# driveway grade and cracks



## mccutheon (Jan 7, 2016)

I recently moved into my first house, and my mother in law has offered to give us money to purchase a snow blower. She'd prefer new, but we are second hand hunters and love kijiji and craigslist. She's cool with this, and is happy for us to keep the difference between the 1000 she offered, and what we pay. I live in [Halifax, NS](Halifax NS Snowfall Totals & Snow Accumulation Averages - Current Results) and that link suggests we get around 72 inches a year. 

My concern is that my driveway might be too steep/narrow to safely and comfortably use a snowblower. It leads down to a basement level, you can see in the picture, that it is roughly 10 ft wide, runs for 25 feet flat, and drops 4 feet total (grade of .16 ?). In addition, you can see that there are some cracks in the driveway, and its at its biggest at the bottom of the driveway where there is spot with a height differential of about 2.5 inches, shown here, but that picture is not great. 

I suppose ultimately I'm curious if the dimensions and condition of my driveway even warrant considering a snowblower from a safety and practicality perspective. If so, then I'm curious if there are recommendations for various configurations or set ups based on the driveway I've described. Happy to spend what it costs to do it right and safe, but also happy to walk away.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

welcome to the forum !! if you arent concerned about " marks" on your drivway, chains work well, a couple of markers to remind you where the cracks are could help with that, or spring for a set of armor skids! ( cant see your pics tho)


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

I think I would be looking for something like a tracked Honda 724 or Yamaha 624, would you be keeping the snowblower down there


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## ztnoo (Nov 26, 2015)

> spring for a set of armor skids!


DITTO

Put them on whatever machine you decide to buy.

That's one nasty ramped drive down to the garage.
I don't see any kind of drain or grate for water run off down there.
That's a garage flood just waiting to happen! Yikes!


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Before investing in a blower I'd be looking at some ice gripper boots or something. You can use a snowblower there. Far from ideal conditions but it should be a small two stage with an impeller kit to make sure you can toss it over toose walls and a little way beyond. Nothing bigger than a 26" machine and i my humble opinion that's pushing it. Something like a Toro 521 .


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## ztnoo (Nov 26, 2015)

Well, your pic displaying your description of a 2.5 inches differential is really pretty poor, IMHO.....see below text.....but having looked at the pics and reassessed the topography, I'm going to assume the height differential is between your garage floor apron and the actual bottom of the driveway concrete slab. With what I view as a very precarious drainage situation to begin with, if that's the case, and the drive is lower than the garage floor apron, that's a damned good thing.
If things are cracked up down there which would allow water runoff, that's a very good thing. Orientation in relation to north/south and sun exposure is important too regarding runoff drainage.

You've lot some tough site logistics there at your new home.
I agree a smaller, higher powered, impeller kitted snowblower would probably be what you need for your situation.

Good luck!
Please keep us informed.

Regards,
Steve


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## Flexin (Oct 24, 2015)

I think a snow blower would be needed for that. In a bad winter like last year, tossing snow over that wall and the growing snow bank you would build. You would want to get to it as soon as possible and not let it ice up. 

James


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## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

id steer you towards nothing wider than 24inches... and it MUST be able to toss the snow UP and away.. honda and yamaha come to mind here.. used machines.. well it all depends ow old they are.. but dont be suprised a used honda fetching a bare minimum of 500 bux if its at all still dependable.. now.. given that your budget is capable of engulfing that price tag.. by all means bargain hunt on kijiji


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

not sure of the pics , but if those leaves etc are down by the basement door get rid of them asap. any new-ish blower will work, but you will have to clean up a bit with a shovel ( keep that basement drain OPEN always !!)


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I would get a two stage snowblower 21 to 24" wide leaning more to the 21". One with enough horsepower to move the snow at least 20' an impeller kit (diy job)and chains or track blower should work out fine.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

O.K been looking at this all day... some honest and hopefully constructive comments:

My friend ztnoo is right I think... this looks like a disaster waiting to happen. During a rainstorm there has to be hundreds of gallons per hour of water going down there, and in the winter, in a good snow, that gets drifted right closed I think. Neither of which are going to come to a good end someday. Not without an underground many thousands of gallons drainfield and a way to get it all back up to street level and out the storm drain/other.

What signs of water have you found in the basement, if any...? I'd love to be wrong but. Is it finished/furnished down there?

To me it almost looks as though that driveway and (basement?!) garage and lower entrance doors were cobbled in as an afterthought... no? Forgive me if I err, but that cracking pattern in the drive and its humped appearance indicates frost heave, suggesting that the concrete there is a not too thick, improperly laid add-on. And the brand-new doors down there may have been a selling point... but why did they need to be replaced? I bet the old ones got wet... a few times.

I'd like to see a picture of those doors/header system from the inside, would tell tales...

Sorry I know it's your new house and all; the intent is not to find fault, but Solution. And perhaps improvement.

IF this were my property, and of course just speaking from those couple of pics... but. The first thing I would do is get rid of those doors, block it back up, seal the foundation/basement walls, restore the grade and make a level driveway.

Then you could get any snowblower you wanted.


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## mccutheon (Jan 7, 2016)

*follow ups*

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies. Let me follow up.

sidenote too: I have no ego when it comes to suggestions/criticisms/discussion/etc about anything at all. I'll take any opportunity to hear what someone has to say, process it, and learn from it. I'm learning more and more about this stuff everyday over the years, and I love hobby/interest/work discussion and back and forth.I love free advice!

-Markers are a good idea, and chains seem like they be a simpler alternative to tracks. Armor skids seem quite practical.

