How To Winterize Your Car in 8 Easy Steps

Posted on November 16, 2022November 8, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Winterize Your Car. You know freezing conditions can be dangerous. Here’s how to be well-prepared if you need to take the car out when snow and ice coat the roads.

Popular Mechanics | BY MANASEE WAGH | NOV 4, 2022 | Winterize Your Car | Shield Auto Insurance

It’s November, which means now is the perfect time to get outside and start prepping your car for the ice and snow ahead. We put together a list of eight easy ways to winterize your car and stay safe. Our first three tips concentrate on your car’s tires, since rubber meeting ice presents the greatest potential hazard. The rest are simply good practices that will help you maintain your vehicle over time and prep for the worst-case-scenario.

Even if you follow all of our instructions to the letter, remember to make smart decisions depending on the current and forecasted weather outside. Make sure you know how to drive in different winter conditions. And finally, if you plan a road trip and wake up to find a blizzard approaching, consider postponing the drive unless you must travel for an emergency.

1. Switch to Winter Tires or New All-Season Tires

Winter tires don’t harden in the cold, so they have better traction on ice, slush, and snow. If you live in an area not normally hit by heavy snow, you may decide to stick with all-season tires—but you should still give those tires a check-up.

Get out a pair of thin rubber gloves and run a hand over each of your tires. “The tires are really going to make a difference in your ability to get around in inclement weather,” EricTheCarGuy explains on his YouTube channel. He recommends checking for abnormal wear, bumps, or spots that “catch your hand,” which are all signs that you should probably check your alignment, too. If a tire is worn out, change it. If you’re not sure if your tread is worn or not, you can use a handy tool called a tire tread depth gauge. Alternatively, you can stick a penny into the treads, with Lincoln’s head facing down into the tire. If you can see the top of his head, get those tires changed right away, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Also remember that tires become harder on their surface from repeated heating and cooling over the seasons and years. Cars with apparently healthy treads can have poorer traction than you think they do. So when in doubt, swap those tires out.

2. Check Your Tire Pressure to Winterize Your Car

Make sure your tire pressure is correct, as stated in your owner’s manual, the tire placard located on the driver’s side door jamb, or in your car’s digital status center. For every 10 degrees Fahrenheit that the temperature drops, you could see a gain or loss of 1 pound per square inch of pressure. That’s because air molecules pack together more closely when the temperature drops. As the air becomes denser, the pressure it exerts on the interior tire walls drops. Make sure you’re refilling your tires whenever they’re a little low to maintain good traction and durability.

3. Put Chains On Your Tires in Extreme Cases

Chains should only be used while driving on snowy or icy roads. Never use chains on bare pavement, or they could cause damage to both your car and the road; Pull over and remove them if that’s the case. Check out this handy how-to video from the Oregon Department of Transportation about installing winter tire chains and how to correctly use them.

4. Install Winter Windshield Wipers to Winterize Your Car

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Ice Dams Create Roof Danger

Posted on February 4, 2020February 7, 2025 by Shield Insurance Agency

You may be feeling cozy and warm in your home as the snow serenely falls outside. But, up on your roof, a dangerous situation could be forming – one that can compromise your roof and lead to water damage inside your home. It’s all the result of an ice dam. If you live in a snowy area and you’re not familiar with what an ice dam is, it’s imperative that you read on.

What Is an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms along the edge of your roof and prevents snowmelt from running off. It often occurs because heat from the attic warms the middle of your roof, causing snow to melt. When that runoff reaches the eaves, or overhang, of your roof, the cooler surface temperature (there’s no heat rising from inside your home to this part of the roof) can cause the water to refreeze. As this happens over and over, an ice dam forms, preventing melted snow from running off your roof.

Do Ice Dams Cause Damage?

Yes, ice dams cause the water from melted snow to back up under the shingles of your roof and into your home – the water doesn’t have anywhere else to go. This can damage your roof, not to mention your interior. And, remember, water damage can lead to toxic mold inside your home.

How Can I Prevent Ice Dams?

An easy way to help prevent ice dams is to keep your eaves, gutters, downspouts, and drains clear. This way water can drain away from your home as the snow melts on your roof. It’s ideal to have your gutters cleaned out before the snow season even begins. While you’re at it, install gutter screens for added protection.

