Key Measures for Preventing Water Damage in Garages and Sheds

When it comes to home maintenance and upkeep, virtually all homeowners can agree that it’s better to maintain a proactive rather than a reactive approach. This is mainly because some signs of damage aren’t even visible until they’ve progressed into even bigger, more costly issues. For instance, damage within walls and roof cavities can go unnoticed for a long time until they start to register visible signs. 

One of the most insidious types of damage to Australian properties is water damage. Even the smallest of leaks can pave the way for a litany of other issues, like mold growth, ceiling and roof damage, and potentially even pest infestations, as termites and other pests have been known to be attracted to moisture. In these ways and more, water damage can and will obstruct the quality and structure of your property overtime if left untreated and thus, much like any home maintenance concern, should be resolved quickly. 

Here are some key tried and trusted methods that you can use to reduce risks of water damage in some of the most heavily affected areas: your shed and garage.

Add extra protection

When building and maintaining a steel shed or garage, it is always wise to add extra protections against water damage. While steel is a sturdy and strong building material, it can be prone to problems caused by the elements. Of the many ways to prevent this problem in sheds, make sure that you put multiple protections in place. This includes weatherproofing your shed. 

Similarly, you can also reduce risks of water damage by sealing gaps in roof structures, putting support beams in place, and installing weather or wind guards for gutters themselves. These guards are also beneficial for properties using rainwater tank systems, as weather guards can reduce risks of pests and plant matter contaminating your rainwater supplies.

Alongside these physical protection measures, homeowners are also advised to revisit their home insurance policy to ensure that they have cover for water- and storm-related damages. If you have uncertainties surrounding the scope of your insurance policy, consider speaking with your insurance providers directly or even shopping around for additional cover to see what options are available to you.

Clean out your gutters regularly

Clearing roof guttering and drainage systems is oftentimes one of the main household maintenance jobs that can be left by the wayside. However, clogged roof gutters can rapidly result in moisture buildup across your roof cavity, which can in turn pave the way for leaks and drips through your garage and shed areas.

Such damage can, of course, also increase the risk of pest infestations, particularly rodents, as they come looking for food, water and shelter, both for nesting and safety. Pest infestations in garages and sheds can also result in elevated risks of pest infestations for your home.

This makes gutter cleaning an essential shed maintenance measure just as much as it is a home maintenance task. Gutter cleaning can be a dangerous task to take on however due to fall risks, it’s advised that you enlist the services of professional gutter cleaners if need be. The costs of their services are likely to be minimal when compared to the repair costs associated with moisture damage.

Check for rust and potential storm damage

When assessing the health of your shed or garage roof, don’t just look at the gutters. Make sure you also look for signs of corrosion and wear and tear across roof tiles or roof slats. This is especially important if you live in warm and humid areas where there is the potential for rust and warping, due to the heat and other weathering due to prolonged weather exposure. 

There are various benefits to installing appropriate guttering for your garage or shed. When gutter systems are properly installed, they aid in redirecting water from your shed or garage roof, making sure that it doesn’t pool and create rust and extensive water staining across the roof or ceiling. 

It’s also wise to assess your roof for any weather damage after heavy storms and severe wind gusts. Maintaining a little vigilance here can help you save potentially tens of thousands of dollars in damage repairs in the long term.

Seal from the ground up

For homeowners living in flood prone areas, investing in moisture protection for flooring and your property foundation is also essential. Here, the best way to increase protection for your shed is to caulk by adding silicone sealant to the floor. 

This way the water won’t get trapped and you won’t have damaged foundations. You also lessen your risk of internal flooding during flood seasons or torrential rainstorms, which are a staple of winters and springs in Australia as well as across the summer months in tropical regions.

Using sealants to protect your flooring and subfloor can also help reduce risks of your property falling victim to a termite infestation. Termites love damp areas, so taking measures to ensure your subfloor stays free from moisture can help ensure these damaging creepy crawlies stay firmly away from your property.

Watch out for wear and tear over time

While steel is a great material, and often a high quality material to build with, every structure will come to face the problems of age over time – even your steel sheds and garages. So homeowners are advised to assess the overall health of their sheds and garages over time to ensure that even cases of wear and tear don’t escalate into more potentially damaging issues.

A great example here is condensation. Even internal sources of moisture build-up caused by natural condensation and evaporation can affect elements of your sheds and garage like wooden window panes or door frames. Here, moisture damage can take the form of wood warping, which can result in draughts or generally compromise shed or garage security. 

These issues can affect all sheds and garages, no matter how many coats of weatherproof paint you use or how healthy your roof and gutter systems are. The best way to stay on top of these more insidious maintenance issues is to simply monitor them and respond accordingly. For instance, if you see early signs of wood warping (i.e. jamming doors or windows, or cracked/peeling paint on timber), then invest in dehumidifying technology for your sheds or garages to help potentially offset the natural build-up of moisture in these interior spaces.

Keep your garage free from risks of water damage

To sum up, when it comes to warding off problems caused by water damage, make sure that you:

• Check your insurance coverage.
• Clean the gutters to avoid build up and seepage.
• Check for rust, corrosion and storm damage, such as water staining.
• Weatherproof with gutter guards and sealant. 
• Monitor wear and tear of sheds and garages over time.
• Fix defects that can be caused by or lead to condensation, and resulting in warping. 

Taking these measures can help ensure your sheds and garages enjoy minimal risks of being exposed to water damage. This in turn, can help keep your wider home and property safe from some of the trickle down effects of moisture buildup, including elevated risks of pest infestations, mould growth, and other hazards.