When the Arizona sun starts cranking up the heat, your garage often takes the brunt of the damage. This heat can be brutal on your home, your car, your gear, and everything else you store in your garage. Don’t wait for the first heatwave to realize you need to prepare your garage to hold up in the heat. To help you stay ahead of the heat, here are the 5 best things you can do to protect your garage and keep it functional all summer long.
1. Upgrade to an Epoxy Garage Floor
When you prepare your garage for summer, start with the floor and work your way up. Upgrading to an epoxy garage floor can be one of the best ways to help prepare your garage to beat the heat. Epoxy garage floors are known for their durability, even when exposed to heat. Not only do they improve the appearance of your garage, but they also provide a thermally stable surface that stays cool, compared to regular concrete floors that radiate heat. Because epoxy can include UV inhibitors, it resists the fading and yellowing that the intense Arizona summers can cause.
The seamless finish the epoxy floors provide makes maintenance a piece of cake during dust storm season, since there are no pores to trap desert dirt. Prepare your garage floor for the heat by choosing a light gray or tan epoxy. These lighter colors will absorb less heat, assuring your garage floor is ready to take the heat.
2. Move Heat-Sensitive Items to Cabinets
Prepare your garage for the Arizona summer by upgrading your garage storage with cabinets. Most people don’t realize that an unconditioned garage can act like an oven, especially in the Arizona summer. Ambient temperatures can get higher than the temperature outdoors, which can damage the items you store in your garage. To protect those items, move heat-sensitive supplies, like leftover paint, cleaning chemicals, fertilizers, and others, into custom garage cabinets.
Unlike open shelving, which exposes your belongings to the heat, industrial-grade cabinets provide a dark and stable environment that regulates temperatures. Not only does this prevent paint from separating and plastic bins from warping, but it also keeps your chemicals away from kids and pets who could get into them. Besides protecting your items from the heat, using wall-mounted cabinets to keep your belongings off the floor is the best way to prepare your garage for the sun. This protects them from dust and other animals that tend to seek shelter indoors when the heat comes.
3. Clear the Floor for Better Airflow
Garages are often the catch-all space for everything that can’t be stored inside the home, which more often than not leads to a lot of clutter. When boxes, bins, bikes, and outdoor equipment are left on the floor, they can block the natural circulation of air and create a breeding ground for dust.
One of the most effective ways to prepare your garage for summer is to get everything off the ground. By utilizing shelving systems and garage cabinetry to organize your belongings and get things off the ground, you allow air to flow freely. This increased circulation of air will help lower the temperature in your garage and make it easier to clear the dust with a leaf blower or fan.
4. Utilize Ceiling Space
Garage space is precious, especially when you’re trying to keep the area ventilated and cool during the summer. One of the smartest ways to prepare your garage for summer is to utilize the extra space you might not have thought about. Garage ceiling storage is a great way to store the things you don’t need access to every day. Things like holiday decor or winter gear can take up a good chunk of space that won’t be touched for a while.
By utilizing that wasted space in the ceiling of your garage, you can get those bulky items out of the way. This will open up more space for your summer gear to be more accessible, all while giving your garage a more open and organized feel before the heat hits.
5. Utilize Ceiling Space
One of the best parts of summer is completing those projects you haven’t been able to finish. However, the Arizona sun can make that feel almost impossible to do outside. Installing an indoor workstation can be one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself and your garage for summer.
By creating a custom garage workbench, you can stay productive without the risk of a sunburn and heat exhaustion. By organizing your tools with shelving accessories and pegboards above the bench, you can keep everything you need in reach, off the floor, and out of the heat. This setup will help you beat the heat by creating a functional workspace where you can tackle home repairs, crafts, and other work in the shade.
Beat the Heat
Your garage doesn’t have to become an oven during the summer. Beat the heat with reliable garage storage that will not only help keep your garage cool but also make your garage look nice and organized. Make the effort to prepare your garage for summer by doing these five things before it gets too hot. Contact us today to get a free quote!