Snowmelt Systems: The Hidden Investment That Pays Off Every Winter
Colorado is known for its world-class ski resorts, outdoor recreation, and stunning mountains; however, the harsh winters that create these breathtaking landscapes also bring snow and ice that must be managed in order for local businesses like yours to function year-round.
You can say goodbye to backbreaking shoveling, plowing, and salting for good with a snowmelt system. These systems offer more than the convenience of pressing a button and watching the ice melt away. Snowmelt systems offer several key benefits that can help you reduce overhead and increase predictability and profitability, and are a crucial investment you can make in your business.
Here are just a few of the ways a snowmelt system will benefit your business:
1) Enhanced Property Value
Installing a snowmelt system is an investment well beyond the present; it’s also an investment in the future should you ever change locations or sell off your existing property.
A snowmelt system can increase your property value without even pulling out the toolbelt. Because we design our systems to stand the test of time, it’s a desirable asset well into the property’s future.
Not to mention that alternative methods of dealing with snow, such as regular salting, can actually devalue your property by negatively impacting the exterior finishes of a building. Over time, salt can damage concrete, cause steel siding to rust, and block to discolor from exposure.
Because the snowmelt systems are installed underneath concrete, many clients choose to have them installed when they’re already planning to pour new concrete at their home or business.
We’ve found that the inclusion of a snowmelt system at the time of the concrete pour preserves the finish and enhances the life of the concrete. This works by eliminating the need to apply salt, avoiding scraping the concrete with shovels, and eliminating the need to hammer away at the surface with a pick to break ice. All of these snow and ice removal techniques cause early replacement of slabs and diminish the finished appearance of concrete during operations.
A snowmelt system in action
2) Increased Uptime
Every time you need to delay opening your doors, or it takes longer than normal to clear your property, you could be missing out on valuable business. Snowy and ice-covered properties deter customers and slow labor, preventing your business from keeping revenue consistent in the winter.
A snowmelt system will help you continue operations, regardless of what the weather is doing, with an accessible property that keeps customers safe (lowering risk of liability concerns) and maintains business as usual.
You can let go of the stress of whether or not people can safely access your building. Because how often will your property be accessible? All the time.
There’s a significant reduction in manual effort required to keep snow and ice clear, as your snowmelt system can get to work at the first sign of inclement weather.
3) Predictability
Just because your surroundings are unpredictable, your business doesn’t have to be! A snowmelt system brings certain factors under your control.
When your customers and employees can count on your property being clear and doors open for business, it generates a level of certainty and dependability they can trust.
But you have to make plans now to build predictability. It can’t be reactionary.
“Predictability doesn’t come from over-engineering a system. It comes from designing something operators can actually control consistently, across conditions and sites.”
– Aaron Voorhees Owner, ASLAN Corporation
4) Cost Savings
Salt and ice-melting chemicals damage concrete, and many are not even recommended for use during the first two years of your concrete’s life. Shoveling costs valuable time, and there’s no telling how quickly your property will get cleared if you utilize a service or rely on your staff to clear the sidewalks and parking lot, not to mention the time that requires your team to divert from other significant operational tasks.
While the overall cost-savings to your business is dependent on several factors that will vary from business to business, by our estimation in cold-weather markets, commercial properties routinely spend $50,000 – $100,000 per acre each winter managing snow and ice. Large destination assets and multi-building portfolios often absorb $250,000 to $1,000,000+ annually once labor volatility, repeated clearing cycles, chemical use, surface degradation, and operational disruption are fully accounted for.
Our snowmelt systems are a cost-saving investment that does all the heavy lifting, and you end up with more revenue in your pocket as a result. Remember, the most expensive winters aren’t necessarily the harshest. They’re the ones that are the least predictable.
We’ve installed over 100 Colorado snowmelt systems for client projects spanning schools, office environments, casinos, hospitality assets, car washes, and other high-traffic commercial properties. Our snowmelt systems are custom-engineered to fit your needs and built to withstand the toughest Colorado winters.
With over three decades of specialized expertise, we focus on energy efficiency, safety, durability, and automation to increase your property value, get you the maximum cost savings, and take ice and snow management off your hands.
