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Recent Blog Posts
What Are My Options for a Garage Door in the Chicago Area?
The garage door is one of the most noticeable pieces of your home. It will draw the eye of anyone looking at your property, including potential buyers if you are attempting to sell. If you are interested in setting your home apart or giving it a fresh new look, consider improving the door to your garage. It is amazing the difference a new door can make; but where do you start when you are looking for a new door? You want to make sure you get the door that suits your home the best.
Deciding on the Material
There are many different materials a garage door can be made from. Though most are made from steel, that does not necessarily mean you have to choose that option. Garage doors can be made up of a variety of materials including:
Vinyl
Vinyl garage doors are fairly easy to maintain and hold up over the years. They are sturdy and resilient to dents and cracks. However, they are more susceptible to the harsher conditions of the seasons. Direct sunlight and extreme cold can be hard on vinyl doors.
How to Keep Your DuPage County Garage as Secure as Possible
Home security is one of the most important things to a homeowner. As homeowners, we take multiple measures to ensure our family's safety. One of the more overlooked parts of the home when it comes to security is the garage . The experts at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. are looking out for you and your family and have some of the most beneficial tips to keep your garage as secure as possible.
Locking the Door to Your Home
If you have an attached garage, the connecting door to the home may go overlooked some nights. Keep vigilant and check to ensure it is locked at night so that in the event that intruders find their way into your garage, they cannot get any further into your home. It is also advisable to lock this door if you are leaving for the day and no one will be present at home.
Hide Your Valuables
A window can liven up a garage but allows unwanted eyes to see inside. If you store anything of significant value in the garage, keep it out of eyesight and covered if possible. Classic furniture you may be restoring, new tools, or expensive sporting equipment are often kept in storage out in a garage and are easy targets for robbers.
What Not To Store In Your Garage
A garage has been well established as an ideal spot to store many common objects. However, there are quite a few items you want to avoid keeping out of your garage. Though for many of the items, the garage may seem to be the obvious location for storage, it is best to avoid keeping these things inside the home.
Do Not Make a Home for Uninvited Guests
As the temperatures begin to cool down in the coming months in the greater Chicago area, mice and other pests will be looking for warmer places to hide and burrow. Don't give these critters any more reason to choose your garage as their shelter!
- Avoid keeping pet food in the garage. Mice and other rodents are attracted to an easy food source.
- Piles and stacks of firewood are perfect hiding spots for small creatures.
- Do not keep books in a garage. Silverfish are known to eat away at the bindings of books and love colder dark spaces such as a garage cabinet.
- Seasonal clothes or fabrics may not be needed for some months, but keeping them in the garage is asking for trouble. Rodents are likely to chew away at them. Moths are also a huge threat in this scenario.
Sprucing Up the Exterior of Your Garage
The outside of a garage is subject to some harsh weather, especially in the Chicago area. Strong winds, heavy rain, snow and ice, and even the sun can all age and damage your garage exterior. But what are you to do if the interior of the garage is still in good condition and you are not looking for a totally new build? Our experts at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. are here to revitalize and refresh your garage.
Is it Worth Repairing?
If your garage has encountered bad weather or received damage, you may be wondering if it is worth having it fixed. Like your home, even small cracks or holes can let in moisture and lead to further damage and could eventually compromise the garage itself.
Patching up small cracks or holes may look unsightly and may not always fix the issue. Replacing the damaged siding or roof is your best bet at protecting yourself against the elements. In many cases, storm damage is covered by many insurance policies and can assist in the project.
Even if your exterior has not been damaged, you may still be interested in updating or refreshing your garage. Vinyl siding and paint fade over the years, but are easily updated and can make a remarkable difference.
Three Benefits to Building a Garage
There are plenty of reasons to build a garage onto your property. Some of these reasons, such as a structure to protect your vehicle during harsh weather conditions might seem a bit obvious, but there are many other reasons that you may not have considered. The premier garageexperts at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. have the top 3 benefits of building a new garage.
Added Property Value
Most homes today are built with the needs of the homebuyer in mind. A majority, but not all, of homes in suburban areas such as DuPage County are constructed with garages. Older homes or smaller homes may not have had a garage built onto the property. A garage is an important factor that buyers look at when considering purchasing a home. If you are looking to sell your current home in the future, a garage would make the home even more desirable to the buyer.
