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Get your garage ready for winter, the cold weather is almost here and you've got some work to do.
(ARA) - Colder weather not only has you shutting the windows and cranking up the heat, but also bringing all your belongings indoors to protect them from the winter elements. This means it's time to get your garage geared up for the season.
Making sure all your belongings fit is one thing, but this space houses your workshop, truck, big toys and, in some cases, the man cave where you escape for a football game or afternoon of hanging out with some pals. This is the perfect time of year to make your garage the storage and hang-out space you need for those long winter months.
Here are a few tips that can help you turn your garage into a space that meets all your requirements for many years to come:
* Clean It Up.
While the weather is warm, take the time to clean out the garage of anything not needed (broken car parts, duplicate tools, half-empty cans of paint or stain and even products you've outgrown) and find storage space for what's left over. Purchase storage containers and shelving, or build hanging racks to help keep items off the floor and out of the way. Wash down the floors, scrub the walls and let it dry out before putting everything back in.
* Protect Your Floors.
After driving through the slush and snow, your car or truck is going to be bringing a lot of sand and salt chemicals into your garage. As it melts, this corrosive mixture congregates on the floor, developing pockmarks and cracks in the concrete. Give your garage floor a protective coating like ASPART-X from LINE-X. It's waterproof, abrasion and chemical resistant, and can be customized to any color with the potential for color chips to be added in. It's perfect for designing your man cave with the colors of your favorite team. And think of the concrete repairs you'll save money on down the road.
* Maintenance Is Important.
Sometimes just cleaning the garage isn't enough. You may need to invest a bit of time and energy into the electrical and - if included - heating as well. Replace all the batteries in your garage door openers, and clean the weather stripping between the door panels. Also have a heating professional check out your garage heater at the same time you are getting your home furnace inspected and cleaned. You don't want to come out to the garage on the day the temps drop below freezing and discover the heater isn't working.
Winter will be here before you know it, sending all your equipment back into your garage's protective custody. Try these tips to turn your garage into a great work space, storage space and potential man cave to hang out with your pals.