DIY Radiant Snow Melt System

The days of shoveling your driveway, walkway or any other concrete path in your yard are over. You could have a system professionally installed but doing it yourself could save you a considerable amount of money. While several DIY radiant snow melting systems require installation before or during the actual pouring of the concrete, there are a few systems that can be retrofit into existing concrete. Installing a retrofit unit is much less intrusive and about half the cost of adding an entirely new system.

Measuring tape
Spray paint
Wet saw
Power washer
Heating element
Jumpers
Backer bar
Caulking

Instructions

- 1
  Measure and mark off parallel lines every four feet in the existing concrete or asphalt with spray paint.
- 2
  Cut 1/4-inch wide grooves at least five inches deep in the concrete with a wet saw. Also run a perpendicular groove every 12 feet to accommodate jumpers and electrical elements.
- 3
  Clean out the grooves with a power washer to remove any debris that may be left in the grooves.
- 4
  Lay out the electrical heating elements in the grooves. In any place that you need to go from one area of concrete that is separated by grass to another, use a jumper to connect the two without losing the charge.
- 5
  Place backer bars over the top of the heating elements to help with the transmission of heat to the caulking above.
- 6
  Caulk the grooves with a special heat conducting caulk.
- 7
  Hook the heating element up to the power source.

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