Rick Scully, Author at Garage Tailors

Which Method of Garden Composting Best Suits Your Lifestyle?

April 24, 2018 by Rick Scully

In every garage renovation, we consider the homeowners lifestyle to consider the types of garage storage solutions required including how people can optimize their recycling, composting and waste. With garden composting, there are a variety of methods and some of them will fit you and your family better than others.

Some of the options for storing composting include the backyard or garden, outdoor bins, inside the garage and potentially, in the home. The choice depends on the space available, the type of composting and family lifestyle. To figure out the best option for your family, it’s important to understand composting options and methods.

Composting for More than Rich Soil

Of course, most of us already understand that we can compost 30% of our waste so we don’t add to the mounting landfills where even kitchen waste which is not properly processed can produce methane gases. Instead, when we mix kitchen scraps into compost, we produce something far more valuable without the methane gas production.

We enrich the soil in our own yards with compost and it becomes nutrient rich so our garden harvest may be abundant. Compost can replace or reduce fertilizer use in our gardens.

Composting can also bind heavy metals and render them harmless. Heavy metals are considered toxic when they are all by themselves. Some of these heavy metals include: mercury, copper, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, arsenic, zinc and tin. In small doses, these metals are fine but long term exposure to even small doses is not healthy. When the simple heavy metal atoms are composted, they start to bind to form complex molecules within the compost. When heavy metals fully combine into complex molecules, they become quite harmless. This is why composting is effective in reducing toxins, especially when we allow the compost process to continue to full completion.

Compost also prevents other pollutants from reaching our streams and waterways. For instance, nitrogen often found in fertilizers will run off but when compost is used, nitrogen will bind to the molecules found in compost and remain near the plants requiring nitrogen. Compost increases the effectiveness of fertilizer while minimizing nitrogen run off. Another pollutant is phosphorus which depletes our waters of oxygen while killing the vegetation and other life in these waters. It also binds to compost and prevents the run off that is so dangerous to our waterways.

To start the garden season successfully, prepare now so your compost is ready in a few months to a year depending on the type of composting method you choose.

Hot Composting vs. Cold Composting

Just as these names suggest, hot composting will produce a lot of heat due to the high number of chemical reactions taking place in a short amount of time. Hot composting is complete in a few months but requires a higher amount of attention and care. The proportions of compostable waste used in a hot compost needs to be exact. Hot composts need 25 parts brown waste like leaves or untreated cardboard and 1 part green waste such as grass clippings or kitchen scraps. Then the compost needs to be turned every 2- 3 weeks to keep it cooking. The hot compost temperatures inside the pile are hot enough to cook upon or run water pipes through the centre of it to produce hot water.

Cold composts, on the other hand, don’t need exacting proportions of brown and green wastes. The composting process is slower so the temperature rarely rises. The process also takes approximately a year as opposed to months. The lower temperatures means that pathogens don’t get killed off so you can’t add meats or other potentially dangerous waste. Some people do feel that the cold composting method leaves more helpful microorganisms. It’s best for one person when there is not a lot of waste generated by the household.

Vermicomposting

living composter green

This is composting via worms. It’s fast, efficient and takes a lot less space than hot or cold composting. This form of composting also eliminates many plant diseases. This can even be done in condos or apartments where there is limited space. Plus, this is one of the easiest ways to compost in winter. These composters can be stored in the garage or kitchen so people who live in condos or apartments who want to have terrariums in their home can have their own rich earth for a fresh spice garden.

Green Bin City Composting

This way of composting is also a good way to help the environment. Your household doesn’t benefit from access to quality soil for the garden when the compost is finished. However, if gardening is not one of your past times, this method is easiest on time and effort so this may best suit your needs. There are a number of good solutions for storing the large green bins in the garage.

When is Compost Finished?

Only use finished compost in the garden. You’ll know it’s finished when it looks like dark rich earth and it should smell like earth. If there is any vegetable or kitchen scrap smell to it, the compost is still cooking. As we discussed earlier, immature compost will still contain toxic heavy metals, pathogens and acids which all can be harmful to the vegetation and plants it supports in the garden. Also, since the process of composting requires a lot of nitrogen and oxygen, these are unavailable to the plants when the compost is still cooking. Unfinished compost is not beneficial for the garden so waiting for finished compost is an important step of the compost process.

Types of Composting Systems

The various composting systems need to be situated in different locations around the house. For hot composting, open wooden bins are the best method and they are placed near the garden. They’re not as aesthetically pleasing but they are the most effective way for hot compost. For cold composting, it can be as simple as the pile method where a hole in the ground is made available for compostable waste. When the compost is finished, the soil in that area of the garden will be reading for the next planting.

Commercial compost bins or green bins can be stored in outdoor bin storage areas or in the garden over top of where the garden needs enrichment if the composting bin is bottomless. And, come composters can find a place within your garage. When you’re thinking of garage storage design for the avid gardener, a good garage storage system will help you accommodate your favourite compost system whether it’s the city’s green bin or other form of composting.

If you’re considering a new garage interior design in the near future, consult with one of our garage renovation specialists and remember your recycle, compost and waste as one of your overall space requirements around your garage and home.

Earth Day 2018 – Focus on Ending Plastic Pollution

April 13, 2018 by Rick Scully

Earth Day will be this coming April 22, 2018. The focus of Earth Day this year is in ending plastic pollution which is the factor most affecting climate change. And, because plastic is not biodegradable, if it doesn’t get recycled in some way, plastic will continue to remain in landfills or float around ocean destroying the vital life that helps us prevent climate change.