Here are some other ways to help prevent ice dams:

Keep your attic cool. Proper insulation between your living areas and attic will help keep warm air from escaping into your attic and warming your roof. Ideally, during a snow storm, your attic won’t be more than 10 degrees warmer than the temperature outside.
Remove snow with a roof rake. Only if you can safely do so, remove accumulated snow from your roof using a long-handled roof rake, a specialized tool for clearing roofs, that won’t damage your roofing material. Do this from the ground. Never climb on top of a snowy roof.
Update your roof with materials that help prevent ice dams. These include a rubberized, water-repellent membrane underneath the shingles and a heating cable along the eaves. For either installation, consult a professional.

Ice dams may not be the first thing you think about once the snow stops coming down. After all, there’s the sidewalk and driveway to clear. But, for the sake of your roof and the integrity of your overall home, it’s important to keep an eye out for this winter roof danger.

So, how can you spot ice dams? Icicles may be a sign of ice dams, a buildup of snow and ice along your eaves that blocks water runoff. Discolored ceilings or walls may indicate that your ice dam has turned into a leak.

Remember, in the midst of this harsh winter, it’s important to keep your gutters clear, your roof updated and an eye out for the signs of ice dams. If you suspect trouble, call a trusted roofing contractor at once.

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Winter-Wise Protection

Posted on December 17, 2019February 7, 2025 by Shield Insurance Agency

Is your home insurance winter-wise? Protect your home from the ravages of winter.

Michigan winter can bring burst pipes, leaky roofs, and costly structural damage. Is your home at risk? Ice dams and frozen water pipes are the main culprits.

Ice Dams

Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris, snow, and ice to facilitate the flow of runoff. Use a roof rake to keep buildup to a minimum.
Evaluate your attic’s insulation and ventilation. Use R-38 value insulation in northern climates. Vents promote airflow under eaves and soffits; a cool, dry attic in turn curbs the formation of ice dams.

Frozen Water Pipes

If you think turning the heat down low while you’re away will save money, think burst water pipes and thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

Insulate pipes susceptible to freezing.
Shut off and drain water from the garden hose and pipes leading to outside faucets.
Show everyone how to shut off the water in case pipes burst; when going away, drain and shut off the main water supply to your home or business.

Winter Car Hacks

Posted on June 22, 2019August 30, 2023 by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Winter Car Hacks | Auto Insurance |

Winter Car Hacks

Every winter I vow to be better prepared for all the unique challenges that winter driving presents but never really have gotten my act together. This year I vow to do things differently! To that end, I am making my list of handy tips and tricks and checking it twice! You can take a peek at it too!

Here are some of the most unexpected and helpful winter car care tips I have found to help survive winter driving:

Fixing foggy windshields

Cold months often mean constantly being plagued with fogged-up windshields and windows, a dangerous condition if you’re on the road. To quickly clear fog without leaving a smudgy mess behind, keep a chalkboard eraser in your car.
Alternatively, rolling down the window and letting some fresh air in will quickly defog windows.

Fog-PROOFING your windshield

Put shaving cream on the inside of your windows and then wipe it off. Shaving cream has a lot of the same ingredients that commercial defoggers have, and it leaves a layer on the window to keep the fog off.
Fill a stocking with kitty litter which absorbs water and keep that in your car overnight.
Before you turn your car off each night, open the windows and let cold air in. The moisture from you breathing in your car will be replaced with dryer air.
Don’t leave water bottles or other drinks in your car because the water becomes frost on the inside windows of your car.
Also, the AC is one of the best defoggers around. The compressor takes the humidity out of the air.

SOCKS in the GLOVE box
Tons of people swear by this trick! During winter, keep a spare pair of socks in your car’s glove-box to put on OVER your shoes. This trick gives you better traction in case you have to push your car over ice, or you just need to walk in snow and ice for some reason.
Spare socks are cheap, compact, and always useful. Plus they’re convenient as a makeshift cloth in a pinch.

Socks as windshield wiper covers
Those extra socks can also come in handy for your wiper blades. Use an extra pair to cover your windshield wipers at night to keep the snow off of them. Raise the wipers off of the windshield and cover them up for easier de-icing in the morning.

