05.01.2014

We have real winter. Just like it should be. Exactly the way I like it (when there is a moral reason to sit at home, watch movies and not go anywhere). Mostly frost. Serious like that, minus thirty weeks on end. In such cold weather, it is customary for us to dress very well (and the fact that we are drunk in New Year's Eve half-naked ran through the snow, and twice - that doesn’t count).

So, on those rare days when there is no frost outside, snow falls to our joy. And then there are no more excuses, you have to get up and go out and swing a shovel. And it is right. And to make your soul more cheerful, at such moments it is recommended to remember the distant summer. Remember, I once told you about my plot near the house, or speaking not in Russian - backyard and frontyard? So, let's start with the backyard (at the back of the house). There's nothing else to clean there other than the deck. Summer photos would be extremely appropriate here, I think so.

Now we go to the frontyard (in front of the house).

Yesterday the porch of the house and the path in front were completely covered. I dug like an archaeologist, I didn’t even know exactly where to start, but then I dug deep and found everything, both the porch and the path.

For those who are still new to such entertainment as snow removal, I will now give you a few extremely useful tips. Perhaps I will make your life easier, minimize suffering and protect you from common mistakes.

First, advice for those who, like me, are pressing for money, despise the benefits of civilization and clean the snow manually with a shovel. If it's been snowing for several hours and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop, then go out and clean it anyway. Yes, you will have to clean it twice, but in the end it will take you even less time, and cleaning will not be hard work, but easy winter fun. There will be no need to dig deep and stir up tons of snow. Everything is simple and quick to shovel and discard easily.

Disadvantages: cleaning snow under the snow looks idiotic, but believe me, it’s easier.

Further. Many people complain that the back will fall off before you clean everything. Well, why be surprised here? It's clear that not every one of you goes to the gym and does deadlifts once a week. Therefore, everything here can be conquered with art. The technique here is extremely simple. We shovel the snow to the edge of the road, and then do not lift the shovel with our hands, but only hold it by the handle from above and give the shovel a good kick from below. As a result, the snow quickly flies from the shovel one and a half to two meters, and the back does not participate in the process at all. As a bonus, by summer you can sign up for the national football team. The method really works.

Disadvantages: kicking a shovel with your feet looks idiotic from the outside. And it takes a little more time to clean. Scattering snow with your hands is much faster than crucifying it with your feet.

Next tip. If the driveway (parking lot) is covered with snow, do not allow anyone to drive their car until it is cleared. The snow is thoroughly compacted, which makes cleaning much more difficult later. More important advice. Clean completely. Especially if your driveway is built with a slope, like mine. In the spring, when it all starts to thaw and freeze, it’s like killing yourself at the skating rink. And manually cleaning thick, frozen and compacted ice is a hell of a task.

I have a driveway near my house with an incline. Last year I was too lazy to clean it completely. So in the spring a funny thing happened to me. I’m sitting at home, the neighbors are knocking, they say, come and see where your car is. I go out and oh-oh-oh, she drove out of the parking lot near the house on the ice and stood doggy-style in the middle of the street. And how many times my guys fell on the ice there and they cursed me - it’s impossible to count.

This year we decided to fight ice chaos. But not at once. We didn’t completely clear the first snowfalls, and we also managed to roll and compact the first snow with machines. They messed up themselves, so they went to fix it themselves. They fought furiously for several hours. I’ll show you the photos now, but for contrast, let me show you the summer one first.

It was my children who bit into the ice. By the way, this winter they started going door to door and cleaning other people’s driveways for money. They have more than enough experience. You can contact with me any time. For immodest monetary reward they will clean it for you too. However, at home, they still clear snow for food.

As a result, we now have the cleanest driveway in the area. I even swept a little bit to make my dear neighbors' eyes sore. It worked out well.

Actually, that's all. If you have any questions, ask any questions. But I won’t answer the question that non-locals ask me most often: “What do you usually do in winter? Don’t you get bored there in winter?” I just want to take a shovel and smack him in the ass and invite the questioner to “get bored” with me on the driveway on long winter evenings.

To quickly clear snow, you can, of course, use a shovel out of habit, or, if possible, purchase automatic snow removal equipment. But these methods are not suitable for everyone, so it will be useful to find out what are 5 other ways to quickly clear snow around your house.

