The upcoming Winter Storm Jonas is the first storm of 2016 set to hit the Northeast this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, the DC area is expecting up to 2 feet of snow and high winds that could deeply impact homes and businesses.
Extreme weather can take its toll on your home, so as you and other homeowners across the East Coast are preparing emergency supplies and stocking up before the weekend, keep in mind these easy steps you can take to keep your home safe during the imminent blizzard as explained by Ace Hardware’s Home Expert Lou Manfredini. Lou’s tips are designed to keep every home in shape, despite the inclement weather:
- Frequent shoveling is a necessity. Depending on the amount of snow your area receives, it’s always a good idea to clear a path from the front and back door to your home occasionally.
- Severe cold switch: During bouts of extreme cold temperatures, switch your heater from auto to “fan on” to constantly circulate warm air throughout the home, which will maintain a consistent warm temperature in your home and use less natural gas or electricity.
- Prevent freezing. In areas of the home where pipes are prone to freezing, such as a bathroom on an outside wall or basement, turn the faucet on slightly to allow a trickle of water. Moving water will keep the pipes from freezing.
- If your pipes do freeze, remove any insulation and wrap towels around the pipes to absorb moisture during the thawing process. Do not use a blowtorch to thaw frozen pipes, slow thawing works best to prevent them from bursting.
Looking for some go-to winter storm products? Manfredini recommends these — all available at Ace Hardware, of course!
- Safe Step Ice Melt – $18.99
- True Temper Snow Shovel – $26.99
- Toro Power Curve Snow Blower – $199.99
