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Recent Blog Posts
Lighting Options and Tips for Brightening Your Garage
Those who regularly utilize their garage as a workspace understand how inconvenient poor lighting can be when attempting to complete a project or work on their vehicle. However, any homeowner can face the struggles of insufficient or inappropriate lighting. This is true even when the garage's main purpose is solely to park vehicles. It is important to note that while some garage lighting can be resolved with bulbs of proper wattage, providing a garage with supplemental lighting may require the help of professionals.
Supplemental Lighting Options for Your Garage
Overhead lighting in garages is essential for general use. Supplemental lighting, however, provides a garage with distinct advantages that improve functionality and utilization. When garages are used as workshops and for car maintenance, insufficient lighting should not diminish the outcomes of these activities. Garage lighting may become a noticeable issue in areas such as the workbench, seasonal storage area, space above the garage door, and wall space used for hanging items.
Identifying Common Garage Door Issues
While garages may seem like a simple addition to a home, their usefulness and advantages are often taken for granted. When a garage starts to show signs of wear and tear or unexpected issues arise, the user can be greatly inconvenienced. One major function of a garage is its door, and when the door struggles to open, consistently malfunctions, or starts to make unusual noises, garage owners may need to look for a solution.
Frequently Seen Issues With Garage Doors
For many homes, the garage door is used on a near-daily basis. A common location to park vehicles, work on projects, and store belongings, garages need to be easily accessible. When garage doors fail, owners should take the time to identify the root of the issue and establish how the issue can be resolved. It is important to note that garage doors are incredibly heavy, and any door fixes should be completed by a professional.
Regularly used garage doors may begin making unpleasant noises after significant use. Determining where the sounds originate from will be the first step in approaching this problem. Noises such as grinding, rattling, popping, and squeaking can all mean different things. Establishing the type of sound will help to identify which part of the door needs attention.
Best Approaches to Turn Your Garage Into a Home Office
As many of us have become accustomed to working from home, we have gotten to experience many of its conveniences. However, many have also begun to notice the struggles of this becoming the new norm. It can be very difficult to separate your work life and home life when they both take place in the same location. Many people have struggled with finding the perfect spot that helps them overcome this struggle.
A creative option that may help those who are permanently or periodically working from home is to transform a garage or part of a garage into a home office.
Benefits of a Garage Home Office
With working from home starting to become more popular, homeowners are faced with the challenge of sacrificing sections of their homes to allow for a workspace. Taking the time and effort to transform an underutilized garage into office space will help to prevent compromising rooms in someone's home.
Additionally, moving a home office to a more secluded part of the home helps to avoid distractions such as the television, couch time, and other family members in similar situations.
Factors To Consider When Installing a Car Lift In Your Garage
Garage owners who regularly work on their vehicles or simply want more storage space, car lifts provide a convenient solution. It is likely that most people have only seen car lifts in professional vehicle restoration shops, however, they are becoming increasingly common in home garages as well.
What Are The Benefits of a Car Lift?
Car lifts raise the car above ground level which provides additional room underneath for people to easily work on their car or park additional vehicles. When car lifts are properly installed, they are both safe and useful. When restoring cars, car lifts can make the vehicle's undercarriage much more accessible, allowing for more efficient repairs
Storage is an additional advantage to a garage car lift. Installing a car lift in a bay of a garage can double the amount of parking space in a garage. Depending on the owner's preferences, it can also free up a garage bay for workshop purposes. Allowing for additional car spaces in a garage protects investments by providing a safe place to store cars that would otherwise remain in the driveway or on the side of the road. Additionally, if extra parking space is not needed, lifts provide ample space for storing bulky items such as lawn mowers, boating equipment, motorcycles, and bicycles.
Best Temporary and Permanent Options For Keeping Your Garage Cool During Summer Months
Walking into a garage in the middle of the summer can sometimes be unbearably hot. When making improvements, additions, and renovations to a garage, an individual should consider how each garage feature and component may affect airflow and comfort within the garage including the type and color of doors installed, and the siding and roofing of the garage.
Before jumping into solutions, the garage owner should consider the expectations they have for their garage in terms of purpose and time. It is important to consider if big appliances will be used and stored here as they will generate more heat. Additionally, an owner should consider how long of periods and what time of day they will spend inside their garage. All of these variables will help garage owners determine the best solution for their cooling needs.
Temporary Garage Cooling Options
Installing fans in a garage may make for the biggest improvement. Fans are one of the cheapest options available for garage cooling, there are typically two types of fans appropriate for a garage: fans that you can mount on your wall and fans that stand up by themselves on the floor. Fans with metal blades are likely the best fit for a garage as they are easier to clean and less expensive.
