Rick Scully, Author at Garage Tailors

The Spooky Garage for a Happy Halloween

October 17, 2017 by Rick Scully

It’s October and we all know it’s the month for Halloween. Our kids are busy planning out costumes. We’re busy locating treats at the supermarket to hand out at the front door. Then, digging out our scariest Halloween tricks to decorate the yard and front door for when other kids arrive. We change up our work schedules so we can leave the house early and have the kids go out before it gets too dark.

Not a lot of people are thinking about garage renovation at this time of year but there are some people who are decorating their garage interiors as well as exteriors to enjoy the merriment of Halloween. Here are some ways that we can make the most of the garage, the garage door and the storage renovations inside to create a fun or spooky Halloween experience for the neighbourhood kids.

Garage Door Halloween Cover

Sometimes, we’re the ones on the street who are just not that creative nor imaginative nor have a lot of time. If you enjoy Halloween or getting into the spirit of the neighbourhood, don’t let this stop you. By decorating our house or garage, we can add to the ambience and festivities of any holiday including Halloween.

So, here’s a great solution for even the most non-creative amongst us. These are Halloween garage door covers and with a little bit of lighting for effect, we can capture the spooky spirit of Halloween with the best of our neighbours.

Take a look at a few of these examples.

Create a Spooky or Not So Spooky Scene

Next, let’s get a little inspiration from some our neighbours from around the country and abroad. So, here’s a sampling of some great ways to decorate the front of the garage door. From a festive harvest theme to celebrate the season including Halloween to an animated monster mouth garage door sure to fascinate the imagination of young trick or treaters walking up the driveway for the first time.

Leverage the garage door for the motion to create the monster’s mouth. Or, just use the garage door as a backdrop to light a silhouetted theme in front. If you’ve got a little less time, create a giant spider web on the outside of the garage along with dangling spiders, bats and creepy crawlies.

Here are some imaginative custom garage designs that are sure to make you a fan favourite amongst young trick or treaters all along your street.

Use Lighting to Add Effects

Remember to add coloured lighting for effect. It can make a simple silhouetted theme come to life. And, as the night wears on, your Halloween decorations will continue to glow and entertain the entire neighbourhood.

Use anything from the sconces along the garage doorway to flood lights to smaller LED lights to add effect.

Create a Drive-way Theatre

If you’ve got a light coloured garage door or you hang a large painter’s drop cloth in front of the garage door, the drive way can become a fun place for the kids to gather after trick or treating to watch Halloween favourites.

To entertain the younger kids earlier on in the evening, try movies such as It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown or The Addams Family or Hotel Transylvania or Disney’s Hocus Pocus. Keep it family friendly and the whole neighbourhood will soon be enjoy a night at the movies with you and your family in your driveway.

Even if you are not a techie and you don’t own a projector, you can make your own movie projector with a smartphone and a shoebox. Check out these instructions on YouTube to create your own homemade projector as a project with your kids leading up to the big night. Add little bags of popcorn for each of the little ones and really boost the neighbourhood spirit for Halloween this year.

A Garage Renovation of the Spooky Halloween Kind

If Halloween is a cooler night this year, we can open up our garage to add a little protection from the weather. In addition, we can use our garage renovations to enhance the overall Halloween experience. For instance, get creative with the overhead Thule or bike lifts. By attaching ghosts and goblins to the lifts, you transform a motionless ghoul hanging from above into a floating ghost travelling through the air. Then, add a strong fan, a black backdrop and some lighting to make it even more convincing.

In addition, there’s always the numerous slatwall organization hooks to attach spiders, bats, webs, ghouls and other popular Halloween figures for completing the full spooky effect. Use the rakes, pitch forks and other tools hung up to add some realism to the gory Halloween figures. Your garage renovation design is the jumping off point to another year of fun this October 31^st if you add a touch of imagination and a little creativity.

Have a Boo-tiful Halloween Night!!

Prepare Your Vehicle for Fall & Winter

October 3, 2017 by Rick Scully

This year, the temperatures and the weather has been a little unpredictable. And, while the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a mild winter in Canada, it still remains to be seen if we’ll see this type of winter.

