safety issues. The best approach would be to pull it somewhere in your yard.
Let me know if you've tried this or have other ideas for how to quickly remove snow with this approach, and remember, spring is just around the corner!
Based on materials from www.instructables.com
Every year in the United States, for example, during the winter, 26,000 calls are recorded for injuries and illnesses received by people during routine snow removal.
Heart attacks come first: in the cold season, blood vessels narrow and physical activity adds to heart problems. People over 55 are four times more likely to have a heart attack while shoveling snow outside their homes than when sitting at home with a cup of tea.
Whether you have heart problems or not, these tips will make it easier for you to clean up your yard this winter.
Remove as soon as possible
Freshly fallen snow is easier to remove than compacted snow. Obviously, yes, but sometimes you don’t want to go out. Make an effort on yourself, because you can simply rake a soft snowball, but compacted snow will need to be scraped off.
Choose an ergonomic tool
A good shovel is not a piece of tin on a stick, and not a cheap plastic disgrace. Make sure that the shovel is large enough and strong enough and of the right length so that you do not have to bend over each time.
Work your legs and hips, not your back
The main secret is to use your legs, not your spine. Shift rather than discard as much as possible.
Dress so that you can undress.
Your clothing should consist of several layers that you can remove as you warm up.
Stay hydrated.
You'll sweat, so keep water handy to quench your thirst whenever you feel it. A thermos in your bag will do, even if it just contains water at room temperature.
Take breaks every 15 minutes
Don't try to remove everything in one swoop. This is how people get heart attacks. If snow removal is not part of your long-hour daily routine, you risk straining your heart.
Invest in good technology
Sometimes you have to accept that the size of your property requires significant mechanization. It is not at all necessary to buy a walk-behind tractor for snow removal. Currently, they even produce electric shovels, which are no more difficult to use than an electric trimmer.
And the last and best advice
Entrust snow removal to those who are younger than you. Because it’s up to them, if anything, to take care of you after a heart attack.
NATA KARLINWaking up in the morning, you saw that all the approaches to the house were covered with a dense layer of snow. This is a common thing for our latitudes, but we need to get down to business and clear the path. There are several ways to help cope with this task without harming your health.
Preparatory stage. Clearing the area of snow requires serious physical activity. Therefore, people who have it should be careful. According to statistics, a huge number of citizens end up in hospitals with heart attacks, complications of spinal column diseases, and fractures after another snowfall. In this case, a snowplow or a hired worker will help you.
Cloth. Dress warmly, but in such a way that the clothes do not restrict movement and are not too hot for physical labor. After five minutes of work, you will begin to sweat profusely. Wear clothing in several layers so that it can be easily removed.
As soon as you feel that your body has warmed up, remove the outer layer of clothing. And so on. Your body should be hot and dry. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to get a cold from hypothermia, which you won’t even notice. A draft that penetrates under clothes on a damp body, and you have pneumonia;
Be sure to wear mittens or gloves. Both options are suitable for working with a shovel;
Put a hat on your head. Even if it is a thin woolen thing, your head should not freeze;
Wrap yourself in a scarf. It is necessary that he closes his mouth so that you do not inhale the icy air that will enter your hot body.
Shoes.
Wear shoes that fit comfortably on your feet and do not rub or slip off.
These should be warm boots. They do not restrict movement and do not interfere with work. Stable grooved soles will protect you from possible injuries.
Tools. Nowadays, shovels with curved handles are on sale. They allow you to keep your body straight, relieve stress from the spine, and greatly facilitate a person’s work. The main characteristics of such a device are as follows:
Long comfortable handle;
There is a choice between plastic and light metal options;
There are two modifications of cutworms: digging and raking. With the help of a scoop, it is easier to move away a layer of snow rather than lift it;
The shortened plane of the scoop greatly facilitates work and reduces the risk of damage to the spinal column.
