How Do Heated Driveways Work?
July 12, 2024
What are heated driveways and how do they work?
When faced with colder weather, it can mean that your driveway becomes slippery and could also get damaged overtime. Constantly having to shovel up snow and ice can also become a chore overtime and can also lead to the driveway still having residue of snow and ice on it.
A good way to combat this would be to get a heated driveway, heated driveways are a perfect choice, especially for colder weather to melt away snow and ice, making sure that your driveway is safe for yourself and vehicles making sure the surface isn’t slippery and doesn’t cause any damage to the driveway, making it easier to manoeuvre.
Despite this, there’s a lot of confusion over how heated driveways function. Here’s a guide on how they work as well as the benefits that come with having a heated driveway and the types of heated driveways there are.
Electric Heated Driveways
Electric Heated driveways use electrically heated heating wires in the driveway’s bedding layer to warm the driveway’s paver surface and melt any snow or ice that may be sitting on top of it. The wires need to be linked to a power source. These types of driveways also have a long life expectancy of around 15-20 years so they’ll be easily sustained and last for a long time.
Hydronic Heated Driveways
Another type of heated driveways is hydronic heated driveways. These utilise a blend of water and antifreeze that is expelled from the road through specialised pipes. The boiler heats the water, which is then circulated through tubes, which then heats the driveway. They’re also very cost-effective to operate and considered to be more efficient. Despite this they are slightly more complex than traditional electrically heated driveways.
As well as their obvious convenience, heated driveways have several other advantages. They greatly increase safety by reducing the risk of falls and slides brought on by icy surfaces. This is especially crucial for houses in areas that receive a lot of snowfall or for those with steep driveways.
Additionally, heated driveways protect the surface quality of the driveway. Over time, traditional snow removal techniques like shovelling or using de-icing solutions may result in damage. A heated driveway lowers the chance of damage and cracks and does away with the need for harsh chemicals thanks to its constant, soft warmth.
Furthermore, a heated driveway can raise a homeowner’s property value. It’s a visually appealing addition that can raise your house’s level of luxury and provides long-term maintenance savings.
Closing
Understanding how heated driveways work is important when considering which is better for you. They’re extremely innovative and practical, making the winter weather more bearable than potentially damaging your driveway with de-icing solutions and constant shovelling. With their range of benefits and long lifespan, considering the use of heated driveways is recommended, since they’re also eco-friendly and safe to use, they also don’t need constant maintenance so they’re easy to maintain, convenient in extremely cold weather and for harsh build ups of snow and ice. Since they last a long time too, it means that you won’t have to constantly replace them.