You may have seen or heard of the effects of plastic pollution on our ocean life. We definitely have challenges with the litter it creates but more importantly, there’s an impact to our health as people as well. And, with only 12% of all plastics being incinerated, we are leaving a lot of plastic accumulating in our oceans.

Let’s review the multifaceted ways in which plastics has an effect on our entire planet as well as our health. Plastic water bottles and other plastics causes manufacturing pollution as well as other side effects. Let’s take time to consider some of the things that each of us can do this Earth Day to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.

The Facts about Plastic

Plastic was invented in 1907. Since then, the main use of plastic has been for packaging and to date, the world has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. Of that, 6.3 billion metric tons is now waste while only 8% has been recycled and only 12% has been incinerated which is the only real way of breaking down plastic into its original building blocks and getting rid of plastic. The rest of it or approximately 79% of the plastic ends up in landfills.

The main issue isn’t just that plastic doesn’t break down and that it takes up space in our landfills but it is that plastic doesn’t biodegrade. When plastic does eventually break down in 1,000 years from now, it will be leaching toxins to the ground as well as ground water leaving our planet uninhabitable. At the moment, the rate at which this is all happening, we’ll have 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills by 2050.

The Effect of Plastic on Our Oceans

Plastics in the ocean end up congregating into condensed patches of plastic in the ocean. Sometimes, the plastic breaks down into micro plastics and get ingested by wildlife within the ocean. These contaminated fish and other sea life that end up on our plates means that we get contaminated by the toxins of the ocean.

Sometimes, ocean life can mistake chunks of plastic for food which sadly, they eat. Since the plastic doesn’t get digested, these animals continue to think that they are full so they starve to death.

The Effect of Plastic on Our Personal Health

Plastics are known to be a health hazard for people. Some plastics leach chemicals into the foods and beverages contained within them. Many plastics contain phthalates (DEHP) and the chemical BPA. If these plastics are heated in the microwave, plastics end up in the food or drink which means they end up in our bodies.

They are particularly harmful for young children. The health effects include damage to chromosomes, reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.

The Effect of Plastic on Climate Change

The manufacturing of plastic has a great impact on our climate. For instance, it uses 8% of the world’s petroleum production. The drilling of oil releases a variety of harmful greenhouse gases including: carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ozone, benzene, and methane. Water bottles are made from a plastic called Polyethylene Terephthalate known as PET. For every 1 ounce of PET produced, 5 ounces of carbon dioxide is released.

How We Can Take Action to Reduce Plastic this coming Earth Day

We can take action against plastic pollution.

Sign the petition being promoted by the Earth Day organizers.
Plant a tree on Earth Day as a family. Every tree provides enough oxygen for 10 people during the course of a year.
Spend an hour a day with your kids playing outdoors. Kid’s connection to the outdoors is not only great for their happiness and well-being but it also improves their environmental stewardship.
Improve the family’s recycling habits if they have become lax.
Start composting which we’ll discuss in the upcoming blog.
Reduce the amount of plastics used within your household during the course of year. Start by taking inventory of how much plastic you use. Then, start a plan to reduce the amount of plastic used daily.
As a last resort, for things you can’t affect such as an air flight, donate to the LESS Offset program.

Here’s a video to help you with some inspiration from people aim to create zero waste during a year, not just plastics. Their thoughts might inspire you in ways to cut down in one way or another.

Garage Storage Solutions for Re-Use

Garage storage solutions help us organize and avoid purchasing more than we need. But, it also helps us re-use more items in our daily lives by having a place to store belongings and bring them out season after season for use.

When you’re considering a garage renovation, contact us for some ideas to help you become conscious of the footprint you’re leaving behind. Make every day an Earth Day in your household.

Garage Storage Solutions for the Avid Gardener

March 13, 2018 by Rick Scully

This year the March Equinox is March 20^th, 2018 at 12:15pm EDT. There are two Equinoxes each year – one in September and one in March. The March Equinox is the day of the year where the sun shines directly on the equator as it moves to shine on the northern hemisphere for the summer. On this day, the length of the day is nearly equal to the length of the night.

Besides March 20^th being the Equinox, it’s also the time of year that the gardeners are itching to get out and into the yard. In fact, if you’re a fanatical gardener, you’re probably already out in the green house aka the garage tinkering with seeds, soil and saplings that you’ve been nurturing all winter long.

Workspace in the Garage

You’ve pulled out your workspace so you can work with your potting soil and get those seeds planted so your saplings will be ready. In the larger garages with fewer storage requirements, you may actually have the back corner of the garage available for an L-shaped workbench made to measure.

If you’ve gone with garage cabinets, you may have opted for the workbench option which is built-in with drawers or cabinets below the workspace. A stainless steel work surface is typical of the workbench option with garage cabinet storage systems today.

Now, if space is at a premium in the garage for whatever reason, a made to measure fold down workspace which folds out from the wall and then tucks away when you’re done is one way to build a working area into the garage. Another space saver is a roll out workbench which can be tucked under a storage platform until it’s needed and then stored under the platform when you’re done working.

Not only are all of these workbench / workspace options available for the gardener but also the handy person of the house, the auto enthusiast and the arts & crafts enthusiast. What makes it complete is a space for all the gardening tools.

The Slatwall Organization System for Gardening Tools

If you already have a slatwall organization system then you’re probably already using it for winter shovels, ice scrapers, snow blowers, salt and much more to survive the icy, snowing and sometimes wet winter weather. But, once March Equinox comes around, the gardener of the family might just get the itch to switch all of those tools out for trowels, hoes, garden shovels, rakes and much more.

With the StoreWall slatwall organization system, the materials are so durable and modular that swapping out winter tools for garden tools is easy to do. The weatherproof commercial grade thermoplastic means that the slatwall will remain mold and mildew free. Water and ice will not cause the wall to wear or crack.