Either way, it’s always a good idea to get the car prepared to remain reliable regardless of what we experience during the upcoming months. Let’s start by looking at the garage renovation or lack thereof.

Park Your Vehicle Inside the Garage

When preparing your vehicle for winter, one of the top things you can do is ensure that it gets parked inside your garage. Not only are vehicles which are parked inside the garage safer from theft and vandalism but they are protected from the elements.

Vehicles which are parked inside the garage start easier in the morning because it’s always a few degrees warmer inside the garage than outside on a cold winter morning. When the vehicle starts warmer, we keep the components of our vehicles in better working condition. It’s also why we take our time to warm up the vehicle before we start driving the vehicle.

We won’t face frozen door locks. The elements don’t wear down the vehicle’s coating or paint. Stray baseballs from neighbourhood kids playing on the streets don’t find their way to dinging the vehicle in some way and so much more.

However, you may be looking at your garage and wondering how you might be able to accomplish parking one vehicle inside much less two vehicles. Or, you might already be able to park one vehicle inside but not the second vehicle. In this case, it’s important to get a properly designed garage storage system to maximize wall storage and overhead storage options while getting your belongings off the garage floor. Start by de-cluttering so that you can reach your end goal of having the vehicles parked inside where they belong.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter

To ensure your vehicle works every morning this winter, check the battery and the electrical system to ensure your vehicle will start every time. In addition, stock some gas line anti-freeze which assures a free flow of gasoline to the engine which will also ensure your vehicle starts on a very cold wet day.

When it comes to fluids in your car, top up or change out fluids to ensure they provide maximum efficiency whether it’s your transmission fluid, brake fluid, windshield anti-freeze or an engine oil change. And, if you park your car outdoors during the day, lubricate your door locks before the cold weather sets in and carry some lock de-icer.

Check your windshield wipers and change them out for heavier duty wiper blades which can handle the heavier slushy precipitation which typically lands on the windshield during fall, winter and early spring.

Ensure the tires are appropriately inflated for the best tire performance and decreased stopping distances during treacherous weather. Of course, it’s best to ensure that the proper tires are on the vehicle for cold weather. Cold temperatures are considered 7°C or below. If you’re unsure of the correct tire pressure to inflate tires, either follow your manufacturer’s recommendations or consider these environmental factors when checking the PSI of the tires.

Ensure You have an Adequate Car Emergency Kit

If you don’t have an emergency kit for your car or the supplies are running low, it never hurts to review your emergency kit to make sure it’s complete and everything is in good working order.

Use this list to complete the inspection of your vehicle’s emergency kit:

A blanket or sleeping bag for warmth if you’re stuck on the road for a few hours
An extra USB cable to keep your cell phone charged
Snow boots, extra warm gloves and a heavy coat for working outside when stuck
Thermal underwear to stay warm longer
Non-perishable food and water for hunger.
Jumper cables to give or receive a battery boost with another car
Carry a first aid kit to look after minor cuts and bruises
A small toolkit and rope for minor jams
Flash light with extra batteries
Flares to signal for help
Candles and matches for a little extra warmth and light
Shovel and extra floor mats to get your car unstuck from a snow pile or mud
A roadside assistance program to help you get going or a tow

A Garage Renovation to Get Your Vehicle Parked in the Garage

At home, the best way to avoid most of the challenges of cold or poor weather is to get the vehicles parked inside the garage. Call a garage renovation specialist to create a garage organization system where your vehicle will have the space to park inside the garage this winter.

Fall Gardening Prepares Our Yards for Spring

September 20, 2017 by Rick Scully

Even in late summer or early fall, avid gardeners are still keen on having slatwall organization systems installed in a typical garage renovation because they understand the value of fall gardening and the need to access garden tools well into November in the GTA. In fact, slatwall storage with its wide array of Camlock hooks, baskets and shelves make for the ideal way to make tools readily accessible and easy to swap out when the seasons demand it.

Taking our hint from Mother Nature, we see that she has many of its trees, shrubs and perennials shed leaves and drop seeds in the fall in order to facilitate a successful spring growth. Following the natural life cycle of these plants, fall gardeners will do several things throughout the fall months of September, October and November to ensure the best results in the following year.

