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Recent Blog Posts
Have You Outgrown Your Garage?
Your garage is an extension and reflection of your home. If you set it up well, it is a haven where you can not only park your cars, but also enjoy your hobbies, pursue your favorite projects, and even establish an inviting home office. So now that we are well into spring-the season of new beginnings-it is the perfect time to consider whether to remodel or rebuild your garage to make it an even bigger part of your overall lifestyle.
Does Your Garage Still Have What It Takes?
What is the physical condition of your present garage? Home garages can typically stand up to a lot of wear and tear over the years. But eventually, there may come a time when your garage becomes less useful or pleasant to be in. Has yours fallen into disrepair? Does it need any structural work? Is the roof starting to sag, or are the boards rotting? Has the lighting become less adequate for the tasks at hand? Has it become unsafe in any way? Or just outdated? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this may be the time to consider remodeling or replacing your garage.
7 Ways to Help Your Garage Keep Its Cool
Summer is finally coming to Chicago, and you know what that means: Many days, it's going to be HOT. So if you are planning to spend time at that garage workbench, or working on your car or other garage-based projects, now is your chance to start making the temperature more bearable. Here are seven options to consider:
Open the Door. This is the cheapest and easiest way to let some of that hot air out and get some breeze in. Any moving air is cooler than still air. And if you have windows, open them as well to create a cooling cross-draft.
Let Your Vehicles Cool Outside. Instead of driving that hot car or truck right into the garage, why not let it cool off first in the driveway? This works especially well if your drive is shaded. But even if not, you can still pour some cold water over its roof to speed things up.
Put In a Ceiling Fan. If your garage ceiling is at least eight feet high, this is a simple, cost-effective measure that can help a lot. A good rule of thumb is to use a 36-to-44-inch diameter fan for garages under 225 square feet, and 52-plus inches over that. Install it seven to nine feet high and 10 to 12 inches below the ceiling. If you have windows, a window fan will also help let the hot air out and bring cooler air in.
Rough Illinois Weather? Keep Your Garage Standing Strong
If we have learned anything about the weather lately, it's that it is growing harder and harder to predict. Especially here in Illinois, there could be snow one day in April and a tornado the next. (DuPage County residents are no strangers to this, as evidenced by last summer's memorable Naperville tornado.) So this summer, you want to be sure your home can withstand whatever Mother Nature may throw at it, starting with its potential weakest link-your garage.
Ground Zero for Potential Disaster
Take a good look at your garage. What is its overall condition? Is the siding holding up? Any sign of rotted boards or other water damage? Is it standing straight? Now examine the garage's floor, roof, and walls for cracks and leaks. The time to seal these is before the flooding starts! And speaking of leaks, your garage door has a vinyl or rubber weather seal, which should be pliable to compress when the door is closed. Over time these get brittle and do not keep the water out. How is yours? Ditto for the weatherstripping along the sides and top of the door. If you see any problems, let us come out to make our own expert assessment.
What Not to Store in Your Garage This Summer
Like most people, you probably built your garage thinking what a wonderful place this would be to house your cars, serve as a perfect repair shop, crafts area, or home gym, and maybe get a few things out of your home's prime living space. But instead, this garage has become your on-site dumping ground for all of that surplus sports gear, lawn equipment, and other miscellaneous stuff you just cannot bear to part with.
Would this be the perfect time to actually recapture and reorganize this precious area by donating or ditching these space hogs once and for all? Here are a few starters that will get you in the mood to dig deeper and finally reclaim your garage for higher purposes.
- Old Sports Gear - The children have long outgrown or abandoned those old bats and balls, bikes and racquets, and you have pretty much given up on that New Year's home-fitness resolution. So why not donate whatever is in good working shape to your nearby rec center or charity, and recycle or dispose of the rest according to your local waste management authority's guidelines.
Spring-Clean Your Garage in 5 Easy Steps
Spring is here-finally-and for many Chicagoland homeowners, that means just one thing: Spring cleaning. So when you look around and size things up, what area seems most in need of decluttering and reorganizing? Yourgarage, of course! But fear not: The simplest path to an orderly garage is to clean it up in an orderly way. Here are five steps to do just that.
- Start by clearing everything out. Step One to creating order is to know what you've got. The simplest way to do that is to get everything out of the garage and put it in piles on a plastic tarp, where you can see it and sort it. (The tarp helps protect your driveway from any leaky oil or paint spills.)