Make the Most of Your Garage Workshop With a Workbench That is Tailored to Your Specific Needs!
A garage workbench typically acts as a workshop's countertop space. However, workbenches have far more potential and can be taken advantage of in multiple ways. Every workshop is unique and its workbench can be too. With the addition of storage and wheels, a workbench can become one of the workshop's most useful tools. If you are interested in having your garage fully customized, the workbench should be a key aspect of this renovation.
Garage Workbench Basics
A garage workshop could never be complete without an adequate workbench. Workbenches allow the owner a designated area for building, repairing, and maintaining. Workbenches provide many benefits to a garage including sufficient space to work with large equipment and objects, additional storage opportunities, and a safe environment to complete potentially hazardous work.
A garage owner has many different options in terms of the type of workbench and what it is made out of. There are standalone workbenches, workbenches with cabinets that offer storage for tools, and portable workbenches that work great in smaller spaces and allow for flexibility.
Advantages of Garage Cabinets and What To Know Before Purchasing
Garages are often used for storage purposes. It is often overlooked how important organization is in regards to the effectiveness of that storage capability. An advantageous method of garage storage and organization is the installation of cabinets. The completion of a garage does not require cabinets, however, garage cabinets provide a modern look for your space while also providing a protective place to store your belongings.
Additional common reasons for installing garage cabinets include:
- Improved garage space
- Equipment organization
- Simple and protective storage of equipment and tools
- Add value to your home
Which Type of Garage Cabinet is Right for You?
There are a wide variety of garage cabinets available on the market and each one has advantages and disadvantages.
If your kitchen was recently remodeled, you may be interested in recycling your old kitchen cabinets for your garage. While this is an affordable and environmentally friendly approach, recycled kitchen cabinets will not be able to hold as heavy as products (such as paint cans, automobile parts, and metal tools) or appropriately handle garage climates.
Back-to-School Ideas for Your Garage
While most kids dread the end of summer vacation, the second half of the summer is a time for families to prepare for children to go back to school. After several weeks in which children have been enjoying the outdoors, it is likely that your garage is somewhat disorganized. As part of your back-to-school preparations, you may be looking to reorganize your garage and find new ways to use this space during the school year.
End-of-Summer Garage Reorganization
With so many people going in and out of your garage during the summer and using bikes, sports equipment, camping gear, or other outdoor equipment, it is easy for items to pile up, especially if they are not put away in their normal locations. You may want to take this opportunity to create new organization and storage systems that will help you keep your space in order and make sure you can continue to access what you need as the weather cools off.
As you reorganize your garage, you may want to sort items based on when and how they will be used. You can identify items that your family will not need once the school year starts, such as tents, sleeping bags, or camping stoves, and put them away in places where they can be kept until you need them next summer. This will give you more space for items that you may still need to access throughout the rest of the summer and during the fall.
What Type of Garage Door Opener Is Best for My Home?
As a homeowner, you may not put too much thought into your garage door opener. As long as it opens and closes your garage door without any problems, it may seem like a standard piece of machinery that simply does its job. However, if you need to replace a garage door opener that has worn out or broken down, or if you are planning to build a new custom garage, you may want to look at your options and determine the best type of garage door opener for your home.
Choosing the Right Garage Door Opener
Your choice of garage door opener will depend on your needs, your budget, and any limitations that you may need to address. The available options include:
- Chain-drive garage door openers - These are the most common types of equipment used in garages, and they use a chain that connects a motor to the garage door. These systems can be loud, and vibrations may be felt in other parts of a home while they are operating. However, they are less expensive than other types of garage door openers.
What Are My Options for Adding Windows to My Garage?
Garage renovations can come in many different forms. Homeowners can make multiple types of improvements, such as implementing new storage solutions or installing updated equipment. While building a completely new custom garage may be an option for some, others will be looking to make other types of changes that will allow them to get the best use out of their garage. One way of doing so is by installing new windows. This can provide more natural light in a garage, making it a more welcoming space. However, homeowners should be sure to understand their options for adding windows and the potential issues they may encounter when doing so.
Benefits of Garage Windows
Windows can be installed in the outward-facing walls of a garage, and some types of garage doors may also include windows. In addition to increasing the amount of light in a garage, windows can add curb appeal by creating a consistent design for both home and garage. Multiple types of windows can be used to make a garage feel like another room that is integrated into the rest of the house. Even if windows will not be facing the street or if a garage is detached from the home, its windows should match the style of the home, adding to the visual appeal of the interior and exterior space.
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Services listed are not a guarantee or indication of future work.