Additionally, it would also give you a reason to increase the selling price. If you were in a developed neighborhood where many of the homes had street parking and your home had a private garage, that increases the curb appeal that much more. It sets your home apart from the others and helps it stand out.
Unique Uses for Your Garage
We all have preconceived notions of what a garage should be, but that should not limit us to what it could become. Our garages have the potential to be a number of things, including:
- A workshop
- Preferred hangout spot
- An art or music studio
- Designated storage
The obvious use for a garage is protecting your car from harsh weather but it can also fill many other roles depending on yourneeds. It can be so much more than four walls and a door.
Think Outside the Toolbox
Many of us utilize the garage as a workspace, or at very least to store our assorted tools. Homeownership often leads to even the most inexperienced to become a bit of a repair person or do-it-yourself fixer-upper. Obviously, it will not result in you becoming an electrician overnight, but you still will probably need a space in which you can re-screen windows, stain a salvaged end table, or test out the new soldering iron.
Garage or Shed, What Goes Where?
One of the many joys of home ownership can be deciding on designated storage areas for your belongings. Whether you are renting or you own your own house, it is a wise idea to invest in some tools for any sort of minor repair. Unfortunately, many apartments do not have a good space for these sorts of tools. When the time comes for you to own your own home, however, the garage and a tool shed quickly become two wonderful spots for all of like items. The question remains, what should go in the garage and what should go in the shed?
Lay of the Land
Deciding what to keep in the garage or a tool shed will likely be dependent on how your property is arranged. Typically, a tool shed sits in a backyard further away from the home and a garage will be attached to the home or as a separate structure close to the home. In this traditional arrangement, the tool shed becomes a natural space for yard equipment:
- Mowers
- Weed hackers
- Shovels
- Potting soil and gardening tools
Your Garage Through the Seasons
Every year we cycle through all four seasons, and each one presents unique challenges. The differences in the weather over the course of the year can also be especially drastic in the midwest. The question then arises, "How can I keep my garage in its best condition through the entire year?" With a bit of preparation and organization, you can ensure your garage remains in tip-top shape all year long.
Spring Cleaning
Though labeled as a chore, spring cleaning can be an excellent chance for you to revisit the items and projects you may have sent to the garage over winter. This is a good time to evaluate what should stay and what should go. Perhaps the dozen or so boxes you held onto in hopes of using for Christmas or birthday presents did not come in handy after all? Northern Illinois is no stranger to snowstorms, but are three snow shovels really necessary?
Take some time to look over what you may have been storing for months and ask yourself if is worth keeping at the expense of valuable space.
Top 3 Things to Consider Before Building Your New Garage
After many months of deliberation, you have finally set your mind to begin construction on the dream garage you have always wanted. Perhaps when you bought your home, the garage was the only missing part on your checklist and you agreed with your partner that you would one day change that. After a couple of cold Illinois winters and the apparent disappearing amount of storage space available, you cannot wait any longer.
Before the concrete begins to pour for the foundation, there are a few key items to consider:
- Zoning laws and neighborhood rules
- What type of garage is best for you?
- How big should it be?
Zoning Laws and Rules
If you are considering building a new structure on your property, it is a wise idea to check into the local zoning laws. The DuPage County Government website has the proper zoning laws available to review. Another important factor to consider before you begin building is checking the rules of your Homeowners Association (HOA) if your neighborhood has one.
Garage Decluttering Tips from Our Garage Builders
Keeping agarage organized and clutter free is a responsibility that most people struggle with. If your garage looks more like a storage unit than a garage, you probably know this struggle well. Sports equipment, tools, auto equipment, children's toys, holiday decorations, and countless other items fill up garages across the country. For many people struggling with garage chaos, the prospect of organizing the garage is overwhelming to even consider. If you are taking on the challenge of garage decluttering this summer, keep the following tips in mind.
How To Organize Your Garage This Summer
Organizing your garage can seem daunting, but it is possible. Depending on the current state of your garage, decluttering and cleaning may take a few hours to a few days. Clear some room in your schedule, put on some gloves, grab an ice cold lemonade, and get ready to transform your garage using the following three steps:
- Categorize - The first step when organizing your garage is to separate the items into three categories: keep, trash, and donate. You will want to keep items of significant personal or financial value as well as items you frequently use. Items that you no longer need but may be useful to others can be donated to charity organizations or thrift stores. Broken items and random bits of garbage should go in the trash car or recycling bin.
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