“Dealing with the snow at this time of the year, you have got to get it away from the house as much as you can.”
Jason Bugiera with TLC Landscaping is pitching in with some tips for homeowners as Spring is coming.
With the positive temperatures in the forecast and the volume of snow around the region, residents are being advised to make preparations for Spring melt to avoid flooding.
Spring officially begins Sunday March 20th at 9:33 a.m. MST. Winter may have another burst on Sunday night through Monday. However, Tuesday’s forecast calls for plus seven degrees Celsius, according to Environment Canada.
Bugiera has been at the helm of TLC Landscaping since 2004 and has expertise in residential landscaping and snow removal. He says it’s important to get everything to flow around the house and away from the property, whether it’s hauling the snow around to the front or pushing it to the back of the yard.
With the volume of snow they have been moving a lot of winter’s frozen precipitation.
“We’ve been taking our machines in with either the snowblowers or the skid-steers and hauling the snow either around to the front or simply just hauling it away off the property. We haven’t had to do this for a few years, but now with this year, and the snow that we have had, we have had to go back to that.”
He adds that in the past month they have also been clearing snow off roofs.
With the freeze and thaw cycle, eavestroughs and downspouts may still be frozen. Bugiera recommends clearing the downspouts.
“Something that can be done is to keep the ice and the snow away from the downspout, where it leaves the house towards the bottom. I would take off the downspout and make sure they are free and then re-attach them. So that when it does start flowing, it gets away from the house and water isn’t dripping right along the foundation.”
He says to look at clearing the eavestroughs of frozen leaves and debris as temperatures continue to warm up.
Bugiera speaks about getting rid of the bulk of snow and ice and letting the sun and nature help in the process.
City of Lloydminster officials are also chipping in to help people be prepared to avoid any flooding.
- Shovel snow away from the foundation of your home and window wells to prevent seepage into your basement. Where possible, it is recommended to clear 2 metres from the foundation.
- Keep downspouts and eavestroughs clear and directed away from your home and foundation. Ensure they are directed toward the street overland to avoid the water pooling on sidewalks and creating icy surfaces at night.
- Check the function of your sump pump.
Homeowner responsibility
The City points out the responsibilities of homeowners with respect to existing bylaws:
- To maintain positive drainage on your lot away from structures without adverse effect to neighbours or public property.
- Ensure prohibited substances do not enter storm drains from your lot as there are substantial fines for the dumping or pouring material down storm drains.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers says,”There are many things we can do as property owners and residents to help prevent standing water in our neighbourhoods. I want to thank everybody for helping out and remind everyone to stay safe while doing so.”