Is your garage the most neglected area of your home? Could someone get hurt? Could there be minor issues brewing that could lead to bigger, costlier problems if not addressed promptly? Check out the following tips from Orlando garage floors professionals, Garage Design Works, on how to maintain a perfect garage which ensures the safety of your family.

1. Inspect Floors: If your Orlando garage floor has any cracks wider than ¼ inch, it could cause tripping. It’s a good idea to hose down your floor first so you can detect cracks, pockmarks, and stains. Sometimes, you can patch the crack with a low-priced concrete mix from your hardware store. However, most patching doesn’t last because of cars driving over it. Another option is to paint your garage floor and include a top coat of sealant for protection. Be aware that you may experience paint chipping, discoloring, or a slippery floor. Orlando garage floors experts favor an epoxy floor coating product with a urethane top sealant called ArmorSeal® because of its easy maintenance, durability and longevity.

2. Inspect Walls: Keep track of your interior and exterior garage walls and foundation for signs of discoloration or mold. Do a regular inspection twice a year to detect any water seeping inside from the roof or the walls. Cracks larger than ¼” should be addressed as soon as possible to prevent any water or mold damage.   Contact a building or roofing professional to assess and correct any of these issues.

3. Inspect Doors: Clean and inspect your interior garage door to your home annually. Ensure that the weather stripping and threshold are in good shape for energy-saving and pest-control reasons.

4. Corral Pests: Have an annual pest and termite inspection done. Carpenter ants and termites like dark moist areas, so check where your floor meets your wall to see if there is any sawdust from carpenter ants or chewed wood from termites.

5. Inspect Operation: Ensure your garage doors are operating correctly. If you have older doors with metal hinges, rollers, and tracks, you‘ll need to oil them annually so they continue to function effectively. Newer doors come with plastic parts or are self-lubricating so oiling them is not necessary. A leaf blower is the perfect tool to rid your garage door parts of grime, grit, leaves, dead bugs, and cobwebs.  Inspect the rubber seal at the bottom of your garage doors to detect any hardening or chipping allowing outside items into your garage. You can replace it easily yourself with new sealing for less than $100.  Prevent accidents and damage to your belongings by periodically checking your garage doors to ensure that they automatically stop if something is in their path.

Are there any other places in your garage that you inspect periodically to ensure you’re maintaining a perfect garage? Leave a comment and let us know. Call the experts at Garage Design Works today at (407) 447-8890 to schedule Orlando garage floors installation, so that you can get that old, worn out garage floor looking good again.