Monday, November 8, 2010

It's Not Too Soon to Start Panicking about the Next Storm!

The Washington Post reports on people spending fistfuls of money to stave off snow-related disaster.  How can you spend your money with winter still a month and a half away?
  • "Installing heat tape in a W or Y pattern along the roof at the gutter's edge and into downspouts costs between $500 and $1,000..."
  • "Ice and water shield installation costs about $500 to $750 for an entire roof." 
  • "To stop the escape of heat, homeowners may want to install new fiberglass insulation ($500 to $1,000) in the attic or blow-in foam insulation, which is more permeating ($2,000 to $5,000), Burgess said."
  • "You can pay as little as $250 for a small electric plug-in snowblower, $400 to $500 for a decent gasoline-powered blower that can easily clear most sidewalks and smaller residential driveways, and up to $1,500 for a ride-on machine than can blow the snow some 50 feet."
  • "Lower-priced gasoline-powered rollaway units that can be stored in a garage or shed until needed cost between $600 and $2,500." 
  • "[A] whole-house stand-alone generator...can be installed in a permanent location for a total price of $7,000 to $8,000."