HARRISBURG, Pa. — Winter storms can bring icy conditions not only on roads and highways, but even right near your home.
Russell Hornung, owner of Hornung's True Value Hardware in Harrisburg, said he knows the risks winter storms can bring and prepared his store his with a number of winter supplies.
Hornung was stocking up on road salt since October, and he wont let the shelves run out.
The day before the winter storm on Thursday, Hornung said he already sold over 500 bags of salt and deicing chemicals, and a large number of shovels.
Even though Hornung's store is stocked up, he said that people should not wait until the last minute to get supplies.
"Get it ahead of time and be safe," said Hornung. "Start the season early, so you don’t have to run out when the weather gets really bad."
There are many different types of salt that customers should be aware of before they start spreading away.
Rock salt is inexpensive and great for blacktop driveways. However, customers should be warned that rock salt could ruin concrete because it refreezes at high temperatures, said Hornung.
Fast-acting ice melters come in a variety of brands, and is usually a mixture of sodium chloride and magnesium or potassium chloride. Hornung said customers should make sure not to spread over the recommended amount labeled on the package. Too much of that could damage soil and groundwater.
Hornung also said there are some instances where road salt is not even necessary. If a customers driveway or sidewalk has been paved less than 6 months, they could probably skip the salting.
Hornung explained there are of different snow shovels customers can find to meet their winter and physical needs. Some shovels have a handle that is ergonomically safe for weak backs, and others that can handle a lot more snow for easy and safe transportation.