SW CHICAGO Blog

How to Prepare & Insulate Your Southwest Chicago Garage for the Winter

When it comes to winterizing your home, your to-do list can feel overwhelming. In order to keep your property and household safe and comfortable, it’s important to leave no stone unturned. This includes taking the time to review areas you may not have looked over all of 2021! One such spot is your garage. 

Regardless of whether your garage is directly attached to your home or is off to the side storage area, there are several steps you need to take to be sure you're prepared for frigid temperatures. At Koala Insulation of SW Chicago, we understand the need to have cost-effective but quality solutions on hand. We've put together five ways to adequately winterize your garage without breaking the bank! 

5 Ways to Prepare Your Garage for Winter

• The Door and Mechanism

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! 

• 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 under-insulated 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. 

•  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 tothe 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.

• Updated Insulation

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 SW Chicago, 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.

• 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.

Contact Your Local Insulation Expert

In order to keep your property safe and comfortable for the upcoming season, it’s important to develop a strategic winterization plan. One area you can’t overlook is your garage and storage sheds, as they often hold some of your most important equipment, vehicles, and more. Regardless of whether your garage is off to the side of the house or directly attached to your home with rooms above or below it, you need to take special care in developing a quality checklist. 

Our team of industry experts at Koala Insulation of SW Chicago understands the importance of having a well-thought-out plan that doesn't sacrifice the comfort and safety of your home in order to fit the budget. With our free evaluations, we can provide a thorough breakdown of your home's current condition so you can plan ahead for updates and insulation removal. Contact our team today to schedule your free evaluation and learn more about insulation’s impact on various areas of your home.