Use a shovel with a flat surface that is made of smooth material. Less snow will stick to it, and accordingly, physical activity will decrease. In order to reduce the friction force, the following methods can be used:
Apply silicone ski wax to the scoop;
Lubricate the surface of the scoop blade with regular animal or vegetable fat.
Charger. You can’t start working until your muscles warm up a little. Do the usual exercises that everyone does in the morning. Pay special attention to warming up your arms and legs, bending and squatting.
Salt and sand. Sprinkle salt or sand on slippery areas of the ground. You could simply slip on an icy hillock and get seriously injured. This method will allow you to stay on your feet and not fall.
As a rule, snow removal begins in the morning. But it’s better to do this immediately after the next snowfall. Fresh snow weighs much less than old snow, covered with crust and melted. In addition, wet snow can melt and freeze again. And instead of a “white fluffy blanket” in the yard, you will get an impromptu bumpy skating rink, which will be much more difficult to remove.
Don't clear the front parking lot first. A passing snowplow will negate your efforts because it will pile up a new mass of snow. It’s better to start with the platform and path in front of the house;
Remember that an overfilled snow shovel can hold up to 10 kg of snow.
Plan. To avoid doing the same thing twice, develop a snow removal plan for the area. If the area in front of the house is rectangular, start cleaning it from the center. Clear the perimeter of snow and move to the middle. Move gradually from the center to the perimeter, and start again. Now you can remove all the snow from the area
Cleaning the car. Before you start cleaning the area, clear the snow from your car with a special brush. This will help you avoid doing the same job twice.
Cleaning the snow correctly. If the snow falls wet and heavy, try not to lift it with a shovel. Move it gradually into piles. Otherwise, you risk serious spinal injury.
Hold on to the shovel correctly. Place your hands on the shovel, as far away from each other as possible. This position will help to correctly distribute balance and effort when working.
Clearing snow drifts. If you are digging through snow to reach soil or objects, proceed in the same way as when digging soil.
When shoveling snow, position the shovel at an angle and push in front of you.
Move the scoop handle up and down the body according to the force applied.
. To properly distribute the load on your back, keep your body straight. Even if you squat or push, try not to lose the natural curvature of the spinal column.7. Let's rise. Get into a stable position. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and focus on the line of your knees. At the same time, the load is removed from the spine. Do not move the shovel far from the body, it should be close. To throw snow, use a not too wide range of motion. It's better to make several smaller throws, but do not injure the bones with one serious effort. When straightening your body, tense and then rise. Try to use the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
8. Finding the right place for a pile of snow. Choose a place for a pile of snow so that it is located in the direction of travel. It is advisable to work with a shovel in front of you, and not throw snow to the side. If this is not possible, try not to turn your whole body behind the shovel, but to move your legs while making the turn.
Choose a location for the snow pile that is close to where you are working. This is necessary in order not to carry snow far;
When starting to clear snow, dump the first shovels further away so that you throw the last shovels at a close distance;
Do not throw snow from a shovel behind your back. If you need to throw snow back, pick it up on a shovel, turn around and throw it in front of you.
9. deep snow. Do not try to lift snow with a shovel in one layer. It is better to remove each layer gradually. This will reduce the stress on your core and avoid injury.
10. Rest. Do not try to clean the entire area at once in one go. Rest often and drink plenty of water. In the cold, the body does not send signals to the brain about dehydration. Therefore, you yourself should know this. Make the breaks between work so that you have time to rest and begin the next stage of work with renewed vigor.
11. Pain. If discomfort, dizziness or pain occurs, you should stop immediately. This may be a warning sign of a heart attack or injury to the spinal column during work.
12. Postman. Don't forget to clear the area around your mailbox. Think about the person who brings you mail.
13. Salt and sand. Use salt only as a last resort. When dissolved, salt negatively affects the roots of plants in your flowerbed, and when the snow melts, the salt dissolves in the water and will damage your shoes. Additionally, salt sprinkled on the ground before a snowfall will increase the snowdrifts on your driveway. Dry snow, falling on the salty ground, sticks to the soaked salty slurry, and is swept away from untreated areas.