Then, with a wide variety of accessory hooks, shelves and baskets, the slatwall becomes invaluable for storing everything the gardener needs. There are modular baskets or shelves to store fertilizer, soil, wood chips and seeds. And, there are numerous types of large and small hooks secured with Camlok^TMtechnology so that the hooks won’t slip or slide. In fact, with the hooks locked into place, they are strong enough to hang the typical lawn mower so the average garden tools will not pose a problem for the StoreWall slatwall system.

Off Season Storage for Tools

During the off season, the gardening tools can be stored out of reach on the overhead platform or shelf. Since they don’t need to be easily accessible during the winter, it makes sense to store them up and out of the way. Switching them out for winter shovels and other tools needed to weather the ice and snow makes sense.

Now that the March Equinox has arrived, the avid gardener will be anxious to pull out the gardening tools and store the winter tools away onto the overhead shelving. Re-arranging the hooks and shelves on the slatwall makes it possible to accommodate the various shapes and sizes of the garden tools which would not necessarily match the configuration needed to hang the winter shovels and tools.

Go Green with Garage Cabinets to Store Vermicompost Bins

The average person may not be thinking worm composting but the gardener who’s thinking green and wanting to have some rich organic fertilizer to work with as early in the season as possible may be adding vermicomposters to the storage area in the garage where the blue bin, green bin and garbage bins are located.

Vermicomposters take the organic wastes such as orange peels, coffee grounds, egg shells and much more to get worms living in the composter to turn our organic wastes into fertilizer. All winter while we’ve been eating, the gardener in the family has been dumping all that organic waste into the vermicomposter for fresh fertilizer to use as soon as the March Equinox is in sight.

A variety of options for dedicating a space for compost, green bin, blue bin and garbage are available including platforms, shelves, cabinets and hooks.

Garage Renovations which Meets the Diversity of Your Family’s Lifestyles

Regardless of what makes your family members passionate for the weekends, a good garage renovation solution will accommodate outdoor adventurers to athletes to car enthusiasts to avid gardeners and so much more. Consult with one of our garage renovation specialists today to find out how your garage can fit all these lifestyles.

Planning a Garage Renovation this Summer

February 20, 2018 by Rick Scully

It’s the time of the year when people are planning for their garage renovations over the summer. There are many aspects to completing a successful garage renovation project. A lot of people are looking to finally get a garage storage solution for all the things that the family dumps onto the garage floor instead of having a place for everything to reside inside the garage.

If you’re finally done with having to look at the chaos in the garage, you’re ready for a garage renovation this year. To get the family and the garage ready for a garage storage system, here are some steps to take.

Start Planning Well in Advance

The garage renovation season is approximately mid-spring to mid-autumn because temperature is important to some aspects of the project such as some of the garage flooring and paint. When the temperature is moderate then these applications will dry and set with high quality and long lasting results. As home owners, we all want high quality renovation projects completed.

In addition, good renovation specialists will be booked many weeks in advance. So, meeting with a garage renovation specialist early is a good idea not only to book the project timeline for a garage renovation that is ideal for your family and their many activities this summer but it also sets out the time to prepare for the project.

De-Clutter and Select Items to Store

If your family has collected many items or have plans to store things in the garage which are actually sitting elsewhere in the home, it’s important to identify these items for storage. In addition, de-cluttering family belongings helps the homeowner avoid trying to store things that the family does not actually use. Finally, group the items which will be stored in the garage into their respective piles. It is an important initial step of the process to take inventory of things which will need to reside in the garage in the long term.

After these initial steps, other activities will become apparent and discussed as your well-chosen garage renovation specialist guides you and your family through the project process.

Choose a Quality Garage Renovation Specialist

One of the most important aspects of a successful project is finding a good garage renovation specialist.

So, what are the qualities homeowners are seeking in a garage renovation specialist? The garage renovation specialist is the key to your project team in achieving a result with the best possible outcome with the best experience for your family. Here are some key qualities to consider and how they’ll affect your project this summer.

A Garage Renovation Specialist must be a Creative Solution Provider

When it comes creating garage solutions to our storage problems, there are a lot of factors at play from the idiosyncrasies of the garage space to the unique lifestyle needs of each of the family members in your home.

The creativity of a good garage renovation specialist assures that new solutions can be found to difficult combinations of challenges around the garage. Also, creativity means that new and unique solutions can be found when faced with difficult problems and challenges.

Creative solution providers ask the questions that need to be addressed. Working as a team with the homeowners to find the answers, the garage renovation specialist can work to achieve optimal solutions that address the challenges of a project.

Does Your Garage Renovation Specialist Act as your Personal Project Manager?

Not only will a good garage renovation specialist manage their own crew and work timetable, but they’ll also guide the homeowners through the steps they need to take or considerations that they’ll need to make throughout the entire project. Instead of having to make hasty decisions at the last minute, guiding the planning and decision making process well in advance allows the homeowner to have peace of mind with their choices.

Every homeowner wants to know what they’ll experience or need to do to achieve the best garage storage solution outcome. When the garage renovation specialist acts as your own personal project manager, you’ll get the guidance needed to both prepare and act when required.

Quality Garage Renovation Specialists Possess Strong Communication Skills

Organizing and creating a garage storage system that fits the family lifestyle while overcoming any physical challenges within the garage requires effective communication skills. Homeowners may have some anxiety but there are also more moving parts to a garage renovation than some people may suspect. It’s everything from unique challenges of a garage space to the weather and timing of garage storage items to the responses of younger or older family members being prepared for the changes ahead.

