Brad Heard posted some great tips for winterizing your garage on the Apex Garage Doors blog. Read this and then take a walk around your garage and make your to-do list.
Have you ever had to leave your warm, toasty house on a cold, wintery day to fetch something from the garage? Then you know firsthand that stepping into the garage can feel just like stepping into the blustery outdoors.
In fact, your garage is one of the biggest energy leaks in your house. Just one 1/8-inch crack around the average single garage door can let in enough cold air to cover 50 square inches of space. Luckily, you can keep cold air out and make your garage space more comfortable in a few, easy steps in just one weekend. Here’s how:
1. Head to your local hardware store to purchase a garage door weather strip kit and rubber or vinyl garage door bottom.
2. Cut-to-measure the door bottom and nail it to the bottom edge of the door with rust-resistant nails.
3. Install weather stripping by nailing the aluminum strip to the face of the door stop. The vinyl leaf should float against the face of the garage door.
4. Insulate all exposed pipes. If you have running water inside the garage, wrap all faucets with plastic or foam pipe wrapping. Newspapers, towels, and duct tape will also do the job.
To keep your garage extra toasty, consider upgrading to an energy-efficient garage door. These doors can keep an unheated garage 10 to 20 degrees warmer on even the coldest winter day.
Inspect and Treat Garage Hardware for Wear and Tear
Worn hardware can prevent your garage door from operating properly, making it nearly impossible to keep your garage warm in winter. Check your garage door for bent or loose hinges, broken wheels, bent shafts, or worn out bearings on steel rollers. Also, check spring lift cables to make sure they operate correctly and tighten or replace loose or missing bolts on the door and track supports.
Finally, remove any debris, grease or dirt build-up from the track using a clean rag. Lubricate all moving parts of the door, such as the hinges, metal rollers, and track with 3-in-1oil. Following these simple steps can help you save energy and keep your garage almost as warm as your home in the winter.