We remove the snow ourselves. Snow removal at the cottage. The sequence of actions when clearing the territory from snow drifts

Waking up in the morning, you saw that all approaches to the house were covered with a dense layer of snow. It's a common thing for our latitudes, but you need to get down to business and clear the path. There are several ways to help cope with this task without compromising health.

The sequence of actions when clearing the territory from snow drifts

Preparatory stage. Clearing the area from snow involves serious physical exertion. Therefore, people who have should be careful. According to statistics, in hospitals with heart attacks, complications of diseases of the spinal column, and fractures after another snowfall, there is a huge number of citizens. AT this case a snowplow or hired worker will help you.

clothing. Dress warmly, but in such a way that the clothes do not hinder movement, and are not too hot for physical labor. After five minutes of work, you will begin to sweat profusely. Put on several layers of clothing so that it will be easy to remove.

As soon as you feel that the body has warmed up, remove upper layer clothes. Etc. Your body should be hot and dry. Otherwise, a cold is guaranteed from hypothermia, which you will not even notice. A draft that has penetrated under clothes on a damp body, and you are with pneumonia;

Be sure to wear mittens or gloves. Both options are suitable for working with a shovel;
Put a hat on your head. Let it be a thin woolen thing, but the head should not freeze;
Wrap yourself in a scarf. It is necessary that he close his mouth, and you do not inhale the icy air that will enter the heated body.

Shoes.

Wear shoes that fit comfortably on your foot, do not rub, and do not jump off.

These must be warm boots. They do not hinder movement, and do not interfere with work. The stable corrugated soles will protect you from possible injuries.

Instruments. Now on sale there are shovels with a curved handle. They allow you to keep the body straight, relieve the load from the spine, and greatly facilitate the work of a person. The main characteristics of such a device are as follows:

Long comfortable handle;
There is a choice between plastic and light metal options;
Scoops exist in two modifications - burrowing and raking. With the help of a scoop, it is easier to move the 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 flat shovel that is made of smooth material. Snow will stick to it less, respectively, it decreases exercise stress. In order to reduce the friction force, you can apply the following methods:

Apply silicone ski lubricant to the scoop;
Lubricate the surface of the scoop blade with ordinary animal or vegetable fat.

Charger. You can not start work until the muscles warm up a little. Do the usual exercises that everyone does in the morning. Special attention spend warming up your arms and legs, tilts and squats.

Salt and sand. Sprinkle slippery areas of the earth's surface with salt or sand. You can 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 technology

As a rule, snow removal begins in the morning. But it is better to do it right after the next snowfall. Fresh snow weighs much less than old, 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 a makeshift bumpy skating rink that will be much more difficult to remove.

Do not clear the parking lot in front of the house first. A passing snowplow will nullify your efforts, because it will pile up a new mass of snow. Better start with the playground and path in front of the house;
Remember that a full scoop of a snow shovel can hold up to 10 kg of snow.

Plan. To avoid doing the same thing twice, develop a snow clearing plan. If the playground in front of the house rectangular shape, start cleaning it from the center. Clear the perimeter of snow, and move on to the middle. Move gradually from the center to the perimeter, and start again. Now you can remove all the snow from the site
We clean the car. Before cleaning the area, clean the snow from the car with a special brush. This will help you not to do the same job twice.
Cleaning snow the right way. If the snow is wet and heavy, try not to lift it with a shovel. Move it gradually into piles. Otherwise, you risk serious spinal injury.
Hold on to the shovel correctly. Place your hands on the shovel, as far apart as possible. This position will help to correctly distribute balance and effort during work.
Clearing snow drifts. If you are digging snow to reach the ground or objects, proceed in the same way as when working the soil.

If you are shoveling snow, position the shovel at an angle and push forward.

Move the scoop handle up and down the body according to the applied force.

7. We rise. Get into a stable position. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, and focus on the line of the knees. In this case, 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 do a few smaller throws, but don't injure the bones with one serious effort. When straightening the body, strain, and then rise. Try to use the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

8. 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 rearrange your legs, making a turn.

