5 Reasons Why Every Homeowner Needs Snow Removal Services

If you're a homeowner, you need to consider hiring a professional for snow removal every winter! Unfortunately, too many homeowners try to manage snow shoveling and plowing on their own, and wind up hurting themselves, damaging their property, or struggling with a job that is difficult for them but fast and easy for trained professionals with heavy-duty equipment. Before you go through another winter balancing on icy pavement with a cumbersome snow shovel and blower, consider five reasons why you want to hire a professional for the residential snow removal you need to have done. ​

1. For your own safety

No doubt you've heard stories of persons having heart attacks while shoveling snow; while these stories are a bit rare, keep in mind that a heart attack while shoveling wet, heavy can happen to just about anyone, no matter their age or overall physical condition! Your body works hard in cold weather to keep you warm, and the weight of heavy snow puts added strain on the heart.

Eliminating the risk of a heart attack is a good reason to consider hiring a professional to clear your snow every winter, but it's not the only reason. Note a few other reasons why your physical safety is often at risk when you try to tackle snow shoveling and clearing yourself, and why you should call professionals with heavy-duty snow removal equipment instead:

• Bending over and then lifting heavy shovels of snow can cause back injuries as well as injury to your shoulders, arms, neck, and knees.
  
• Slipping on ice can cause torn ligaments and other such injuries to the ankles and knees and also injure your lower back. Trying to keep yourself steady on ice can also result in strained and sore muscles in the back and legs, and long-term pain and discomfort.
  
• Falling on ice or a concrete surface is very painful and can cause back injuries or result in a broken bone along your backside. Putting your hands out to stop your fall can also result in broken or strained wrists! Hitting your head during such a fall can also result in serious injury.
  
• Severely cold weather can aggravate asthma and other breathing disorders, as well as arthritis and problems related to your circulation.
  
• Removing snow from a home's roof is very dangerous! Avalanches form rather easily during roof snow removal, and just poking the sides of snow banks might cause an entire sheet of snow to slide off the roof quickly. Thick snow, as well as ice chunks, breaking icicles, loosened roofing shingles, and other such debris that comes along with it can damage your house and cause serious injury to anyone standing under the roof's eaves or edges.
  

2. To avoid costly property damage

Using a snow blower is often more difficult than many homeowners realize; a blower that is strong enough to handle deep, thick snow can be more challenging to control, and may toss that snow further than you expect! Heavy snow, ice chunks, rocks, gravel, and other such items that get scooped up and thrown by a snow blower can easily cause damage to car bodies and windows, house windows, aluminum siding, light posts, wood fences, pool covers, and other such exterior property features. 

Piling snow onto a home can also result in eventual flooding, as the snow melts and creates large pools of water that the ground can't always absorb. Small cracks in a home's foundation or around basement windows can let in that melting snow and water, and your home's wood framework and other such building materials absorb that moisture, causing them to soften and leading to future mold growth. Improper roof snow removal can also lead to damage to the roof shingles or tiles, gutters, and other parts of the home’s exterior. 

Note that your homeowner's insurance policy might not always cover such damage. In some cases, depending on the reason for the damage, you might be financially liable for fixing items around your property, or for reimbursing a neighbor's cost for damage you've caused to their property! A professional snow removal services company, however, is more skilled at safely removing snow, will know where to pile removed snow so that it doesn't cause damage as it melts, and will have liability insurance if they should cause damage to your home or a neighbor's house.

3. To ensure the job gets done right

You might not think that there is a "right" way to plow or shovel snow, but improper shoveling or plowing techniques can mean a poor-quality job that leaves behind hazardous conditions. For example, adding salt to snow is helpful during the clearing process, but if the temperature outside is very low and melting snow is not cleared quickly enough, it can then turn to dangerous ice! A commercial snow removal company will have the equipment and know-how needed to clear melting snow quickly before it becomes a hazard.

Piling snow around the corners of driveways and walkways can obstruct your view and lead to accidents and collisions. Note, too, that piles of loose, blown snow can easily melt or begin to crumble away, allowing ice to form on an adjacent walkway or sidewalk. A commercial snow plow service will be able to properly pack plowed snow piles so that they don't melt and form ice, or blow back over a recently cleared area of your property.

Consider, too, that you don't want to clear snow in a way that is a hazard or even a nuisance to your neighbors. Blowing snow onto a neighbor's property, even if that snow hits the middle of their lawn, is never recommended! Piling blown snow in a way that would allow it to melt and flood someone else's property might also make you liable for any resultant property damage, as mentioned. A professional snow plow service provider will ensure that your neighbors are not bothered, and their property is not affected as they clear your driveways and walkways.

4. To avoid having to maintain equipment

There might not be much work involved in owning a snow shovel, but keeping a snow blower in good condition can be more difficult than you think! Note a few steps involved in maintaining a typical residential snow blower, so you better understand why it might be good to hire a residential snow removal service and avoid having to keep a blower on hand in the first place: 

• The blades or auger of a snow blower and other snow removal equipment need to be inspected and sharpened as required, to ensure they can easily cut through packed snow and thick ice. These blades are very heavy and can be downright dangerous for someone who is not accustomed to sharpening such equipment.
  
• A gas-powered snow blower might require oil changes and the draining of the fuel tank each season, as well as regular tune-ups.
  
• Skid plates under a snow blower can get worn down or loosened, and may need replacement. Removing the screws that hold these plates in place can be challenging with standard household screwdrivers, and may require heavy-duty tools to manage.
  
• Augers and chutes of snow blowers can get clogged with snow and other debris. Clearing these parts of the blower is often difficult and dangerous, as it's easy to suffer cuts from the blades of the auger. Using improper tools to clear or clean these parts can also result in damage to the blower itself.
  

Snow blowers, like any other piece of heavy-duty equipment, can also break down over time. Their motors eventually wear out, as do the gears and levers that control their movement. Repairs and replacement of these parts or the blower itself can be expensive, whereas hiring a snow removal company means not having to worry about consistently buying a new blower or having it fixed over time. 

5. Snow removal services save you lots of time! ​

If you only needed to shovel or otherwise remove snow once or twice during the year, the job might not be so time-consuming. However, think about how many hours you spend each week throughout the long winter months shoveling snow, using a snow blower, spreading salt, scraping ice and snow from porch steps, and removing snow from your roof. It's not unusual for many homeowners to get up before daylight to clear their driveway so they can get to work on time!

Consider, too, the time you spend shopping for salt and maintaining your snow blower and other snow removal equipment, and then trying to warm up after being outside in cold, unpleasant weather. If you struggle with back problems already, you might even take an entire evening to rest those sore muscles on a heating pad after you've cleared snow from your driveway and walkways. All of this is time better spent with your children, working on other projects around the house, or just indulging in your favorite hobby, without stiff and sore back muscles and other discomforts!

Rather than risk being late for work or spending time after a long day at the office clearing snow from your property, it's good to rely on a professional snow removal company instead. Many such services begin work on their accounts before the sun comes up, so your driveway and walkway can be cleared before you even get out of bed! You can also come home to a freshly cleared lot and relax after work rather than heading out into the cold and the dark to clear your driveway and walkways, and not need to worry about getting injured or damaging your property or a neighbor’s property while struggling with a cumbersome snow blower or other equipment.