14. Cup of hot tea. A cup of hot tea, cocoa or chocolate will help relax your muscles and soothe them after heavy physical activity.
Don’t leave elderly neighbors in the lurch or those who cannot clear snow drifts in front of the house on their own;
Do not throw snow that you have cleared onto public sidewalks and roadways;
Call a member of your household or a neighbor for help. The more assistants, the faster the work goes;
You don't have to take a shovel to remove a thin layer of powdered snow. A broom can also cope with this problem;
There is a way to clear snow without the help of a shovel or snow blower. Buy a piece of tarp that fits the area you need to clean frequently. Sew ropes to one edge of the fabric so that you can easily grab them. Before a storm warning, place a tarp on the ground.
After snowfall, grab the handles and roll the fabric to throw the snow to one side.
Do not step on the tarp because it is very slippery in cold weather;
Clean up the chipped edges of the scoop using a knife. This section of the shovel needs to be smooth and thin;
If you don't have time today to remove snow from your parking lot or driveway, do it as soon as possible. With each passing hour, the fallen mass of snow becomes denser, and then it is difficult to remove it;
Do not smoke or drink coffee while cleaning. This can lead to a heart attack.
And most importantly, protect yourself from injuries!
January 25, 2014, 12:50Winter is not only joy and evening walks along the street, but it is also an endless struggle with precipitation that periodically falls on the surface of the earth. In this case, snow brings not only positive emotions, but also creates unnecessary problems with its removal.
Removing snow is sometimes not as easy as it might seem at first glance. It all depends on the amount of precipitation, as well as methods of cleaning it. IN modern world There are simply a huge number of tools that can help in one way or another with removing snow from the territory, while spending a minimum of time.
In order to guess with a tool, you need to study each of them and come to an informed conclusion.
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of tools for snow removal, so not everyone is able to accurately determine what is needed. But all of them are somehow divided into several categories, which greatly simplifies the time spent on choosing.
The shovel is not only the most common tool, but the most reliable. After all, the shovel has absolutely no complex parts in its design that could fail.
Working with a shovel is very productive. If when using heavy equipment certain resources may run out, then when working with a shovel everything depends only on the physical capabilities of the person. The same goes for the scraper.
A distinctive feature of a scraper from a shovel is their size. The scraper is much wider than the shovel, which allows you to get rid of snow deposits much faster. But there is one drawback here - when working with a scraper, difficulties often arise with the passage of the tool. If a person has weak physical characteristics, then working with this tool will be very difficult.
The most the best option snow removal over large areas is the use of specialized snow removal equipment. All work is carried out using heavy or semi-heavy equipment, which allows you to get rid of a large scale of snow deposits in a relatively short period of time.
To snow removal equipment can be attributed:
If you need to clear the area of snow as quickly as possible, then the equipment will the best option. But even here there are drawbacks in the form of a constant need for fuel or management personnel. Also, most vehicles have very decent dimensions, and therefore are unable to fit on the site. In general, the equipment is able to cope with the task at hand with a solid “A”.
Video: comparison of snow removal with a shovel and a gasoline snow blower
Worth knowing! If you need to clear a small area of snow, then there is no need to purchase heavy equipment. You can get by with less expensive snow removal tools.
This is perhaps the most expensive way to clear an area of snow, both in terms of time and financial costs. This cleaning method allows you to get rid of snow using an almost passive method. You just need to spread the reagent over the area and wait for the snow to melt.
Important! The chemical method can be used to remove snow only in places where it will not cause harm to humans and animals. In most cases, toxic salts are used, which, when in contact with the skin and mucous membranes of a person, can cause harm to his body.
