While making our AKB home enhancements, we often have to park our trucks or trailers in out of the way locations in order to prevent damage to a driveway or landscaping.  This reminds me of the damage a lot of us do to our driveways in the winter by shoveling and improper salting. Here are a few tips to reduce the impact of getting the unwanted off of your driveway this winter:

• Plastic
  Using a plastic shovel instead of a metal one might not only save your back, but a few years on your driveway too. Metal shovels can easily chip and gouge, making existing or small cracks wider. Cracks are the enemy. Once water freezes in a crack it expands, further separating and possibly breaking the stone. The edge on a plastic shovel is a little more forgiving.
• Pavers
  If your driveway is surfaced with paving stones, be careful not to dig your shovel or snow blower into any stones that may have risen or shifted during the freeze. In the fall, give your driveway a good walk over and try to take care of any problem stones before the freeze, tamping down any raised stones or replacing cracked ones.
• Concrete
  Instead of plain rock salt, consider using a less damaging de-icer like Calcium Chloride. Also, if your driveway is concrete, make sure to seal it every three to five years.
• Gravel
  For gravel driveways, it’s actually better to shovel when it’s the coldest. When snow begins to melt and moisten the surface of the gravel driveway, it is easy to pick up some of the smaller material that acts as a binding agent to some of the larger rocks. Shoveling when everything is frozen helps prevent that.
• Snowblowers
  For those using a snow blower—keeping the blades about a half-inch from the surface will prevent any major damage, while still clearing out the bulk of the snow, regardless of your driveway’s surface.

Interested in a FREE Granite Countertop?

Stop by Booth 111 at this year’s Indianapolis Home Show and register to win.
We encourage you to stop by and hello as you’re making your way through the show—but if you just can’t wait, you can fill out your entry in advance on our Web site here:

affordablekandb.com/freegranite-homeshow10

AKB will be at Booth 111 for the Indianapolis Home Show this year.

See all the details, exhibitors and events and get your tickets at the Home Show’s Web site:
www.indianapolishomeshow.com

I haven’t turned on the furnace yet, but believe me—I’ve thought about it. This time of year is unique because it reminds of how relative temperature can be. A 50 degree day in October can feel like the South Pole, but a 50 degree day in January would have me dusting off the golf clubs. So, before it gets to be winter-coat-weather all the time, it makes sense to make sure your home is prepared for the winter.

Many homes now have programmable thermostats that allow you to designate home climates for different parts of the day. By using a programmable thermostat, you can save around $180 dollars a year, so it makes it a no-brainer investment (You can find them for as little as $25 from Amazon. EnergyStar.gov has some effective guidelines for setting temperatures for different parts of the day.

You should also make it as easy on your heating system as possible. Grab a tube of caulk and give your house a walk around, making sure windows and doors are sealed properly. Don’t forget about where your satellite or cable feeds into your home, as well as dryer vents, phone lines and water hoses. It’s also not a bad idea to evaluate the insulation in the attic. Better insulation in the attic is always a good investment because it makes it easier on your heating and cooling system to moderate the temperature of your home—saving energy and money.

So do yourself a favor and get out while you can without the coat and gloves. Programmable thermostats will go a long way to save energy and money, but make it easy on your system by sealing up leaks and drafts.