Winter is coming up down here in Texas, and to us 60 degrees IS cold! While you may think as a South Texas resident you’re safe from damaging cold weather, there are still some precautions to keep your home safe from the winter freeze! Contrary to popular belief, it’s not rare for the temperature to get below freezing in the Houston/San Antonio area. We’ve compiled a list of a few things you should do to prevent a situation in which your home or property could be damaged during a freeze.
Plants and Shrubs: Plants are one of the most vulnerable aspects of your home during the winter cold, especially when those plants are accustomed to living in the Summer Texas heat. The life-giving water inside of the plants is known to freeze and actually kill the plant! Don’t let that garden you worked so hard to care for die after just one cold night! Find out when the temperature is supposed to go under freezing, and cover those plants up! You can use towels, old bed sheets, and really anything that would provide your plants a little warmth. That cover actually can make a difference of a degree or two, but their main importance is to block out the chilling wind.
Warm Clothes: While this may sound silly, many Texas residents don’t even think to keep a stock of extra layers handy! Make sure you have some sort of long sleeves, long johns, or thick coat so you can get out from under those bed covers and still keep warm. Whether you’re around the house, at work, and especially outside, make sure you cover up to prevent catching a nasty cold!
Cars: There are a number of things you should do to make sure you don’t put to much wear and tear on your car during the Winter, but did you know that car tires are more likely to become flat during cold and dry weather? Make sure to regularly check your tire pressure during the Winter. Especially when it has not been in use for a while. Also, remember to check your window washer fluid. In Texas, many car owners decided to use water instead of the washer fluid. If they forget about this in the Winter, the water is likely to freeze. Consider this when you skip buying washer fluid! Finally, batteries are known to die more often in the cold weather, get your battery tested to make sure you won’t get stuck without the heater on!