Keep those Garden Tools on Your Slatwall Hooks

Fall is one of the best times to prepare the garden for the best results in spring. In fact, far greater success in the growing season comes from the things we do to prepare the yard during the fall. So, the question is what to do and what will we need to do a good job of preparing the yard and garden.

So, keep your tools on the garage wall organization system or if you don’t have one, then consult with one of our garage renovation specialists. Having a slatwall organization system allows people to adopt a strategy of swapping out tools between the seasons to maximize garage space. In this case, you might want to hang onto the garden tools just a little longer and wait a little longer to swap them out for snow removal type tools.

Fall is a Time to Seed the Garden

So, nature’s natural cycles means that many shrubs, trees and perennials drop seeds during the fall to incubate throughout the winter to develop into seedlings with the more welcoming spring conditions. Taking our hint from nature, here’s what we should consider seeding this fall:

Daylily, Hemerocallis spp.
Hosta, Hosta spp.
Daisy, Leucanthemum spp.
Lily, Lilium cvs.
Crabapple, Malus spp.
Peony and others, Paeonia lactiflora
Spruce, Picea spp.
Pine, Pinus spp.
Hawthorn, Crataegus spp.
Pinks, Dianthus spp.
Ash, Fraxinus spp.

So, spend some time planning your next garden starting this fall instead of waiting until spring. Prepare a list of plants you would like to see in the yard. Then, choose seeds which benefit from a fall planting.

Prepare your Fall Garden by Planting Seeds and Bulbs

Start this in September so there is time for seeds and bulbs for flowers which blossom in spring. Do it early to allow them to take hold before the frosts in November. Then they’ll be prepared to weather the winter and provide great blossoms and spring growth.

Also, if you have young trees or shrubs that need a new spot in the yard or garden, fall is the time to move them to their new location. Keep watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. Strong fall development means they’ll be hardy throughout the winter and into spring.

Clean the Garden and Yard

The best thing about fall gardening is that we can prepare the garden so that the ground is in much better shape in early spring. Here is a few things to do.

Fertilizing the lawn in fall helps to significantly reduce weeds. Also, pull out any existing weeds now before they seed. Doing these two activities in the fall will give your lawn a hefty head start in spring.

There’s debate as to raking leaves. Mother nature intended them to stay on the forest floors to provide protection to young seeds and plants throughout the winter. However, raking them, mulching them and then adding them back to your garden, compost and lawn are also good alternatives to feeding the lawn as well as the garden.

Adding compost or manure to the garden beds helps settle the mineral balance of the soil in time for a spring planting. If you have any annuals left from the current year, remove and compost them. Then, return the compost back to the garden beds. If there were any diseased plants trim the dying or disease sections. You’ll want to throw them out instead of putting these clippings back into the compost.

Take a look at perennials and the foliage. Cut back on excess foliage so there is less of a plant for your perennial to sustain over the winter. They’ll come back stronger in spring and less foliage means fewer pests will be hiding amongst the foliage during winter. Also, cut grass along the edges of your home so you don’t leave a place for rodents to build a home or nest beside or even inside your home.

For a more comprehensive list of things you can do to prepare your home during fall, consult the Landscape Ontario checklist.

Garage Renovations for All Seasons Landscaping

So, keep the hoe, rakes, trowels, clippers and garden gloves out and handy. If you’ve got one of our slatwall systems, you know you can even hang a lawn mower or a lawn fertilizer spreader. And, it won’t take long to swap out the various garden tools for the shovels, salt and snow blowers.

Just before the first frost hits the ground, you can be ready and organized quickly. If you’re interested in understanding how the slatwall storage systems we offer can help you stay organized and effective, ask for a complimentary in-home consultation today.

Manage Household Garbage and Recycle

September 6, 2017 by Rick Scully

During the warmer months, it’s a great time to look at recycle, compost and garbage. We’re out in the garden more and we’ve needed to mow the lawn more often so we have a lot more garden wastes. Also, we’ve been cooking outdoors in the backyard more often.

