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Winter in America is a season of contrasts. On the one hand, it's a time to meet up with loved ones, enjoy festive activities, and savor the beauty of a snow-covered landscape. On the other hand, it's also a time for battling harsh weather conditions that can take a toll on your homes and vehicles.
As a homeowner, it's essential to prepare for the challenges of winter. This preparation means proactively protecting your home's exterior and interior surfaces, especially in areas exposed to the elements.
One area that often gets overlooked is the garage. During the winter, the garage becomes a hub of activity as we use it to store our vehicles, snow removal equipment, and other winter essentials. However, the garage is also exposed to a lot of moisture, melting snow, and salt, which can lead to damage and deterioration.
This guide will provide actionable steps to winterize your garage and other home areas so you can confidently face the season.
Is Your Home's Exterior Ready to Face Winter?
Winter's chill brings many challenges to your home's exterior surfaces. The relentless freeze-thaw cycles, combined with the constant assault of ice, snow, and salt, can wreak havoc on driveways, pathways, and patios.
The most important thing you can do is STOP and LOOK. You may often assume that your driveway, garage floor, and sidewalks are unchanging, making you blind to changes that may have occurred, signaling the need for action BEFORE it becomes expensive. A single pockmark tells us the sidewalk seal has failed. A failed seal is an inexpensive repair, but if left for another season, it may cost you dozens or even hundreds of pockmarks by spring. To catch and address these signals early requires us to STOP, walk the surface, and LOOK at least once per year.
If you want to get good at this, consider scheduling that PAUSE-and-LOOK on your calendar a month ahead of your first expected freeze, or you may find yourself scheduling a more expensive repair in early spring.
Driveways and Pathways
Start by inspecting your driveways and pathways for cracks. Water can seep into these cracks and expand when frozen, causing the surfaces to break apart over time. Sealing these cracks is a simple but essential step in protecting your exterior surfaces from winter damage.
If your surface was reinforced with rebar, protecting it from corrosion translates to ensuring the surface is sealed. Rusted rebar expands 600% (not a misprint, 600%), creating sufficient internal pressure to break concrete. Once corroded, this is an expensive intrusive repair. This damage is generally preceded by pockmarks on the surface as water intrusion freezes, expands, and breaks the surface of your concrete.
Concrete seals are invisible as they operate within the concrete. These silicone-based sealing compounds are susceptible to acid attack, which can come from various sources ranging from acid rain, car wash detergents, mold stain cleaners, concrete brighteners, or grass fertilizer washoff. When you think about it, your concrete seal is under constant attack. It will fail over time and require re-application. Unfortunately, that is not often disclosed in your homeowner's manual.
Before winter sets in thoroughly, consider having your driveways and pathways professionally cleaned to remove accumulated dirt, oils, and early moss growth. Such professional cleaning will not only improve the appearance of your property but will also reduce the risk of slipping and falling when these areas become icy. Clearing the nooks and crannies of unwanted dirt is essential before sealing to let the seal soak into the concrete and avoid the seal locking in the dirt for a permanently darkened surface.
Patios
Even though your patio may see little use during the winter months, neglecting it can lead to costly repairs come spring. Clear away furniture and other items to prevent water from pooling and freezing beneath them. Sealing the patio surface can also help prevent moisture absorption and potential freeze-thaw damage.
Entryway and Flooring Protection
Your home's entryway is a transitional bridge between the frigid outdoors and the warm indoors. It's on the frontlines against winter's unforgiving onslaught, notably the damaging duo of salt and moisture.
SEALING - Salt and moisture, often dragged in on boots and shoes, can be incredibly destructive. Salt, while excellent for melting ice on roads and walkways, can cause erosion and discoloration on your home's flooring. Once absorbed by the floor, it is not always easy to remove. It's better to ensure the surface is sealed to keep salt-laden water on it. Meanwhile, moisture can seep into tiny cracks or crevices, which, when frozen, can cause structural compromises and potential damage.
MAT SELECTION – Mat type is essential. If you selected your mat for its WELCOMING message, you have likely done yourself a disservice. Your mat serves an essential purpose. It is present to knock off dirt and salt to reduce how much is tracked onto your floors. A good quality mat should abrade dirt and trap it to prevent transfer into the building. The best are spaghetti mats that allow dirt and salt to fall into the mat so they can no longer interact with the next set of feet to wipe on them. These are superior to bristle mats in their ability to trap dirt below the surface, whereas bristle mats are difficult to clear and are known to flick dirt deeper into the home. An interior spaghetti mat will have a back, allowing the mat to be carried outside where you can easily clear out the trapped dirt and salt. You will be amazed how much dirt and salt can be captured.
On the other hand, an exterior mat is backless, allowing water to pass through it. Here, you may clear the mat by rolling it up and sweeping up the dirt and salt that has fallen through. A proper mat will be an investment over that pretty WELCOME mat you may have now, but it will extend the life of your interior floors and reduce your housekeeping. Avoid the use of an absorptive mat, as these quickly saturate and tend to collect dissolved salts, which are then freed up as salt dust when the mat dries. The spaghetti mat allows liquid water to pass through it OR to be trapped below the surface to reduce transfer deeper into the building.
While it might seem simple, having a dedicated shoe rack near the entrance can make a difference. Encouraging family members and guests to remove their wet or snowy footwear ensures that much moisture and salt doesn't venture beyond the entryway. This practice is quite effective, as the dirt, salt, and water don't transfer deeper into the home. Of course, this is not suitable for commercial situations (unfortunately).
