If you’ve lived in Roseville for long, you understand how wet winter can get. Sure, the weather is beautiful the rest of the year and we get less than average rainfall (24 inches compared to 36 around the nation), but most of that water happens in the months of January and February. All that rain, especially when exacerbated by climate change, can leave your garage prone to flooding. Here are 5 tips to protect your garage against flood waters.
1. Replace Your Garage Door Bottom Seal.
Your garage door bottom seal keeps out rain, animals, and nasty weather. Overtime, it wears away from friction and exposure. This leaves your garage open to flooding. For about $50 in weather stripping, you can replace your garage door bottom seal with a fairly simple DIY repair in a couple of hours.
2. Improve Your Home’s Drainage.
Clogged street gutters and drains can leave your garage vulnerable to flooding. Make sure the drainage around your property is well positioned. You should have French drains installed in front of your garage door, as well as along the driveway, to protect against not only flooding your garage, but the integrity of your foundation.
3. Inspect and Repair Foundation Cracks.
Cracks in your foundation can cause water in heavy rains to seep into your garage. Minor cracks can be patched with waterproof paint or a vinyl concrete patch. Larger cracks may require foundation repair from a professional.
4. Lay Out Sandbags and Other Barriers.
During serious storms that may cause low level flooding, set out sandbags or other barriers to redirect the water away from the garage. It’s a good idea to line them up along the outside of the garage in a pyramid shaped wall. Avoid building a fortress, however, as this can backfire, causing water to build up and cause additional damage. While sandbags won’t provide a perfect seal, they will reduce how much water gets into your garage.
5. Keep Your Garage Door in Good Repair.
Make sure your garage door itself doesn’t have any cracks or leaks. If it does, you might consider replacing the garage door outright.