Choose a location for the pile of snow so that it is close to where you work. This is necessary in order not to carry the snow far;
Starting to clean the snow, dump the first shovels away so that you throw the last shovels at close range;

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 on a shovel in one layer. It is better to remove each layer gradually. Thus, you will reduce the load on the body and avoid injury.

10. Rest. Do not try to clear the entire area at once in one approach. Rest more often and drink plenty of water. In the cold, the body does not send signals to the brain about dehydration. Therefore, you yourself must know this. Take breaks between work so that you have time to rest, and with renewed vigor set to the next stage of work.

11. Pain. If discomfort, dizziness or pain occurs, stop immediately. This may be a harbinger of a heart attack or injury to the spinal column during work.

12. Postman. Don't forget to clear the area around the mailbox. Think of the person who brings you mail.

13. Salt and sand. Use salt only as a last resort. By dissolving, the salt has a negative effect on the roots of the plants in your flower bed, and when the snow melts, the salt will dissolve into the water and damage your shoes. In addition, salt sprinkled on the ground before a snowfall will increase the snowdrifts on your path. Dry snow, falling on salty ground, sticks to the soaked salty slurry, and is swept away from uncultivated areas.

14. Cup of hot tea. A cup of hot tea, cocoa or chocolate will help relax your muscles and soothe them after a hard workout.

Do not leave elderly neighbors or those who cannot clean snow drifts in front of the house in trouble;
Don't throw snow you've cleared onto public sidewalks and driveways;
Call on the help of household members or a neighbor. The more assistants, the faster the work goes;
To remove a thin layer of powdered snow, it is not necessary to take a shovel. A broom will also cope with this problem;
There is a way to clear snow without the help of a shovel and a snow blower. Buy a piece of tarp that is the right size for the area you need to clean frequently. Sew ropes to one end of the fabric so that they can be easily grabbed. Lay a tarp on the ground before a storm warning.

After a snowfall, grab the handles and roll the fabric to shed the snow to one side.

Do not step on the tarp, because it is very slippery in the cold;

Clean the chipped edges of the scoop with a knife. It is necessary that this section of the shovel be smooth and thin;
If you don't have time to remove snow from your parking lot or driveway today, do it as soon as possible. With each passing hour, the fallen mass of snow becomes denser, and it is difficult to remove it later;
Do not smoke or drink coffee while cleaning. This can lead to a heart attack.

And most importantly - take care of yourself from injury!

While there is no snow, there are no photos of our own either. But, I found one. Here the pictures are all different.

Adorable picture, right? For a cartoon or as an illustration for a fairy tale - it is quite suitable. But not for real life. Again I remembered the story, not fabulous 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 - at another neighbor - Kolka - the wolf killed the sheep. They were silent, and then the owner summed up: “I told you that Kolya is a bad person, and everything is not like that of people!”
I was confused by this turn of thought. Uncle Matthew, - I say - how is it? A person has misfortune, and you say - “he is bad”, but with everyone it can ...
- No, young. Not with everyone. Have you seen a fox eat my chicken?
- Haven't heard of that...
- You won't hear it. He has a picket fence around the house, with kindergarten he stole the old picket fence, surrounded himself ... Fool! Have you seen his dog? Kabysdoh, not a dog! He feeds her once a month, and she sleeps in his house, almost crawling onto his bed. Went.
We went out into the yard in the cold, and Uncle Matvey pointed to the neighbor's house. Indeed, the frail picket fence behind the house is visible in the snow, there are wolf tracks in the snow, and the “kabysdoh” does not crawl out of the booth. In the boardwalk trodden a narrow path, and everything else - snowdrifts, snowdrifts, snowdrifts - up to the very window in the dirty window.