To quickly clear snow, you can purchase automatic snow removal equipment

Method 1: Salt

How it works: salt is scattered over the surface of the snow cover and mixed with the snow. Under influence environment after 15-30 minutes, the snow begins to rapidly melt, which turns into a vapor and liquid state with reagent impurities, forming slush - a porridge-like mass that remains after chemical reaction.

Salt scatters on the surface of the snow cover

Pros: Fast and high-quality results.

• Salt is an extremely aggressive reagent that cannot be removed 100% from the territory.
• The combination of sodium and chlorine literally kills all living things, so you should not use salt in areas where pets live.
• The soles of shoes, car tires and road surface.
• Getting salt on the soil or plants growing nearby is highly undesirable.

Salt is an extremely aggressive reagent

Important! It is advisable to immediately remove the consequences of dealing with snow outside the local area, otherwise there is no need to talk about preserving the soil fertility of your site.

Method 2: Shovel-scraper or scraper

In appearance, a scraper is a wide shovel with a curved handle and low sides.

How it works: a scraper differs from a standard shovel in that it does not throw away snow. They push him with their weight in front of him. In this way, energy and time are saved, since not only the muscular strength of a person’s arms takes part in the work, but also the weight of his entire body, while the load on the back is minimal.

A scraper looks like a wide shovel

• Cleaning work is carried out much faster due to the excellent glide of the scraper through the snow.
• The wide base allows you to capture a large volume of snow.

Wide base allows you to capture a large volume of snow

• Due to its large dimensions, clearing can only be done on a wide section of the road. Narrow and small areas cannot be cleared of snow with a scraper.
• The scraper may break decorative coating garden path.

Method 3. Shovel blade on wheels

How it works: A rectangular, curved shovel is attached to a wheeled device that is moved around the site by a person in front of him. Snow masses are collected in layers and moved away from the road.

They push him with their weight in front of him

• ease of operation;
• allows for high-quality clearing large areas;
• efficiency in cleaning both freshly fallen and compacted snow;
• fast cleaning speed compared to using a conventional shovel;
• reducing the load on a person’s back.

Cons: none.

Blade shovel on wheels

Important! The best materials for making a scraper are aluminum and plastic, as they guarantee light weight and strength.

Method 4. Automatic snow removal equipment

This can be a walk-behind tractor or mini-tractor equipped with a special snow shovel, or a compact self-propelled or vehicle-mounted snow rotor with an auger that grinds snow masses and throws them to the side.

How it works: Soft snow is shifted, layered, in the direction specified by the snow shovel, or crushed in an auger mechanism to the consistency of snow dust and poured in the desired direction.

Automatic snowblower

Important! If the snow cover is thicker than 1 meter, upper layer Snow should be removed with a shovel to reduce the likelihood of the snowblower breaking down.

Ecology of consumption. Estate: It seems that the answer to the question “what to do with snow” is obvious - remove it! But it's not that simple. Snow is an excellent helper for gardeners and gardeners; you can’t just get rid of it without putting it to good use. We will give you 10 tips that will help you use the fallen snow effectively.

Tip one: Stock up on the necessary equipment in advance, such as scrapers and shovels for cleaning and throwing snow. To move large snowdrifts, you will need at least a spacious wheelbarrow, we hope you have one too.

Tip two: If you really have to remove snow from paths, parking lots and yard so that it is convenient to walk, then in the garden and in the garden, on the contrary, it will be delayed. If not uncommon in your region strong winds, then the snow can simply blow away, but this is excellent thermal insulation material! Even small fences in the garden, fences, specially built barriers made of spruce branches, wickerwork, and small movable screens made from scrap materials do a good job of retaining snow.

Tip three: If softly falling snow is a blessing for plants, then a compressed block falling from the roof is a disaster. Therefore, snow retainers on the roof are especially important if you have shrubs and other perennials growing near your house.

Tip four: Hilling the trunks with snow brings great benefit to trees. It is important that the snow cover covers not only trunk circle, but also the root neck of the tree. To do this, it is advisable to throw all the snow that you have raked from the paths under the trees, and the snow cone can be slightly extended to the south - here it will melt much faster under the sun’s rays.

Tip five: You can cover shrubs and other perennials with snow. For them, you need more snow, the main thing is not to overdo it and not break the branches, pour it under the trunks, carefully.

