Winter in Iowa can quickly turn a neat, clean garage into a huge, dirty, salty mess. Here are several ideas to help you winterize your garage to help protect your floors and vehicles and prevent you or your family from tracking gunk into your home.

How to Weatherize Your Garage and Protect the Floor

Check Your Garage Door’s Weather Stripping

One of the most effective ways to keep rain and snow out of your garage is to make sure the seal at the bottom is doing its job. If it’s worn, ripped, or cracked in places, the seal will be broken. Replace the rubber piece at the bottom of your door if necessary to increase your garage’s energy efficiency and keep out moisture.

Add Floor Mats

Concrete is porous, so it can easily become stained and damaged, especially in the winter with all the extra snow, mud, and slush. The cold temperatures can also affect concrete, making it more prone to chipping and cracking when water melts and freezes on the floors. Protect your garage floor from moisture and salt by adding absorbent containment mats. Easily squeegee or vacuum the mats to release the water outside instead of spreading it around the garage. When the winter is over, you can roll up the mats and store them until next year. 

If you’d rather not invest in containment mats, you can grab cardboard boxes and lay them down in your garage where you park your car to help absorb moisture and protect your floor. Simply toss them when they need to be replaced.

Also, consider adding mats near the entry door to your home. You can wipe off your shoes and remove them before going inside to avoid tracking contaminants from the garage into your house.

Wipe Down Vehicles Before Parking in the Garage

If you have chunks of muddy snow on your vehicle that you drive directly into your garage, those chunks will likely fall right onto the floors and turn into a dirty puddle that could then spread around the garage and be tracked into your home. Consider hopping out of your vehicle before driving into the garage to brush off the snow and wipe off the mud so it’s all left outside. Have a scraper or broom handy to make this process quick and easy.

Seal the Garage Floor

Consider coating your garage floor with epoxy to make it moisture and stain resistant. Epoxy also can make your floors much easier to clean and can give your garage a facelift. Make sure you follow instructions carefully and don’t apply the coating when temperatures are too low. Temperatures should fall between 60 and 90 degrees, so it’s best to do this during the spring or summer. Learn more about the benefits of epoxy coating in our previous blog article: Should I Epoxy-Coat My Garage Floor?

Give Your Floor a Good Cleaning

When the spring-cleaning time hits, be sure to clean both your vehicles and the floor in your garage to cleanse everything of the remnants of winter. Grab a mop and bucket and clean your floors with warm water and either dish detergent or vinegar; use one cup of vinegar or detergent for every gallon of water. Removing salt and dirt from your garage will keep it stronger longer. After mopping, use a squeegee to push excess water outside.

We hope our tips are helpful to you! If you find yourself in a pickle this winter and need help with your garage door, give us a call! We offer residential garage door services around Iowa, and we’d love to work with you. Contact us anytime!

You use it every day. It protects your car; it stores your holiday decorations; it’s the grand entrance into your home. There are plenty of reasons to install a new garage door this year, but these are our top six.

1. High ROI

In its 2022 Cost vs. Value Report, Remodeling magazine found upscale garage door replacement to be the top-value project on its list, yielding an average 93.3% return on investment (ROI) nationwide and a 91% ROI in the north-central portion of the Midwest. This is much higher than the ROI associated with a basement, bathroom, or kitchen remodel, and it involves a fraction of the upfront cost. According to bankrate.com, a garage door replacement ranks first in the highest ROI for a home renovation project.

2. Better Energy Efficiency

Newer garage doors are more energy efficient than older doors, which means you’ll start saving money the moment you install them. Choosing a new garage door with a high R-value will ensure that you aren’t paying to heat or cool the outdoors. A new door will also help keep your garage comfortable for more enjoyable use year-round. Check out the 8300 and 8500 models—they’ve got 5-star energy ratings!

3. Reduced Maintenance

A new door means new parts, and new parts mean less wear and tear! Your garage door may be on its last leg, which means the cost of the parts and labor to keep it functioning over the long term could nearly equal the cost of a new garage door. Save yourself the time and money it will take to revive your old garage door by replacing it with a new one. Many doors come with warranties, so you can prevent the headache of repair and maintenance for years to come!

4. Enhanced Curb Appeal

Your garage door is one of the first things people see when they look at your home. Don’t let it be an eyesore! Curb appeal also gives your home a competitive edge when it’s time to sell your home.

5. Updated Technology

Newer garage door models come with updated technology like Wi-Fi capability and wall mounting. These features increase the functionality of your garage door, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get the most out of your system.

6. Improved Safety

Depending on the model you select, you’ll have options like heavy-duty hinges, which increase the strength between your garage’s sections, or WindSafe^® reinforcement to provide durability and security during inclement weather. Your new door will feature industry-standard materials that will further protect you, your home, and your property.

If you’re ready to install your new garage door, contact WD Door to set up a consultation! Our professional technicians will have your new residential garage door installed before you know it.