Snow warnings for the South East – do you know how to effectively grit your paths and driveway?
The Met Office issued a snow warning for the South East of England, including Kent for the week beginning January 16th. The forecaster states that there is a chance that heavy rainfall could turn to snow as temperatures in the next few days are expected to remain low.
This weather forecast is typical of many we receive during the winter gritting season. Unfortunately, the snow warnings also worry householders who contact us to get gritting advice about how to clear snow and ice from their homes.
Helping households understand how to clear their property in bad weather
Clearway Gritting has considerable experience of removing snow and ice in bad weather, and this article can help you understand how to grit effectively, so you can clear your driveway and the road outside your home in bad weather. It is important to clear snow and ice to avoid injuries in bad weather.
Tips to assist you clear snow and ice from near your property
- If you think it’s going to snow you can spread salt on your paths and driveways the night before it is due.
- It is always easier to remove fresh snow and ice before it compacts and gets cold. If snow has fallen during the night remove it in the morning so any sun will melt the remaining snow. If you put salt on the snow, it will melt ice and stop the snow turning to ice during the night.
- The salt you use to melt the snow can just be ordinary table or dishwasher salt. You don’t need much, just use a few tablespoons for each square metre of snow. You can put some on a trowel and just sprinkle it around or use a salt spreader. You don’t need too much, using extra is just a waste as a small amount can normally do the job effectively. Remember if you don’t have any salt, you could use sand or ash instead, but these tend not to be as good at melting snow.
- Don’t use water on the snow, use salt or sand. If you use water, it could refreeze and turn to black ice which is very dangerous.
- Be extra careful when you are clearing steep paths, it is important to use more salt on these areas as the gradient makes them more dangerous to walk on.
- Check your council website for their winter gritting service so you know which roads they grit in bad weather.
- Contact your council to get a salt bin for your road if it’s not on their gritting rota and cleared in bad weather. Remember you should keep the salt from the salt bin to use on your road not your own residence.
- The best way to clear snow from your driveway is to clear a section down the middle so you have a path to walk down. This will prevent accidents and allow you to be more effective at clearing the remaining snow.
- Always put snow in verges not in front gardens and avoid drainage gullies.
- Look at your council’s website for advice:
Clearway Gritting is the largest winter gritting contractor in the South East
Please note that Clearway Gritting only offer gritting contracts to private businesses, and don’t offer a private snow clearance or gritting service unless the driveway or paths are part of an extensive area such as a large private estate.
Want to sign up your business for a gritting contract before bad weather arrives this week?
Our winter gritting teams serve the southeast business community from gritting hubs in St Albans, Huntingdon, Aylesbury, Harlow, High Wycombe, and Milton Keynes. We offer a local winter gritting service in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, North London, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire. We work with all size of commercial businesses, including retail parks, industrial parks, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, and universities. You can review our clients here. If you want a personalised gritting quote for the 2022/23 winter gritting season from a local gritting contractor, call our Head Office in St Albans on 01727 851837.
