What to Do If You Suspect Your Garage Roof Needs Some Work

Downers Grove Garage Roofing ProfessionalsMany homeowners look at their garages and think primarily of their internal features: the garage door, the entry doors, the inside space, and the overall design. But roofing and siding are just as important to garages as they are to the rest of the house. If you are considering remodeling, replacing, or taking a look at the current condition of your garage, consider taking the following steps to assess the condition of your garage’s roof first.

4 Steps to Determine the Condition of Your Garage Roof

Whether you are replacing your current garage with a custom garage or just upgrading what you have, an evaluation of your current garage’s roof is important. Here are steps in the evaluation process that can paint a better picture of your garage’s overall condition:

1. Review documentation—Find all receipts and other paperwork regarding the roofing on your home and your garage. From this data, you will be able to sketch out a full history of your roofing. This will enable you to determine with more certainty how old your garage roof is. You may be able to go up to 25 years with the same roof, but after that, the wear and tear of the weather outside will take its toll.
2. Take a snapshot—Look at your garage roof from the outside as a whole, as part of your house. This at-a-glance, big-picture view will give you perspective on major structural issues. Is it drooping, sagging, discolored, or misshapen in any way? This might indicate detrimental damage that could lead to leaks or, worse yet, major safety issues with its structure.
3. Inspect, inspect, inspect—Start investigating the inside of your garage. See if there are any leaks from the ceiling. Also pay attention to natural light coming in from above or the corners of the garage. This will help you know whether leaks are a major issue, or will be a major issue, for your garage roof. After that, evaluate the exterior of the roof itself up close. Are there any cracks or other damages? Do you see any rot? Are there any green spots? If you see any green that signifies moss, mold, fungi, or other plant-life, your roof is likely retaining moisture which will adversely affect its condition.

The Final Step: Contact a Chicago-Area Garage Roofing Professional

Do not neglect the roof of your garage; it needs as much care as the rest of your home’s exterior. If you need help evaluating the condition of your garage’s roof or you are interested in remodeling or replacing your garage, call a Downers Grove garage specialist at 630-852-8485. Blue Sky Builders has been doing this for decades—we can assess your situation and provide you with various options.

Source:

https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/7-signs-you-need-a-new-roof-48751

6 Ways to Protect Your Garage from Flooding

Downers Grove garage builders for flooding preventionAs hurricane season fast approaches, and with prior months this past spring already having shown heavy downpours, you might be concerned about your garage and its safety from flooding. You may have already seen some damage in recent months due to heavy rainfall. Whatever the case may be, here are some inventive ways to protect your garage from flooding:

How to Prevent Flooding in Your Garage

When first building your custom garage, you may need to take steps to keep the floodwaters away. You may also need to protect against flooding in the garage that came with your home. Whichever situation you face, here are some helpful methods for dealing with flooding in your garage:

  1. Repair or Replacement of Garage Door and Floor Seals—If your garage door is not properly sealed at the ground when closed, you will need to fix or replace your seals. The good news is this is not a difficult process, and it will also keep insects and other pests out of your garage once completed. You should be sure to monitor the seals regularly and fix or replace them when necessary.
  2. Usage of an Outdoor Sump Pump—While most people assume sump pumps are only useful in basements, the truth is they can also be beneficial when protecting your garage from floodwaters. If you install an outdoor sump pump just below your garage floor, you could prevent some serious flooding issues.
  3. Slab-Jacking or Other Concrete Repair or Replacement—In many cases, the flooding in your garage is the direct result of crumbling structures, especially with concrete. In those cases, slab-jacking can help, in which massive amounts of grout are forced beneath vulnerable concrete sites in the garage. If slab-jacking does not seem right for your situation, you could also mix your own concrete and use that instead of grout.
  4. Installation of Garage Gutters—When dealing with flooding in any area of your home, the primary goal is to direct water flow away from the home’s structure. The same goes for your garage. Brand-new garage gutters can help guide extra water runoff into spouts and drains away from the garage. Professional garage roofing and siding services can ensure that gutters and drainage are installed correctly.
  5. Addition of Extra Indoor and Outdoor Drains—Especially if you are noticing pools of water inside your garage, possibly even during the winter, interior drains can help. In addition, exterior drains can also be useful if you notice the existing drains are being taxed beyond their capabilities during each rainfall.
  6. Placement of Smart Home Water Sensors—Many of the aforementioned pieces of advice consider what to do when flooding in the garage becomes a problem. However, if you are worried about the possibility of flooding without having actually had it happen at your home or garage yet, then installing affordable smart home water sensors in your garage will help you keep tabs on things and take preemptive measures as soon as possible.

