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From safety equipment to supplies for honey-do lists, the coronavirus spread has prompted an uptick in business for local hardware stores.

Various hardware stores in town, including Lawrence Hardware, have seen a recent surge in sales. People are buying everything from bleach to dust masks in order to be prepared.

“It’s mostly been preparation materials,” said Lawrence Hardware owner JB Roberts. “People buy things for what they think is going to be a lengthy shutdown.”

But, people are also buying supplies for home improvement repairs and projects, those often called “honey-do” lists that are getting more attention with businesses and schools closed and many state employees on work-from-home schedules.

“People are continuing to work,” Roberts said. “Our paint department, so far has had the biggest month that we have had.”

While professional contractors are busy working, people of Troy are also getting busy on completing projects.

“A lot of people with this virus going on are working remotely or not at all,” Lawrence manager Adam Sanford said. “They are starting home projects. They are sitting around and noticing things that they can do.”

Jeff Parish is one of those shoppers. He and his family moving into a new home where they hope to add a shed in the back yard. They are using this time to work as a family in order to get the project done.

“This gives me time to do the honey-do things around the house,” said Parrish, who was shopping at Lowe’s on Monday. “This is something that my wife and I and my little girl can do together. We got the shed moved in and we want to close it in so it doesn’t get too hot in the summer.”