Good communication skills amongst the garage renovation specialist and the family members will result in:

Increased Clarity: everyone understands what will happen and there is time to take it all in so that frustration remains low and understanding remains high
Increased Success: when everyone is clear on the project steps and direction, the garage renovation specialist and homeowners can work together for optimal results
Project Productivity: clear communication means the project moves forward meeting both the project timeline as well as the project budget
Homeowner Satisfaction: when people can understand the vision and everyone is able to communicate their own thoughts, concerns and anticipated directions then everyone will feel a satisfaction with both the process as well as the outcome

Punctuality is Respect for You & Your Project

Punctuality is respect for people, the team and the project. It shows discipline and the ability to focus on the tasks at hand while meeting timelines. It reduces stress on the project and for the homeowners. We’ve been noted for our punctuality and whenever we run into traffic issues or another type of delay, we will call ahead to let homeowners know how long we’ll be delayed.

It’s not only satisfying for us, but it keeps our homeowners experiencing project timelines with few to no delays.

A Commitment to Quality Results is Essential

From product selection to the quality of the workmanship for each renovation project, quality is the key. Homeowners experience pride in their garage and the garage storage solutions that matches their family lifestyle.

For us, quality is not just good quality product selection but it’s assuring that there isn’t that awkward gap because the cabinets are just 4 inches short of the wall or space. Everything is made to measure which means it fits the garage space and everything is configured to fit plum with the wall and floor lines. It’s all made to measure. Just like a kitchen with all its cabinets and appliances fitting perfectly and plum to each wall, a quality garage renovation will do the same for the garage.

An Established Track Record in Successful Garage Renovations Completed

We can say a lot about our work but the proof is in the many satisfied homeowners we have helped. We have a wide variety of transformations that we’ve posted not only to give people an idea of what can be done with a variety of challenges but it also gives people an idea of how homeowners have felt about their projects.

Get Started Today with Your Garage Renovation Project

If you’re looking to recover the space in your garage for a storage system which will meet your growing family demands and with an experience you’ll find as satisfying as the final results, contact one of our garage renovation specialists today.

Winter Garage Door Maintenance

February 6, 2018 by Rick Scully

With all this snow, ice and fluctuating temperatures, our garages weather storms and thaws that take its toll on our homes. Especially, cold winter days affects the exterior areas of our home including the garage door and the mechanisms that allow it to continue to function flawlessly and effectively.

Neglecting the changing weather conditions will lead to unforeseen hiccups in the early morning work routines to get to work causing stress that we can all easily avoid. Here are some ways to prepare and avoid possible problems which an overnight winter freeze can cause for homeowners.

Replacing Broken Garage Door Springs

Broken garage door springs are a very common garage door repair. Garage doors with the adequate number of garage door springs installed for the size and weight of the garage door will last on average ten thousand cycles. One cycle is one opening followed by one closing of the garage door. If there are two vehicles leaving and entering the garage at different times of the day, these springs may last about 5 years. If you have a more hectic family lifestyle than two cycles per day, you may want to invest in extended lifespan torsion springs which cost more but can last up to 4x longer.

To assess whether the garage door springs may need replacement, take a look to see if there is rust on the springs. Rusty springs may mean that your garage door springs are on the way out. To prevent rust build up and maximize the life of the garage door springs, spray the springs down 3 to 4 times per year with WD-40. If there is already rust on the springs, you’ll want to test them further.

Garage Door Balance Check

A garage door balance check will help determine if the torsion springs are losing their effectiveness and will need replacement. The garage door balance check should be done once a year especially in the winter when springs are most likely to fail. The garage door balance check is easy to do.

To check door balance, lift the door halfway up and let it go. If the springs are in good working order, the door should sit completely still as it is let go. If the door drops or sags as it is let go, the torsion springs are showing wear and tear. It’s probably time to change the garage springs to avoid any issues.

Garage Door Cable Repairs

If the garage door doesn’t work, it may mean the garage door cable is broken. The garage cable or sometimes called aircraft cable is used to prevent the garage door spring from flying off like a bullet if it were to snap. The cable is located near the bottom corner of the door and loops up to the top of the door where it counterbalances the tension of the spring. The cable itself is under a lot of tension so it’s not advisable for the average person to try to replace it.

Instead, prevent damage to vehicles and belongings or injury to family members by checking the cable and preventing a cable failure. To check garage door cables, do a visual inspection and look for corrosion, rust, or fraying garage door cables. If any of these signs appear, call in a specialist to replace the cables.

Have Smooth Running Garage Door Rollers

Garage door rollers make sure the garage door rolls up smoothly and quietly. They either have open ball bearings or enclosed ones. If they have open bearings, then they should be lubricated 3 – 4 times per year to ensure long lasting rollers.

If you see that there is damage to either the rubber or nylon parts of the rollers then it’s time to replace the rollers. Other signs that the garage door rollers need replacement include wiggling of the rollers in the track as the door rolls up or down. Or, if you see the roller is locked and / or you hear grinding of the door as it opens or closes, the rollers are in need of replacement.

When the Garage Door is Frozen Shut

Each year, the weather stripping should be checked for cracks, breaks and pliability to assure that it is doing its job. Not only does it help save energy and keep the garage and vehicles warm for an easy to start to the day, but it also prevents the garage door from becoming stuck.

If on an icy morning, the garage door has becomes frozen shut and you have checked that the door is not damaged in some other way, check to make sure it is unlocked. Then, use the release cord to manually open the door. If the garage door will not open with some moderate effort, then you may need to use a hair dryer or heat gun and alternatively, hot water to melt the ice below the garage door.

