How do I protect my interlock driveway from snowplow damage during Ottawa's long winters?

Snowplow damage to interlock driveways is a real and common problem in Ottawa, where we deal with roughly 200 cm of snowfall annually and plowing runs from November through April. Both city plows catching your driveway apron and private contractors plowing your driveway itself can cause issues.

City Plow Damage at the Apron

Ottawa city plows frequently clip the end of driveways where they meet the road. The steel blade catches the edge of raised pavers and can pop them out, chip corners, or shift entire rows. To protect against this:

• Install a concrete or natural stone transition strip at the road edge. A 12-inch-wide strip of poured concrete or granite setts is sacrificial — it absorbs plow impact instead of your pavers. Cost: $500 to $1,200 for a standard driveway width.

• Set the apron pavers flush with or slightly below road level. Pavers that sit even 5 mm above the road surface act like a speed bump for plow blades. Your installer should use a string line and level to ensure a smooth transition.

• Use bull-nosed or bevelled pavers at the road edge. The rounded profile deflects plow blades rather than catching them. Techo-Bloc and Unilock both offer bevelled-edge options.

If you hire a snow removal company to plow your interlock driveway, insist on these protections:

• Rubber or polyurethane plow edges instead of steel. These flex over minor paver irregularities without catching. Many Ottawa snow removal companies serving neighbourhoods like Kanata, Stittsville, and Nepean now offer rubber-edge plowing specifically for interlock and stamped concrete clients, though it may cost $50 to $100 more per season.

• Snow stakes or driveway markers placed along both edges so the operator knows exactly where the driveway ends and garden beds begin. A set of 10 fibreglass markers costs $30 to $50 at any Ottawa hardware store.

• Plow height set to leave a thin layer of snow (about 1 cm) rather than scraping to bare pavers. This prevents blade contact with paver surfaces and joints. The remaining film melts quickly or can be treated with salt.

Aggressive plowing scrapes polymeric sand from joints, especially at direction changes where the blade digs in. Before winter, inspect all joints and top up any that are low. Some Ottawa contractors offer a pre-winter joint inspection and top-up service for $200 to $400, which is cheaper than full re-sanding in spring.

Edge Restraints Are Your First Defence

Solid edge restraints — aluminum paver edging or concrete curbing — prevent the outermost row of pavers from shifting when hit by plow blades. Check these annually in October. Loose or damaged edge restraints should be repaired before snow season.

After-Winter Inspection

Every April, walk your driveway and note any shifted, chipped, or raised pavers. Catching problems early — before spring rains wash out exposed bedding sand — prevents small issues from becoming expensive repairs.

Connect with interlock maintenance and snow removal specialists through Ottawa Driveways to get your driveway winter-ready before the first snowfall.

---

Looking for experienced contractors? The Ottawa Construction Network connects Ottawa homeowners with qualified professionals:

• Homeupgraders
• JC Carpentry
• Rrenovatios
• M.O.T. CONSTRUCTION INC.
• Elie The Carpet Guy Inc.