How Carrollton, TX, Residents Can Protect Their Garage From Storm Damage and Flooding

3/24/2021 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO of Carrollton shares preventative tips to help homeowners avoid storm damage in their garage.

SERVPRO of Carrollton has over forty years of combined experience providing water, fire, mold, and storm damage restoration. By utilizing advanced technology, the latest equipment, and cutting-edge restoration techniques, the company can provide customers with professional property damage restoration and cleaning services, including damage restoration services for a water-damaged garage.

North Texas is no stranger to severe weather. Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes pummel the region. Northeast Texas catches the fury of hurricanes and tropical storms from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

Garage door failure during a hurricane or other severe weather event opens a breach in the house envelope that can exceed 300 square feet. Structural engineers conclude that the resulting change in air pressure can lift the roof off a house or create other openings that permit water intrusions that can damage or ruin drywall, flooring, ceilings, furniture, appliances, and personal belongings.

SERVPRO of Carrollton shares the following strategies to help homeowners floodproof their garage.

Tip #1: Consider installing a new, sturdier garage door or upgrading the current door with a bracing system or a retrofit kit.

One way to make the garage storm-ready and code-compliant is to install a completely new garage door system that addresses common weaknesses found in older or lower quality garage doors, including the end stiles that brace the edges of the door and the thin, weak skin. Sturdier 14-gauge steel end stiles and 24-gauge steel skin on the doors can hold up under the impact from debris hurtled by tornado and hurricane-strength winds.

Another option is to retrofit an existing garage door with a bracing system that can be installed prior to the arrival of severe weather. The success of this effort depends on the condition of the door, the strength of the brackets, and the quality of the initial installation. A retrofit solution is much less expensive than a new door system. Once the garage door has been retrofitted, storm bracing can be installed in just a few minutes. A quality retrofit kit can strengthen an existing door, enabling it to withstand winds of up to 180 miles per hour.

Tip #2: Install a flood barrier.

The most common flood barriers are comprised of sandbags. They are inexpensive, can be quickly filled with sand, and can be deployed across the garage entrance as the water rises. Once the flood subsides, the bags can be emptied, discarded, or stored for later use. This temporary solution works best when only a few inches to a foot of water threaten the garage. Water-filled tubes are an expensive solution that can be quickly deployed. Spanning a twenty to thirty-foot gap using a flood gate is more complicated and requires some structural engineering to the garage.

Tip #3: Weather-strip the garage door or inspect the existing weather-stripping.

High winds can drive rain horizontally against the garage door, and defective or inadequate weather-stripping can allow water to seep into the garage. At first, the leaks may seem insignificant, but multiplied over hours or even days, large quantities of water can penetrate the garage door and damage the contents of the garage. Fresh weather-stripping appropriately installed can make a garage door an effective barrier to water penetration in very severe weather with high winds and torrential rain. Weather-stripping is an inexpensive upgrade that most homeowners can successfully tackle as a DIY project. A few dollars and an hour or two can save thousands in water damage repairs.

Tip #4: Make sure that the gutters are clean and drain properly.

Gutters serve the vital function of capturing roof water and directing it away from the perimeter of a home. Grading, including berms and swales, channels the water further away from the structure and prevents it from pooling. Gutter failure can result in the garage, crawl space, or basement flooding.

Tip #5: Apply a waterproofing veneer to the garage walls.

A waterproof veneer, water-resistant sealant, or water-resistant paint can keep moisture from saturating the walls. Moisture-soaked walls can result in hidden mold growth behind the wallboard. By the time the homeowner notices the telltale musty smell of a mold infestation, the mold is established and will need to be professionally mitigated.

Tip #6: Install flood drains that direct water away from the garage.

Installing flood drains is a good strategy, but it may require expensive installation. These drains may work well in tandem with a temporary flood barrier that allows some water to breach the garage. This water can be dispatched through the flood drains.

Tip #7: Consult with a water damage and storm damage professional.

A storm damage restoration company with decades of experience can suggest additional strategies to flood proof the garage. Solutions could be as simple as refurbishing the garage door weather-stripping or making minor grading alterations.

When water damage, flood damage, storm damage, or a mold infestation strikes the garage, trust the restoration experts at SERVPRO of Carrollton with the project. They offer a twenty-four-hour emergency service. Being locally owned and operated means that the SERVPRO team also lives in the community and cares about the people they serve. This investment in the lives of customers takes customer service to a higher level.

To learn more about storm damage restoration in Carrollton, TX, contact the SERVPRO of Carrollton office by phone at (972) 446-0383 or email office@SERVPRO10952.com.