MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — As the cold weather persists, a local hardware store is sharing some ways you can winterize your home.
- To keep your home warm, you can cover your outdoor pipes with styrofoam, or plastic covers. In a pinch you can also tie a towel around the pipes.
- You can also use window and door sealers to keep your home insulated.
- It's important to remember the 4 P's during cold weather, People, Pets, Pipes, and Plants.
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
“The very first thing we have at our store is ice melt, just sprinkle it all around your steps where you walk out of the house — maybe where you walk in front of your car anywhere you’re likely to step — you want to put this for protection," Norma Dagley said.
This will provide protection against slipping on ice.
Norma Dagley manages Circle Hardware and Lumber, and she put all the products to protect your pipes from freezing at the front of the store.
“We’ve got our faucet covers right here, of course, the least expensive ones are these Styrofoam ones," Dagley said.
"Then you have the plastic ones, then for your outdoor pipes, and your attic pipes, we’re got the pipe insulation."
“They’re very inexpensiv — they go from $2.19 to $2.99 — a small investment and a small amount of time — but you get a big return because your pipes wont freeze."
Other things you can pick up to keep your home warm include, heaters, door and window sealers, and to help keep your plants and pets warm — you can pick up a heat lamp.
A few things to remember when talking about cold weather and chilly temperatures are the 4 P’s — people, pets, pipes, and plants.
After you have your home ready for the cold, it’s a good idea to prepare your car.
According to AAA, you should get your battery tested.
To make scraping ice off your windshield easier, you can add a repellent like Rain-x or ice and frost shield — do not pour hot water on icy windows, this can cause them to crack.
Also remember to maintain proper tire pressure, and to keep you gas tank at least half full.
You should also prepare an emergency kit with jumper cables, an emergency phone set up with important contact numbers, blankets, water and a flashlight with extra batteries.
