By
Olivia Hoj
How to Prepare Your Garage for Winter
Summer temperatures are finally cooling off and the sun sets slightly sooner each day. Fall will be in full swing before we know it, which means there is work to do in preparation for winter. Depending on where you live, you may experience cold weather and snowfall during the winter. In order to protect your garage from seasonal harm and keep your floors, door, and equipment in top condition, it is important to prepare for the colder temperatures.
The tips we will discuss below, will go a long ways in helping prepare your garage for winter. Proper preparation and maintenance for your garage will help you extend the life of your equipment and keep things in the proper working condition.
Read on to get 5 suggestions on how to prepare your garage for winter
Article Index
- Inspect Your Garage Door
- Seal Your Flooring and Door
- Reorganize Your Equipment
- Create Better Insulation
- Invest in Winter Materials
Inspect Your Garage Door
In order to protect your garage door and the contents inside, be sure to thouroughly inspect it for any signs of wear and tear. It is important to look closely at the weatherstripping on the door to make sure there are no openings to the inside of the garage. Damaged weatherstripping can lead to pests or water inside your garage. If you are unsure of how to fix weatherstripping, contact your trusted garage door professionals for help repairing.
You should also ensure that your garage equipment is properly functioning. You can view our article here about performing routine maintenance. This routine maintenance is great to ensure longevity of your garage and operating system. Fall conditions are often the most ideal for spending time outside performing this maintenance.
Seal Your Flooring
Colder temperatures and snow can lead to damage on your garage floors. Keep in mind that cities use salts to melt the snow and ice on the roads. Your car will track these salts into your garage, and the salts can start to wear down and destroy your garage floors.
This is why it is a smart idea to seal your floor off from destructive substances and elements. The current top solution to do this is often known as epoxy. There are resources out there to assist if you are looking for a DIY solution for epoxy. Check out our article to help you successfuly epoxy your garage floor and save money with a DIY solution.
You should also consider purchasing mats to help prevent any slipping or falling in the garage. These mats can help to absorb unwanted water on your garage floors and can also be a great solution for wet or snowy shoes and equipment. You may also consider purchasing an inexpensive squeegee broom to help push out any unwanted water that may collect in your garage.
Reorganize Your Equipment
Reorganizing and cleaning your garage is important to complete the other tasks on this list. Think about it, the last thing you want to do is spend time organizing your garage when it's cold out! Reorganizing your garage will allow you to take inventory of the items in your garage and determine what needs to be stored better for winter or winterized. For example, it’s best to winterize your equipment like your lawnmower and be sure not to leave old gas in the system all winter.
Reorganizing also allows you to reposition items in your garage that could potentially get water damage from melting snow off a car. You could also consider donating any old or unwanted items to help make space for necessary winter items like shovels, snow melt, snow equipment, etc.
Either way, getting rid of unwanted items will help create a safer and more accessible garage environment. You should also evaluate what liquids you are storing in the garage such as paint, bug spray, gas, etc. Liquids can explode when they freeze and cause potential issues. Items susceptible to freezing should be disposed of or properly stored inside.
Create Better Insulation
Another piece of advice for preparing for winter has to do with ensuring proper garage insulation.
In order to prevent unwanted pests in your garage and keep your garage at the proper temperature, you need to search for any cracks or damage in your garage or on your garage door. For cracks in some areas, caulk or expanding foam will do the trick.
For your garage door, it’s best to contact a garage door expert to perform any repairs. This is especially true when dealing with the springs of your garage. They are under considerable amount of tension, and individuals are know to be injured if unproperly trained.
Invest in Winter Materials
There are several items that most people can’t live without during the winter months. We have mentioned a few already in this article, but let’s review. For snow removal, consider a snow shovel, snowblower, car broom/scraper, and ice melt.
Each of these items come in handy and will help prepare you for when the snow storm hits. If you’re an individual who spends a lot of time in the garage in the winter, consider purchasing a space heater. A space heater is an affordable option to provide heating in the garage when necessary. Be sure to read the directions in order to responsibly use one.
Conclusion
We've provided several suggestions on how to prepare your garage for the winter months. However, if you’d like more expert advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Monarch Door. We have teams of professionals that can answer questions and help walk you through the process of choosing the perfect garage dor for winter and performing any repairs or maintenance before the weather turns south. Good luck preparing for the winter months!