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Snow Melting Options
If you are in the market for a snow melting system, you have ventured to the right place. Our goal is to provide
you with as many options as possible, then help you select the best option that will meet your needs, and fit
within your budget. Depending on the dimensions of the area you wish to heat, there are three popular options we
usually recommend:
1) Heat the entire driveway or area
2) Heat an 8 to 10 foot strip up the middle of your driveway, or just the main traffic areas.
3) Heat a pair of tire tracks up middle of your driveway (2 foot wide tracks recommended).
Diagrams of how the snow melting systems are laid out can be viewed in the installation section.
In order for us to provide you with an accurate estimate, we will
need to know the dimensions of the area you wish to heat.
If you email
us or fax us (801-293-0137) a plan or sketch of your
driveway, we can provide you with some possible options that
are unique to your project, our recommendations, and an accurate
estimate as well as operating costs.
Heat Ready Driveways
The bare necessities. A popular option we have with our snow melting systems is to "Rough-in"
the system. Roughing-in a snow melting system consists of installing just the materials needed
at the time of pouring a new concrete driveway.
Needed Components for Rough-in:
1) Rough-in Kit - The rough-in kit contains a back plate, cold lead, and splices. The back plate
is hung between studs on a wall, and the Control Unit is mounted to the backplate. Cold Lead
is a non hot wire that is used to run power from the Control Unit to the heating element (Tuff
Cable. Splices are used to connect the Cold Lead to the Tuff Cable.
2) Heating Element - Tuff Cable or Hott-Wire is the heating element used for our snow melting applications.
Tuff Cable or Hott-Wire is secured to remesh, spaced between 4-9 inches based on snow melt requirements, and raised (with the remesh using
dobies or chairs) to be within 2" of the surface. Concrete is then poured as usual over the heating element.
3) Joint Jumpers - We always use joint jumpers on any new pour application. Never run heating element by itself through a joint. Many of our competitors do not use jumpers. By not using jumpers for a new pour snow melt you are taking a risk that we are never willing to take. One thing we know about concrete is that it cracks and that is what control joints are for is to control the cracks, this is a standard for us from years of experience.
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The materials for your Heat Ready Driveway can be purchased at a for only a couple dollars per square
foot or less. The remainder of the snow melting system can then be purchased when desired. Even if you
never activate the system, the resale value of your home will increase, and future owners will have that option
to activate the system.
Don't be stuck without a Heat Ready Driveway, or you may find yourself stuck in your driveway.
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