There are many different reasons to build a metal garage. As you may already know, when compared to wood versions, metal garages tend to cost less, last longer, and be available in far more designs and with plenty of custom features. We love creating metal garages for our customers because of just how many notable benefits they deliver.
Another point that should be added to that benefit list is the lack of maintenance that is required to keep a metal structure in good condition. Simply put, there just isn’t that much that needs to be done to a metal building to make sure it stays healthy over time. Of course, minimal maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance, so this article is going to outline the simple steps you can take to care for your building throughout the year.
If you would like to order a new metal garage from American Carports, Inc., or if you would like to explore the possibilities as you plan an upcoming project, our Build & Price tool is the perfect place to start. Additionally, you are always welcome to contact us if you need any help. We’d love to serve you!
Fall Maintenance: Keeping Your Metal Garage Roof Clean
One of your primary responsibilities as a metal garage owner is to tend to the roof of that building in the fall months. If there are trees near enough to the garage to leave leaves and branches on the roof, you’ll want to get those off as quickly as possible. If you allow that debris to remain on the roof, it can trap moisture, attract critters, and more. You might wind up dealing with a messy situation that ends up harming the condition of your garage if you don’t do a good job of keeping the roof cleaned off.
Winter Care for Metal Garages
This next point depends entirely on where you happen to live and what kind of local climate you face. If you live somewhere that features winter snow, it’s just as important to get that snow off of the roof as it was to deal with the leaves in fall. Snow can get incredibly heavy, and it could threaten to cause the roof of your metal garage to cave in if you don’t get it off of there as soon as possible.
It’s important to do snow removal safely, as you don’t want to face a slip-and-fall accident or bring a significant load of snow down on top of you while working. So, consider investing in a long pole with a brush attachment that allows you to pull down some of the snow while remaining a safe distance back from the edge of the garage.
Summer Upkeep: How to Clean and Preserve Your Metal Garage
So far, we have been talking about dealing with adverse weather conditions in the fall and winter, and that’s probably the time of year when you are going to need to pay the most attention to your garage. However, when the nice summer weather arrives, you should take advantage of it and give the entire metal surface of the garage a wipe-down.
For the exterior, you can simply wash the garage much like you would wash a car. Use a hose and some soapy water to get the outside cleaned off nicely and remove any dirt or debris that might have built up over the course of the year. This is going to protect the condition of the metal and make it more likely that the building will hold up well over time. You probably don’t want to spray your hose inside the garage, but you can take a big towel that has been dampened with soapy water and scrub down all of the surfaces that you can reach.
Regular Inspections
If you keep up with the three points listed above – cleaning off leaves, removing snow, and washing the garage in the summer – you’ll be in great shape. The only other thing to mention is that it’s a good habit to visually inspect the condition of the garage from time to time to make sure no problems have popped up. These inspections are when you might notice things that need to be addressed, like an infestation of critters that should be removed or a paint chip that can be touched up.
Ensuring Your Metal Garage Stands the Test of Time
No, you won’t have to do a lot of maintenance work to keep your metal garage in good condition. Yes, you should plan on doing some work regularly throughout the year to stay ahead of the game and make sure your garage lives up to its potential in the long run. Thank you for stopping by and we hope you will consider American Carports, Inc. when you are ready to order a new garage or any other kind of metal structure. Let’s get started today!