On days, where you suspect an overnight freeze, be sure to apply some rock salt around the base of the garage door. Also, it’s a good idea to apply WD-40 to the weather stripping along the bottom edge of the door to improve your chances of avoiding a garage door being frozen shut.

The Annual Garage Door Check Up

If you garage door is functioning well, an annual garage door checkup is the best way to ensure that all the parts are operating well and to replace or repair parts before they malfunction. You can take all these steps yourself or call a professional service such as Aurora Overhead Doors Inc. to do the repairs safely.

RibTrax Floor Tiles to Winterize the Garage

January 23, 2018 by Rick Scully

If you’ve had a cement garage floor, painted garage floor or an old epoxy garage floor, you may not have gotten around to that garage renovation you were hoping to do during the warmer months. All the while, you may be getting tired of the worn out look and how much maintenance it takes to maintain the garage floor while keeping winter out of the house.

Winter is a constant battle of snow, slush and salt being brought into your mud room via your garage. It’s the kids running in through the garage to the mudroom after school. It’s the vehicles parking in the garage after a drive through the city streets dragging all sorts of debris and salt into the garage.

It’s not easy to keep up with maintaining the look and feel of the garage in winter with all that gets dragged into the home. Here’s where the choice of garage floor can help reduce the maintenance of the garage floor while also minimizing the amount of salt and debris that gets dragged into the house.

We’re talking about RibTrax Garage Floor Tiles.

Good Looking Garage Floors in Winter

With a wide variety of colour choices, the RibTrax Tiles are easy to put together with a sharp looking design or pattern across the garage floor. The colours can be matched to integrate with the colour scheme of the interior design of the house. Or, the design can give the garage it’s own unique look and feel. Maybe, you’re looking for a sporty car enthusiast’s design that is reminiscent of an Indy Car race pit or garage. Or, maybe, it’s some other bold colour pattern that resonates with the family.

Either way, once it’s put in place, you won’t be seeing much more of the pitted cement floors or worn looking epoxy coating. In fact, even when looking down through the ribs of the tile, it’s still difficult to see the flooring below. That’s because the RibTrax tiles are ¾ of an inch thick so it’s difficult to see the floor below. It’s a true garage floor makeover that leaves homeowners with what people seek from a a new floor.

This is the thickest tile on the marketplace making them commercial strength. In fact, these tiles are so sturdy that they are used in airplane hangars and in warehouses or manufacturing floors carrying weights up to 70,000lbs and far in excess of a couple of family vehicles in a residential garage.

Minimize Slush and Salt in the Home

Also, the thicker ¾ inch tiles allow all sorts of debris to fall through the ribs and stay out of sight. Unlike thinner tiles, the RibTrax has space below the tile for salt and debris to stay in the channels built into the underside of each tile until it’s time to clean the garage floor at the end of the week. It becomes difficult for debris to find its way back on top of the RibTrax tile floor.

Typical uncovered cement floors or even old epoxy floors will have salt and slush sitting on top of the floor. Cement dust continues to build up on the floors. Salt stains continue to linger and get dragged into the house with every step of each family member walking through the garage. And, as vehicles drive in and out of the garage, salt inevitably makes its way onto the garage floor and back onto the vehicle again as well.

With the RibTrax tiles, all this debris stays under the tiles or falls below the tiles until it’s time to clean the garage floors. It protects the home, the family and the vehicles from salt.

Garage Floor Maintenance is Minimal

With RibTrax tiles, running a shopvac once a week over the tiles will keep the slush, salt and dust on the garage floor below from accumulating. It’s the best of all worlds. The floor looks great. The debris stays hidden and safely away from loved ones, the home and the vehicles. And, cleaning can happen once a week to assure there isn’t an excessive accumulation of slush and salt under the tiles.

The RibTrax tiles are so durable, they are resistant to UV, alkalis, acids, solvents, oils and other automotive fluids. As needed, a damp string mop run over the top of the RibTrax tiles will keep the tiles looking bright and sharp. It’s quick and easy to prepare for the most impromptu visit from good friends or neighbours without a big fuss.

DIY or Garage Renovation Specialist Installation

Even though a full garage renovation might not be practical during the winter, a quick DYI installation of RibTrax tiles is possible. Floor preparation is minimal or none at all if you choose. Runninig a shopvac over the garage floor is adequate preparation before applying the tiles.

Then, design the floor with the SwissTrax Floor Designer tool or if you’re unsure of a design that will leave you feeling like you’ve made the right choice for a savvy garage design which will endure the test of time, our garage renovation specialists can lend a designing hand.

Get a free in-home consultation to find out if RibTrax tiles would be a fit for your garage and family lifestyle needs.

Ribtrax Garage Floor Tile Colours

Black	Yellow	White	Red	Purple	Pink
Orange	Mocha	Light Gray	Green	Gray	Dark Brown
Dark Blue	Cream	Charcoal	Brown	Blue	Aqua

Overhead Storage is Our New Year’s Resolution Friend

January 7, 2018 by Rick Scully

Each year, we wrap up the Christmas or Midwinter celebration with new festive decorations to our already extensive collection of decorations. They may be dishes, candelabras, stockings, outdoor lighting and much more. Once we’ve cleaned up from the extended family gathering, we realize that we’d like our living space to be less cluttered when we start the New Year.

At this time of year, we’re enjoying the beautiful winter wonderland as well. We’re enjoying having our kids and our own inner kids enjoy the snow of white slopes on snowboards, skis or even toboggans. Maybe, you’ve decided to break out the skates to enjoy the many outdoor ice rinks or surfaces around the city. Winter and the activities of the season get us hauling out all sorts of toys, decorative items as well as sports equipment.