The number of rodents or more specifically racoons who want to have at our garbage has become common issue which is not going away or is being replaced by new racoon families when one racoon family is relocated. Or, in many cases, the original family makes their way back to the neighbourhood.

Let’s take a look at some garage renovation solutions which can help you keep the waste down, the rodents out and divert more towards composting. To do this, we’ll need to manage the recycle, the compost as well as garbage whether in the garage or the backyard.

Reducing and Eliminating Waste Around the House

As homeowners, we’re not the only ones looking at managing various types of waste. Now, the City of Toronto is aiming for zero long term waste over 30 to 50 years. In keeping with moving towards this zero waste goal, let’s look at some ways to reduce household waste:

Avoid buying excess packaging
Use refillable or reusable containers
Bring your own bags to shop
Do your research before buying items so you’re buying durable quality items instead of disposable ones
Purchase or make your own cleaners which are less harmful to the environment
Bring your hazardous waste to a depot
Repair and reuse items instead of just throwing them away.
Donate slightly used items for a good cause.
Recycle as much as possible if you can’t reuse or reduce
Compost food and yard waste to keep the lawn lush and green.

Typically, up to half of the waste around our homes is compostable so a composter in the backyard is an ideal way of handling organics. Otherwise, taking full advantage of the green bin organic recycling program in your city or town is the best way to look after organic products.

Garage Storage Options for Recycle, Garbage and Hazardous Waste

The garage is the best place to store the blue bin, the new next generation green bin and garbage bins. It’s just a

matter of planning out a space for them whether it is shelves, a space under a platform or cabinets to hide them from sight.

Often, a spot planned close to the door from the house to the garage is ideal for convenience and ease of access. Here are a few examples of garage interior designs of blue bin, green bin and waste storage.

Getting the kids into a vermicomposting project can be an educational and fun project. These types of composters can be placed in the garage where it is closest to the house and easy to dispose of food waste.

Of course, plan a spot for hazardous waste which is out of reach of young children. Before you’re able to get to the depot with your hazardous waste items, a temporary storage area which is high and / or hidden away from little hands is an important priority for the family.

Backyard Options for Compost and Recycling

When looking at your garage renovation and the things you need to store inside your garage, sometimes, it’s necessary to move recycle and compost bins to the backyard. Storage bins can keep the yard looking neat and organized while keeping the critters out of bins and making a mess.

Because garages tend to stay cooler, garbage bins work best in the garage as opposed to out in the backyard under the sun during summer. Prioritize recycled and compost materials to be stored outdoors in the backyard. Even worm composters work better indoors where it is slightly warmer in winter and easier to maintain a steady environment for the worms to do their job.

Garage Renovations with Waste Management in Mind

When you’re considering your next garage renovation, keep composting, recycle and even hazardous waste in mind. It’s important to plan a space for these items for safety and for successful strategies to reduce waste going to landfills.

Get a complimentary consultation from our garage renovation specialists to manage waste bins as well as other garage storage challenges of items around the home.

The Automotive Enthusiast’s Garage – More than a Parking Spot

August 22, 2017 by Rick Scully

Some of us have SUVs or vans / minivans because we prefer the ride or we need the space. Some of us prefer a luxury vehicle for the ride and conveniences found throughout the vehicle. Our vehicle choices reflect our needs as well as our personal style.

And, of course, most of us know to maintain and care for our vehicles is a requirement as well. Parking our vehicle inside the garage is one of the ways we can avoid damage from the elements, vandalism or even theft. So, once we’re aware that we need the vehicle inside the garage, we need to be sure the garage is organized so we don’t accidentally drive into or damage items stored in the garage. And, the items stored in the garage don’t damage the vehicles.

If these are your thoughts as well, then you’re not alone as a homeowner and vehicle owner. A good garage renovation project will help you achieve everything you need to store and organize your vehicles as well as family belongings.

A Garage Renovation for the Automotive Enthusiast

Some people think of automotive enthusiasts are people who enjoy spending their time tinkering and fixing up cars. Some people think automotive enthusiasts are people who love vehicles and know the names of every brand on every continent as well as the specifications for each of these vehicles as well. Some people think automotive enthusiasts love vehicles so much that they want to own vehicles they can never afford or might not even drive.

