How Can I Get My Garage Ready for the Cold Weather?
Q: How can I get my garage ready for the cold weather?
A: The cooler months and shorter days of fall are upon us and it won’t be long before winter will arrive. Now is the time to prepare your garage and garage door for winter. The following tips are a few important things you’ll want to make sure to do before the cold, blustery winds and snow arrive.
Seal the Garage Door
You can check the seal on the door during the day. Close the garage door and shut off all lights inside the garage. Look for any gaps where light is coming in around, above, under, or in between the door panels. This tells you the door is not sealed. There should be weather stripping around the entire door and you shouldn’t see any light coming in from outside if it is sealed correctly. Make sure to have the door properly sealed and replace any missing or damaged seals, garage door panels, etc.
Lubricate Moving Components and Parts
Whether you have an automatic opening garage door or have to open and close it manually, you’ll want to make sure all of those moving components and parts are well-lubricated. Lubrication will help prevent the parts and components from seizing up once temperatures drop below freezing.
Schedule a Garage Door Inspection
Your garage door has several moving parts and components that could fail in the winter. Now is the time to have a professional check your door to verify everything is working correctly. The last thing you want to experience is to having your garage door get stuck open on a snowy winter day.
Replace the Garage Door with a New Insulated Door
If you’re tired of the coldness in the garage when getting into your car or retrieving other items, you might want to replace your existing door with a new insulated garage door. The insulation not only helps keep the garage warmer, but also could help lower the heating costs for your home too!
Reorganize Your Garage
This is more of a general “housekeeping” tip, however, it’s an important one you’ll want to do now. Move any snow shovels, your snow blower, rock salt, etc. out of the location where you buried these items last spring. Make sure they’re easily accessible because you’ll need them at some point this winter, like after a large snowfall blocks your garage door and the snow needs cleared away.