Finding a way to organize the things we need to prepare for winter and all the great activities we enjoy, celebrate or do to adapt to the winter season can be daunting. A made-to-measure overhead garage storage system or garage renovation to create the space needed for these types of items is a great way to start off the New Year!

Why Consider Overhead Storage?

Eventually, our family lifestyles become so dynamic that it’s difficult to find a place to store everything. That’s when we encourage people to consider using the space overhead. A lot of the space overhead in the garage may often remain underutilized. If the height of the garage is 10 feet or higher, it’s a good idea to consider overhead storage systems.

Overhead platform storage may need a little more effort to use. People only want to access overhead storage from time to time since it may take a ladder, a set of stairs or a couple of people to store and organize the overhead space. That’s why overhead platform storage is ideal for seasonal storage where items are moved into the overhead space or out of the overhead space once or twice a year.

Overhead storage is out of the way so when we’re not using items for long periods of time, this type of storage works well. Platforms are also a form of open storage where we can see exactly what’s up there. When we’ve forgotten or we need to remember what we’ve got, an open platform storage system helps us find things easily.

What to Store in Overhead Storage Platforms

Seasonal items may include outdoor patio furniture or outdoor decorations. From lawn ornaments, outdoor patio lighting, BBQ or firepit accessories, there are a lot of warm weather outdoor items that get stored indoors for the winter. It may also include gardening tools and bags of soil, seeds or fertilizer. In the winter, it may be snow removal equipment, salt, sand, cat litter, antifreeze and other handy winter survival items.

When it comes to enjoying the lifestyle of the seasons, it’s sports equipment and toys applicable to specific seasons. Some of these sports may include hockey or snowboarding / skiing in the winter and cycling, wake boarding, kayaking and more in the summer. There are other storage systems ideal for keeping the sports equipment and toys easily accessible during the season but when it’s the off season, overhead can be a good place for keeping them out of the way.

Whether we celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice or other seasonal festivities, we all seem to need a few decorations to honour the activities and rituals of the festival. These items are also used rarely so it’s handy to store them above where they remain safe from damage for the rest of the year.

Overhead Storage Platform Choices

There are a wide variety of overhead platform storage systems. Most of them are typically shelving units or platforms where we just place the items on top. This means, that our choice of shelf or platform can’t be too deep. After all, if our arms can’t reach far enough back to grab our stored items, it won’t be possible to retrieve items from their location. Some of the platforms have a 4×8 base platform. This means, it was intended to be mounted in the middle of the ceiling where it would be possible to place a ladder on any of the four sides of the platform to reach items from any of the four sides. This means that this type of option requires enough space on all four sides for a ladder and space for the item to leave the storage platform.

There are also shelves that are mounted against the walls of the garage. Typically, shelves are not more than a couple of feet deep so that anyone in the family can reach to the back and still access belongings that they want to retrieve from storage. This also makes it easy to take a visual inventory of where things are stored when standing in the middle of the garage.

All storage platforms are secured either from the top via the ceiling or from the bottom via supporting beams to the garage floor. When storage platforms are secured properly, they can easily hold a few hundred pounds worth of your belongings.

Whether you purchase the pre-manufactured metal platforms, build a wooden one yourself or have one of our garage renovation specialists build a made-to-measure overhead storage platform system as part of an overall garage design. Securing the platform is most important to assure there is no damage to the belongings, family members walking through the garage or the vehicles parked in the areas beside or below the platform storage.

Finished Platforms for a Finished Garage Design Look

Finally, making a choice of platform may depend on how finished a garage design may be desired. A barebones garage may be well suited to a pre-manufactured platform or a DYI platform made of wood beams.

On the other hand, you can get an overhead platform capable of holding several hundred pounds per square foot with a finished made-to-measure storage platform with a drywall finish, an under mount LED lighting system and minimal overhead structure from one of our garage renovation specialists. Contact us for a free in-home consultation to discuss your options.

Connect with Nature and Winter Solstice

December 12, 2017 by Rick Scully

The Winter Solstice marks the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest night of the year on December 21st. After the Winter Solstice, the days get longer and the nights get shorter. People from around the world recognize and celebrate this day with light and fire. Sounds a lot like what we do for Christmas and how we decorate our homes and garages with lights and lit ornaments.

Many people from around the world celebrate the mid-winter time of year whether from the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

A Variety of Celebrations for Winter Solstice

Soyal – Zuni & Hopi Indians of Northern Arizona

The focus of the Soyal ceremony celebrated by the Zuni and Hopi Indians is meant to bring back the sun after the long dark winter. A prayer stick called the Paphos is used to bless the community including homes, animals and plants. The ceremonies represent purification with dancing and gift giving including Kachina dolls representing the spirits of the caves within the mountains.

Yalda Night – Persian Celebration for Winter Solstice

The Yalda Night is a celebration of December 21^st by the Persians marked by family gatherings where people eat, drink and read poetry. Fruits and nuts are savoured especially red ones such as pomegranate and watermelon because the colour symbolizes the light of dawn and the glow of life.

The Yalda Night represents the longest night and the initial night representing the forty days of the three month winter after this night.

Inti Raymi – Peruvian Celebration of the Sun

The Inti Raymi is a celebration of Peru’s Midwinter which begins June 21^st and gets celebrated on June 24^th because the Inca believed that the sun stayed in the same place for 4 days. Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere where winter is the opposite season from our celebrations here so instead of a December celebration of Winter Solstice, they have their midwinter in June.

The Sun God was revered by the Incas which is where the celebration originated and today, the Peruvians continue its tradition.

