4 Ways You Can Protect Your Garage from the Elements

Wouldn’t it be nice to use your garage year-round?  Meaning, being able to comfortably work on projects in the freezing cold winter without feeling freezing cold, and in the hot summer months, not sweating profusely in a stuffy garage.  It’s not impossible to transform your garage, no matter how old or neglected it may be.  It’s also not expensive or difficult.

Guard Your Garage with a New Door

Don’t baulk at the thought of replacing your garage door just yet.  Consider that spending a bit of money to replace your old door with a brand new one not only boosts the resale value of your house, but it will give you immediate benefits, too.  A new door will make your garage better insulated.

Most of us aren’t lucky enough to move into a new home with a brand new garage door.  It’s probably one of the house projects you’re dragging your feet on.

Weather-stripping Means Weather Protection

For the unfamiliar, weather-stripping is the rubber strip that runs along the bottom length of your door to form a seal with the floor.  You’ll see weather-stripping on any exterior door, and that includes your garage door.

Protecting your garage from the elements will absolutely involve proper weather-stripping.  Regardless if you’ve just moved in or have lived in your home for years, it’s always good to double check the status of these rubber seals.  You’d be surprised how effective the seal is in stopping drafts in their tracks and regulating the temperature in your garage.

Weather-stripping can be done yourself.  Your local hardware store will have weather-stripping kits that make it easy to reinstall these rubber seals.  And your garage door is a DIY project, too.  Simply find a weather-stripping seal designed to fit beneath a door (these will of course, be longer and thicker than those for an exterior door) and follow the instructions in the kit to install it.  You may need to trim the weather-stripping to fit, but again, this can be done yourself.

Insulation Can Work Wonders

Yes, even your garage needs insulation, and you’ll definitely notice if it’s lacking.  Spaces void of proper insulation feel horribly cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer.  Insulation helps regulate a room’s temperature, and if you have an older home, there’s a good chance you’ll need to complete this project to both protect the garage and make it a satisfactory area to work.

Installing insulation is a project of medium difficulty.  You’ll want to use safety gear because insulation is unsafe to handle with bare hands, and you’ll want to read up on the skills and techniques required to install it correctly.  The bottom line with insulation is you want the sections to be a snug fit—not too long and not too short.

Upgrade Windows and Doors

Because we use garages as more than a place for storage and parked cars, most of these spaces these days have some kind of window to let in natural light.  Chances are if you’re in the majority of homeowning Americans, your garage windows haven’t been updated since the garage was originally built.

Yes, windows can be pricey and sometimes tricky to install by yourself, however the immense, irrefutable benefits new windows provide greatly outweighs the initial cost and time.  For those truly wanting to protect their garage, new windows are a must.  You’ll save energy, which will allow you to use your garage freely throughout the year without fear of costly bills.  You’ll notice an immediate difference in temperature control, an issue garages commonly suffer from, and as a nice perk, you’ll increase your home’s value and curb appeal.

Exterior doors in garages are often neglected, much like windows, and can be the reason why garages are subjected to such extreme temperatures in hot and cold seasons.  Man doors should be replaced to help protect the garage and enact temperature control (don’t forget to tend to the weather-stripping, too!).

Protect Your Garage and Bolster Your Investment

Maintaining your garage and ensuring it’s a comfortable space to work and spend time in will do more than improve your own life, but it will also dramatically increase your home’s overall resale value.  Sure, these four ways to protect your garage means a little money initially, but you can expect to see the return on your investment when you sell.  Plus, it means actually enjoying your garage for what it’s meant for—and that’s the best of both worlds.

Sometimes that weather-stripping you had installed isn’t enough protect your garage from what mother nature throws at it. A new garage may be what you really need. That’s where we come in contact us today to get your project started.