Protect your soil with the benefits of windbreaks during winter. Windbreaks are formations made up of hedgerows, trees or shrubberies planted with the purpose to provide a windshield and while protecting soil from erosion.

They are often implemented as hedgerows surrounding the edges of farms, or as trees or shrubbery in front of a home.

Here are just a few examples of benefits of windbreaks:

• Reduced costs: When designed properly, a windbreak can reduce the costs of heating your home, allowing you to save money on your energy bills. For many Canadians, the winter months are the most expensive time of year for utilities because of the long hours that the furnace runs continuously, so finding a way to reduce those costs is highly beneficial.
• Reduced carbon footprint: More natural heat preservation and insulation means less energy use, which in turn lowers your carbon footprint. Environmentally conscious Canadians are certain to appreciate this benefit.
• Less snowdrift: Windbreaks planted around a property can help prevent snow from drifting onto roadways, driveways or yards, which means less shoveling and snow removal costs.
• Irrigation: Farmers often use windbreaks to form & keep snow drifts on their farm land, which provides their crop zones with more water when the snow melts in spring. This means less use of water pumped in through irrigation systems.

Benefits Of Windbreaks

Windbreaks have been used in various forms for thousands of years—as long as humans have lived in cold, windy winter environments. They work because of simple aerodynamics.

When the wind encounters a porous obstacle such as a windbreak, air pressure in the area increases on the windward side while decreasing on the opposite side. Therefore, the airstream as it approaches the barrier is slowed down, with a good percentage of it being forced up and over the barrier. The rest of the airstream circulates through the barrier but at a much slower rate, and meets the lower pressure environment. The result is that the wind speed is minimized within a certain distance downwind of the barrier, which helps to keep the protected area insulated from the additional cold usually brought by those gusts.

There are many different ways you can implement a windbreak at your home, whether you opt for natural means (such as shrubberies and trees) or manufactured wind buffers. But one thing is for sure—a windbreak can give you a warmer home for less money and in addition to the other benefits of windbreaks.

For more information about how windbreaks work, contact us today at Soil Advocates.