If you see these characteristics in yourself or your partner, you’ve got an automotive enthusiast in the family. Here are some great ways to enhance the garage to celebrate and honour the different ways the automotive enthusiast derives happiness from this past time and passion.

The Garage – A Showroom or Pit Stop for Vehicles

Many of us can enjoy either exposed brick garages for a rustic look or a finished garage. Often our focus is on the practicality of storing and using our garage for our family’s hobbies and lifestyle requirements.

The vehicle enthusiast often enjoys the showroom feel where vehicles are highlighted against the clean lines of uncluttered walls and cabinets in a room built to honour the vehicles. These days, new home builds typically offer a drywall finish in the garage. If not, finishing an older garage with drywall is another option.

Even for enthusiasts who enjoy tinkering with vehicles, the drywall finish is typically the starting point before adding in workspace that creates a pit stop area and not just a showroom for vehicles. These days newly built homes come with drywall finished garages, so buying a new build home may be one way to get the start you need.

The Garage Floor that Cleans Up Well

Every showroom or higher end pit stop needs floors to match the look and feel that most appeals to the automotive enthusiast. Whether you just want to protect your garage floors or you want to create the luxury showroom with floors you can eat off, the polyaspartic floor coating is a great way to achieve both the practicality of a protective garage floor and the ease of maintaining a clean and pristine showroom space. There are a couple of garage floor options which will make your garage feel more like another room in your home worthy of your family and capable of showing off the cherished vehicles properly.

The first option is the polyaspartic garage floor coating. This durable flooring is easy to mop up and clean most spills, oil or otherwise. They are UV resistant so they keep their original colour even if the front half of the garage floor gets exposed to sunlight while the rear half the garage remains in the shade. Best of all, it eliminates the cement dust which settles on everything in the garage when the floor is uncoated. It also protects the standard concrete garage floors of the home from oil and water damage throughout the years. It is a great investment in your home.

Another great option are the Swisstrax Ribtrax floor tiles which allow automotive enthusiasts to design a floor pattern with specific colour combinations and patterns matching your favourite motorsports team or vehicle. The grid design allows the cement floor below to dry easily and for dust and debris to slip below to the cement. When it’s time to clean a spot beneath the tile, they are easy to peel back to clean specific stains on the cement floor below. With a garden hose or power washer, it’s easy to hose down and wash away debris which will end up travelling below channels on the underside of the tiles and out the front edge of the garage tiles. Clean up is easy, the tiles are super durable and these floor tiles are also UV resistant so they last for a good long time.

Garage Cabinets for More than Storage

Every garage is used for storage of some kind. It may be used to store golf clubs, hockey equipment or camping gear. It could be used to store garden tools or even seasonal decorations like lights or a tree.

Garage cabinets are great for closed storage when you don’t want to see the things that are being stored as opposed to the open storage format of wall organization systems, where everything is in sight and easier to find. Garage cabinets offer clean lines to the garage design which allows for the vehicles and the finish of the garage cabinets to carry the look and feel of the room.

Garage cabinets don’t just add a clean look to the garage space; it can also add workspace, an area for work tools storage and possibly, a sink for cleaning up in the garage. The garage cabinet is a good fit for automotive enthusiasts who want a garage which gives them that vehicle showroom and pit stop ambience.

Contur Cabinets designed and manufactured here in Canada by a professed “car buff” will add that special touch to the automotive enthusiast’s garage is Contur Cabinets. The contoured design and upswing style cabinet doors gives the garage a touch of European styling class that’s luxurious and still provides the motorsport design to the overall garage. It’s a style that the auto enthusiast will love and the whole family as well.

Automotive Lifts to Keep Vehicles at Home

Any automotive enthusiast will tell you that being able to visit their favourite cars is an important aspect of owning those special vehicles. Even though there may be effective storage options for vehicles, nothing beats being able to visit their prized sports car or classic car after dinner is over and the kids are all in bed.

Just spending a little time with that special vehicle can rejuvenate the joy in an automotive enthusiast’s heart even during colder winter months. With a taller garage, an automotive storage lift becomes a real option to store all the beloved vehicles inside the garage. No matter how many bays there may be for parking vehicles in the garage, the automotive enthusiast always seems to find that one additional vehicle that they must own. This leaves them with a constant need to find storage options.

