This winter has already been super rainy. Many of us have experienced significant and minor flooding. Our garages are supposed to be safe from the elements to keep some of our most valuable belongings, like our daily drivers, recreational vehicles, and tools. Unfortunately, if the garage has a bunch of water in it, that can damage your things! Whereas there aren’t many things that we can do to protect your home and belongings from major flooding, we can do a few things to help keep the garage a little bit drier.
- Install a French drain in front of the garage
Whereas this isn’t something that we can install, it’s the best way to keep your garage clear of water running into it. These drains effectively catch most water (except for hefty rainfall) before it gets into your garage. The only caveat is that you need to make sure it’s kept clear of debris. Thankfully all this takes it just checking it periodically for fallen leaves and branches.
- Install a rain guard on the garage floor.
This is a raised rubber bumper installed by using a super heavy-duty clue to the front of the garage slab. The bumper dams up any water that comes up to it keep it from running into the door. This needs to be installed when it is warm and dry, so, unfortunately, the season that we are thinking of them the most is the most inopportune time to get it installed. A good way to avoid the issue next year is to plan way ahead and make an appointment for the springtime when it’s more likely to be warm and dry for a few days at a time.
- Make sure that your door’s weatherstripping is in good condition.
Weatherstripping is the trim around the door with a rubber flap that sits on the outside of the door. It holds a few purposes. To make the door look more finished by covering the gaps between the door and the framing, and to keep out small amounts of wind and water. The weatherstripping isn’t always effective in keeping out all the water, but it does a pretty good job covering most of it. My weather stripping is in great shape, and my garage faces where the rain often blows directly onto the face of the door. There is never any water that gets into the garage around the sides of my door because I make sure that my weatherstripping is kept in good condition, and if something happens to it, I make sure to replace the damaged section.
- Keep your Door waxed.
We’ve talked about making sure your door is waxed twice a year to protect the door’s warranty, but waxing your door also protects it from water. The wax repels water from the door’s surface, and acts as a barrier to the steel, and makes it less likely that the door will get rusty during the wet months. Do the wax on a day that is dry so that it will adhere to the door better. You will need to wash the door first, but a simple car wash brush and warm soapy water will do the job well. Regular car wax is exactly what you should use for your garage door too!