Establishing a routine cleaning schedule for the entryway can further minimize damage. Frequent sweeping or vacuuming followed by mopping with a gentle cleaner ensures that any residual salt or moisture is dealt with promptly. This routine also extends the life of your floors and carpets, as the dirt, dust, and salt serve as the abrasion medium that wears down or wears out carpet and marble floors. Shoes are not the problem as we disperse our weight across a large cross-section underfoot, but stepping on a grain of sand concentrates all that weight through that single point, becoming highly destructive. In fact, you cannot scratch a marble floor without first trapping a grain of sand or dirt underfoot. Managing dust and dirt extends the life of your floors and carpets.
How Do You Ensure Your Garage Is Winter-Ready?
The garage, often considered a mere storage or parking space, is important during winter. It is a protective shield for your vehicles from snow and sleet, a storage zone for our winter gear, and, occasionally, a workshop for winter hobbies. But for all its utility, it also becomes a magnet for winter's harshest elements.
Combatting Snow and Moisture: Snow will inevitably enter the garage. Whether it's from your car's tires or a gust of wind blowing in when you open the door, snow accumulation can lead to puddles of water. When mixed with road salts and other chemicals, this excess moisture can harm your garage floor. To address this, ensure a slight slope in your garage floor to aid in water runoff. Additionally, using squeegees or brooms to push out water regularly can be beneficial if it is collecting.
Sealing the Door: A garage door seal or threshold seal prevents drafts, dirt, water, and pests from entering. During winter, this barrier also prevents snow from blowing into the space. A well-sealed garage door can also conserve energy, ensuring that any heat generated within doesn't escape, making the space more usable even in the colder months.
Ventilation and Humidity Control: Moisture in your garage can lead to mold and mildew growth, damaging the garage structure and the items stored inside. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure proper ventilation. If the garage is airtight, consider using dehumidifiers or moisture absorbers to maintain a dry environment.
Floor Protection: During winter, a garage floor is subjected to harsh conditions like melting snow, road salts, and chemical residues that can undermine its durability.
Are you interested in safeguarding your garage floor?
Explore MARBLELIFE's EnduraCrete Anti-Slip Treatments for a comprehensive flooring solution.
How Can MARBLELIFE Help You this Winter?
Drawing from years of experience and a deep understanding of these seasonal challenges, MARBLELIFE has designed solutions to protect and improve your garage.
ENDURACHIP Coating
Imagine the relentless flow of vehicles entering and exiting your garage, tracking in ice, slush, and salt. A standard floor might succumb to wear and erosion, but not one with ENDURACHIP coating. This innovative coating provides a durable barrier that protects your floor from moisture, chemicals, and other harsh elements.
Beyond its protective attributes, ENDURACHIP coating also breathes new life into dull, lifeless floors. Available in various colors and finishes, it can be customized to match your desired aesthetic, transforming your garage into a stylish and inviting space.
Do you have ugly concrete stains or evidence of past repairs?
A MARBLELIFE concrete coating can provide a new, uniform, clean appearance that matches your style and interests. Finish off that unfinished concrete, convert the garage into an organized workshop or sports man cave in your favorite team colors, or install a showroom floor for that beautiful sports car or classic car. Your garage floor converts that garage into an attractive living space where you park cars.
Concrete Color Staining
Who says winter must be dreary? Counter the season's grayness with Concrete Color Staining. This innovative treatment enhances your garage with vibrant hues, adding a touch of personality and sophistication. But more than just a cosmetic upgrade, concrete color staining also offers a subtle shield against unsightly salt stains and debris.
With its durable finish and ease of maintenance, Concrete Color Staining is the perfect solution for homeowners who want to elevate their garage space without sacrificing functionality.
Stained and polished, it provides a clean, shiny surface similar to what you have seen in Lowes and Home Depot, where they favor these floors for their ability to reduce dust, prevent salts from rising with water through the floor, and remove concrete dust by polishing away those brittle concrete rough surfaces in exchange for an easier-to-maintain, reduced dust-generating beautiful floor finish. Staining allows you to infuse colors from reds to blues to provide a rustic or vibrant new look.
Marblized™ Metallic
For those seeking an added touch of elegance, Marblized™ Metallic is the ultimate transformation. This treatment transforms ordinary concrete floors into stunning visual pieces with a three-dimensional marbled appearance that rivals the beauty of natural stone.
A Ferrari is a beautiful car wherever you see it, but place it on a Carrera white marble concrete coating showroom floor, and it becomes a work of art. We can tailor your floor to your design needs.
But Marblized™ Metallic treatment is more than just a feast for the eyes. It also provides an additional layer of defense against winter's messes, with a durable finish that resists moisture, chemicals, and abrasion.
Whether you're looking for a practical or stylish solution to winterize your garage, MARBLELIFE offers expert services to meet your needs.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can help you confidently winterize your garage.
Key Takeaways for Winterizing Your Garage
To prepare your garage for winter, remember these essential steps. Insulate and seal your garage doors to keep out drafts and moisture. Use moisture control methods such as absorbers or dehumidifiers, and ensure proper ventilation for improved air quality — seal gaps to keep pests at bay and store food securely. Lastly, regularly inspect your garage for signs of wear, damage, or structural issues, addressing them promptly to maintain a well-protected space throughout the winter months.
And if you need professional advice or assistance with winterizing your garage, contact our experts at 888-463-2780. Schedule a free consultation with MARBLELIFE today, and let us help you ensure your garage is well-prepared for the winter season. Your satisfaction and peace of mind are our top priorities, and we're here to provide you with the guidance and solutions you need.
