The Garage Owner’s Winter List

The change in season every year brings more rain and snow to areas around King of Prussia, PA, and Lansdale, PA. It’s a concern that most homeowners have to deal with if you want to make sure your home is protected. Most of the time, dirt, water, leaks, small rodents, and other concerns make it into your house via the garage. Although your garage door had proper seals when it was initially installed, it takes a beating from regular precipitation, sun exposure, and other forms of wear and tear. Over time, your garage door sealings wear down and create tiny gaps that water, cold air, and even small critters can get under or through.

Paying attention to your sealings isn’t the only thing that will help you get through the winter. There are steps every homeowner can take to help prevent emergencies and unnecessary damage from occurring. Here are some things you can do to keep your garage in good condition and avoid any property damage.

Garage Door Weatherstripping

The best way to prevent weather-related before winter hits weatherstripping your garage door. It’s one of the most common aspects of garage door repair because the seasons never stop changing, and maintenance services are just a part of owning a home. A reputable repair service will come to your home and assess the condition of your garage door before talking to you about what needs to be done to weatherstrip your garage.

On a very basic level, garage door weatherstripping involves garage door professionals inspecting the sealings around the garage door to make sure there are no gaps or cracks that make your garage vulnerable. When your sealings are in poor condition, you expose yourself to higher utility costs because it will require more energy to heat your home. It also opens your garage to harmful water leaks that can pool and damage your floor or get into your drywall. Weatherstripping is an easy way to give you peace of mind.

Give Your Garage a Good Cleaning

This tip doesn’t involve a professional garage door company. It’s something you can do on your own that will help you get through the winter in better shape. Before the weather turns, you should go through your garage to clear out any debris and remove clutter that you don’t need anymore. People naturally start tracking dirt and grime into the garage. After all, people want to get inside as quickly as possible out from the cold. Staying clean isn’t high on the priority list. Get a head start by cleaning before things get uncomfortable outside.

Check the Garage Ventilation System

This may not be an obvious concern to many homeowners, but you need good ventilation in your garage even during the coldest of winters. Why? Because you need to make sure the air has a way to get out of your garage to prevent excess moisture build-up that can cause damage. When it’s cold outside and you turn on the heat, it’s going to mean you have more condensation that ultimately turns into moisture. When the moisture is allowed to collect unchecked, it can cause mold and mildew in your home. That could have negative health effects for anyone inside. It can also be expensive to remove and repair any mold-damaged drywall or vent systems.

Get your vents cleaned before winter hits to guarantee that air has a clear path out of your garage. That will prevent excess moisture and stop mold growth in its tracks. If you know where your passive vents are and can get to them easily, this is a task you can handle on your own. However, there are vent cleaning services that can come and take care of maintenance for you at a reasonable cost as well.

Repair Any Garage Door Damage

We’ve already touched on weatherstripping, which involves the rubber sealings around your garage door. Many garage doors, though, have cracks and holes in the door itself that also should be repaired to prep your home for winter. You may want to consider asking a garage door maintenance company to come to inspect your garage for small cracks and holes that need to be fixed. Even though a small hole may not seem like a big deal, if your garage door has several of them from things like kids kicking a ball into it or accidentally bumping it with your car, then they could be letting moisture and cold air seep into your garage.

Many homeowners also have their dryer vent coming out from via the garage. It’s important to check the sealings around the vent as well as things like electrical outlets and any garage windows to make sure you’re not exposed.

Regulate Your Garage Temperature

In addition to keeping the cold air out, homeowners should take steps to proactively increase the temperature when necessary. Every garage is different. Where your cars are positioned, how much storage you keep inside, and even your property’s layout will affect how cold things get, or how much moisture is allowed to accumulate. Keeping your garage warm enough during the winter months involves a bit of trial and error to get things right and protect your home.

Here are some things you can do to regulate your garage temperature:

Install a Garage Heater – You can buy a specialized garage heater that will blow hot air around your garage to fight off moisture buildup. The heater you’ll need will depend on how large your garage is, so it’s a good idea to consult an expert at your local home improvement store or professional garage service. In general, gas heaters are cheaper, but require proper ventilation because the gas fumes will need somewhere to go. Thankfully, that’s a step we’ve already covered in this article! You can avoid any fume concerns with an electric heater but expect to pay a premium and you’ll have higher utility bills when you use it.

Insulate Your Garage – Many garages do not have good insulation. That makes keeping them warm during the winter more of a challenge. Get your garage ready for winter by installing additional insulation. Good insulation will make using your heater more effective as well. Insulation kits can be purchased at a local home improvement store, or you could hire a service to do it for you.

Move Things Around – Now that you’ve got a heater installed and your garage is better insulated, you can make sure your heating system is working optimally. The way you store your boxes, place that shelving unit and stow the bikes all have an impact on how well your heater will work and where moisture can accumulate. You’ll need to keep an eye on where moisture is accumulating as winter hits and rearrange the contents of your garage to dismantle any moisture centers. You also need to make heating your garage more efficient by ensuring your heater can easily push warm air throughout the entire garage.

Winterizing a garage takes some work, but it’s well worth it. You’ll avoid winter emergencies like water leaks or a rodent issue that can be incredibly frustrating. Take action now to make your life easy during the holidays.