Ottawa Tires

Posts Tagged ‘Snow’

Probably the last thing on your mind right now is sitting on the patio in your favorite chair, the sun shaded by your table umbrella, sipping a mint julep. Instead, you are wondering when you will be able to get around to winter-proofing the house to keep the heat in, if your snow blower will be able to make it through this season and where you left your snow tire chains. It may be dismal right now but in a few (long) months the sun will be rising late again and your patio will be begging for your company.

There are few joys comparable to a summer morning lounging on your patio set with a bloody mary, the cicadas buzzing and Spike lolling in the grass. Make that picturesque scene reality and take advantage of the amazing deals that are to be had on patio furniture during these bleak winder months. Many popular patio furniture shops online are slashing their prices during these off months and many big box retailers like Sears, Home Depot and Target are trying to make room for winter products by offering half off, or more, for their summer patio furniture, chairs, tables, and other accessories.

It may be hard to even think about it now, but you can save a lot of money if you order your patio furniture in the off season and store it until summer. A simple trick I’ve learned is to buy in the off season and store the furniture still in its box in a safe, slightly heated area of your home. Be careful not to store any glass like a glass patio countertop or end table in your garage or cold basement during the winter as the freezing temperatures could cause it to crack or even shatter. Keep your recently purchased furniture safe from the elements and theft and it will be waiting in its box, like new, ready to be unpacked and set up once the snow clears.

The beauty of many online patio furniture shops is that they often have a warehouse full of materials that they are trying to get rid of before the new season selection arrives so they can often have almost unheard of deals. Besides be able to get great deals on last season’s patio furniture, online shops save you the trouble of having to trudge out in the snow to the store and drag your parts home. Order online and the parts will be delivered to your door and ready to be stored until the season ends.

For those who have already purchased new patio furniture make sure to protect it during the winter remember that heavy snow accumulation on a patio table can put pressure on the glass and break it. Strong winds can also take down tables, chairs and other furniture so either make sure your furniture is safely secured or you disassemble and bring it inside to keep it like new. The warmer season is really just right around the corner. Keep your head up and start shopping for your new patio furniture online to give you something to look forward when you are staring out your window at the newly accumulated five inches of snow.

Winter camping can be an amazing outdoor experience. There is truly nothing like camping in a sea of beautiful, fluffy snow. But if you’re planning on going camping this winter, you’ve got to take a lot of extra precautions to make sure you’re staying safe and warm. Before you head out, make sure that you do plenty of research on the best places to set up camp. Once you’ve narrow down a location, there are a few other things you should keep in mind. Check out my tips and suggestions below.

What you need to know when driving your car during the winter months, it’s important for you to know all the features on your car very well, especially during winter. Because when you are presented with rain, ice, fog and slippery roads, your car will react much differently then at other times. So what will you need to know when you are driving in hazardous condition? I’ll give you 5 tips below to help you .

#1 How driving at a lower speed will decrease your chances of an accident

This is one of the simplest things we can do. Unfortunately we all have busy lives and are always in a hurry. There are so many things like getting our kids to school or going to work, grocery store, repairs on the car and much more. Usually we are always running behind schedule and the first thing we do is speed up. This is a huge mistake especially when it first starts to rain and the oil from the surface of the ground comes up and that makes for a very slippery road and increases the chance of you getting into an accident.

#2 How leaving your headlights on gives you more visibility

This is another simple thing you can do to ensure the safety of you and everybody else. Studies have shown that driving with your lights on will increase the chance of another driver seeing you earlier and helping to avoid an accident.

#3 How applying your brakes slowly will prevent your car from sliding

Make sure to never slam your brakes while driving in the ice, rain or snow. If you do slam your breaks, then your car will be sliding all over the road because your tires will lose traction. If you live in the mountains where it snows a lot then it is best to get snow tires VS the all season tires and use chains for even better traction.

#4 How to be careful regardless of the type of vehicle you drive.

The reason I say that is because some people that have bigger cars or that have four wheel drive vehicles think “I will be ok if I drive fast and change lanes recklessly” but you have to realize that your car is also heavier and if something happens, it will cause a bigger accident. The bigger the car the harder it will be for you to handle and for you to break in time, especially in a wet environment.

