Estate Snow Management: Protecting Your Landscape Investment Through Winter

Winter is Not the Off-Season

If you spent $50,000 or more on a custom landscape, winter is when that investment is most vulnerable. Improper snow removal cracks stone, salt burns plantings, and ice dams destroy retaining walls.

At Cavemen Landscapes, winter management is not an afterthought — it is an integral part of our year-round care program.

The Threats to Your Landscape

Salt Damage

Rock salt (sodium chloride) is cheap and effective on ice. It is also devastating to natural stone, concrete pavers, and any plant material within 3 feet of application. We never use rock salt on premium hardscaping.

Plow Damage

Steel plow blades on stone driveways and patios cause scratching, chipping, and edge damage. One pass with a steel blade can undo thousands of dollars of masonry work.

Ice Heaving

Water that pools against retaining walls and freezes can generate over 40,000 pounds of pressure per square foot. Without proper drainage, this force moves walls.

Our Winter Protocol

Pre-Season (November)

• Stake all driveway and patio boundaries with reflective markers
• Document all vulnerable plantings and stone edges with photos
• Apply anti-desiccant spray to all broadleaf evergreens
• Wrap sensitive shrubs in burlap
• Shut down and blow out irrigation systems

During Storms

• Zero-tolerance trigger: We mobilize at first accumulation, not at 2 inches
• Rubber-edged plows only on all hardscaped surfaces
• Calcium chloride brine pre-treatment (safe for stone and plants)
• Hand shoveling around all masonry features, steps, and walls

Post-Storm

• Inspect all stone features for displacement or damage
• Clear snow load from evergreen branches to prevent breakage
• Ensure drainage paths are clear to prevent ice dam formation

Heated Driveways: The Ultimate Solution

For clients who want zero snow on their driveway, period, we install hydronic or electric radiant heating systems beneath pavers. The system detects moisture and temperature, activating automatically before snow accumulates.

Cost: $15-25 per square foot installed

ROI: Eliminates all plow damage, salt damage, and slip liability

Protecting Your Investment

A proper winter management program costs a fraction of repairing salt-damaged sandstone or replacing a retaining wall that shifted from ice pressure. Think of it as insurance for the landscape you built.

Contact us to discuss a year-round care program that includes winter management.