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Recent Blog Posts
Protect Your Garage From Melting Snow and Ice Build Up
The winter months bring weather that may resemble a beautiful snow globe, but in reality, the cold temperatures can be very dangerous if precautions are not taken. For instance, icicles that form on your roof and garage can become sharp and potentially fall and hurt someone if not removed properly. There are a number of ways you can protect your garage from melting snow and ice build up that forms due to the cold weather spreading across Illinois.
Make sure your garage is clean: It is important that the floor is clear of any sort of water spills as it may freeze during the cold winter months. Once your garage is clean, check to see if there are any cracks or openings that cold air or snow may leak through.
Seal your floor and door: Sealing your garage floor and door will help prevent melted snow and salt from affecting your concrete floor. There are sealants that prevent damage to your floor as well. If your floors are ready for the winter, the sealer can be applied just to add a shiny look to your garage floor as well.
How to Decorate Your Garage with Holiday Lights
The holiday season has arrived, and your neighbors may have already hung up their lights and decorations. Join in on the holiday spirit by transforming your garage and the outside of your home into a light display for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Before you start putting up any lights, though, take a step back to look at your property. Plan how you want the decorations to look once they are complete. Once you have decided on a focal point for your lights and other decorations to be hung, you can then begin to create your winter wonderland. Be sure to decorate your garage as well to match the other parts of your house as well. Here are some suggestions on decorating your garage this holiday season:
LED Lights
A simple way to brighten up your garage is to incorporate a few strands of LED Lights around the frame of your garage door. There are a number of different light styles available. However, LED lights usually last longer because they are more energy efficient. They typically have a blue-ish tint as well, and most LED lights can connect up to 25 strands.
Transform Your Garage This Thanksgiving
Make your garage space a place to give thanks this holiday season and transform it into a welcoming area for those in your community to gather on Thanksgiving. Discover a few ways that you can transform your garage into the location that gives back this year.
Host Thanksgiving dinner in your garage:
Serve your Thanksgiving meal in a different room in your house this year by setting up a dining area in your garage. You can do this by putting couches and chairs in the garage to create an additional place for your guests to socialize. However, this time of year is typically chilly in Illinois so it may be wise to invest in some space heaters and blankets to ensure that your guests are nice and warm while waiting for their meal to be served. You can choose to host Thanksgiving in your garage for just your family or you can invite a few members of your community a week or so before Thanksgiving to give thanks to your neighbors.
Essential Emergency Items to Store in Your Car and Garage
There are certain items that are essential to store in your garage and car at all times in case of an emergency. You never know what kind of obstacles you may face while living and traveling in Illinois, especially with cold weather approaching.
It is important to take precautionary measures by stocking your garage and car with these safety materials so that you are ready for whatever comes your way.
Emergency items to keep in your garage include:
- Canned food and water bottles - The weather in Illinois can become cold enough that you may not even be able to leave your house. Keep canned food stored in your garage because it has an expiration date far into the future so that you are able to save it for a long time and prepare it when are you unable to travel because of inclement weather.
- Flashlights - These are necessary in case the power goes out or if you need extra light to look for something in the dark.
Garage Storage Tips for the Winter
The winter weather in Illinois can potentially cause damage to your garage. To avoid this from happening, take precautionary steps and organize your garage space before the first snowfall. Implement these key garage storage tips for the winter time.
Make a plan for unused open space in your garage.
Before you start storing your possessions away, make sure that you create a strategy that allows you to get the most storage space out of your garage.
Organize items according to the importance.
Once you have your plan in place for your open space, you can then choose which items you want to keep out for the next couple of months and which ones you want to store away until the weather becomes nicer again. For example, you may want to keep the snow blower out and put the lawnmower away.
Keep the garage floor as clear as possible.
Your garage may become wet and slippery when the snow melts. The water that stays on the floor may cause damage to items that are lying around, so it is important to remove anything of value off of the garage ground.
Autumn Maintenance for Your Garage
It is important to keep up with your garage maintenance as the seasons change. Autumn is a great time to reorganize your garage to ensure that the cold weather that follows does not damage doors, windows, or flooring. Make the most out of your seasonal cleaning with these tips.
