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Keep Your Store's Parking Lot Clear In Winter With A Heated Parking Lot

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Clearing snow out of your store's parking lot during the winter is something you will likely do because you want your employees and customers to be able to get into the building. One thing you can do to get rid of ice and snow is to have your parking lot heated with a snow melting system. You might not be familiar with heated parking lots, so keep reading to find out more.

How Can You Have a Heated Parking Lot?

To heat your existing parking lot, you'll need to have electric cables put onto the lot and covered with brick pavers. If you have an old lot and were planning to repave it, the heating cables can be embedded into the new surface. The cables are attached to a sensor that communicates with a master control device that you are able to program. The sensor can detect when snow falls and will power up the cables so that the snow melts after hitting the ground. While most systems can run automatically, you can override the system when you want to.

Why Should You Have a Heated Parking Lot Instead of Using a Snow Plow or Shoveling?

If you are used to having your store's lot plowed by a driver or shoveling the lot yourself, you might not be convinced that you need a snow melting system to handle snow. However, there are compelling reasons to consider it.

Remember that the heated parking lot warms up automatically, in most cases. That means you can sleep in for a while longer instead of getting up to shovel. If you have someone plowing your lot numerous times throughout the winter, you may be able to save money, because after the heating cables are installed, you don't have to pay for regular plowing visits.

Also, when you shovel the lot, if you're like many people, you put down some rock salt as well. The chemicals in rock salt may degrade the lot's asphalt surface over time; heating cables do not damage the surface of your lot at all.

When Should You Have the System Installed?

The best time to have the cables put in is during the summer months, before you'll need them. As mentioned, if you are having a new parking lot installed on the site, it's a smart time to have the heating cables put in then as well.

Now that you know more about heating parking lots, get in touch with a snow melting services contractor. They will be able to help you determine whether this kind of system would be suitable for your store's lot.


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