10 Snow Shoveling Best Practices

Goodbye Summer, Hello Winter!

With the winter months quickly approaching, we find ourselves preparing for the most dreadful chore of all, snow shoveling! Below we have compiled a list of 10 snow shoveling best practices to help you gear up for this winter.

1. SAFETY FIRST: Always stretch your muscles before shoveling. This will help prevent muscle strains and back injuries.
2. STAY HYDRATED: Drink plenty of water.
3. BREAKS: Remember to take intermediate breaks in between shoveling to avoid over exertion.
4. COAT YOUR SHOVEL: Simply spray an oil or wax based product onto your shovel to prevent snow from sticking.
5. TRACTION: Try laying kitty litter or sand on the ground to create traction. This could lessen your chances to slip and fall.
6. DON’T WAIT: Clear snow as it falls, rather than waiting for the storm to pass. Heavy snow accumulation that sits for a prolonged amount of time, will cause icing. The icing can make it more difficult to remove the snow from the ground.
7. PUSH: Try pushing the snow from side to side as opposed to heavy lifts. Doing this will decrease the amount of stress placed on your lower back.
8. TREAT: Use Calcium Chloride to treat sidewalks rather than Salt to prevent icing. This method works more quickly and effectively in low temperatures.
9. NEVER USE WATER: Do not use hot water to treat the snow. The water will quickly freeze and turn into black ice.
10. CALL FOR HELP! If the area is too large or just too difficult to shovel, employ us! Grab a blanket, sip your hot cocoa and let Advanced Paving Services remove the snow for you!!