#5 checking your tires

Make sure that you have a mechanic check your tires and see if they are ok and they are not bald on the side or in the middle. Tires are very important for you especially when it is raining, because when the tires are bald and you drive on them they do not hold to the ground and you are more likely to sliding all over the road and lose control or your car.

Make sure during the winter time that you try and go with some of the basic information that I have given you. This will help you and others on the road.

Winter weather is far different from any other season in the year. It is the period when snow and ice is all over the ground producing a beautiful scene and fun times for kids. It is likewise the time when we need to exchange those regular tires for something that will serve to shield us and our cars as we drive.Snow tires are fashioned with some of the best technology in order to allow us to handle our car as we drive over icy and snowy roads. Without them we run the chance of driving off the road and injuring ourselves or maybe ruining the car. When winter is coming up it is about time to go shopping.You will need to buy four snow tires for your vehicle. There is a belief that only two are required but this is not true. For the safest drive all four wheels need to be exchanged. To understand which type you need you will be able to search in the manual that comes with your car or you may get hold of the dealership which you bought it from.If you plan on exchanging them yourself than ensure you are in an area that is safe and where your vehicle will not be able to roll forward or backwards. To help stabilize it you can put a brick or log in front of the tires.Utilize the jack and lug wrench that come with your car and remove the hubcaps. To know how to operate the jack you can read the vehicle’s manual. Make sure to raise the car from the ground to give you plenty of room to interchange the snow tire. Once you have completed the job you will set it back on the ground and secure the hubcap. In order to ensure that they are put on right you should take them to your dealership for inspection.

This is the third in a series of articles containing useful pointers for coping with frost, ice, and snow while you travel by vehicle. The correct tires can make the difference between an enjoyable trip and a hefty towing or hospital bill.1. Summer tread tires are not meant for icy or snowy conditions.

When the temperature dips, so does the traction capability of summer tires. The material used in the manufacturing process loses elasticity and grip as it gets colder. This means that summer tires do not perform as well in freezing temperatures, even on dry roads.2. All-season tires work well in some areas.

If you only experience an occasional mild snowstorm, you might be happy with all-season tires. However, they don’t perform as well as good winter tires. Their composition and tread is a compromise that provides decent handling and traction in a variety of conditions. Busy drivers who don’t have the time to change their tires twice a year will often swear by all-seasons.3. Real winters demand real winter tires.

If you have ever been stuck in a snow bank, you appreciate how much time and inconvenience it requires to get a tow. A car that slides into a snow bank can just as easily careen into oncoming traffic, over an embankment, or into a pedestrian. For safety’s sake, a change to winter tires is a good investment.4. Choosing the correct tire requires some forethought.

There are various types of winter tires. Analyze your driving patterns (fast? slow? heavy on the brakes?), travel routes (uphill and downhill grades? tight curves? gravel vs. pavement?), and other factors that might affect tire performance and needs.

a) Performance Winter Tires

Performance winter tires are responsive on dry winter roads – but their traction is not as good on ice and snow as some other types of tires. The treads tend to be a bit soft; these tires should always be changed in the spring in order to preserve tread life.

b) Snow and Ice Studless Tires

These tires will give better traction than performance winters, but the handling will not be quite as responsive.

c) Winter Studded Tires

These are good-quality winter-tread tires embedded with 60-120 small metal studs per tire. The studs, composed of a very hard metal like tungsten carbide, protrude slightly above the tread surface. This provides superior traction on ice and snow. However, studs also dig into pavement – and they are banned in some areas. If you plan a long trip, be sure to check the regulations regarding studded tires along your route.5. A tire professional can help you to sift through the choices.

Nothing can replace competent advice from a good tire technician. However before you pick a tire shop, consider the following:

a) Does the tire business have a good reputation – or does a check with the local merchants’ association or Better Business Bureau reveal a number of consumer complaints?

b) Do you know of anyone who has used the shop and can provide first-hand recommendations?

c) Are the tire shop’s certifications, licenses, and permits prominently displayed where customers can see them?

d) Are the service people properly certified? And are they experienced?

e) Will the shop honor your vehicle warranty?

f) Do the shop technicians have experience with vehicles of your model and year?

Inventors and manufacturers are continually trying to design the ‘perfect tire’. An online search for ‘tire patent’ will bring up over 1 million pages in Google. Who knows – maybe the perfect tire will be on the shelves next year! In the meantime, do your research, and get the most suitable tire for your driving style and weather conditions.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.