Consider adding an automotive lift if you’re looking to add one more vehicle to the collection.

A Class Act Automotive Enthusiast Garage is More than a Mere Man Cave

When looking at helping the automotive enthusiast fulfill their dreams, the rest of the family can still enjoy a classy looking garage with a balance of curvy luxurious lines and dust-free walls as well as floors. Without losing function, the garage can offer storage space for the belongings of all family members while meeting the needs of the auto enthusiast. Everyone will be proud to call the garage another room in the home.

If you’re looking to achieve that balance of form and function which the whole family can appreciate, contact our garage renovation specialists for a complimentary in-home consultation today.

Cargo Boxes, Roof Racks and Storage for an Active Family

August 8, 2017 by Rick Scully

Your family enjoys experiencing the outdoors or taking scenic road trip vacations. The next thoughts are that you have more things you need to haul on the vacation than you have space in the SUV or minivan. You’ll need a vehicle rack of some kind. Will it be a roof rack, hitch rack, trunk rack or spare tire rack? And, what about a carrier for loose items? There is a choice of cargo boxes, cargo carriers and cargo bags to carry loose items and make more room available for the family inside the vehicle.

The vehicle needs more storage space for all the stuff the family needs for that next outdoor adventure. All of this is fairly straightforward to accomplish with the help of a reputable service to help you install a system. And, you’ll probably end up using a system from one of the more reputable brands in the industry such as Thule vehicle rack and cargo systems or the Yakima vehicle rack and cargo systems. All of this you can discuss with your local service provider.

What I’d like to review are the challenges of getting your garage storage spaces to work well and make packing for that adventure weekend getaway or family vacation that much easier to do. Let’s take a look at how you might want to design and strategize your garage storage to work well with vehicle storage packing needs.

Roof Racks

This is one of the go to items when looking to find a method of hauling bikes, skis & snowboards, stand-up paddle boards are more for a fun and active getaway. Many SUVs today come with half racks as a standard feature. By adding cross bars, this easily converts the half rails to a full roof rack which can now mount a wide variety of options such as cargo carriers or boxes, bikes, skis or snowboards and much more.

During the off season, storing the cross-bar accessories in the overhead platform areas of the garage makes the most sense. And, if you’re off to an adventure often throughout the year, some slatwall storage basket options are available to easily store, access and swap or switch out accessories.

If you’re using your roof rack for bikes, consider a hydraulic lift storage system bike rack to lower bikes directly onto the roof rack directly from their storage location in the garage. These overhead storage systems can also accommodate a canoe, kayak or stand up paddleboards which lower watercrafts directly onto the roof rack of the vehicle making packing quick, easy and efficient preparation for that adventure weekend away.

Trunk Racks

For those who need a more portable rack system to carry a couple of bikes, the trunk rack is fairly universal and can mount onto many types of car trunks. They’re easily removable so it can be used for a single trip from time to time. One of the drawbacks is that people can’t get into the trunk from the back of the car. They may need to use the fold down seats to reach into items stored in the trunk.

It’s easier to get a bike onto a trunk rack than a roof rack system. Between trips, use the hydraulic overhead bike rack or wall mount racks to store the bikes. In addition, a space on the overhead platform to store the trunk rack itself is the likely spot for this portable vehicle rack.

Hitch Racks

Hitch racks are attached to the hitch of the vehicle. They’re sturdier and they are typically used to transport and secure mountain bikes, skis or snowboards. Many people keep the hitch in place until the end of the season. They can carry up to 5 bikes so they are great for a family of bikes. And, the bikes can be secured or locked to the rack. When driving, the bikes don’t bump or jostle because they can be fixed into place.

Combine the hitch rack with an overhead hydraulic bike storage rack in the garage or any number of wall mounted rack systems to make it convenient to mount bikes onto the back of the vehicle before the start of any trip.