Snow removal chemicals occurs by mixing or applying reagents on top of the snow, which, under the influence environment The snow melts, leaving only water or steam with impurities of reagents.
There are also more radical ways clearing snow deposits. Their use implies the use of physical laws in the right direction. For example, one common method is simple snow blowing. Through the action of air masses on snowdrifts, snowflakes are blown over a long distance, leaving an absolutely clean surface.
Another common method is melting snow. With the help of special melting plants, snow turns into water in a matter of seconds. The resulting water can be very easily directed to its intended purpose or simply poured out.
That's not all alternative ways snow removal. You can add new ones to them using your own logic and ingenuity. The main criterion is rationality, which is sometimes very difficult to achieve.
After the most common methods of snow clearing have become known, we can proceed to their immediate description. After all, in this matter you need not only to choose the right tool, but also to know how to use it.
It would seem that what could be easier than working with an ordinary snow shovel? But even here there are pitfalls that can have a significant impact on the workflow.
In order to remove snow with a shovel with your own hands, first of all, you need buy a quality tool. Determining its quality is very simple - you need to check the integrity of the shovel, as well as the quality of the material used in production. If the quality inspires confidence, then you can purchase it.
Advice! Before starting work, be sure to do a warm-up. This is necessary to avoid injury during work in the form of sprains or other injuries.
Snow is removed quite easily with a shovel. All that is necessary is to gradually remove the masses of snow that will be encountered along the way. The main thing is not to take too much, then the work will be completed much faster than planned.
The purpose of a scraper is somewhat similar to a shovel. The only difference is that the scraper does not come off the ground and literally pries snow masses below. When snow has accumulated in the scraper cavity, it can be transported to the designated location without any problems.
If you have any snow removal equipment available, this greatly simplifies the snow removal process. After all, the main work is done by technology, a person only directs it to the required place.
The process of clearing snow using equipment primarily depends on the type of equipment itself. For example, there is tractor type MTZ with front bulldozer, which is designed for clearing snow. In this case, everything is simple - you just need to prepare the transport for work and clear the snow masses, delivering them to the far corner of the territory, or even load it into auxiliary transport.
Most often it is used as snow removal equipment for household needs. snow rotor. A rotor is a device that is attached to small-sized equipment like a mole or to a mini tractor, the main element of which is screw.
Video: clearing snow with a snow rotor
To clear snow on the site with such a device, you must follow some recommendations.
In general, when using such transport, you must first of all pay attention to its capabilities and not exceed them. In this case, the work will be done efficiently, and the equipment will not fail.
The most common method chemical control with snow is use . This method has many advantages, including:
Principle of operation similar mixtures of sand and technical salt very simple: since the heat capacity of sand is much higher than snow, under the influence sun rays it heats up, after which the resulting thermal energy acts on snow by melting it. This is very effective way, since snow remains on the territory until the end of winter.
There is also purely chemical reagents, which work on the principle of absorbing moisture and subsequent freezing. But their use is not only dangerous for others, but also very expensive to use.
When snow accumulates on your roof, it causes a lot of problems. For example, a passerby can easily be injured by the fall of large masses of snow. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of snow on the roof as quickly and efficiently as possible. 
What and how is it better to remove snow from the roof of a private house?
For similar purposes Only one tool will do - a shovel. In rare cases, you can use a regular scraper.
If the roof has horizontal arrangement, then the snow can be cleaned in the same way as on the ground. Before starting work you only need secure yourself with a rope or cable.
Video: how to quickly remove snow without falling off the roof
But if snow removal work is planned to be carried out on sloped roof, then here you need to follow a number of tips and requirements.
In most cases, you need to navigate the place, taking into account everything key points(roof slope, distance to the building, etc.).
Video: clearing the roof of snow
If you follow all the tips, removing snow on your property or from your roof will become not only easy, but also a virtually cost-effective process. You just need to choose the right method and tool for clearing snow. If you do everything correctly, you will save not only time, but also money.
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