Winter is awfully hard on the home. If there is one good thing about winter being so damaging to the home, it's that it helps you find the weak-points or areas that need some attention come spring. Here, you'll find a few things to watch for around your garage that Father Winter is helping you see needs repair or upgrades.
Water Running under the Garage Door
When the garage door is closed entirely, water shouldn't be able to run underneath it. At the base of the garage door, there should be a rubber seal that extends the entire length of the door. This rubber threshold is what keeps the water from seeping in under the door, as well as the cold air. In time, the rubber will harden and begin to crack. When it cracks, the water will make its way into the garage and could begin causing problems with mold and mildew growth.
The next nice day you have, go to the garage, open the garage door about half-way and check the rubber seal at the base of it. Press firmly on it – does it flex? If not, the rubber has hardened and it will fail soon if it hasn't already.
Note: Rubber thresholds can easily be replaced on your own, but in some cases, its best left to the professionals. This way, if there is something else wrong, it can be caught before it becomes a more serious issue.
Window Condensation
The windows in your garage shouldn't become coated in condensation. If they do, the condensation will eventually drip down the windows and begin to rot the wood frame around it. The best way to reduce this problem is to reduce the moisture level within the garage. You can do this by sealing the garage floor with a high-quality sealant, or epoxy treatment.
Another thing that will help is to insulate the garage walls. You can stud it out and use bats of insulation or you can use foam board insulation that'll install quickly and easily. The one thing you don't want to do is trap all of the moisture in the garage, so avoid insulating the ceiling entirely – leave space for the moisture to vent through the roofing.
Talk with your local garage doors professional to learn more about what the winter damage has shown needs to be repaired or replaced on or in your garage to ensure the damage doesn't continue to worsen.