Saturnalia – Ancient Roman Celebration Most Closely Linked to Christmas

The Saturnalia is an ancient Roman Celebration which is most closely linked to our modern day Christmas celebrations. Saturnalia was initially celebrated on December 17, 2017 but then extended to seven days ending on December 24, 2017. It was liveliest celebration of the year where people filled the streets with Mardi Gras-like celebrations while all work and business is suspended. Also, social norms and moral restrictions are lifted.

There was gift giving to children and the poor. Especially, gifts of light or “phos” such as candles were commonly given. Then, on Roman New Years (January 1^st), people decorated their homes with lights and greenery.

It’s easy to see how these traditions are closely linked to how we celebrate Christmas today.

Midwinter in Antartica

When we’re celebrating long days here in the Northern Hemisphere, the researchers who inhabit the Antartica are living through long dark periods. They celebrate with special meals, films and even handmade gifts.

St. Lucia’s Day – Scandinavian Festival of Lights

St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated in Sweden, Norway and parts of Finland on December 13^th honouring St. Lucia who brought food to poor Christians. The day marks the beginning of Christmas. It is a celebration to bring light and hope to the last dark days of winter. Food is shared and served.

In earlier times, the Norse celebrated the winter solstice with large bonfires to ward away evil spirits and to alter the path of the sun. St. Lucia was incorporated after the Scandinavians converted to Christianity around the year 1000.

Dong Zhi – China’s Arrival of Winter Festival

This is translated as “the extreme of winter” where the nights are longest around December 22^nd. It is to celebrate the return of longer days, more light and therefore, greater positive energy as part of the yin yang of dark and light.

As part of the festivities, families gather together to have a lavish meal especially to nourish the body and soul to prevent frostbite and other ailments of the cold winter. Foods such as Tang Yuan or rice balls and dumplings filled with lamb or other meats are eaten.

How We Can Celebrate Winter Solstice

Here are some of the ways that people celebrate the season which were born out of the Winter Solstice:

Decorate the house with evergreen wreaths & boughs, mistletoe, holly, and ivy
Harvest a sustainable tree and reflect on good will, renewal and blessings of joy
Use lights and candles to represent the sun and celebrate the new solar year after the longest nights of the year
Burn a log in a fireplace, bonfire or just candles
Listen to festive music and read festive poetry
Share the celebration with others by gathering together or hosting a party

Winter Solstice in Our Neighbourhood

Each year, Kensington Market in Toronto has a Winter Solstice celebration. Every year, there is an exceptional show of Fire Breathers, spinners and other performers lighting the night sky. Handmade lanterns, giant puppets, stilted dancers and eclectic music are all part of a lively night of cheer and festivities to bring in the start of longer days and more light.

In our own neighbourhoods, we can host our own special celebration by running our Christmas lights and playing festive music. Open up the garage for neighbours to gather and enjoy a hot cider or hot chocolate. Have a small adobe or enclosed fire pit out front on the driveway or front lawn so people can warm themselves around a source of light traditionally used to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

And, if your garage is not organized enough to host a small neighbourhood gathering, our garage renovation specialists are always here to help you make the upcoming year’s festivities a reality.

Get Inspired to Decorate the Garage for Christmas with More than Just Lights

November 28, 2017 by Rick Scully

We’ve all seen the extraordinary Christmas light shows on people’s houses during the month of December. We may have even driven around neighbourhoods at night looking for these fabulous labours of love with choreography and even music synchronized to match. If you haven’t seen some of these amazing homes, here are one or two below that will definitely amaze anyone with their talent and creativity.

With the cost of electricity in Ontario having increased significantly not to mention our own lack of talent or time to complete such a magnificent light show project, we may be looking at other ways to contribute in the festivities. Being festive with your garage door doesn’t require extensive work. It can just as easily be simple and elegant.

Preparing for Decorating the Home Exterior and Garage Door

Of course, the first rule of thumb is to make sure the vehicle is not in the driveway taking away from the design. So, if you haven’t already decluttered your garage so you can park your vehicle inside your garage, it’s time to do that and possibly get a garage renovation completed so it’s possible store all your items off the garage floor where the vehicles can get maximum space for parking safely.

Next, with some of the décor made specifically for the garage door, you may want to consider giving the garage door a wash before the cold weather sets in. This will leave a beautiful palette with which to work your decorations and design.

Great Christmas Decorating Beyond Lights

One of the great traditions of Christmas is the garland. Hang them so they outline and frame your garage door, the front porch or the door way. Add some accessories to dress them up to give them either a traditional look or a more modern look while matching the colours of the house.

Then, there are garage door covers. They get clipped to the front of the garage door. The designs are made for up and over garage doors which is the majority of garage doors. They won’t affect the operation of the garage door. Assure your vehicle is parked inside the garage and the whole neighbourhood will be able to enjoy your choice of Christmas scene.

While not for the garage door, Christmas lawn decorations or roof decorations can be mounted along the edge of the driveway or over the garage.

Replace old Christmas Lights with LED lights

While we may not like the increased fees related to our electricity bills, we can do something about it. We can swap out or replace all our incandescent light bulbs for LED lightbulbs. One of the reasons includes the fact that they are highly energy efficient. Incandescent light bulbs use electricity to zap a filament in order to create light while LED lightbulbs excite diodes to create light. Of the two methods, the LED lightbulbs use up to 90% less electricity than the traditional incandescent bulb. So, saving energy is the best way to keep lighting up the night during the Christmas season.

In addition to the significant energy savings of LED lightbulbs, they also last tens of thousands of hours. From 10,000 hours to 25, 000 hours or even more are some of the service life ratings you’ll find on the shelves this Christmas. For the investment, the LED lightbulbs outweigh the old incandescent bulbs handily.