But we went out, it turns out, not to admire the mess 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 piled up during the day. The path from the gate to the porch, from the porch to the bathhouse was made two meters wide, the gates and the entrance for cars with a place so that there was where to pass and turn around for two cars, and the house, the barn (where the path of one and a half meters wide also led) and the bathhouse were cleaned on one and a half meters around the perimeter.

Attached the loose board to the fence. Poured antifreeze into door hinges barn and into 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 were certainly called that from the sixties, in honor of the astronaut dogs.

I asked:
- Well, the paths are understandable, but why clean up so much space outside the gate, and even around the house?
- Young, you at least don't say that anymore, huh? Well, you're going to finish sixth grade in June! And if - then Uncle Matvey took a break, but not for the "theatre", but for inspiration, his chest was already squeezed - and if ... FIRE?
I saw the denouement a year later. Kolya got burned. They pulled him out - Uncle Matvey carried him out. Cut mat. And everything that was in the house ... Forgive me, goodbye. Fire engine I arrived quickly - after all, the district center is not far away, and the neighbors came running. But the car could not drive up to the house, the sleeve to the well in the yard of Uncle Matvey did not reach neighboring plot. Kolka also had a well - but under the snow. Find out where he is, in the dark yet.

So. Bad person Kolka. Uncle Matthew was right.
So. Snow, they say, this year will be a lot. Which means you need snow shovels.

And better not plywood, but plastic, with several stiffeners - they last longer. We start cleaning snow from the first snowfall - then there is less work. From the gate - to the house - a wide, two meter trail. AT outdoor toilet, to the barn, to the woodpile - one and a half meters. If you need to bring a board from the shed for repairs or something else - to turn around and go, and not show circus tricks. Dig the gate to the road! Inside - to clean the entire width of the gate and with a "mustache" - so that two cars can enter, stand up like a human, turn around. So that the truck can turn around! Around the well is a circle with a radius of two meters. And then the track is two meters wide. It is more convenient to go with a rocker.
On the 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 a house and a barn, a woodpile, a generator room, a path to the second exit from the yard is a must and a must!

Grandfathers learned this through great troubles.

But as for shovels, a plastic shovel, with careful handling, will last three or four seasons for sure. Especially if you do not let the snow compress under its own weight. Once every 2 weeks, removing snow is necessary, even if no one lives in the country in winter.

And such a projectile perfectly helps to make the family united! Joint work ... well, remember how it is, right?
And next time I'll tell you about the generator. It will be funny! But not without a hitch.

Every year in the USA, for example, in winter period 26,000 appeals are recorded with injuries and diseases received by people during ordinary snow removal.

In the first place are heart attacks: in the cold season, blood vessels constrict and physical activity adds problems to the heart. People over the age of 55 are 4 times more likely to have heart attacks when they are shoveling snow outside their homes than when they are just sitting at home with a cup of tea.

Whether you have heart problems or not, our tips will make it easier for you to clean up your yard in winter.

Remove as early as possible

Freshly fallen snow is easier to remove than packed snow. Obviously, yes, but sometimes you don’t want to go out. Make an effort on yourself, because you will simply shovel soft snow, and you will need to scrape off the caked snow.

Choose an ergonomic tool

A good shovel is not a piece of tin on a stick, and not a cheap plastic outrage. Make sure that the shovel is large enough and strong enough, the right length, so that you do not have to bend down every time.

Work your legs and hips, but not your back

The main secret is to use the legs, not the spine. Shift instead of discard as much as possible.

Dress so that you can undress.

Your clothing should consist of multiple layers that you can remove as you warm up.

Don't get dehydrated.

You will sweat, so keep water handy to quench your thirst every time you feel it. A thermos in a bag will do, even if it just contains water at room temperature.

Take breaks every 15 minutes

Don't try to take it all out in one swoop. This is how people get a heart attack. If snow removal is not your daily long hours of work, you run the risk of overloading the heart.

Invest in good technology

Sometimes you have to admit that the size of your site requires some serious 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

Leave snow removal to someone younger than you. Because it is them, if anything, to take care of you after a heart attack.

