Friday, February 05, 2010
Trusty winter tool in short supply locally
Photos by JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times
Willie Crowder (right) of Roanoke County checks out snow shovels for sale Wednesday at Northwest Hardware on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County as employee John Overstreet restocks the shelves. Shovels have been flying off the shelves at area hardware stores as the region prepares for its third major winter storm since late December.
Northwest Hardware on Brambleton Avenue received a shipment of snow shovels Wednesday. Charles Overstreet, who owns six Northwest Hardware stores in the region, says the cheap shovels that worked in years with little snowfall aren't cutting it this year.
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From today's paper
- Weather Journal: Storm likely to sprinkle more snow, less sleet
- Trusty winter tool in short supply locally
- Winter takes another wallop at Southwest Va.
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Robert Durant's aluminum snow shovel took its last scoop on Sunday afternoon.
Durant knocked the 10-year-old tool a few times against his Troutville driveway to shake off the snow and slush. Its wooden handle snapped at the bottom, where the long pole meets the wide blade.
"It just gave up on me," he said.
Snow shovels across the Roanoke Valley are taking a beating this winter. The tools, and the people using them, have not been exposed to the likes of nearly 30 inches of snow in eight years, the kind of winter precipitation that is atypical for Virginia and other southeastern parts of the country.
With another winter storm beginning today, people have been hurrying to replace their battered blades in time for the latest accumulation. Area hardware stores and some manufacturers can't keep up with demand for the snow-flinging shovels. And for more homeowners, snow shovels are becoming as important as a lawn mower in the spring and a rake in the fall.
"We're used to having dinky snows, so the cheap shovels have done great through the years," said Charles Overstreet, an owner of six Northwest Hardware stores in the Roanoke Valley and Clifton Forge. "The cheap shovels are breaking."
Since late December, two major snowstorms have slammed the Roanoke region. The first brought a foot of snow the weekend before Christmas. At least 9 more inches of snow came last weekend.
As a result, snow shovels are getting a harder workout than in past winters and suffering from three common overuse injuries, hardware store owners say.
The handles snap in half. The blade curls upward. And the handles break loose.
Some shovels are wearing out because they've had little action in recent winters. Many sat unused inside storage buildings for years, exposed to damp or hot weather.
"They get old, and the wood deteriorates," said Bucky Wampler, co-owner of Hammerhead Hardware in Salem.
"I haven't had to use mine in the past few years ... This year's been just unreal around here," he said.
Though most hardware stores aren't in the snow shovel repair business, some of Wampler's customers are buying garden shovel handles to cut and substitute for a broken snow shovel handle, he said.
Typically, people buy new shovels when the old ones wear out. Wampler has already sold more shovels in the past two months than he did during a previous big storm in 1996.
Lightweight plastic shovels start at $7 at some stores. The price for some heavy-duty shovels is as high as $50 at other shops. Able-bodied shovelers can reduce the risk of damaging a shovel by using the right tool at the right time and in the correct manner.
Start shoveling soon after the snow stops falling. That's when it's lighter, Overstreet said. Waiting too long can destroy a shovel.
"What tears the shovel up is when it gets compacted and there's ice underneath," he said.
And don't try to scoop a big load of snow at one time. Joe Moses, owner of Melrose Hardware in Roanoke, suggested shoveling halfway down into a snow pile and working slowly through the heap, to reduce the amount of weight on the shovel.
"People are trying to go down to the ground and lift 14 inches of snow," Moses said. "The handle may not be strong enough." Steel shovels usually withstand heavy snow, and a spring blade shovel prevents curling at the edges, store owners said.
Plastic shovels perform best in light snow, while a square-point shovel used for various outdoor maintenance works well for chopping ice, said Ray Oyler, who manages Ralph Via Hardware in Roanoke.
"That's one of those 'the right tool for the right job,' " and it's true for shovels, he said.
Before snowplows, one of the earliest snow shovels was invented in New York in 1870, likely made of cast iron or steel, said Bernard Mergen, author of the book "Snow in America," and a professor emeritus at George Washington University. Before that people used farm or coal shovels to move snow.
Eventually, specialized shovels, including aluminum and plastic versions, were invented by both men and women, he said.
Heavy banging and old age likely caused the demise of Durant's aluminum shovel. But he didn't have much luck finding a heavy-duty version earlier this week. He wanted an ergonomic shovel, which has a bent arm and would be easier on his back.
Instead, he visited at least six hardware stores on Tuesday, and eventually landed a plastic shovel at Home Depot.
Similar to Durant's quest, replacing a damaged snow shovel locally might not be easy.
On Thursday, snow shovels at area Home Depot, Lowe's and Northwest Hardware stores were going fast.
Hammerhead Hardware in Salem sold out of shovels this week.
"The manufacturers, their warehouses are empty," Wampler said. Now, they're making spring tools, he added.
