It's Winter. Do You Know Where Your Shovel Is?

A good shovel, ice melt, a lantern-style flashlight, weather stripping and plastic are among the basics that Brentwood’s general manager, Stuart Presley, recommends homeowners have on hand to weather the winter.

We’ll start with tools. There are shovels and then there are snow shovels. 

Presley recommends a combination type of snow shovel — one that can push as well as scoop. One popular model has an ergonomic design. It has a bent frame. “Users don’t have to bend over as far,” he said. It’s easier on the back.

Although plain rock salt may be the most economical ice melt, it is not best used around your house. “Rock salt will etch concrete,” Presley said. It will make little indentations like pockmarks. “It’s good on asphalt; tough on concrete.”

Presley recommends an ice melt that combines sodium and potassium. It’s more expensive than rock salt, but it is safe for concrete, plants and animals, he said.  It also melts at a lower temperature and is effective up to -5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another ice-melt option is calcium chloride.

It costs more but is faster acting than the sodium and potassium blend. “A lot of municipalities and businesses use it,” Presley said. Although it’s also safe around plants, concrete and animals, Presley recommends a pet-friendly snow and ice remover, like Paw Pal, for those with four-legged friends.

Pets need to stay warm too

Veterinarian Dr. Nina Tobler at the in Brentwood agrees. “It won’t irritate the paws, pads or skin of animals,” she said. Nor is it toxic.

She also suggests booties for dogs during winter. Dogs can get ice between the pads of their paws, Tobler said. “Our pets are pampered little creatures,” she said. And just like their owners, dogs can also benefit from wearing a coat. 

“If it’s raining or really wet outside, dogs can’t keep their temperatures. They need to go inside as soon as possible to get warm and dry,” Tobler said.

“If your dog can’t go inside (the house) for whatever reason, make sure they have a shelter. A warm, dry doghouse with lots of bedding,” she said. A heated water bowl is also a good idea. 

Keep pets inside in really cold weather as dogs and cats, especially those with upright ears, can get frostbite. The tips of the ears have less vascular activity and are more prone to frostbite, Tobler said. 

Keep the cold out of your home

Just as pet houses should be warm, so should their owners’ homes.

Presley of Westlake Ace Hardware recommends weather stripping around doors and plastic on older, wooden frame windows to keep the draft out. He also suggests a small, battery-operated lantern-style flashlight in case there is a power outage. It sheds more light. 

Jeff Probst, owner of , offers a few more suggestions to make your home winter worthy. “Have a professional do a clean-and-check on your heating unit so it’s operating at its capacity,” said the Brentwood businessman. 

Use the least expensive air filter and change it once a month. Probst believes that pricier air filters that last longer can actually clog up and, consequently, stall air movement.

He also suggests a smoke and carbon monoxide detector in the same room where the heating unit is located. “In the utility room or basement,” Probst said. It can provide an early alert to a potentially lethal problem. “Outside or in the bedroom could be too late,” he said.

Disconnect garden hoses, turn off the water valves that feed outside water spigots and drain them to prevent frozen pipes.  Exposed pipes that are next to outdoor walls should be wrapped or covered in heat tape.  “And turn up your water heater a little bit when the temperature is below freezing,” Probst said. In spring, turn it back down.

What about the car?

Cars, like houses, need to be prepped for winter and Gary Parks of Maplewood’s shared some advice too.  

“Number one: Don’t forget to put air in your tires,” said Gary Parks, owner of the auto repair facility. The fluctuation in temperatures causes cars to lose air in tires. 

Check them when they are cold, not after you have driven them on the highway for 30 minutes, Parks said. “We tell people to check their air pressure every other time they fill up with gas.” 

Take your car to a garage before winter. “Have your oil changed, your belts, hoses and fluid levels checked. Any garage can also tell you when your spark plugs should be replaced,” Parks said.

Don’t forget to use anti-freeze but keep it away from animals. It’s toxic and causes kidney failure.

You also may want to toss in a couple of bags of plain sand in your trunk if you have a front-wheel drive vehicle. The extra weight helps your car bear down on the road and could prevent you from fishtailing on slick spots.

An ice scraper, a key-lock de-icer, and windshield wiper fluid are also winter essentials. Make sure the wiper fluid has de-icer in it: a ‘bottle of blue’ seen at a lot gas stations does not, Presley said.

Above all, be ready for winter weather. “Prep now,” Presley said. “Don’t wait until the threat of a storm."