It doesn’t matter what area of the country you’re in… you’re going to have the elements to deal with… rain, snow, high winds… inclement conditions of any type. It’s important that you are on top of making sure that your garage door provides the maximum amount of protection against any weather conditions that might arise.
This is really important when it comes to your heating and cooling costs. Energy costs are always on the rise for the average consumer, and you want to keep them down as much as possible. Below are some options and solutions to help you in this area.
First, perform an inspection around your garage door to check for any degradation of the concrete. Are there any cracks or separations? Do you feel a draft or see shafts of light upon closing the door? If so, you definitely have a problem.
Next, make sure that you have a thorough understanding of how to best fix those issues, and if you don’t, don’t guess at it. contact a trained professional who can help you take are of those problem areas. If you do, make sure that you have all of the materials and tools you need to do the job correctly.
Third, check your weather stripping. If it’s worn down, then it’s time to replace it, and you can buy some new stripping through any major home improvement center. Make sure that you have a ladder and have someone to steady it for you in order to reach those hard-to-reach places.
Fourth, if your door is insulated, it may be time to replace it with some new, more energy efficient insulation. Make sure that you get the size of the panels right, as they may not have the same dimensions. You can purchase the insulation and the installation kit from any major home improvement center. Make sure that you check to make sure that the store has what you need in stock before making the trip.
Finally, it just may be time to replace your old garage door with a new energy-efficient door. While there may be a substantial investment at the beginning, depending on the quality of the door and how successful you are in taking care of any structural issues, you’ll save on heating and and cooling cost over the course of several years and will be well worth the investment.