Tip six: wet snow or simply too much cover is dangerous for thin branches, spreading spruces, pines, thujas, and shrubs. Therefore, in case of snow accumulation or large cluster on branches, it should be shaken off very carefully so as not to damage the tree.

Tip seven: crust, unlike fluffy snow, is very dangerous for low-growing plants, including your lawn. Under such an ice crust, formed due to temperature changes, plants simply stop receiving oxygen, so it is advisable to break the crust, for example, with a rake. Or just walk through the beds, scattering and lifting the ice crust with your feet.

Tip eight: if you did not shake off the snow in time, it began to melt, then freeze, or as a result of rain when sub-zero temperature An ice crust may form on the branches. Unlike a layer of snow, it should not be knocked down! This is too dangerous, the ice sticks to the branches stronger than snow, so you will have to wait for a thaw. In the meantime, you can help the trees cope with the load by using homemade supports for spreading branches.

Tip nine: Do not create real snow piles on perennial plantings by throwing snow off the paths and removing it from the yard. Under the trunks, for protection - yes, to cover it completely, with a slide - no. This will deprive the plant of oxygen and may simply break thin branches or trunks.

Tip ten: think about where the water will go when the snow starts to melt. It is best to completely remove snowdrifts from the base of the building, barn, and places where flood waters can collect. Remember that the snow will melt fastest in sunny, southern areas, this is where early flowers and greenery will be the first to appear from the ground. published If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to the experts and readers of our project.

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:

1. wooden handle;
2. a piece of rectangular plywood;
3. hammer;
4. nails.

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.

Snowblower

Sometimes machinery is used to clear snow. A machine for clearing snow from a local area is somewhat reminiscent of a lawn mower. 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:

• tracked;
• self-propelled;
• wheeled.

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.

Snow removal on site

Why remove snow from roadways? pedestrian paths and courtyards - understandable. 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. They are usually wrapped in 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.

How to clear snow from a roof?

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. And 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 to the interior of the house. 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 rot, 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:

1. first you need to free the cornices from snow;
2. Now you can gradually move towards the ridge.

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.

Where to put the collected snow?

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.

Snow: light and airy or a whole block?

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 run to work at six in the morning, then he can arrange a wonderful winter holiday and enjoy the white beauties 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!

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 is a necessary job, 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:

1. wooden handle;
2. a piece of rectangular plywood;
3. hammer;
4. nails.

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.

Snowblower

Sometimes machinery is used to clear snow. A machine for clearing snow from a local area is somewhat reminiscent of a lawn mower. 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:

• tracked;
• self-propelled;
• wheeled.

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 snowblowers. 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.

Snow removal on site

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 owners of such delicate crops to carefully monitor them in winter 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 winter care for heat-loving plants easier.

For ordinary lawns and shrubs, the presence of snow is just for the better. It protects against severe frosts and nourishes the 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.

How to clear snow from a roof?

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. And 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 to the interior of the house. 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:

1. first you need to free the cornices from snow;
2. Now you can gradually move towards the ridge.

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.

Where to put the collected snow?

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.

Snow: light and airy or a whole block?

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 the owner of the house where we lived on a winter evening to drink 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 “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 - after all, the regional center was not far away, and the neighbors came running. But the car could not drive up to the house; the hose did not 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 a modern site, where the well has been 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, then plastic shovel With careful handling it will definitely last three to 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.

Sequence of actions when clearing an area of ​​snow drifts

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 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. 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.

Snow removal technique

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 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.
Holding 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. We are looking for 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 get back to work with renewed vigor. next stage works

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 flower bed, and when the snow melts, the salt dissolves in the water and damages 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;
To remove thin layer powdered snow, it is not necessary to take a shovel. 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 down a tarp or plastic sheet before the snow falls and pull it out after the strategic time has passed. 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.

If you try this trick for how to remove snow quickly, please let me know how it went and what people thought of it and if you're crazy (trust me, the guy stopped dead in his tracks in the animated GIF above!)

Step 1: Equipment to quickly remove snow

All you really need to quickly remove snow is a tarp ( polyethylene film, 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.

Step 2: Tying the Tarp Tow

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".

Step 3: Lay out a tarp for snow removal

You basically just need to cover the area you want 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.

Step 4: Pull down the tarp and 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. Best approach will pull him somewhere in his 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, required length so you don't have to bend over every 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.