Local Concrete Driveway Company?

Newcomers · 07-16-2008, 03:48 PM

Yes, I know its July and "Yes" it is warm!

....but the memory of parking m car at the end of the driveway and sliding groceries and other things down the driveway toward the house (Bowling for Casulaties!)is still fresh in my mind.

I need to pave over my steep, stone driveway and have been thinking about a driveway with electric mats under it to melt the snow and give me a fighting chance next winter. I understand you can't heat an asphalt driveway?

I prefer to use a local company that does good work and has experience in this area. Does anyone know of one?...or two????

Thanks for helping to keep me and others out of the orthopedic ward!

RLW · 07-16-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newcomers

Yes, I know its July and "Yes" it is warm!

....but the memory of parking m car at the end of the driveway and sliding groceries and other things down the driveway toward the house (Bowling for Casulaties!)is still fresh in my mind.

I need to pave over my steep, stone driveway and have been thinking about a driveway with electric mats under it to melt the snow and give me a fighting chance next winter. I understand you can't heat an asphalt driveway?

I prefer to use a local company that does good work and has experience in this area. Does anyone know of one?...or two????

Thanks for helping to keep me and others out of the orthopedic ward!

I would suggest you do lot's of investigating of this subject before you tackle it. Heated driveways are differently not all that they are cracked up to be. If my memory serves me right there is a thread in here somewhere on the subject. Please do LOT'S of checking into it as It will not do what you think it will do and for what little it does the cost to use is very high also.

Winnipesaukee Divers · 07-16-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newcomers

Yes, I know its July and "Yes" it is warm!

I need to pave over my steep, stone driveway and have been thinking about a driveway with electric mats under it to melt the snow and give me a fighting chance next winter. I understand you can't heat an asphalt driveway?

Just how hot do you think it gets? I've done many heated driveways and walkways and haven't had any trouble yet. The biggest problem is getting people turn them on. As a point of reference: The standard surface temperature is 65 degrees for snow melt.

The real question is; can you afford the fuel it's going to take to do an adequate job to melt it??? If the answer is "yes" then the 20 grand for installation won't be a problem either.

I'd recommend you call anyone who specializes in radiant heating.

ACutAbove · 07-16-2008, 06:23 PM

I have a customer with a heated paver driveway. Paver I assume would transfer heat just the same as concrete slabs (the slabs my even be more efficient????) But I know his system is oil fired and it works pretty good to get rid of the left overs as I like to call it from the snowblower. BUT it isnt cheap to run. I think it is a glychol system with pipes buried under the pavers.
Did I say its not cheap to run??? To the effect of multiple thousands of dollers to run just that for the season.

Pearsons is one of the local companies located over near winnisquam bridge
And I think Carrol is the other big company around.
You could also try East coat foundation see if they will frame it for you???
Just some suggestions..

Newcomers · 07-17-2008, 03:12 PM

I have oil to heat the home and a very large propane tank on the side of the house.
Do you think electric mats might be less expensive to run? I saw a system on the Internet that automatically turns on when the snow starts...and turns itself off as well.

I have thought about pavers too but I was cautioned they might be too uneven (rising and falling) given the amount of frost in the ground along with the heat dispersion.

Thanks for giving me your thoughts!

Audiofn · 07-17-2008, 03:44 PM

IMO you are better off going with a pex style warming system instead of the heating matts. First off you do not have to worry so much about a breakage that I have been told are common in the electric matts. The pex works well if the ground does heave or shift. You fill it with patrolium glycol (sp) and it will not freeze if you turn it off. It is a lot cheaper to run from what I have been told. I have a friend that runs his tubes under the driveway then through a solar aray and back. All he has to do is run the pump most of the time unless it snows at night then he runs it with the heater for the house.

ACutAbove · 07-17-2008, 05:53 PM

Biggest problem with pavers is you can not plow over them, so you would be limited to snowblowing or shoveling....
How steep is your driveway? If iceing is a problem there are other ways of takeing care of ice than going thru all that expense. but with it not being paved, I assume it is hardpack now????
These products would not be good as they would defrost frozen hardpack and again run into the problem of tearing up a non frozen driveway..

07-16-2008, 03:48 PM	#1
Newcomers Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 74 Thanks: 83 Thanked 16 Times in 9 Posts	Local Concrete Driveway Company? Yes, I know its July and "Yes" it is warm! ....but the memory of parking m car at the end of the driveway and sliding groceries and other things down the driveway toward the house (Bowling for Casulaties!)is still fresh in my mind. I need to pave over my steep, stone driveway and have been thinking about a driveway with electric mats under it to melt the snow and give me a fighting chance next winter. I understand you can't heat an asphalt driveway? I prefer to use a local company that does good work and has experience in this area. Does anyone know of one?...or two???? Thanks for helping to keep me and others out of the orthopedic ward!

07-17-2008, 03:12 PM	#5
Newcomers Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 74 Thanks: 83 Thanked 16 Times in 9 Posts	How about Electric Mats??? I have oil to heat the home and a very large propane tank on the side of the house. Do you think electric mats might be less expensive to run? I saw a system on the Internet that automatically turns on when the snow starts...and turns itself off as well. I have thought about pavers too but I was cautioned they might be too uneven (rising and falling) given the amount of frost in the ground along with the heat dispersion. Thanks for giving me your thoughts!

07-16-2008, 06:23 PM	#4
ACutAbove Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Holderness Posts: 219 Thanks: 7 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	I have a customer with a heated paver driveway. Paver I assume would transfer heat just the same as concrete slabs (the slabs my even be more efficient????) But I know his system is oil fired and it works pretty good to get rid of the left overs as I like to call it from the snowblower. BUT it isnt cheap to run. I think it is a glychol system with pipes buried under the pavers. Did I say its not cheap to run??? To the effect of multiple thousands of dollers to run just that for the season. Pearsons is one of the local companies located over near winnisquam bridge And I think Carrol is the other big company around. You could also try East coat foundation see if they will frame it for you??? Just some suggestions..

07-17-2008, 03:44 PM	#6
Audiofn Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bedford, MA/Naples, ME Posts: 162 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	IMO you are better off going with a pex style warming system instead of the heating matts. First off you do not have to worry so much about a breakage that I have been told are common in the electric matts. The pex works well if the ground does heave or shift. You fill it with patrolium glycol (sp) and it will not freeze if you turn it off. It is a lot cheaper to run from what I have been told. I have a friend that runs his tubes under the driveway then through a solar aray and back. All he has to do is run the pump most of the time unless it snows at night then he runs it with the heater for the house.

07-17-2008, 05:53 PM	#7
ACutAbove Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Holderness Posts: 219 Thanks: 7 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Biggest problem with pavers is you can not plow over them, so you would be limited to snowblowing or shoveling.... How steep is your driveway? If iceing is a problem there are other ways of takeing care of ice than going thru all that expense. but with it not being paved, I assume it is hardpack now???? These products would not be good as they would defrost frozen hardpack and again run into the problem of tearing up a non frozen driveway..