Safety

How You Can Prevent Your Garage From Flooding

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Regardless of what you use your garage for, there’s a good chance that everything you have contained within it has a great deal of personal value. Whenever it rains outside, it’s important that you do everything that you can in order to make sure that these items are protected from what could become serious flood damage. Whenever a garage floods, this can potentially results in thousands of dollars in damage being created to all of the items inside, as well as damage to entire garage itself.

Generally, homeowners tend to make the mistake of thinking that their garage is protected from flooding because they think they don’t live in an area that is affected by this issue. No matter what kind of an area you live in, water will always be able to find its way into your garage and create all sorts of issues. No matter what, it’s always important to take all of the necessary steps to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen.

Even if you don’t live in a flood plain, water damage is still a possibility. You have a water heater right? What happens when there’s a tank or water pipe failure and the water heater leaking is out of control? For this specific issue, proper water heater maintenance goes a long way. But what about when nature has a say in it?

For starters, remove everything from your garage and take the time to carefully inspect both the walls and the flooring for any cracks, which can enable water to leak inside. If you do find any cracks, seal them up. This step may seem stressful, especially if you have a lot of items in your garage; however, in the end, it will be well worth it, especially since it will result in all of your possessions remaining dry.

When you’re sure that your garage is secure, take the time to inspect the garage door next. This is the area that will be the main point of entry for any water. Begin by examining the door’s bottom rubber strips and sides. If you find any broken rubber, holes, or cracks, have them replaced as quickly as possible. Whenever any of these areas are broken, especially the rubber strips, your garage will be at a higher risk of being flooded.

Here’s a good video on installing a garage door weather seal:

After you’ve examined these key areas of the door, take a look at the entire door itself. If you have an older door, chances are either the metal, wood, or both may have started to wear down and develop holes and/or cracks, both of which can create much larger issues. If you notice anything like this, this is a sign that you will need to replace the entire door.

When you take the time to fully inspect both the interior and exterior of your garage, you will be able to take all of the necessary steps to protect both yourself and your family from any flood damage that could prove to be costly.

Signs That Your Garage Door May Need To Be Replaced

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It can be a real challenge to come up with a great home improvement project to undertake, mainly due to the fact that there always seems to be something that can be done. Nearly every homeowner takes the time to search for a project that will bring them a big return on their investment. However, there’s a bit of good news regarding this, as a replacement garage door is one of the best things that provide the best return investment than any other type of home improvement project.

However, the big question remains: how do you know when it’s time to actually replace your garage door? Here are some signs to make note of to help let you know when this needs to happen.

If your current door seems to respond slowly whenever you try to raise or lower it, this is a definite sign that you will need a replacement. Generally, it should only take a split second or so for a garage door to respond whenever you hit the button.

A garage door that’s brand new is much more quiet. As these door get older, there are all sorts of factors that can cause them to become louder and run a great deal more rougher. If this is something that you’re beginning to notice, this is a surefire sign that you will need to contact a professional to replace the door.

It’s no secret that garage doors are prominent areas of your home that always face the street. When the original door was installed, it may have looked stylish; however, it’s important to keep in mind that no style lasts forever. When you make the choice to install a newer door, you’re essentially enhancing the curb appeal of your home, as well as complementing the existing architecture of the home itself.

A new garage door will help to keep everything contained inside your garage completely safe and secure from factors such as burglaries and inclement weather conditions. Furthermore, newer doors include all of the latest in technology in terms of safety, which includes the door itself being able to automatically reverse in the event that the door comes into contact with any kind of an object. If your current door is unable to provide anything like this, you may need to consider a replacement or you’ll be looking for the best products for back pain before you know it.

While garage doors with decorative windows near the top panel may look amazing, we wouldn’t recommend them unless your area is completely free of crime. It just gives thieves a way to go window shopping without much effort. That new mountain bike you just bought? The thieve could get a lot of money for. That new jetski or wakeboard life vest you have hanging up but don’t live near a body of water? It just tells the intruder that you like to vacation and will be away from your home for a while at some point.

One major factor that can call for the replacement of a garage door is any kind of a malfunction. While you can always invest in many replacement parts, there will come a time when the entire unit will need to be replaced. If you find that your garage door is constantly in need of repairs, this is another definite sign that you need a replacement.