It’s almost here – the ice and snow of winter! Is your garage ready to handle what’s coming? This six-step strategy will help ensure you’re on top of it.
Getting ready for winter means many things, including organizing your garage so that you can easily access everything you’re going to need.
Not sure how to get your garage ready? Unsure what items need to be stored away and which ones should be accessible? We’ve got the lowdown in this blog post.
Garage Organization Comes First
The very first thing you need to do is organize the garage. You need space for wintertime gear and tools, and you need room to sort, store, organize, and shuffle things around. A little time spent preparing now can save you major headaches down the road.
Most of us use the garage during the warmer months of the year. It’s home to lawnmowers and weed trimmers, crafting supplies, and woodworking tools. Most of those need to be packed away. Once your seasonal stuff is out of the way, take a look at what’s left. How much unwanted junk do you have lying around? How many things you no longer need are just cluttering up the place? Our recommendation is to recycle it or donate it to charity.
Your Winter Equipment Checklist
1. Is the snowblower ready?
Anyone who lives in an area where snow accumulation is an issue should have a way to deal with that – a snowblower is ideal. Make sure yours is up to the task. An oil change, spark plug change, and general tune-up now will make sure that it’s ready to go when the time comes.
2. Inspect your snow shovels
Your snow shovels are among the hardest working tools you own during the winter. Take a few moments to inspect them and make sure they’re in top condition. Are the blades strong and stable? Are the handles in good shape? Hang them on the wall so they’re easy to access when it comes time to shovel snow or scrape ice.
3. Check your deicer and traction options
Make sure you have the supplies needed for deicing and providing traction. Chemical deicers are dangers to the natural world, so make sure you have a bag of rock salt handy. A back of sand or gravel can also help you add traction to slick areas.
4. Prep your generator
Snow, ice, high winds – these are just some of the threats to your power during the winter. A generator helps ensure that you’ll be safe and sound even with the lights go out, but it needs to be prepped. A basic tune-up, including changing the oil and spark plug, is probably all you’ll need to do. Note that you should have a safe area in which to operate your generator, too. Never run it in the garage, as carbon monoxide from the exhaust can seep into the home, poisoning you and your family. Hundreds of people die from this every year in North America alone.
5. Car care tools
Are you ready to care for your cars during the winter? You’ll need a few basic supplies, including wintertime windshield washer fluid, snow brushes, ice scrapers. Make sure there’s at least one set of jumper cables handy in case the cold kills a battery, too.
6. Sports gear and winter toys
Winter isn’t all cold and gloom. It also means fun outside! Sleds and toboggans should be hung up and ready for fun. Now’s also the time to get the hockey equipment out of storage and make sure everything’s ready to go. Storing all this in your garage is possible, but if you’re not quite there yet, check out these 5 great tips for storing winter equipment from Nuvo Garage.
Winterizing Your Garage Door
Your garage door needs to be prepared just like your car does.
There’s no shortage of surprises that winter can throw your way.
One day it’s snowing. The next it’s rain. Toss some sleet in there for good measure. The next day things are warming up but then the temperature drops to just 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C) and your garage door’s weatherstripping is frozen fast.
Your garage door needs some TLC and preparation, too. When was the last time it had a tune-up? Now’s the time – don’t wait until winter has us in its grip.
GARAGA dealers can provide you with the peace of mind and protection you need. Our garage door specialists can provide a 26-point inspection, including lubrication of metal parts, and adjustments to make sure that your garage door system is ready for winter.
Are you ready for a checkup or garage door repairs?
Get in touch with us now.
York: 717-767-1419
Mechanicsburg: 717-901-4056
The last few winters have proven that you can never predict what’s coming and if you’re not prepared, bad things can happen. We can provide you with advice and guidance on repairs, maintenance, and even garage door replacement. In addition to calling us, we’d be happy to send you a quotation by email.
If you’re interested in replacing your garage door, take a moment to explore our Design Centre. You’ll find it’s never been simpler to get the perfect door for your home. You’ll also find lots of inspiration in our customer garage door gallery.
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