A garage can add storage, protect your vehicles, and improve your property value. But if your garage is outdated or structurally unsound, it needs to be replaced. At Heartland Garage Builders, we’re your Chicago-area garage building experts. We can replace your old garage with a new detached garage built to meet your needs.

It’s easy to overlook an old garage on your property. The building has “just always been there,” but how do you know when it should be replaced? Here are 6 signs you need to replace your old garage:

1 – Structural problems

white sided garage leaning and needing to be replaced

A structurally unsafe garage is a dangerous liability on your property. Is the roof sagging? Have old boards rotted or fallen away? Is the garage leaning or on the verge of collapse? Has it deteriorated to such a point it’s unusable? 

A garage in poor condition can lower your property value. It also affects the curb appeal of your house. When the garage is falling apart, potential buyers will question how well maintained the rest of the property is. 


2 – Damage

removing storm damaged tree branches from a garage that needs to be replaced

Illinois is a state with four distinct seasons – all of which can wreak havoc on your garage. Heavy snow accumulation can damage or destroy your garage roof. Spring storms can drop heavy limbs – or full trees – on the garage. A lightning strike can start a fire. Any number of events can cause serious, irreversible damage to your garage. In some cases, insurance money may even help with the cost to replace your damaged garage.


3 – Too Small For Your Vehicle

In many cases, modern vehicles are simply too large for older garages. While some newer vehicles have power-folding mirrors, which help reduce their width, it can still be an impossibly tight squeeze to fit today’s vehicle into an older garage.

Trucks and SUVs are often too tall to fit in an older garage. If a vehicle does fit, it may be a struggle to open passenger doors or tailgates. 

Your vehicle is an expensive investment. Ensuring you have a garage with adequate space and clearance to park your automobile is key. 


4 – Need Extra Storage

boxes stacked in an overcrowded garage

A recent survey showed 25% of Americans with 2-car garages don’t park in them at all. A third can only park one car, largely due to garage clutter. Americans have a lot of stuff, and too often, the garage becomes the place to store that stuff. 

A new, custom-built garage from Heartland Garage Builders can give you the space required to meet your needs. Whether you envision your garage as a place to park vehicles, as a workshop, or as a location for extra storage, we work with you to create a garage designed for you.


5 – Difficult to Secure

padlock on an old garage door

Old garages can be difficult to secure, meaning your vehicles or stored valuables are easily accessible and can be stolen. Garages are the place we often store pricey outdoor tools, like lawn mowers and snowblowers. Old doors and windows can be difficult or impossible to lock, meaning your property is at risk.

A new garage can be secured. At Heartland Garage Builders, all of our garages come with web-enabled garage door openers, meaning you control access to your garage from the convenience of your smartphone. 


6 – Attracting Unwelcome Critters

pair of raccoons at home in a garage loft

Older garages often have gaps, spaces, and holes that serve as inviting welcome spaces for critters and pests. Mice and rats or other critters, including raccoons or opossums, may find your old garage building to be the perfect home. Birds and bats can make the eaves of your garage their nesting spot. 

In addition to being unwelcome garage-guests, those critters can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle or any other item stored in the garage. 


Build a new garage The Heartland Way

At Heartland Garage Builders, we work with you every step of the way from the demolition of your old garage to the construction of your new detached garage. It’s The Heartland Way!

We can even coordinate the storage of the items in your old garage while your new one is under construction. 

Contact Heartland Garage Builders today and replace your old, outdated garage for a new one that fits your needs.