-I intended to keep it in the garage. Its currently a manually locking/opening garage, but I intend to install an automatic opener.

-Here's a follow up pic, halfway down the driveway . There is a drain in the middle, in front of the door, and what appears to be s shall trench. We haven't gotten any water in the garage (even with heavy downpours), but the back door to garage is different story...

-Ice gripper boots sounds like a good idea. Small two stage with impeller kit.

-Apologies on the quality of that crack pic, It was garbage and I really shouldn't have bothered posting it. Here is a followup. Very interesting comments about runoff and drainage.

-Wanted to rid it of snow as fast as possible is the goal. Between our street parking bans, and the orientation of the driveway, I'll be out blasting as soon as possible. It was quite shocking when we moved into the house because the former owners hadn't cleared the driveway at ALL. 3 foot bank sidewalk to property line, and a filled in, frozen driveway. I think it took 3 men, all day to clear it out before we moved in. Glad it worked out, they were good about it when we brought it up.

-My first car was a 1999 Honda accord, and I loved the community and accessability around the machine, learned to replace pads/rotors/alternator from youtube and boards like this. I have respect for their older machines and brand. I wonder if the newer cars are still great?

-Took a rake and shovel to the drain earlier today, and I'll go and do some further clean up

-Beastly 2 stage 21" -ish snow blower with impeller kit seems to be a popular suggestion.

-(This is in response to large post by Yanmar Ronin)

Thanks for the lengthy, informed response! So the door shown in the picture doesnt appear to have any water damage, its actually quite clean down at the bottom of the frame. Similarly, there hasn't been any water coming under the garage door since we've been here (that weather stripping looks rough, I'll fix that). The driveway, garage, and 2 rooms above it were additions. The age of additions escape me, but I have it around somewhere. As mentioned above, the back door to the garage leaks like crazy during a rain storm, into a square cut drain in the back corner, which also has a drain running to it from the middle of the garage. We have not solved the leaking back door yet. I've stupidly been avoiding it, and finding other things around the house to do. Door will need to replace when the flooding problem is resolved. Neither the basement or garage are finished, though I'd like to shore them up tight in the coming years and then finish the basement.

In terms of closing up the foundation, filling in the area, creating a new flat driveway? Yup, thought about it, still thinking about, and a compelling argument would likely sway me. But ****, so much money. 

I feel like I'm learning so much so fast about a lot of things, including myself with regards to floating around in my new, first home. I originally wanted a garage (it was on my list of wants, probably due to a building interest in woodworking and beer making, and that it would be a useful thing for bringing large items into the lab/gym/basement) but I'm looking back, thinking, man, I must've been on buyer's high to think that driveway/garage was a slam dunk. All the same, its been useful here and there, and we're having great fun with it all.


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## 1894 (Dec 16, 2014)

Welcome to the world of home ownership :wavetowel2: It sounds like you are willing to learn, because you* will* learn a whole lotta things with your first house . I know I did, and still am learning from some of my mistakes :icon_whistling:

Lot's of good advice regarding chains / tracks , and getting some kind of studded / micro spike / crampon something for your feet ( can you use studded tires for your car there ? ) . I imagine that you will also be buying a lot of ice melt stuff to keep that slope ice free.
On the house itself , is the house built on a slope so that you walk out level from the back side of the basement / garage ?


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

Sounds like you are getting plenty of good info.

One bit I can chime in on if you do decide to look at ice cleats for your boots to help with traction, take a look and see if you can find some "Stabilicers".

Over the years and ice fishing.....I have tried everything from the el-cheapo slip on ones with the cleats up front (uncomfortable/unnatural walk pattern and only have traction on the ball of your foot) yaktrax, those other ones with the little plastic yellow/blue discs that have a fine point....and from a comfort and safety standpoint on ice.....the only one's I'd recommend are the "Stabilicers" I can wear/walk all day in them with no issues...and they do a superior job of gripping any iced surface and they last. There are plenty of postmasters in MN that use these throughout the winter for good reason.

32 North® STABILicers™ Ice Cleats - 127960, Boot & Shoe Accessories at Sportsman's Guide

Link above is just for reference.

Steve


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

well it is a good thing that you have a garage or you would need a shed for the snowblower and lawnmower and all the other tools for yard destructions


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

a toro 421 getting a workout


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## ztnoo (Nov 26, 2015)

mccutheon,
Glad you are open to posted opinions.....which may also include some criticism.
Maybe what we point out and make comment on can afford you more background and judgement about situations you may encounter as a first time home owner.

I was in residential and some commercial construction all my adult life, so I've seen a lot of projects and buildings and developments....the first class stuff, the acceptable stuff, the cobbled together stuff, and the utter nightmare stuff.
The whole gambit.

Your drain pic isn't very enlightening. I think its the light level, the moisture, the vegetative debris (looks like some heavy duty moss or lichen growing down there). Honestly if there is a drain grate there in the drive slab, I frankly don't see it. Try again to show us what that drain really looks like.









Given your topography, you are going to have to do your due diligence to keep that below grade area as clear of snow and water as possible. You are fortunate those areas are not allowing water entry currently. I am curious about the other door area you mention, which I assume is somewhere opposite the wall your garage and entry door are on. If you have the advantage of a gravity drain situation to a creek, stream, or storm drain, maybe that can largely alleviate your problem around the door.
Shoot us some pics and maybe we can help you evaluate your situation.

Welcome to home ownership. For better or worse, it involves active engagement and awareness of the structure and property. It will make you a better, smarter individual and citizen. That's a great thing!


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