Organize
Begin your maintenance by straightening up or clearing out all items in your garage. This could also mean getting rid of some things in your garage such as old bikes, toys, or food if you have a refrigerator. Once you put together what you do not need, double check that your cold weather accessories are easy to access for the winter months, including leaf blowers, rakes, snow blowers, and shovels. You can then put away anything you have been using over the summer that you will not need for maintenance purposes.
Clean Up
Do not put all of your attention in one section of your garage. Make sure that you give the exterior of your garage a cleaning as well. Use a power washer or hose with soap and water to get rid of any dirt. While you are working on the outside of your garage, wash the driveway to get rid of any motor fluids, dirt from the road, or stains. Remember, once the autumn leaves have all fallen you may have to clean out the gutters and downspouts as well. After the outside is clean, you can then apply the same cleaning steps to the inside by washing the windows and floors.
How to Clean Your Garage Floor
In order to keep up the appearance of your garage, an important task is maintaining a clean floor. Before picking up a mop or other supplies, you should find out what material your garage floor is made out of, the extent of how dirty the surface is, and the kind of cleaning equipment you want to use. Once you know the floor's material, you can then purchase the appropriate cleaning accessories and construct a plan to maintain a well-kept garage floor. Consider the following before cleaning your garage floor:
Remove everything that is not anchored down.
This is an important first step because if the items are not moved out of the way, they may suffer from water damage or could simply be in the way when you are trying to clean the floors. Once the majority of the floor is clear, the application of the cleaner can begin.
Choose the necessary cleaning equipment.
There are key cleaning supplies to use when removing dirt and stains from your garage floors such as concrete degreaser, a deck brush, and a garden hose that has a high-pressure nozzle. Tide laundry detergent may be used as a substitute if you do not have access to degreaser.
Pros and Cons of Garage Door Materials
When the time comes to start building or redesigning your garage, you will be presented with a variety of styles and options. Deciding what will be the best garage materials may be challenging, especially perhaps the most important piece of the building: the garage door. Garage doors are available in several different types of materials, some of which are more well-known than others. There are pros and cons to each material depending on what you want the overall purpose of your garage to be.
Steel Garage Doors
Pros - These doors are reasonably priced, stable, low maintenance, and are available in multiple styles with or without insulation.
Cons - A steel garage door can be dented easily and is subject to corrosion.
Aluminum Garage Doors
Pros - This material has long-lasting finishes and is similar to steel, but is less expensive.
Cons - Aluminum is less expensive than steel which usually means it is more likely to dent and does not last as long as a steel garage.
Pros and Cons of an Attached vs. Detached Garage
There are various pros and cons to consider when deciding if an attached or detached garage is best for your property. The most important question to ask yourself is: "What will the main use of the garage be?" This can be determined by the number of cars you own, how much storage space you need, and safety exits you wish to provide for your family. There are benefits to both attached and detached garages, however, sometimes the cons can outweigh the pros. You can determine what type of garage is right for your needs after comparing all possible scenarios.
Detached Garage Pros
Detached garages can be customized to your specific needs. Some examples of how you can add your own style to a detached garage include:
- Adding a patio or deck above the garage to host parties or have people over. When living in a city, space can be limited, so this allows you to add more space if you don't have a back or front yard.
How to Set Up a Haunted House in Your Garage
October has arrived, and the Halloween spirit is officially in the air. One way you may want to display your haunting decorations is by creating a haunted house in your garage. This could take some forward thinking, so here are a few steps to take in order to attract the neighbors to your ghostly garage.
Plan Ahead
Time can fly by quick like a bat in the night. So, it is important to map out how you want to set up your garage haunted house. This may include how much time it is going to take, how scary the attractions are going to be, the cost of setting everything up, and where you want to purchase supplies. Brainstorm ideas a few months in advance so when the time comes to start transforming your garage this month, you know exactly what to do.
Set a Budget
There is no sense in going to the store to buy brand new decorations if you already have some from years past sitting around in storage. Make a list of what you need and try to find as much as you can before heading off to the Halloween, grocery, or hardware store.
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