How Your Climate Can Affect Your Garage
Where you live and the climate you’re geographically exposed to can play an integral role in your living conditions. The state of your garage can depend on this climate and it’s not a factor that should be overlooked.
Climate can help or hurt the integrity of your garage and its contents, more so than that of your main house since in most garages, there isn’t as much climate control. Homeowners may also skip over implementing essential features in their garages, thinking they aren’t necessary, but things like windows, venting, and insulation can make a huge difference in maintaining the health of your garage.
A Hotter Climate
Areas like the West Coast and Southern areas of the United States suffer from hotter climates more frequently, but even East Coasters and Midwesterners can experience this dilemma. The sun is dangerous, not just for your skin, but to your home and its garage as well. Powerful UV rays can penetrate even the hardiest of construction, and if your garage houses items like paints or plastics, you can bet that UV radiation will affect their condition over time.
Paints are especially sensitive to climate conditions. Pay attention to the instructions on canisters for proper storage information. The same is true for paints that are already applied. Epoxy coatings and paints will yellow or fade if they’re directly exposed to sunlight. If your garage floor is painted with epoxy, a common material used for garage flooring, you could witness fading and yellowing early on.
A garage is often the place where lubricants, oils, and other chemically-based products are kept. Having direct sunlight and living in a hotter climate will put these products at risk. The containers will list their recommended storage temperatures, so if your garage is hotter than their desired temperature, it’s time to make some internal changes.
The Solution
It’s not difficult to protect your garage from a hot climate.
Insulation: homeowners unaccustomed to home projects may initially think that insulation has to do with keeping things warm. Insulation is actually an excellent method for regulating temperatures overall. For hotter regions and garages that suffer from heat exposure, insulation is necessary to keep internal temperatures from spiking and becoming out of control. It not only saves you on your energy bills, but it will help protect those sensitive products you store in the garage as well.
Curtains: even hanging UV-blocking, insulated curtains can help cut down on heat and sunlight exposure. Like insulation, a good set of curtains for any garage windows can drastically save you on energy bills. A benefit of opting for curtains is that they are an inexpensive way to minimize heat and thereby protect a garage’s contents.
Venting and Fans: for homeowners who will be residing in their homes for some time, they might want to consider a more permanent solution to eliminate excess heat. Installing vents and fans in the garage will help push out heat, keeping the garage cool, and increasing airflow.
A Colder Climate
A cold climate can be just as nasty and unforgiving as a hot one. Extremely cold temperatures can damage the workings of your garage door, locking mechanisms, and other equipment you store in a garage that are not properly seasoned. Lubricants can become viscous and thick, paint can become hard, and melted snow can be the reason for potential water and floor damage.
Concrete garage flooring can fall victim to cold climates. Concrete can shrink and expand when exposed to extreme temperature shifts, the winter being the worst culprit. With the addition of a car’s weight and water seeping into any cracks that may have formed, concrete can suffer mild to severe surface damage from a harsh winter season.
The Solution
Controlling a cold climate means insulating your garage. Insulation is inexpensive and easy to install, saving you on energy bills and the headaches of cold damage. Installing other elements like heaters (those that are safe to use for enclosed spaces, specifically designed for a garage) can be effective in controlling the cold, but keep in mind that heaters can hike up your energy bills.
Other tricks like heavy, insulated curtains, such as the ones you’d use to block out UV radiation in a hot climate, can also cut the cold. Another preventative measure includes weather-stripping windows and doors, ensuring that seals line the thresholds and openings to prevent air seepage. You can pick up these supplies at a hardware store for an inexpensive, simple fix to stop the cold and control the garage’s interior climate.
Hot or Cold: The Essentials of Climate Control
Whether your garage is situated in a hot region or faces cold winters, regulating its temperature is crucial in keeping its contents safe and protected. You’ll also be protecting its very construction, ensuring the longevity of flooring, floor coatings, the walls, and its overall integrity.
Choose Professionals For Your Garage Needs
Make the most of your garage with replacement doors and windows. These will increase its efficiency and bring in new light and function, making you see the space in a whole new way. Always go with a professional garage door installation for safety and quality.
If you are interested in building a new garage, look no further. Danley’s Garages offers custom garage packages to suit your needs, regardless of size or style. You’ll get a new quality built garage. Danley’s has been around since 1959. We’ve built over 100,000 garages and have been the #1 choice for Chicagoland homeowners. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote today!