- Clean the garage itself. Keep your garage door and any windows open to air out the space. Then sweep up the dirt, dust, and any accumulated salt deposits from winter, taking a hose to the garage floor for more stubborn areas. Use soap and water on your walls and shelves to rejuvenate them.
4 Reasons to Consider a New Garage This Year
As we get ready to turn the calendar over to April, it is an ideal time to start thinking about anew garage. After all, spring is the season of new beginnings. The weather will soon be warming up, and folks throughout Northern Illinois will begin planning this year's outdoor projects. For some-maybe even you-it may be time to give some thought to upgrading your garage or starting from scratch and building a new custom garage with the help of your local garage professionals.
Let's look at a few reasons why you might decide to update your garage or build a new one:
#1: Your Garage Needs Help
Perhaps the most important reason to build a new garage is that your existing garage has fallen into disrepair. The current condition of your garage might not be your fault, especially if the garage was built long before you purchased your home. However, if your garage is outdated, needs some structural work, or is unsafe in any way, a new garage may be in order.
Protecting Your Garage from Break-Ins
The idea of someone gaining access to yourgarage can be quite disconcerting. If someone can get into your garage, he or she could potentially damage or steal items you store. Even worse, they might even be able to gain entry into your home and threaten your family's well-being. The good news is that you can take steps to limit the likelihood of a break-in and to ensure that your home and garage are well protected.
Tips for Increasing Garage Security
There are a number of ways in which you can reduce the chances of someone breaking into your garage. Some of these include:
- Motion-activated lighting – Most break-ins occur at night, as would-be burglars tend to use the darkness to aid their efforts. If you install motion-activated floodlights on the exterior of your garage, they will come on whenever anyone approaches. You could also integrate smart home technology and security cameras, allowing you to monitor activity in and around your garage using smartphone apps.
Landscaping Ideas for Beautifying Your Garage
While the weather seems to be stubborn this year, spring will soon be here in full bloom, and you are probably excited to finally get outside again. As temperatures rise and the skies start to clear, the time is coming when you can enjoy the sunshine and get some things done around the outside of your home. Perhaps you are thinking about pulling out old, dead shrubs or bushes and planting vibrant new greenery around your house and driveway. Or, maybe you have ideas for flower beds that will brighten up your front walk. As you make your outdoor to-do list for this spring and summer, do not forget about the areas around yourgarage.
Greenery Can Improve the Look of Your Garage
Certain types of bushes, shrubs, and other green plants are more conducive to the climate in the Midwest than others. The Midwest is known for lots of rain, high heat and humidity in the summer, and of course, cold and snowy winters. Plantain lilies, more commonly known as hostas, are hardy green plants that are perennial favorites among gardening hobbyists. Their lush foliage and ease of care make them perfect for a low-maintenance bed. Other plants might be chosen for their ability to ward off pests, such as marigolds which tend to repel mosquitoes.
The Largest Garage Door in the World
Garage doors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A single-car garage door might be 8 feet wide by 7 feet tall or 9 feet wide by 7 feet tall, while a two-car garage is likely to be 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall. You can also get a garage door custom-made to fit your garage.
Of course, there are countless other doors that fall under the category of garage doors but are customized for special uses. A good example of this are the doors that are widely considered to be the largest garage door in the world-and behind these doors are not cars or trucks but spacecraft.
The NASA Vehicle Assembly Building
The Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida is the home of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Vehicle Assembly Building, known as the VAB. NASA uses the VAB to assemble rockets before they are transported to the launchpad. For the 30-year duration of the space shuttle program, the shuttle assemblies were put together in the VAB as well.
4 Steps Toward an Organized Garage
Has yourgarage become the proverbial "junk drawer" of your home? Have you reached the point where you can't even fit your car inside due to all of the random tools, sports equipment, yard games, and anything else that does not have a home elsewhere in your house? Cleaning up a cluttered, disorganized garage may seem daunting and overwhelming, but with a little preparation and some hard work, you can turn your garage into the ideal space you have always envisioned it to be.
Step 1: Set Aside Time
If your garage is in need of deep decluttering, set aside a specific time to do the work. It is probably best to decide ahead of time, as well. Do not suddenly decide to clean the garage one day, or you might get pulled away by your other responsibilities. Instead, choose a day and set an amount of time to focus on what needs to be done in your garage. You might also consider enlisting some help, whether you ask a friend to help you in exchange for food and a six-pack, or you coordinate with your spouse and children to make sure everyone is pitching in to get the job done.
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