Why Winterize Your Garage?
Winterizing your garage door can go a long way towards keeping that icy chill out of your car in the morning. What you may not know is that, keeping your car warm isn’t the only reason you should winterize this season. The joints and hinges on your garage door can suffer from the extreme temperatures as much as you.
Without adequate preparation, the winter climate can also take a heavy toll on all of the tools stored in your garage, not to mention your wallet. Waters and gels left in equipment can freeze. The freezing can cause irreparable damage and end up costing a lot more than simply winterizing the area. Luckily, with a bit of preparation, you can turn a freezing garage into a comfortable work area.
There are a few simple things that you can do to protect yourself against winter woes.
Clean Springs and Wheels – The springs and wheels in your garage mechanism will lock up in the cold. To make sure this doesn’t happen you should wipe of the old lubricant and dust with a cloth and apply a new coating. When you lubricate the wheels, be careful not to get any on the tracks. This will cause the wheels to slide on the tracks instead of rolling.
Check Your Weather-Stripping – Over time, the weather-stripping around the garage entrances can become worn. When these worn edges get stuck in frozen water they can tear. You could end up with even less protection from the cold than you started with. You should head over to your local hardware store to purchase new weather stripping.
Insulate Your Garage Entrance – After all of your weather-stripping is up to date, you might consider insulating your door. The insulation creates a thick border of climate protection. A layer of foam board put on garage doors can go a long way without a lot of effort. In some of the coldest areas though, insulation won’t be enough.
Install a Heating Unit – Especially in areas where temperature can reach below zero, a heating unit should probably be installed. Not only will the heating unit make your garage more comfortable to work in, but also protect all of your garage equipment.
Replace Old and Worn Parts – As much as you try to protect your garage from the winter, it can be very difficult. Winter is a very trying month for your equipment. If possible, now would be a great time to get all the old parts replaced. After all, there isn’t anything worse than a broken garage door in the middle of snow season.
