SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Blog

How Insulating Your Garage During the Winter Protects Your Home

In Fort Myers, we don't need to worry about the effects of snow, sleet, and heavy ice. However, that doesn't mean Floridians don't have their own winterization preparations. The evenings have the potential to dip into the 40s and the changing temperatures throughout the day can put extra strain on your HVAC system.

Properly insulating your garage is a crucial part of keeping your home climate controlled during this time. However, many homeowners tend to overlook this area, allowing crucial upkeep to become neglected over the years. At Koala Insulation of Southwest Florida, we don't just believe in "better safe than sorry" - our goal is to provide realistic and practical advice. By properly maintaining these five areas of your garage, you can improve comfort, safety, and savings.

5 Tips to Prepare Your Garage for Cold Weather

1 - Inner Mechanisms and Door

Regularly checking the condition of your garage door and inner mechanics is critical throughout the year. Cracks, gaps, weathering, and other system issues should be prioritized especially as temperatures begin to lower. Not only are you more likely to find better deals and service assistance should you need it, but it also gives you a head start against incoming weather that could quickly damage any fixes you’ve made.

After you've sealed problematic gaps and openings, make sure your mechanisms are well oiled, tightened, and running properly. While having an industry professional inspect your garage door can help you identify any significant damages or difficulties, most general maintenance can be done yourself. One of the worst issues to run into is the garage door locking up in the middle of incoming weather like heavy rain and thunderstorms!

2 - Exposed Pipes

If you have water pipes running through your garage, it's important to ensure they're properly insulated. While frozen pipes aren't a struggle for Floridians, cracked, burst, and frosted pipes are just as problematic. A burst pipe can cause significant damage to the structure, plumbing, and property inside of the unit. This is especially important if you have any outdoor pipes and spigots; sure they're drained properly, prepared, and covered if there's an upcoming frost warning.

Consult an industry professional if you’re unfamiliar with what kind of pipes are running through your unit. Insulating your pipes randomly could cause more harm than good - if you add too much, you could risk a fire, and if you don’t apply enough, there isn’t going to be sufficient protection. With an insulation expert, a team can guide you on the proper material type and amount to apply around your garage.

3 - Air Leaks and Sealing

We mentioned briefly how important it is to inspect and seal any gaps and openings in your garage and storage units. Updated air sealing doesn’t only improve the indoor air quality of a space - it also prevents air pollutants and pests from easily making their way into the unit. One of the main benefits, though, is the ability to keep in desired heat. According to Energy Star, about 90% of U.S. homes have poor air sealing and insulation because of infrequent maintenance and deterioration.

The good news is that air sealing general gaps and cracks is considered an easy job. You can choose to turn this into a DIY project or call in local insulation experts. However, it's possible for homeowners to miss smaller, hidden cracks throughout their homes that aren't as easy to find. Doors and windows are your common air leakage culprits, but there are other openings in your building envelope that can cause problems. Holes from pipes and wiring, foundation or wall damage, and hiding spots from insects and rodents are the most common undetected places that are contributing to air leakage, poor indoor air quality, and irregular temperatures.

4 - Insulation Material

Insulation is found throughout your home and garage, within the walls, ceilings, and even the floors if you're above a basement or crawl space. It's even more crucial to evaluate the material in your garage if it's below another room or the attic. Updated material that's properly installed can not only help with improved temperature regulation but insulation can even help with noise reduction and moisture resistance.

Koala Insulation of Southwest Florida provides free evaluations to send in an expert that will provide a breakdown on the current condition of your home’s insulation. Our insulation technicians can give you information on poorly installed material, inadequate coverage, and any deterioration or damages. The evaluation also covers air sealing, taking care of two important steps within the winter preparation checklist.

5 - Flooring

One of the last places to evaluate - and an area that is often overlooked - is the floor and crawl spaces in and around your garage. It’s especially important to prepare if you plan on storing vehicles and large equipment inside. In northern areas, this is done to prevent salt damage because of snow preparation; but even for places like Fort Lauderdale, it’s a perfect insulation practice. For many coatings, you’ll need to regularly wash the area to prevent wear and damages that increase the rate of deterioration of most sealant materials.

Start by thoroughly preparing the space beforehand. Make sure the floor is clean, free of debris and dust, and move large items out of the way. Once you have a majority of the space cleared, you can apply a product like epoxy to seal the flooring and provide a barrier between the surface and your equipment. Sealing the floor isn’t necessarily a required step in winterization but it’s a great option throughout the year if you’re continuously bringing vehicles and equipment in and out of the space.

Consult with Your Local Southwest Florida Experts

Southern Florida's temperatures can drastically change during the winter months, going from 51 to 87 in a single day. As such, it's crucial to make sure your property is well maintained and every space is accounted for. With free evaluations from Koala Insulation of Southwest Florida, we provide a closer look at the current condition of your home's insulation, including the material and air sealing of your garage. Contact our team of industry experts today to learn more about the impact of your home’s insulation and schedule your free evaluation before the new year.