Wiper blades are frozen to your windshield
Soak a soft cloth with full-strength rubbing alcohol and wipe each blade. The alcohol will keep the blades from sticking to the window so they’ll function properly even on the coldest day of the year.

Ice-Scraper in a pinch
If you find yourself with frozen car windows but no ice scraper, you have a couple of options – grab a spatula if you’re at a home, or use any plastic card in your wallet to get under the ice and scrape it away. Hopefully, you’ll never forget your ice scraper again! 🙂

Mother Nature’s windshield defroster
Whenever you can, make sure to park your car facing east. Since the sun rises in the east, it will naturally defrost your windshield in the morning so you won’t be stuck scraping ice in the cold. With this trick, you should be able to use your windscreen wipers to do the not-so-heavy lifting for you.

Cheap and easy DIY de-icer
If parking facing east isn’t possible (or the sun isn’t cooperating)…mix three parts vinegar with one part water and spray the mixture onto your windshield to prevent ice from forming.

Keep plenty of windshield washer on hand
Here is an easy do-it-yourself recipe using basic household ingredients – Homemade Windshield Washer Fluid.

De-ice frozen car doors, locks, and handles
There are several clever ways to do this:
Heat your car key with a match or lighter, then gently push the heated key into the lock to melt the ice as you apply pressure. Just be careful as that key will be hot!
Another option is to take a regular drinking straw and blow it directly onto the frozen lock. The heat from your breath should melt the ice in no time.
Rubbing your key or door handle with a squirt of hand sanitizer will have the same effect. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer will melt the ice and shortly allow you to unlock your car.

Keep doors from freezing
Sometimes putting WD-40 in the keyhole before the winter will keep any ice from forming in there in the first place.
Cooking spray in the cracks of your doors and on the rubber will prevent them from freezing shut at night. Water that melts during the day runs in between your doors and freezes, but cooking spray keeps the water from resting in the cracks in the first place.

Frosty side mirrors
To prevent ice from forming on side mirrors, cover them the night before with plastic bags secured with rubber bands or clothespins. When you remove the bags in the morning, the mirrors will be ice-free.

Increase headlight visibility
With the harsh weather and road conditions, headlights are especially important during the winter. Cover each light with toothpaste and rinse off with warm water. This will drastically improve the clarity of your lights and is MUCH cheaper than the kits they sell at the store that provide the same service.

Headlight protection
For added clarity, apply a layer of wax after you’ve removed the toothpaste. It will keep snow and water from sticking to them for weeks!

Keep your car’s “underthings” clean!
Make sure to clean your car often during the winter, as de-icing products can damage a car after prolonged exposure. To clean all the dirt, salt, and ice off the more difficult-to-reach under-carriage, run a lawn sprinkler underneath the car on a slightly warmer day. Just slide it under your car and drive back and forth over it. It will work wonders.

Easy ways to get un-stuck
Keep keeping a couple of twenty-pound bags of kitty litter in your trunk on snowy days. They’ll put some weight on your back tires — which is great for traction if you have rear-wheel drive — and if you do get stuck you’ll have something to provide a little traction. Just spread some under the tires and under your feet. A small shovel is helpful as well.
Another great trick for getting your car out of a snowbank? Your floor mats. Take out a floor mat and use that under the spinning tire. Place your front floor mats under your tires to give you some traction when on an icy surface. Just don’t forget to pick them back up after you get moving.

And a few more Winter Car Hacks

And finally……A quick & easy emergency kit
Hopefully, you’ll never have to use it, but if you do, it could be a lifesaver!
Unzip a winter coat.
Inside, place extra socks and underwear, knit hat, gloves, scarf, and snow pants.
Zip the coat back up.
You now have a compact emergency cold outfit.
Also – a candle and some matches (it will heat your car and add light,) a warm blanket, charged mobile phone, hand/foot warmers, flashlight, a bottle of water, and energy bars are, necessities if you do any kind of winter driving more than walking distance from civilization.
Now we should all be better prepared to face whatever driving challenges winter has in store for us this year!

submitted by Joe