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Recent Blog Posts
3 Step Garage Safety and Security Assessment
When we think of home safety and security, usually complex security systems come to mind, or even flood lighting and motion sensors. We think of making sure the locks to our doors are in good condition and the windows latch properly. What we may not think of immediately, however, is the importance of our garage. The garage houses one of our most expensive possessions: our car. In many cases, however, it also serves as an additional entrance to our home (in the case of attached garages). In these cases particularly, it is incredibly important to give this part of our home a security and safety assessment.
The first step to assessing the security of your garage is to make sure that it is impenetrable. Making sure that your garage door opener is in proper working condition should be your first step. Does your remote work properly? A malfunctioning clicker will decrease the likelihood of your door closing as you're pulling away, often not double checking due to routine. Either replace the batteries or the entire remote if this is the case.
Garage Storage Ideas From Houzz
Source: 8 Clutter-Busting Garage Storage Solutions
Our garages play a very important role in our everyday living. Of course, they protect our vehicles from the elements. But more often than not, they also become dumping grounds for tools, cleaning products and seasonal gear. These tips can help you make the most out of this often overcrowded and underused space. Built-ins, pegboards, slat walls and other smart storage solutions can help you eliminate clutter and keep your garage tidy.
1. Shoe storage
The garage door is the main entrance in many homes. If shoes aren't allowed in your house, this is a great way to stop the pileup of shoes outside your main door. A shoe organizer - whether built in or store bought - can instantly clear the floor.
2. A multipurpose bench
An extra-long bench next to a garage door keeps outdoor gear tidy. Hooks, cubbies and a cozy seat make it easy for kids to remember to take off their coats, caps and gloves before coming inside the house.
7 Rules To Guide Your Garage Planning Process
In your garage, as in the projects it is sure to spawn, planning is crucial. Remember that the goal is to make tasks easier and more efficient. Here are seven rules to get you headed in the right direction from Car and Driver:
Rule #1: Know thyself.
A garage is a place where hobbies happen-enable them. Whether you're into cars, woodworking, kayaking, bikes, motorcycles, model planes, or ATVs, make sure to set aside space for the particulars of the hobby. And plan the storage so you don't trip over your hobby every day.
Rule #2: It all begins at ground level with the concrete slab.
If renovating, start with a good inspection. A few small cracks or rough spots are okay, but if the surface is deeply pitted, visibly uneven, or has cracks more than a quarter-inch wide, patching or resurfacing is your first task.
Rule #3: Decide how many cars you plan to park.
How To Winter-Proof Your Garage
Whether you use it as a man cave or workshop, or just hate getting into an icy car in the winter, a winter-proof and heated garage is a great idea. And by adding a buffer between you and the outdoors, you might also be able to keep your house a little warmer, too. Insulating your door, upgrading your door, sealing the gaps, and heating things up can help you get it done.
Insulating the Door
A standard garage door is built to keep thieves out, not warmth in. So in order to make your garage a more comfortable space, you need to start by insulating the garage door. Fortunately, this is a pretty easy and affordable task. Garage door insulation kits — which you can pick up at any hardware store — come in two varieties: solid polystyrene sheets and soft spun fiberglass. In either case, all you'll need to install is a utility knife to cut the insulation down to size. The polystyrene sheets pop into place between panels on your garage door, while the soft insulation kits are held in place by plastic clips, which you attach to the door.
Use your Garage: What are essential tools for homeowners?
Your garage is more than a parking spot, or at least is should be. For most homeowners, however, the garage a place where bicycles, old baseball gear, and buckets of paint go to die. Respect your garage and your home and start building your tool collection. Below are categories of tools that every homeowner should have, courtesy of Car and Driver.
Start Small
Includes: Sockets, bits, screwdriver, nut driver, ratchets, etc.
Tool collecting is a journey, not a destination-you're never done hunting and acquiring. Even though the essentials displayed here comprise a broad and comprehensive set, there are tiny variations on these babies too numerous to list. Go deep into specialty tools for tasks such as engine rebuilding, and an even larger universe awaits. Our advice: Start with the basics and add to suit your budget and needs. And remember that good tools last for generations, so take a lesson from your dad and buy quality items with a guarantee.