Contact a Dupage County Garage Renovation Professional

Weather authorities have issued warnings of a hurricane season that will be “more severe than usual” this season. There is no better time than now to make sure your garage is protected from flooding. Water in your garage can destroy personal property, and cause damage to the overall structure of your garage and even your house. If you are looking to build a garage that takes these concerns into consideration, or if you want to renovate your garage to address these issues, call a Downers Grove custom garage expert at 630-852-8485.

Is It Time to Replace My Garage’s Roof?

Blue Sky Builders garage roof replacementYour home requires constant maintenance and upkeep. Throughout the years, various parts of your home and garage will need to be repaired, replaced, or upgraded. If you are particularly handy, you may be able to perform some of these fixes yourself, but there are some home repairs that require an expert. One of the most challenging areas to address is the roof above your garage and home. To ensure that repairs are performed properly, you need a roofing specialist to protect your garage from leaks and other outside elements.  Read more

What Roofing Terms Do I Need to Know When Replacing My Garage Roof?

Blue Sky Builders garage roof replacementMost home and garage roofs in the Chicago area require replacement of their asphalt composite shingles every 20 to 30 years, but the actual life of the roof can be shorter or longer depending on the quality of the shingles, the amount of direct sun they get, and other weather-related factors. Read more

Can I Save Money By Installing Solar Panels on My Garage Roof?

Blue Sky Builders garage roof solar powerNow that spring has sprung, outdoor home improvement season is upon us. With Earth Day approaching on April 22, it seems appropriate to dedicate this post to a “green” topic: solar power. Specifically, does it make financial sense to use your Downers Grove residential garage to generate electricity with solar panels? The short answer is: Yes, thanks to current federal and state incentives. Read more

Tips on Choosing the Right Custom Garage Roof

Blue Sky Builders garage roofing styleWhen you begin dreaming of your custom garage, you will likely start with the inside features and make decisions about the intended use of the space. You may have agreed on cabinetry, whether you will need windows, and even the style of garage door. However, it is also important to consider the exterior of your garage. Often, the garage roof is overlooked in the initial planning process. The roof style of your garage should match or complement your existing home, otherwise what you think is a wise investment may become a regret. Here are some comparisons for choosing the right roof for your needs: Read more

How to Know When Your Garage Needs a New Roof

Blue Sky Builders new garage roofIn the Chicago area and the DuPage County suburbs, the weather changes frequently and, at times, dramatically, from nice sunny days, to severe thunderstorms, to snow blizzards and polar vortexes. These sudden changes in the weather can be the source of problems with your garage’s roof. The age of your roof can also cause issues, such as curling and buckling of shingles. To have a better idea of when to replace your roof, here are some questions to ask: Read more

Which Garage Roofing Material Is Right for Your Garage?

roofThe roof is a major part of any garage building or remodeling project. With the wide variety of roofing materials available today, choosing one can be difficult. You need a material that matches the aesthetic of your garage, will protect your garage’s contents, and one that will work well in your local climate. Different materials have different costs associated with them. Some are more expensive to install; others are cheaper but may require additional maintenance down the road. To help you choose, here are a few roofing materials often chosen for garages, and some benefits and drawbacks associated with each of them.
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