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Recent Blog Posts
Garage Makeover: Alternative Uses For Your Garage
Everything that is not wanted in the house but too heavy to put in the attic is banished to the stockpile accumulating in the garage. Before you know it, every inch of space in your garage has been consumed by items that will be needed "one day". But until that day all potential usage of the garage is eliminated-even the car has been pushed out onto the driveway. For some households, the family car relocating outside the house may be inevitable, but that does not justify the conversion of potential living space into an ever-growing dumping ground. Even if you are one of the few not feeling cramped in your home, this extra space can make life easier and add a new depth to the value of your home.
Need help brainstorming? Check out these great ideas!
The "Man Cave"
The conversion from garage to "man cave" is actually rather simple. Since elaborate decorations are usually low on the priority list, the amenities needed to complete this room are pretty straightforward. All a "man cave" needs is some comfortable armchairs, a couch or two, a home entertainment system, a plethora of videogames, a refrigerator to keep the beer, and a table to lay out the pizzas, chips, sandwiches, and so on. With these in place, your garage has now been converted into a well-equipped certified, "man cave".
5 Famous Companies That Started in a Garage
Garages can be a big part of everyday life. And over the years, garages have become more than just car storage and have transformed into true extensions of the home. In fact, many famous companies even started in a garage!
Check out these 5 companies that got started in a garage:
1. Mattel
In 1945, friends Harold Matson and Elliot Handler founded Mattel, a picture frame company, out of a garage in Southern CA. Using picture frame scraps, they began constructing dollhouses as a way to get the most out of their materials. Before long, their dollhouses were selling faster than their picture frames. Encouraged by the growing success of these side projects, Mattel decided to turn their attention to toys instead. Beginning with the Mickey Mouse Club television show and the Barbie line, Mattel soon became a household name. Today, Mattel ranks as the world's highest-grossing toy company in the world.
2. Apple
In 1976, 21-year-old Steve Jobs and 26-year-old Steve Wozniak began a small company selling hand-built computers from their garage in Cupertino, CA. From the humble days of the Apple I, Apple II, and original Macintosh line, Apple is now one of the largest companies with the most innovative and sought-after technology to date.
Painting Your Garage Door: 7 Easy Steps To Follow
Painting your garage door can seem like a daunting task that many homeowners fear. So many things that have potential to go wrong: Bubbling, warping, running paint are all things that can cause homeowner headaches. However, by following these 7 Easy Steps to Paint Your Garage Door, you can bring beauty and durability to your garage door's appearance.
1. Testing the Weather before Painting
Before grabbing that bucket of paint, you need to think of the appropriate time to paint that door. You need to complete this project when temperatures aren't too hot or cold. You'll also want to avoid rainy or cloudy days. Be sure that you start early on the day you do choose so you'll have enough time to complete the project.
2. Preparing Garage Doors for Painting
This is probably the toughest part of the job, but also the most important. You have to prepare the surface if you want that new paint job to last. Start by sanding down the peeling paint. If you have metal garage doors, you'll need to sand down any rust. You'll also want to paint metal doors with primer to prevent further rusting.
Garage Door Safety: LiftMaster Introduces Don’t Chance It, Check It
As builders of custom garages and proponents of garage safety; our team at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. would like to inform you of a recent campaign by LiftMaster Garage Doors called "Don't Chance It, Check It." As LiftMaster Door Openers are the primary choice of Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we believe that this information will benefit you and your family.
LiftMaster's "Don't Chance It, Check It" Campaign
(Via PR Newswire) Garages continue to serve as a major hub of activity in the modern household, often becoming the primary entry point into the home and a storage center for everything from soccer balls to snow blowers. But, with one out of every 15 garage door openers lacking the latest safety features, there is a hidden threat in millions of households across America. To avoid injuries from the largest and heaviest moving object in the home, LiftMaster – the number one manufacturer of professionally installed garage door openers in the world – is announcing its national "Don't Chance It. Check It.™" Garage Safety Initiative.
Celebrating 35 Years Building Garages In The Chicagoland Area
Blue Sky Builders, Inc. is proud to announce our 35th anniversary! We have been building garages in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs since 1979.
From our humble beginnings in our homes to our first office location in Westmont on Naperville Road, we are thankful to our customers who allowed us to do what we love and grow our business into our current Downer's Grove location.
Below we will share a little bit of history of our company and how things have changed over the last 35 years.
How Blue Sky Builders, Inc. Started
Rick Newtoff and Scott Wendell started Blue Sky Builders, Inc. in 1979. Originally, we began as subcontractors who got our work from other garage builders or construction companies. Over time, we started generating some word of mouth referrals and began to do some modest advertising of our own (newspapers, fliers, Yellow Pages).
