Prefab steel buildings and steel garages are some of the most useful, functional buildings you can add to your home or business. As a versatile, long-lasting steel structure, they work well for storage, protection of vehicles, shop space, and much more. However, in areas where there are freezing winter temperatures, there are some precautions you should take to ensure that your steel carport or other structure provides the longest possible lifespan. If you live in an area where significant snowfall is an issue, there are options available in prefab steel buildings that are engineered to deal with this level of snow load. Here’s the information you’ll need on why winterizing is important and how to get the job done.
Why Winterizing a Steel Building is Important?
Properly maintained, steel structures are designed to last for decades as a low-maintenance option for your property. They’re able to easily withstand the elements throughout the year, but they do require some level of maintenance to ensure that the structure will last as long as possible. The weight of heavy snow and the accumulation of ice on your steel garage can add a lot of extra stress and strain on the building’s structure, with the potential to cause catastrophic damage. Fortunately, you can avoid the bulk of these issues by winterizing your steel building.
How to Winterize Your Steel Building
Winterizing your steel building is an important maintenance task in the autumn. However, it’s also one that doesn’t take very long to complete, making it easy to get done and get on with your day. Here are some of the most important tasks you should undertake to prevent stress on your steel structures over the winter and ensure a long useable lifespan.
Prune and Trim Any Trees or Bushes
Snow and ice can build up on trees, falling onto the roof of your steel structures and adding weight to already-stressed structural members. Bushes that are laden with ice can be beaten against the building by the wind during a bad storm, causing damage to the siding panels. Broken tree branches can fall onto your structure, causing damage. By trimming and pruning any trees or bushes back from the steel building, you can prevent damage from these sources.
Remove Debris
When you have debris around steel garages, you’re not only creating a habitat for pests, but you’re also creating a place for ice to build up, allowing ice dams to form and cause flooding back into your structure. If this moisture freezes after it gets under the edges of your building, it can warp the side panels. In addition, debris on the roof can cause a similar problem, causing not only ice dams, but also creating areas where the roof is not fully drying under the debris, creating a perfect environment for corrosion to begin.
Wash the Building
To keep your steel structure looking its best, it’s important that you regularly wash it. Use a pressure washer with 1/4 cup of gentle, phosphate-free laundry detergent per gallon of water to wash down your steel carports, garages or other structures. But what if you don’t have a pressure washer available or don’t want to bother with renting one? Using the same solution, use a broom or brush to apply the solution to the structure’s panels and gently work the solution into the surface without scratching, then rinse thoroughly with a hose.
Clear the Gutters
Much like the issues with debris mentioned above, gutters that are clogged with debris can be a real problem, because they don’t allow the water coming off of your steel structure’s roof to drain properly. When this water freezes in the gutters, it backs up onto your roof as an ice dam is formed. This causes a lot of extra weight to build upon your roof.
Check the Roof
Though it may seem obvious, once you’re done with the rest of the winterization process, it’s important to take a solid look at the roof, checking for any issues with corrosion, holes, dents or other damage that will need to be addressed before winter sets in. It’s very important to check for and repair any damage before it gets cold, because winter weather can make the problems even worse.
Find a High-Quality Steel Building – Like a Steel Carports – Steel Structure
By winterizing your steel structure, you can ensure that it will provide years of reliable service. If you’re in the market for a quality steel structure, Steel Carports has amazing steel buildings that can withstand harsh winter weather, while our two decades of reliable customer service, commitment to quality and fast national delivery ensure you’ll get exactly what you want. Please feel free to contact us today on (833) 647-8335 to get started.