If you live in one of the areas of the U.S. where seasonal weather changes include extremely cold temps and precipitation over the winter months, then you probably already understand how important it is to have a garage or storage area for your car and other outdoor valuables.
Snow, while pretty to look at, can do some serious damage. It’s cold, heavy, wet and can cut like glass if frozen solid. This isn’t a good mix if you have a classic car, boat, motorcycle of other costly toy sitting in your yard unused during these months.
Thankfully, portable shelters offer an affordable and temporary way to shelter your valuables from the elements over these months. Keeping this structure in good condition and keeping your items safe is key.
Here are 3 easy things you should do to maintain a portable shelter in the winter.
Check Condition
Before the harsh winter weather rolls in, be sure to check that there are no tears in the cover. Especially if you have already used it for a few seasons or have had it up for a while. Natural wear and tear or the sun can eventually cause tears. This is an easy fix with a replacement cover. You should also check for any erosion or rust on the support poles as this can lead to a collapse under the weight of a small amount of snow.
Secure Portable Shelter
Along with snow, the winter typically brings strong winds. To secure the legs of your portable shelter to the ground, you should have anchors that are properly screwed into the ground as well as consider the use of additional cinder blocks, sand bags or other support items to help keep the legs braced whenever excessive winds are forecasted.
Keep it Cleared
One of the very important things you’ll need to do to keep the integrity of your portable shelter over the winter months is to keep it cleared of snow and debris. Once large amounts of snow have fallen, you should head outdoors and use a roof rake or other method to clear the weight from the top of the shelter. If there is too much weight sitting atop the structure, it can cause collapses and other accidents.
Shelters Of America is a manufacturer distributor of portable garage and carport building products. Our instant storage shelters come in a variety of colors and styles and we offer a variety of anchors for all surface attachments from cement, sandy soil or rocky terrain. Order directly online! We ship most items within 24-48 hours!