Snow!!!

Snow! Snow! and More Snow!

Last week, we got buried here, 26 - 30 inches depending on where you lived around Flagstaff. I spend last week moving snow. First, our driveway, then the roof (more on that later), then onto the Doctor's properties. 5 out of 6 days, the sixth day I spent driving in it.

So this week, I'm going to deviate somewhat from what we've been discussing. I want to talk about Snow Removal. The reason for bringing this up is that we currently have a young man staying with us and he's been helping out with all the SNOW! And he's been a Great! help. But after watching him for a few minutes, I realized that he was going to end up with a Hernia or injure his back.

Snow Removal is extremely labor intensive! You can severely injure yourself while shoveling Snow. So I would like to offer a few suggestions.

- Use a Shovel that's Appropriate for the Job
What I'm talking about here is don't use a shovel that too big for you to handle. If you're just clearing a few inches from a sidewalk or driveway, the size of the shovel doesn't really matter a whole lot. But if you're trying to remove a lot of Wet Heavy, then the size of the shovel does matter. Choose a smaller, sturdy Shovel, this will enable you to move smaller amounts that will weigh less.

- Take Breaks Often!
Most people want to just get done as fast as possible. The danger here is that the longer you're at it the more chance there is for injury. So drink plenty of water and when you start to get tired (hot & sweaty is a good indicator), that a break! Even just a few minutes will be enough to rejuvenate you.

- Hire the Kid Down the Street
If the task seems too large, then have the kid, who is wondering around, usually carrying a shovel, help out. Usually for a few dollars and maybe some Hot Chocolate, they are more than willing to help out. Remember, kids automatically take breaks has they get tired.

- Keep an Eye on Your Roof
As I mentioned earlier, we spent time clearing our Roof. It was just the north side, because I noticed, when I was finishing caulking the house to prime it, that we have a bad section of Roof. But you are going to want to watch for potential Ice Dams. Ice Dams develop when the heat escaping from the attic melts the bottom layer of snow and then it re-freezes. This prevents the rest of the melting snow from falling off the Roof. The problem that arises is that this water can end up inside the house. So the easiest way to prevent this is to remove the few feet of snow from the edge of the Roof. This is done with a Roof Rake.

- If You're not Comfortable Doing the Work Hire Someone
If at any point, you not comfortable doing a particular Snow Removal task, then it must easier to just hire someone else to do the job.

I hope that you find these Tips helpful. Let's all have a save Winter season. Next week, I'll return to the topic of Weatherization.