Spare-Tire Rack

Some vehicles have a spare tire mounted on the back of the vehicle. If that’s the case, the spare-tire rack works similarly to the trunk rack. It typically carries a couple of bikes, wake boards or skis and while the spare-tire rack is removable, many people keep the rack in place. These racks don’t lock the bikes in place but because they sit behind the spare tire, the vehicle is protected from moving bicycle tires or handles.

Wall mounted storage options or overhead storage racks with hydraulic lifts would both work with this type of vehicle rack.

Basket Style Cargo Carriers

With a full rail roof rack, basket style cargo carriers can be mounted to help secure a large amount of camping or other gear to the top of the vehicle. There are also hitch style basket carriers to carry bikes or wakeboards and other gear safely and securely.

Some of the hitch carriers can fold up when not in use so that they are out of the way when not carrying items. During the off season, keep it in the overhead space of the garage for re-mounting the following season. Bikes, skis, wake boards and other sporting equipment can be stored on wall-mounted racks or overhead hydraulic lifts which makes it easier to pack.

Cargo Bags

Sometimes, people combine a cargo bag with the carrier basket so smaller items are easily secured within the bag and to the vehicle. Some bags are designed for the roof rack or a carrier basket intended for the roof of the vehicle. Many others are designed for the hitch style basket carriers. These make the most sense as the soft bag doesn’t protect the belongings within from dings and dents of fast flying debris. Situated behind the vehicle, the bag is minimally exposed to flying debris and anything which might cause dings to the belongings and sports gear contained within.

As long as your gear is clean and dry after each trip, the cargo bags make for a great way to store all the sports accessories in a single space. Carve out a space on the overhead storage platform of the garage for the bag and the full gear. If you have multiple outdoor past times with just as much gear, get a separate cargo bag for each type of outdoor adventure and you’ll be pre-packed for any adventure.

If you have multiple cargo bags each packed with its own adventure, you may also find an overhead sling system helpful in lifting them up and away or easily lowering them directly onto the basket carrier making for quick packing or preparation for any vacation.

Pick the correct cargo bag to pack onto the hitch style basket carrier and you can have a different adventure every weekend of the summer.

Cargo Boxes

Personal floatation devices, paddles and even the kids’ toys are smaller items that are not secured individually to the roof rack. Instead, a cargo box for the roof of the vehicle allows everyone in the family to just throw items into it and everything can be locked inside the cargo box for safety.

When the trip is done, smelly wet gear can be removed and the whole box is easily cleaned with a garden hose and some environmentally friendly soap. Then, leave the box open to dry for a short while to dry under the sun before driving it into the garage.

The best way to store a Thule or Yakima cargo box is with an overhead storage sling operated on a pulley as a hydraulic or manual lift. So, when your cargo box is clean, dry and ready to store, drive your vehicle under the overhead sling. Strap the cargo box into the sling and unhitch it from the vehicle’s roof rack system. With the single push of a button, your hydraulic cargo box sling will be lifted up and into the overhead area of the garage.

When you’re ready for your next trip, drive your vehicle directly under the cargo box sling and use the hydraulic switch to lower the Thule or Yakima directly onto the roof rack of your vehicle. Secure the cargo box and then unhook the overhead sling mechanism. Storing and mounting a large awkwardly shaped cargo box can be a breeze with the right garage storage system.

Match Your Garage Storage System to Your Vehicle Rack & Cargo System

Make the packing and unpacking of your family’s road trip vacation a breeze. Or, get on your way to a different and exciting outdoor weekend adventure every weekend in minutes with the right garage storage system to match your vehicle rack system including carriers, cargo boxes and bags.

The right storage system can help you spend less of your time packing and more time enjoying the outdoors and time with your family or friends. Get a complimentary in-home consultation to get a strategic garage storage system custom designed for your road trip vacation and outdoor adventure lifestyles.

Clean Your Garage Floors

July 7, 2017 by Rick Scully

It’s summer. The kids are playing in the yard and it’s a day to enjoy being outdoors. It is finely time to look after one of the renovation projects around the home or garage. One of the maintenance projects is to get rid of the unsightly stains on the garage floor while the children seem to be getting along and entertaining themselves.

Here are some tips to make this unglamorous task simpler and more straightforward.

