Snowy Front Steps? A High-Tech Solution Will End Your Shoveling Forever

Winter in the United States is culturally revered for its cozy vibes, bringing to mind images of sitting by the fire enjoying a warm drink, watching old Rankin/Bass movies, and peeking outside at the fluffy layer of snow blanketing your yard. Reality, of course, is not always so idyllic. More often, the snow will serve as an inconvenience at best and a roadblock at worst, regardless of whether you drive to work. Even though average snowfall totals have decreased over the last century, data compiled by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows over 100 inches of snow have fallen in regions including New York, Colorado, and the Great Lakes since 1990. Shoveling this snow the old-fashioned way takes a lot of time and can prove dangerous, with thousands of injuries reported by emergency rooms every year. If you're thinking there has to be a better alternative to shoveling snow, you're right: heated ice-melting mats might just be the answer.

There are dozens of products on the market designed with the expressed purpose of laying out the equivalent of a radiator rug on highly trafficked areas, such as your standard front porch steps. These range from Liberty Electric Products' electric stair treads to more integrated pieces like ThermoSoft mesh wires, meant to be installed within your concrete driveway as it is poured. However, the leader in this marketspace is undoubtedly HeatTrak, whose reasonably priced standard walkway mat is a great place to start.

Interested in putting your shovel away forever? Here's what you need to know about these snow-melting mats. 

One of the biggest concerns with shoveling your front steps or driveway is the unexpected weight of snow that has started to melt, as lifting this too much can cause strains on your back and shoulders — especially if you're working with the wrong posture, while cautiously maneuvering atop slippery ice. 

An evenly heated rubber mat solves this issue by melting the path of snow and ice from the top and bottom; in fact, HeatTrak recommends turning on their mats before snowfall begins so every flake melts before having the chance to build up. It promises that any leftover water will either evaporate or run into the surrounding snow, leaving a non-slip surface that can be outside for the entire winter. These snow and ice-melting mats also use low voltages to operate, and so shouldn't have a substantive impact on your utility bills at the end of the season. Just keep in mind that heating pads do need to be plugged in, and thus can't be set very far from your home without something like the outdoor outlets you might use for Christmas lights.

HeatTrak also proclaims its product to be a non-toxic, eco-friendly alternative to typical snow-melting compounds you might spread around your home. In contrast, calcium chloride — the common de-icing salt — has shown to be toxic to fish, amphibians, and plants in substantial quantities, as well as causing gastrointestinal issues in dogs.  Calcium chloride is also damaging to even hard surfaces like concrete and metal.

The standard heating mats sold by HeatTrak are incredibly portable, being little more than a durable, textured heating cover for your walkway that can melt upwards of 2 inches of snow per hour, secured with grommets and powered via a waterproof cable.  Up to 13 amps can be connected with a single HeatTrak power unit, meaning you can get more extensive coverage by linking a series of snow-removing mats across your porch. Note that the mats are sold in different sizes and different prices, so you'd have to measure the porch and determine how many units work for you. This product is easy enough to lay out at the beginning of winter, and then roll back up for storage as spring arrives.

When it comes to stairs, HeatTrak sells specifically sized mats for your outdoor staircases, to avoid any icy falls. The possibilities don't end there — there are even driveway mats that give your car a clear path to traverse, though these obviously cost a bit more. All of these accessories can be activated via digital assistants like Alexa, helping you start to warm your surroundings before you leave the house. 

Nearly 70 percent of United States citizens live in snow-prone regions, which means plenty of homes have reason to go beyond common shoveling alternatives like snow blowers or throwers. And while it's forever important that you know how to correctly shovel snow without risk of injury — since, you know, these mats won't work in a power outage — these high-tech solutions definitely are a great time-saver to give you more time inside, to enjoy those cozy holiday vibes instead of hurting your back.