NORTH KANSAS CITY Blog

Winterization Prep: Gearing Up A North Kansas City Garage with Insulat

As you continue to prepare for decreasing temperatures and the possible incoming blizzards, it’s crucial to leave no stone unturned. One overlooked area of your home could not only decrease the efficiency of your HVAC system, but it could also end up costing you in energy bills and maintenance fees. One of the most important places to prepare as winter begins to set in is your home’s garage.

Whether you have a detached storage space or a garage directly connected to your home, you and your household need to take the necessary steps to review and update any problem areas. Air leaks, exposed pipes, and deteriorated insulation can all lead to damages and possibly even dangerous situations. Koala Insulation of North Kansas City understands the need to be prepared as possible. As such, our team of industry experts has put together a simple and easy checklist to review while you're preparing your garage this winter.

Winterizing Your Garage with 5 Key Steps

Inspecting the Door

One of your first moves should be to check out the condition of your garage door and system. Checking for cracks, gaps, weathering, and other damages ahead of time will save you before the first snow hits. Not only are you more likely to find better deals and assistance if you need it, but it also puts you ahead of problematic weather that could quickly damage the fixes you’ve made.

It also gives you the opportunity to check the insulation and air sealing around the door. Does it sufficiently keep the cold air out? Are insects and rodents able to find their way into the warmth through small openings? After you’ve taken care of the gaps, make sure the mechanisms are well oiled, tightened, and running properly. There’s nothing worse than your garage door locking up in the middle of an incoming snow storm!

Insulating Exposed Pipes

If there are water pipes running through your garage, it’s important that they’re properly insulated before the cold starts to set in. Frozen and burst pipes affect unprepared homes every winter, with an average of 37% of frozen pipes occurring in underinsulated basements. Regardless of where your garage is located, a burst pipe can cause significant damage to the structure, plumbing, and property inside of the unit.

It’s especially important to consult an industry contractor if you’re unfamiliar with what kind of pipes are running through your unit. Insulating your pipes takes careful consideration - too much and you could risk a fire, too little and you’re not going to have enough protection. With an insulation expert, they can guide you on the proper insulation and amount of material to apply to pipes. In addition to indoor pipes, be sure any outdoor spigots are properly drained, prepared, and covered before the first significant frost sets in.

Updating Air Sealing

As mentioned earlier, it's important to inspect your garage and storage rooms for any gaps, cracks, or openings. Having quality air sealing not only improves the indoor air quality of a space but also prevents pollutants and pests from easily getting into your unit. Additionally, it keeps the desired heat. According to the Department of Energy, about 90% of U.S. homes have poor air sealing and insulation, mostly due to infrequent updates and deteriorated material.

Luckily, sealing the gaps and openings is considered an easy job - you can either choose to call a contractor or take the time for a DIY project. However, what most homeowners miss are the smaller, hidden cracks throughout their homes that aren't as easy to spot. While your doors and windows are the most common culprits of air leaks, there are other openings in your building envelope that could be causing a problem. Pipe and wire holes, foundation or wall damage, and even insect and rodent hiding spots are common, undetected places that are more difficult to spot without a trained eye.

Upgrading Insulation Material

Insulation can be found in many places throughout your home and garage - throughout the walls, ceiling, and even the floors if you're above a crawl space, basement, or hollowed foundation. It's especially important when your garage is connected to other rooms in the home. Updated insulation can not only help with temperature regulation, but in many cases, the material can improve noise reduction, which can be especially helpful if you have a noisy garage door.

With Koala Insulation of South Kansas City, you can schedule a free evaluation to have our team come and inspect your home. With a thorough read on your building's current condition, we can give you an accurate breakdown of poorly installed material, inadequate coverage, and deteriorating insulation. Our evaluation also covers air sealing, taking care of two important steps on your garage winter preparation checklist.

Protecting the Flooring

Finally, if you store your vehicles or other large equipment in your garage or storage unit, you may want to consider sealing your floor. This can not only help insulate the area but also prevent salt damage from affecting the concrete underneath the equipment. For most sealants, it's important to regularly wash the area - wear and damage increase the rate of deterioration for most sealants.

Properly prepare the space beforehand, making sure the floor is clean and free of debris and dust. After that, you can apply something like epoxy to seal the flooring and provide a quality barrier between the surface and your vehicles and equipment. While sealing the floor isn’t necessarily a required step to winterizing your garage, it’s a great option if you’re continuously going in and out of the unit.

Learn More with Local North Kansas City Experts

Leaving your garage susceptible to the elements can not only cost you in the long run, but it can also increase health hazards and the possibility of dangerous situations. To prevent things like burst pipes and damaged flooring, it’s important for you and your household to have a better understanding of your garage’s current condition. Taking the time to inspect seemingly small things like the mechanisms, insulation, and air sealing around the area can end up increasing your home’s overall comfort and safety.

At Koala Insulation of North Kansas City, our team's priority is to be fast and efficient while also remaining cost-effective. The combined experience of our industry experts has helped us build a better appreciation for a quality job that focuses on making sure our customers are left happier and healthier than when we arrived. With free evaluations, we provide the opportunity to take a look at the condition of your home's insulation and air sealing to develop a well-thought-out plan: focus on problem areas that need to be taken care of right away while planning ahead for potential future needs. Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help you prepare for the winter.