A Quick Guide to Garage Doors From Angie's List
Today's garage doors come in a variety of styles and features (included added security). Finding the right garage door for your home, or even maintaining the one you have, can be challenging. Angie's List provides a quick guide to garage doors including: features of garage doors, types of garage openers, DIY/professional considerations, and maintenance tips.
Features of garage doors
You'll most commonly find rolling, sectional garage doors on the market. Single-section doors are also available, but you need to consider with these doors require clearance space in front of the door for opening and closing, which is not practical in areas that get a lot of ice and snow.
The range of styles is broad. Wood, steel, aluminum and fiberglass doors are available and can be customized to coordinate with the style of your home. As well, you can choose different window sizes and shapes, different wood stains and grains. Keep in mind, that with each additional feature, the price of the door will go up.
Turn Your Garage Into a Haunted House For Halloween
Only 15 more days until Halloween! If you are looking for some Halloween decoration ideas, consider turning your garage into a spooky haunted house. It is a nice way to enjoy a few scares, without breaking your budget. Check out the following 8 simple steps for transforming your garage (eHow):
1. Clean everything out of your garage that is on the floor. Leave any tools or other items that are hanging on the walls.
2. Create a maze through your garage by stacking cardboard boxes in a design that is conducive to your garage's size. For instance, if you have a smaller garage, make the shape of a horseshoe so there is one exit and one entrance to the maze without any twists or turns. A more elaborate maze can be constructed if the garage is larger.
3. Paint the boxes black and cover them with black tarp, mesh or imitation spider webs.
4. Place plastic spiders on the boxes and hang bats and ghosts from the ceiling of the garage with string and tape (and any other creepy items you may have!). Hang some of them lower to the ground so guests walking through the maze come in contact with them.
Scott Wendell Talks Garages
Back in 2010, Blue Sky Builders, Inc. owner, Scott Wendell, discussed his favorite topic with White Rabbit Garage Organizers, a Chicagoland garage storage system provider: garages.
WR: What's changed about the garage building industry in the last 30 years?
SW: 30 years ago, people just wanted the cheapest garage they could build, but now, people are using garages for so much more than storing cars. Their garages are an extension of their home; they want them to look good and have function beyond just car storage.
WR: What is the hardest thing about being a garage builder?
SW: The biggest challenge is keeping up with the coding requirements; each town has its own code, its own code inspector, and its own fee schedule. The building permit in one town may only cost $150 while the same permit will cost $1350 in another town. Each town has different height and footprint requirements, and it takes someone who really understands the regulations to make sure customers get what they want in their garage without violating any of their local codes.
Garage Project Blog - Lombard, IL
Its has been a busy year for Blue Sky Builders, Inc.! For our next project blog we wanted to share a garage conversion we completed earlier this year.
The completed garage was built in Lombard, Illinois. The project took approximately one month and was completed in January 2013. Below we will share some project details and pictures of the new garage.
Located in Lombard, IL this garage project included converting a partially enclosed, attached carport into a fully enclosed attached garage. With an oddly shaped/sized opening in the front, a custom special order overhead door was needed in order to fit opening.
Garage Before Pictures
New Garage Details
Dimensions: 16'x23′ attached carport remodel
Door: New 14'x6'6″ overhead door to fit opening
Aligning Your Garage Door
Source: Sanford & Son Overhead Doors
The most common garage door problem people have is with their safety sensors. They are located near the bottom of the track of the garage door near the floor. Generally, but not always, when the door opens but won't close it tends to be a safety sensor alignment issue. Usually the light bulbs will flash on the garage door opener unit to alert you to the fact that it is a safety sensor or photo eye problem.
Regardless of the manufacturer, your safety sensors should have LED lights on them and those lights should be solid at all times. When the LED lights aren't solid is when you have a problem closing the garage door. Realigning the sensors could be as simple as loosening a wing nut and moving the sensor until the light stays solid or, you may have to remove the sensor from the bracket all together and then re-install it to realign it. Some sensors are mounted on flimsy brackets which can simply be bent around a bit to realign them.
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