We upgraded from our first office (our homes!) into our office in Westmont on Naperville Road (pictured below).
In 1999, we moved to our current location in Downers Grove (424 Ogden Ave.) to increase street visibility for our business. If you are from the area you are probably familiar with the amount of traffic on Ogden! This move was just another factor in helping us grow our business.
Garage Heating Safety Tips
Adding a garage heater can greatly increase the comfort and versatility of your garage. From a new home-office to that woodworking studio you always wanted, implementing a garage heating system opens the door to a world of alternative garage possibilities. Now before you get caught daydreaming of your new space, first consider these important safety tips that are sure to save you a lot of time and aggravation.
1. Type of Activity
When choosing a garage heater, the first step is to determine what type of activities will be taking place. Will you be using the garage as a start-up studio for your new band, fixing up the family car, or testing out those painting skills you learned in art class? Identifying the types of activities is very important. For example if you did in fact turn your garage into your very own woodworking shop, then you should be conscious of the potential danger posed by the dust and debris. When debris comes in contact with a heating element it can ignite and cause a fire. Additionally, air from the heaters can blow the dust and debris causing it to circulate the room and inevitably into your lungs. In this case, low intensity radiant tube gas heaters would serve best to avoid these problems.
5 New Year’s Resolutions For Your Garage
It is reported that only 8% of people achieve their New Year's Resolutions. Don't become another statistic. Take advantage of everything a garage has to offer with the following 5 garage New Year's Resolutions:
1. I will take advantage of my garage space.
Your garage can be used for so much more than just parking your car. As the cost of real estate rises, the garage has become valuable extended square footage. Some ideas include: apartment, storage space, office, gym, and more. For more tips, read our blog:9 Ways To Take Advantage of Your Garage Space.
2. I will perform regular maintenance on my garage.
Garage doors are an investment that requires light maintenance to ensure their longevity and safety. Maintenance can ensure your garage stays in good working order for its lifetime. You can even perform some maintenance tasks yourself. Important tasks include visual inspections, balance tests, photo eye tests, and more. Check out this Garage Door Maintenance Checklist for more information.
Garage Additions: What To Consider
Via: houselogic - Evaluate Your House for a Garage Addition
Maybe you're tired of getting drenched as you dash to your car on stormy days. Or you dream about having more space for storage, a workshop, a home gym, a kids' play area, or even an office. If you're thinking about a garage addition, it's a decent investment. Remodeling magazine's Cost vs. Value Report found that a home owner who invests the national average of $48,806 in a midrange, two-car garage addition can expect to recoup about 64% of the cost at resale.
Before you can decide whether to go ahead with a garage project, you'll need to make a few decisions:
Zoning and code restrictions
The first step is to determine whether it's physically feasible to fit a garage on your lot. At your local planning department, find out how close you can build to the edges of your property. Also ask about any special restrictions that apply to garages; some communities require deeper setbacks on sides with doors, for example.
Protecting Your Garage Floor From Snow and Ice
Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has been building garages in the Chicagoland area since 1979, so we are very familiar with the typical snow and iced-filled winters we are used to experiencing.
Snow and ice can create a host of problems for your garage. Garages can become a cleaning nemesis in the winter. Ice and snow are tracked in on the garage floor, and people step in this dirty, slushy water and track it into the house. Besides being a cleaning frustration, incoming ice and snow can also cause higher heating bills. Check out the following 5 tips for protecting your garage floors from the ice and snow in the winter from eHow:
Things You'll Need: electric heather, garage floor mats, garage door sealant kit, insulation, staple gun, electronic stud finder, nails, hammer.
1. Connect a portable electric heater in the garage on cold days and turn it on and off periodically throughout the day. This will keep the garage floor from getting colder and freezing. This will keep cold air from the garage from filtering into the house causing you to have to raise the thermostat.
Garage Project Blog - Glen Ellyn, IL
Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has had a great 2013 and we are looking forward to what's ahead in 2014! For our next project blog we wanted to share a small garage we built a couple of months ago.
The completed garage was built in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The owner already had an existing attached garage and an old small shed in the rear. However, he wanted something bigger and better - don't we all - to house a classic car and riding lawnmower.
The project took just short of a month and was completed in August 2013. Below we will share some project details and pictures of the new garage.
New Garage Details
Dimensions: 14'x14′
Door: 12'x7′ CHI raised panel sandstone overhead door
Garage Style: 5/12 pitch hip roof
Shingles Used: Architectural style IKO Cambridge dual brown
Siding Used: Ovation Double 4″ wicker vinyl siding
Garage After Picture
The new garage owner Mike was kind enough to say a few words about his new garage:
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