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Recent Blog Posts
Maintaining a Safe Home Workshop
As a homeowner, your workshop may be the only place to work on home projects. As one of the more durable and spacious locations in the home, the garage is one of the best locations to set up a workbench, store tools and supplies, and complete the home projects you wanted to get done 4 months ago. But before you set up shop, we would like to walk you through an important factor in using a workshop in the garage-safety.
Safety in the Garage Workshop
What do you need in your workshop? Whether you are working on your automobile or a have a complete wood shop, there are certain things that you should have installed or on hand that will keep you or your family safe.
Proper Lighting
An overlooked, but significant consideration in your garage is right over your head. Yes, often an afterthought in garage, proper lighting can increase the safety, usability, and aesthetic appeal of a garage. Specific considerations include the following:
- Placement: Make sure you light the garage where you will need it most. Examples would be lights placed over a workbench or the area of the garage that corresponds to above the vehicle engine.
Design, Convenience and Safety: Benefits of a Detached Garage
As a company in the Chicago Suburbs, we have heard many a concern with the detached garage. Winter and summer both can make the walk to the garage seem like enough reason to attach your garage, but there are many visible and invisible benefits of choosing a detached garage.
Style and Functionality
The detached garage is generally easer to add and can be fit onto your property more conveniently, and you can see the obvious benefit of avoiding the overpowering
- A detached garage can more easily reduce or even eliminate the garage-dominated facade that many find so unattractive. Further, if you have a small house, adding an attached house can overwhelm it. A detached garage can be a much more aesthetically pleasing option.
- A detached garage can be set at an angle to the house, or set back from the house.
- Detached Garages allow you to have windows on all sides of your house.
- With no garage attached to the house, think of what you could do with that space instead. A patio or kitchen garden might be more appreciated here. Maybe you could add a nice pathway from garage to house, enhancing the beauty of your property.
Which Garage Flooring Option is Right for You?
When it comes to the garage, one of the most important considerations is right under your feet. Choosing the right garage floor can help improve safety of your garage, reduce money spent in repairs, and help make your home more valuable. At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we would like to share the most popular flooring options, along with the pros and cons of each.
Garage Floor Epoxy
The standard for a tough, good-looking surface on the garage floor is garage floor epoxy. Although it is common to hear people refer to "epoxy paint," in reality epoxy and paint are different products, with different chemical compositions. Preparation and application are a bit more complex than is the case with paint.
Benefits of Garage Floor Epoxy
Epoxy floor coatings offer many advantages when compared to other traditional coatings applied over concrete:
- Epoxy offers a hard wearing durable surface able to withstand heavy and continuous traffic.
6 Steps to Planning Your Garage Storage
Winter is coming. What better time than now to set up storage for items you do not plan to use within the next 6 months? Generally underutilized, your garage has more potential for storage than you think. In this week's blog, we share 6 tips for planning your garage storage that will increase usage and reduce garage clutter.
1. Clear Out Unnecessary Junk
Weed out all the junk you don't need. Keep only what you use; give away what you don't, and throw away what's broken and taking up precious space.
Related: How to Clean Your Garage
2. Make a Plan
Treat your garage like any other room in the house. Take measurements and draw a floor plan to help you visualize what will fit and where it can be placed, just as you would for a kitchen or a dining room.
3. Categorize and Organize
Decide what items you'll use often, like garbage bags and cleaning supplies. These things should be kept nearest the door. Next, map out space for seasonal equipment: lawn mowers, weed-trimmers, snowblowers, etc. Avoid planting big items, such as lawn mowers, in a corner where they'll chew up space. Try to park them under a shelf unit. And be sure to clip ladders, shovels, rakes, and other garden tools into a wall rack off the floor.
7 Benefits of a New Garage Addition
Once you consider all of the benefits a garage addition can provide, you may wonder why it took you so long to move ahead with the project. Here are just some of the reasons you might want a new garage:
1. Car storage
The ability to jump in a clean, dry car without having to scrape ice off the windows or endure sun-baked seats is a major advantage to having a garage addition.
2. Household storage
Garages are great storage spaces. Even with cars, mowers, bikes and other items taking up floor space, you can still create an enormous amount of additional storage on the walls and ceilings.