WikiHow is a wiki, which means that many of our articles are written by multiple authors. When creating this article, 14 people worked on editing and improving it, including anonymously.

Clearing snow from your yard can be a painless process if you know how to proceed safely and methodically. In this article, you will learn how to effectively clean your driveway in just a few simple steps.

Steps

Determine in which direction the wind is blowing and snow is blowing. The first step to successful clearing is to blow the snow in the direction of the wind. While it sounds simple, by following this rule, you can avoid having to re-clean places you've already been to. The direction of the wind can change while harvesting, so keep an eye on it and change your approach accordingly.

Once you have decided on the wind, plan in advance where you will collect the snow. Keep in mind that the snow needs to be cleared in one place after each blizzard and the pile can get very high after several clearings. This can lead to safety issues, so care must be taken when working to avoid problems.

• Keep in mind that you and your neighbors will need to be able to see the street from your home. Therefore, you may have to spread the snow into several piles in the yard to avoid obstructing visibility.
• Try not to dump snow near the house, as this can flood the basement when the snow begins to melt.
• Consider the weight of the pile of snow if you dump it on any structures.
• Do not blow snow onto your home or car as the snow blower may pick up and throw small rocks.
• Don't forget the kids when you're shoveling snow. Make sure you don't leave holes for them to fall into and that a pile of snow doesn't block your view of the yard where they play.

1. Decide on a pattern that you will follow when cleaning. Now that you have dealt with the wind and the location of the piles of snow, you need to develop a path of movement. You can spend a lot of time clearing places you've already been if you don't develop a clear plan of movement. Your plan will depend on the speed and direction of the wind, the power of the snow blower (how far it can blow the snow), and the moisture content of the snow. Please note that your task is to blow off the snow once.

   • Try not to blow snow into the area where you plan to make a pass. You can move from left to right (or vice versa) or start from the middle and clear the snow as you move from the path to the edge of the site. Adjust the direction and height of the funnel as needed to blow the snow into a pile in one go. Be diligent about this.

2. Prepare the snow blower. Check its status before starting work:

   • Fill the machine with fuel before cleaning to avoid interruptions caused by lack of fuel. This must be done outdoors to avoid steam buildup. Do not add fuel to a hot engine, it must be cooled first.
   • Check the oil in the machine before each use (applies 4 motorcycle engines). Snowblowers can often burn oil without smoke, and lack of oil or the wrong type of oil can quickly ruin your machine.
   • Make sure your clothes are tucked in and out of the snow blower, and wear gloves to protect your hands and headphones to block out loud noises. Although it's not mentioned often, you do need safety goggles. The machine can throw small stones and earth in your direction. Finally, wear shoes with studded soles to prevent slipping.
   • If you are clearing snow nearby or on the road, you may not be able to hear the vehicle due to the noise from the snow blower. Try to keep a close eye on the road or have your assistant wear bright, conspicuous clothing and warn you of oncoming vehicles.

3. Learn how to properly use your snow blower. Read the instructions carefully before the first cleaning. Once you're out in the yard, adjust the funnel to blow the snow in the direction you want. Start the machine according to the manufacturer's instructions and start clearing the first path while holding the snow thrower with both hands. Clear snow and ice, slush can clog the funnel.

   • When cleaning, make sure that you do not come across cranes, statues, toys, branches, ropes, etc. All this can be blown away by the snow blower and break or damage something else.
   • Make sure you have enough light to see everything while cleaning. If you need a flashlight, be sure to turn it on.
   • When cleaning, remember that the purifier may turn off abruptly if it encounters potholes or uneven ground. Because of this, you can fall on the machine due to the momentum from moving forward. Try to keep the car arms outstretched to react if the purifier stops working.

4. Leave cleaning with a shovel for later. It is easier to remove 95% of the snow effectively with a machine, and then clean the veranda and other places inaccessible to the cleaner. You should not slow down the speed of the machine to avoid blowing snow into the area previously cleared with a shovel, as this is counter-productive.