LED lightbulbs are easy to work with as decorative items. Since they use so little electricity to create light, they also generate low levels of heat too. This means that we can grab the bulb without burning our fingers or melting other Christmas decorations. On the other hand, if you remember incandescent bulbs, you’ll remember they ran very hot and would melt the décor that they touched including trees and other plastic items.

If getting true colours in your light display is important to you then you’ll want to compare LED to incandescent technologies. Incandescent light bulbs only generate one colour which is white. The bulb gets painted to generate any sort of colour so when the paint melts off or gets chipped off, we get multi-coloured bulbs. On the other hand, the diodes of LED lightbulbs can actually generate true blues and other colours. The bulb itself is never painted or coloured in order to create a colour. LED lightbulbs can therefore generate the most true and brilliant colours possible. Even if you’re not a stickler for design, you’ll appreciate the brilliance of LED coloured lights compared to the traditional painted bulbs of incandescent lights.

Lastly, the LED lightbulb has been exploding in popularity so you can easily find these lights where replacement incandescent lights are almost impossible to find these days. The choice is easy. Go green and red as well as a variety of other colours with LED lightbulbs this Christmas.

Christmas Decoration Storage

Finally, if you haven’t carved out a space to store your seasonal decorations, then make sure you include that with any garage renovation that you’re planning. The ideal space for storing seasonal items is up high in the overhead platform or storage areas of the garage since they don’t need to be accessed but once a year. Since they are only accessed once a year, it’s better to leave storage space within easy reach for items we’ll use regularly such as tools, sports equipment, automotive accessories and more.

While some hints and tips is all we can do to help with your Christmas design and décor, we can do much more when a garage renovation is what you need to be effective and organized. Get a complimentary in-home consultation if an improved way to get the most out of your garage storage is what you need.

Winter vs All Weather Tires – Garage Storage

November 6, 2017 by Rick Scully

With fall under way and summer safely behind us, we start to wonder what kind of winter is ahead for us and how to prepare. Of course, when it comes to our home, it’s better to be safe than sorry. And, when it comes to our vehicles this is even more true in order to protect ourselves as well as our little ones.

When winter is really cold with a lot of snow, we have driving challenges in winter. When winter is milder with temperatures fluctuating just above 0°C or just below 0°C, we have a lot of slippery and icy driving challenges throughout winter. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to get tires to suit the winters here in Southern Ontario.

Storing Tires in the Garage

There are a variety of ways to store tires in the garage. The main goal of tire storage is not to leave the tires on the garage floor where it uses up valuable space for the vehicle or both vehicles to be able to park inside the garage.

The best way to store the tires that we’re not using on our vehicles is to have them kept up and off the floor of the garage. Overhead platforms of a variety of heights make a lot of sense. When installed properly, overhead platforms can carry up to 600 – 800lbs of whatever you want to have something tucked up and away in the storage space within your garage.

The second option is to mount a tire rack to the wall of the garage. Specifically designed for tire storage, these racks can be mounted at a variety of heights depending on your available space and height requirements. It’s a great way to ensure your investment in winter and all season tires are protected.

Winter Tires

snow-winter-tire-treads — Winter Tire Treads

Since the advent of all season tires, winter tires have become an overlooked necessity to vehicle ownership throughout Canada. In some provinces, it is law for us to have winter tires on our vehicles. In Ontario, you can get a discount on your car insurance if you use winter tires.

Depending on where you live around the GTA or Toronto, you may not experience a lot of snow. In addition, people mistakenly believe that winter tires are “snow” tires. They are actually meant for the change in temperature. In fact, that change in temperature which warrants the consideration for winter tires starts at 7°C where the typical All Season tire starts to lose it’s ability to grip the road. So, by 0°C, it’s very important that we’re using winter tires.

In Quebec, where winter tires are the law, they found that the 10% who didn’t apply winter tires were involved in 38% of the most severe vehicle accidents. It makes a difference to drive with winter tires.

All Weather Tires

These days there is a new category of tires called All Weather tires. These tires will work well under wet, slushy and snowy conditions. They work well above 7°C where winter tire rubber starts to wear down extremely quickly and loses its ability to grip the road as the temperature rises.

The All Weather tires are made with rubber designed to stay flexible whether the temperature is above 7°C or below 7°C. And, the tread is designed to push water and slush away out the sides of the tread pattern channels. On the other hand, the winter tires were designed with rubber that stays soft even in colder weather below 7°C which is why it works so well on snow and ice. And, this is the same reason it is not safe to drive on winter tires over the summer where it will easily melt on the hot asphalt and lose its integrity to grip the road.

All Weather tires are closer to a 4 season tire for those of us who live in areas of Ontario where we may experience a somewhat mild winter. For real winters like those experienced throughout Quebec and areas of Central and Northern Ontario, people who use winter tires will have a safer drive avoiding the stress and the potential of a severe accident.

All Season Tires are Really Tires for 3 Seasons

all_season_tire_treads — All Season Tire Treads

Finally, the All Season In All Season tires is a bit of a misnomer. With its ability to handle well in temperatures above 7°C, it doesn’t remain flexible enough below 7°C to grip the road. And, the tread design doesn’t lend itself to pushing slush and snow out to the side from the channels.

So, the All Season tire is great for 3 of the seasons in Ontario but not winter temperatures or the weather typical of winter including slush, ice or snow.

Tire Storage for Good Tire Habits

For peace of mind and safety, the winter tire is your best bet. When you do this, you can save on your vehicle insurance and with a garage storage solution, you can save on storage costs annually.

To find out how you can manage both, contact us for a free in-home consultation.

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