3. Car maintenance
Whether you are the type of car junkie who can happily spend entire days rebuilding an engine or a weekend warrior who likes to change the oil yourself, a garage addition will make your life much easier.
4. Workshop
Thinking about taking up woodworking, gardening or some other craft? A garage addition will provide the room you need to work and a safe, secure place to keep your tools and equipment.
Ugliest Garage Contest Winner Announced
This summer, Blue Sky Builders, Inc. held our "Ugliest Garage Contest". We'd like to thank all of those who participated. And we are pleased to announce we've selected a winner!
The winner of the 2014 Ugliest Garage Content is located in Glen Ellyn, IL.
With a garage on the verge of collapsing and doors that no longer functioned/closed, they were very deserving of the title.
When the owner was asked how she felt about being the Ugliest Garage contest winner she said, "Actually, I kind of expected it".
Scott from Blue Sky Builders, Inc. commented, "It's going to be a fun project and it's going to look really great when it's done".
Stay tuned for pictures of the brand new garage!
Troubleshooting Common Garage Door Opener Problems
When your garage door opener suddenly stops operating properly, the explanation and solution are usually pretty easy to deal with. Here are the most common problems, along with the most likely repairs for each. For adjustments and repairs that aren't self-evident, check the owner's manual or contact a professional.
1. Garage door opener does not operate with either the remote or the wall switch.
The power source has probably been disrupted. Make sure the motor unit is plugged in. Check the circuit breaker, fuse or GFCI.
2. Garage door won't close all the way.
The close limit switch needs adjusting. If not, see if the door is binding when raised and lowered manually.
3. Garage door reverses immediately after hitting floor.
The close limit switch probably needs adjusting.
4. Garage door reverses before hitting floor.
The close force probably needs adjusting.
5. Garage door does not open completely.
The limit switch may need to be moved toward motor unit.
Garages Go Green: 4 Areas For Improvement
Often an afterthought, your garage can do more than just store your car and tools. It also provides you with an excellent chance to green your home. Below, we discuss some simple changes you can make in your garage to improve your home's environmental performance and save money on energy.
Garage Door
Garage doors containing recycled content are available on the market, including ones made of composite wood or steel. Insulated garage doors are also widely available, which can help keep your garage and any adjacent rooms warmer in the winter, and improve the energy efficiency of your home. For homes in warmer climates, consider a perforated garage door, which allows ventilation and light inside the garage, while providing security and privacy.
Insulation and Air Leaks
As in other parts of the home, sealing and insulating your garage's walls and ceiling can be a cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and money on your utility bills. Download the Do-it-yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating with ENERGY STAR to better understand the importance of air sealing and insulating and key steps to sealing and insulating your garage.
Replacing a Garage Door: Cost vs. Value
What home improvement project can get you the most "bang for your buck"?
Remodeling Magazine's 2014 Cost vs. Value Survey found that Garage Door Replacement ranks as the #1 home improvement project for return on investment in the East North Central region (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin).
The 2014 Cost vs. Value report compares average cost for 35 popular remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale in 101 U.S
According to the study, 83% of the cost is recouped when you replace your garage door in the East North Central region.
A garage door upgrade can have a dramatic impact on curb appeal, so it is not surprising that it can help increase the value of your home.
No garage? Garage additions can also increase the value of your home. According to the study, 61% of the cost is recouped when you add a garage to your home in the East North Central region.
Want to see how other remodeling projects stack up? View the full report here: http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2014/
13 Tips For Maximizing Workspace in a Small Garage
Your small garage is more of a catch-all storage zone for a variety of misfit items. The reality of having a functional workspace in your garage while still being able to store the necessities and pull in a car feels more like a dream.
While getting a brand new garage may not be realistic, these 13 tips can give you more space in a small garage:
1. Host the Blow-out Sale of the Year
Space is extremely valuable in a small garage so getting rid of anything you absolutely don't need will pay off big in the extra workspace you'll gain. Chances are there are items lurking in the corners of your garage you don't even know are there. Categorize items based on what to keep, what to donate and what to throw away. Clearing out clutter is incredibly satisfying and odds are you won't really miss that broken toaster you've been meaning to fix for 5 years or that piece of fencing you took from your neighbor just because it was free.
2. Paint your Concrete Garage Floor
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