GREENVILLE Blog

Seal Your Greenville Area Garage To Reduce Heat Loss

Are you prepared for the colder temperatures coming in this year? During this time of year, it’s important to leave no stone unturned in terms of preparation. Overlooked areas of your home may not only decrease the efficiency of your HVAC system but even raise your energy bills and maintenance fees. One of the most important places many homeowners neglect to check before extreme weather sets in is the garage.

You and your household need to take important steps to review and update any problem areas before colder weather starts to set in. This is regardless of whether your garage is a detached storage space or directly connected to the house. Without proper preparation, you risk ignoring air leaks, exposed pipes, and deteriorated insulation, which can all lead to damage and even dangerous situations. Avoid these problems by taking 5 necessary steps to improve your garage space.

5 Steps To Prepare Your Garage For Colder Weather

1. Inspect The Door

The first project to undertake is checking out the condition of the garage door and its mechanisms. Check for cracks, gaps, weathering, and other damages to save time before the temperatures start to plummet. Not only are you more likely to find better deals and quick assistance but it also puts you ahead of any weather that could quickly worsen problems that you’ve been neglecting.

This also provides you with the opportunity to check out the insulation and air sealing around this area. Keep these questions in mind:

• Will it sufficiently keep out cold air?
• Are there spaces where insects or rodents can find their way into the small openings?
• Are you losing heat from any gaps or spaces that should be sealed?

After updating the area around the door, you’ll want to make sure the mechanisms are well-oiled, tightened, and running properly. There’s nothing worse than having your garage door lock up right before an incoming cold front!

1. Insulate Exposed Pipes

When you have water pipes running through your garage, you’ll want to assess the insulation surrounding them 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 areas. Even if your garage is separated from your house, a burst pipe can cause significant damage to the structure, plumbing, and property inside the unit.

This is an especially crucial step if you're unfamiliar with what kind of pipes are running through the area. You'll need to contact an industry contractor because careful consideration needs to go into insulating the pipes. If too much is added, you can risk starting a fire; meanwhile, if there isn't enough installed, you're not going to have enough protection to prevent damage. An insulation expert 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.

1. Seal Air Leaks

The garage door isn't the only area you should be checking for gaps, cracks, and openings. The entire storage space needs to have quality air sealing to improve indoor air quality while also preventing pollutants and pests from easily getting into the unit. On top of protection, it also helps to keep in the desired heat, which is incredibly important if the garage is directly attached to the house. 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, other openings in your building envelope 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.

1. Replace Insulation Material

Insulation is installed throughout many different areas in your home and garage space: within the walls, along the ceiling, and even under floors if it’s above a crawl space, basement, or hollowed foundation. When your home is connected to other rooms in the home, it’s crucial to upgrade the material here. Updated insulation helps to regulate temperature while providing a number of other benefits, such as noise reduction.

With Koala Insulation of Greenville, 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.

1. Safeguarding The Floor

Finally, if you're storing vehicles and other pieces of large equipment in the garage or storage unit, you'll want to consider sealing the floor. In addition to further insulating the space, it also can prevent damages like chips, chemical spills, or heavy impact that can affect the concrete under the equipment. Most sealants require the area to be regularly washed since wear and damage increase the rate of deterioration.

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.

Improve Every Area of Your South Carolina Home

There are many places in a house that get overlooked by busy and unaware homeowners. Your attic isn’t the only place that needs updated insulation! Contact Koala Insulation of Greenville to schedule your free evaluation and learn more about other spaces that may be escaping your attention.