Introduction:

Before winter sets in you should do a garage inspection to insure that everything is in order for the winter months ahead. There is northern more frustrating than a disorganized garage during the winter months. Here are some tips for the fall inspection of your garage.

Check the rubber seal on the bottom of your garage door to make sure it hasn't hardened or torn away. In addition check the side weather seals to insure that they are making good contact with the wall when the door is in the closed position.

Check for smooth operation of the doors. Most new garage doors come self-lubricated or with plastic parts that need no lubrication. Older doors with metal rollers, hinges, and tracks should be oiled once a year. If the door does not make full contact with the floor, adjust the down limit switch until it does. Test the garage door’s sensors to be sure they still prevent it from closing if something gets in the path of the door.
Thoroughly clean your garage floor by hosing down the floor to eliminate slip hazards, stains, and pockmarks caused by road salt and auto fluids. Patch large concrete cracks or holes using a concrete patch product.
Inspect interior and exterior walls and the foundation for moisture and cracks. Wall and foundation cracks smaller than ¼-inch wide that aren’t causing water damage are harmless, anything larger than a hairline crack should be repaired.
Clean interior doors and gutters and make sure the door is properly weather-stripped and that the threshold seal fits snugly against the bottom of the door. If the garage has gutters, clean them and inspect them for damage.
Inspect for insects like termites and carpenter ants can furtively damage your garage walls. Inspect all the dark, cool, and moist areas, especially where garage walls meet the foundation, for borings from carpenter ants or termites. Keep in mind that termites digest the lumber, but carpenter ants tunnel it. If you see trails of sawdust, you have carpenter ants. If you see chewed wood, it most likely will be caused by termites.

These fall inspection tips for your garage will help insure that you make it through the winter without any serious issues occurring. Repeat the inspection in the spring.

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