With fall upon us, it is time to begin preparing your home for winter. With winter comes cold winds, ice, and snow. One part of your home that will need preparation prior to winter is your garage. Your garage needs to be prepared for winter just as much as the rest of your home, so do not neglect it this year!
Fall Cleaning
We have heard of spring cleaning, but have you done any fall cleaning? Cleaning out your garage in the fall can save you from a headache in the spring. Take the time to go through everything and not only organize your stuff, but consolidate it. Throw out what you do not use and what has gone bad. This is also a good time to go through any liquids you may have in the garage and store them somewhere better temperature controlled for the colder months. Leave no corner untouched!
Insulate
Insulating your garage, even if you only keep your cars in it, is a necessary part of preparing for winter. Not only should the walls of your garage be insulated already, but you should be insulated around doors and windows using weather stripping. There should be old weather stripping down from the previous winter, remove it. Once you have removed the old, go in with the new and install new weather stripping. This will help to keep cold air and moisture from coming into your garage all winter long.
Seal
Another important part of winterizing your garage is sealing any small spaces. You want to look for the small places that air and water can get into and use a sealant to keep the elements out of your garage this winter.
Refinish the Floor
One thing that some people like to do before winter is refinish their garage floor with a no slip finish. Ice and snow and slush come into your garage and create a hazard when you are walking. Get rid of the fall risk by refinishing the floor.
Conserve Heat
If you have a hot water heater, it is important to get a hot water heater cover for the winter. Hot water heaters produce a lot of heat, this heat can be lost though when your hot water heater is in the cold, so you can buy a hot water heater cover that will go over it and help to conserve heat.
Clean and Prep Gas-Powered Tools
Any equipment that you would need to use in the winter, such as a snow blower, should be cleaned and prepared for winter. You won’t want to mess with anything in the cold for very long, so get the tedious stuff done now, in the fall, before it gets too cold. This will save you time and the hassle later on.
Don’t be left unprepared this winter. By taking the time to winterize your garage you will make your life easier. Simple things like cleaning up, insulating and sealing your garage, moving some stuff around, and preparing things like snow blowers will save you time and leave you worry free. Seize the day and get working today!
