You Survived The Winter! Did Your Garage?
Most of the country is happily celebrating the departure of one of the coldest, wettest winters in many years. The months of freezing, thawing, refreezing and rethawing may have longer-lasting effects than you may at first imagine. Now is the time to give your garage a good once-over to be sure it has survived the winter as well, and to get a jump on repairs for any winter-related damage you find before it has time to grow from minor inconvenience to major headache.
Here’s a quick four-point checklist from a top custom garage builder for making sure your garage made it through the winter and is ready for the summer heatwaves:
CHECK THE ROOF
It’s best to work from the top down, so the first place to inspect is your garage roof, especially if you were in one of the areas of the country who found themselves buried beneath several feet of snow and ice. The roofs of all buildings are affected by having to carry the excess load a lot of snow brings to bear, but garages – especially stand-alone garages – tend to have more susceptible roofs simply because they tend to have a smaller area.
Look for the tell-tale signs of cracks or breaches: darkened or wet-looking areas of the ceiling with no water drip could indicate an early issue on the roof above; if there is already a leak, there is already a breach. Also look for obvious structural stresses, such as gaps forming where the roof meets the walls of the garage or loose or missing shingles. If you see any of these signs, or are unsure, call on a professional roofer to inspect further or repair. Don’t risk climbing up on a damaged roof yourself!
CHECK THE FLOOR
All throughout the winter, your concrete garage floor has been collecting the water that drips from the ice and snow melting from your car. Mixed with that has been road salt. Road salt helps when conditions demand it, but its corrosive properties result in many side effects. Salt plus moisture begin to degrade the concrete slab floor over time, resulting in small chips and cracks that, if they are not repaired and sealed, can quickly be exacerbated.
CHECK THE INSULATION
If your garage is insulated, there is the risk that melting snow and ice can seep in causing that insulation to become damp and ineffective. If you have easy access to the insulation, such as an unfinished interior wall, check it and replace if necessary. Be thorough: damp insulation may be the result of a hidden leak, and merely replacing the insulation won’t fix the issue.
CHECK THE DRIVEWAY
Think of what the winter weather has done to the roads you travel each day. Potholes are an unfortunate result of all the freezing and thawing going on throughout the winter months. If you have a paved driveway, potholes can appear there as well – and can be every bit as damaging to your car’s alignment as the potholes you curse at on the road.
All of these post-winter issues can be addressed easily and without much hassle if you take the time to check for them now, before they have the chance to turn into major repair bills down the road.
If you’re planning on building a garage or expanding an existing one, talk the experts at Conestoga today! Contact us online to request a quote.