5. Do not turn off the purifier. After finishing work, let the engine in the cleaner run for a few minutes to clear the accumulated snow in the machine. This will help dry it before returning it to storage.

   • Setting flags in places with obstacles like bushes, statues, etc. help you avoid bumping into them while cleaning.
   • When buying a snow blower, look for one that can handle snowstorms that are stronger than those available in your area. This way you won't buy a car that's too small or too big.
   • There is no one type of snow blower that can handle all types of snowfall. It is recommended to keep a good single stage clearer (with paddle augers) for light to medium snowfalls and a large two stage machine for heavy blizzards. No matter what, there are times when no cleaner can replace a shovel, so train your back.
   • Spraying the paddle compartment and discharge chute with kitchen non-stick spray can help prevent clogging.

   Warnings

   • Never try to clear a clogged discharge chute or auger/impeller with your hands or feet! Even if the purifier is turned off, use the special cleaning stick. If you make it your golden rule, it will become a habit, a very good habit. The impeller can and will rotate even if the engine is turned off. Golden Rule will help you save all 10 fingers. Most manufacturers provide car cleaning sticks in the kit.
   • As you approach the street, remember to stop and check for any approaching cars. Roads can be slippery, making it difficult for cars to stop quickly enough. Also, precipitation can impair visibility for you and for drivers, so you should be careful when approaching the road.
   • Do not allow pedestrians to come close to your work area. On the surface, this process may seem like a lot of fun, but it's not. group lesson. Snow, ice and stones flying out of the funnel can easily hit a nearby person or catch the snow blower itself. Ask everyone to move away, let them watch you from home!
   • Most heavy vehicles have reverse gear to make it easier to reverse. It is very easy to forget that the car is in reverse and accidentally push yourself against the wall of the house or just knock you off your feet by turning on the cleaner, which will move towards you. The slippery ground further complicates the situation.
   • Remember that many things can be covered with a layer of snow. Garbage bags, street debris, small pieces of concrete, etc. may end up in the cleaner and subsequently fly out of the funnel at high speed or damage the machine from the inside.

It seems that the answer to the question “what to do with snow” is obvious - clean it up! But not everything is so simple. Snow is a great helper for gardeners and gardeners, you can’t just get rid of it without using it properly. We will give you 10 tips to help you use the fallen snow effectively.

Tip #1: Stock up ahead of time necessary inventory such as scrapers and shovels for clearing and throwing snow. To move large snowdrifts, you will need at least a roomy wheelbarrow, we hope you have one too.

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

Tip three: if softly falling snow is good for plants, then a compressed block that has fallen 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 trunks with snow is of great benefit to trees. It is important that the snow cover is covered 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 pulled out a little to the south - here under sunbeams it will melt much faster.

Fifth tip: You can also wrap shrubs and other perennials in 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 just too much cover is dangerous for thin branches, sprawling spruces, pines, thujas, and shrubs. Therefore, in case of snow sticking or a large accumulation on the 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 undersized plants, including for your lawn . Under such an ice crust, which is 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, lifting the ice crust with your feet.

Tip eight: if you didn’t shake off the snow in time, it began to thaw, then freeze, or as a result of rain when sub-zero temperature ice crust may form on the branches. Unlike a layer of snow, it should not be knocked down! It's too dangerous, the ice keeps on the branches stronger than snow, so you have to wait for the thaw. In the meantime, you can help the trees cope with the load, using homemade props for spreading branches.

Tip nine: do not make real snow blockages on plantings of perennials, throwing snow off the paths and removing it from the yard. Under the trunks, for protection - yes, fill up completely, with a slide - no. So you deprive the plants of oxygen access and you can 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 basement of the building, the barn, places where flood waters can collect. Remember that the snow will melt fastest in sunny, southern areas, it is here that early flowers and greenery will first appear from the ground.