Clear the Debris & Dust

One of the easiest ways to clear small debris from the garage is to use the leaf blower. As long as this is being done regularly, the leaf blower is a great way to clear dust and debris to the outside. If there’s too much dust around, the leaf blower may not be the best option.

The leaf blower works particularly well if you have a polyaspartic garage floor or floor tiles including the Ribtrax type tiles. The debris should be blown from rear to front. With the Ribtrax, it’s the same. With many channels below the tiles, debris and dust will flow forward and out the front edge when the leaf blower is used.

When bare cement is exposed or the garage floor has not been cleared of dust and debris regularly, there may be a lot of unwanted cement dust and general debris flying through the air. A lot of the dust will end up on bikes, toys and other storage items. A better alternative would be to use the shop vac or a dust broom and pan.

The leaf blower makes the job easy and quick. There’s no need to move heavy objects out of the way because the blower will dislodge hidden dirt, dust and small objects from behind large items in the garage. Use a lower setting to start on the leaf blower.

Take some precautions when using the leaf blower. Use a dust mask to protect your lungs. Leaf blowers are powerful enough to lift small debris such as nuts, washers and nails. It can also lift and peel loose areas of a painted garage floor. All of these objects can become painful projectiles. Move vehicles safely out of the way and assure your family is safely spending time elsewhere in the yard or house.

Getting Rid of Oil Stains

If you have a polyaspartic coated garage floor, oil spilled won’t soak into the polyaspartic floor. Instead, it will sit on top of the floor coating. While polyaspartic floor coatings are highly chemical resistant, look after the floor by cleaning up spills immediately. Remove oil spills soon after they happen to prevent it from being spread all over the garage or dragged into the house by younger family members walking through the garage.

To clean an oil stain, start by using an absorbent material to soak up the oil. Some good absorbent materials include cat litter, saw dust, baking powder and diatomaceous earth. Cover the entire oil stain completely and leave it there for 24 hours so the oil has a chance to absorb fully.

Once the oil is absorbed into one of these materials, it’s easy to scoop up the absorbent material along with the oil soaked into it. Dispose of them safely at a drop off depot for household hazardous waste.

Finally, a little dish soap and hot water to wash the area where the oil was sitting will eliminate any remaining film. Dry the area with disposable paper towels and your polyaspartic garage floor should be back to its original condition.

With garage floor tiles, you can just replace specific tiles or use a similar process to clean the tile. The quality of the cleaning results will depend on the floor tile.

The Ribtrax floor tiles will allow you to remove a single tile or multiple tiles to clean a stain in the concrete floor below. If you have exposed concrete where the oil spill occurred, start with the steps above. When using the soap with water, leave it in place for up to an hour. Then, use an absorbent material to soak up the soapy spot and oil mixture. A paste can also be made from the soap and water mixture plus absorbent material. Leave the paste in place until dry. Always remove and dispose of the paste at a drop-off depot. If the stain is older or deep, you may have to repeat this process a few times to draw out all of the oil from the concrete.

There are also a variety of non-toxic commercial cleaners such as Simply Green or Oil Eaters which people have found to provide success. Check manufacturer’s instructions for applicable surfaces and steps to using these products.

Maintenance and General Cleaning of the Garage Floor Surface

Polyaspartic floors are the easiest to clean. A general cleaning of the surface of the typical polyaspartic garage floor is easy to do with a string mop and a bucket of water with any of a wide variety of floor cleaning products such as vinegar, a couple of drops of dish soap, a wide variety of green cleaners and non-toxic commercial cleaners. This can also be done with garage floor tiles as well. You can also wipe dry any remaining water so the cleaning can be done most months of the year.

With a concrete floor, you may need a long handled scrub brush to remove and lift other types of stains along with a stronger soapy mixture. Finally, hose down the garage floor with garden hose. And, you’ll want to make sure you do this on a warm day to give the cement time to dry. In the GTA, this means cement floors need to be cleaned in the few summer months available.

Cleaning Ribtrax Garage Floor Tiles

This video shows how easy it is to clean Ribtrax garage floor tiles:

The main advantage of the Ribtrax floor tile is that the tile surface is easy to clean with a degreaser spray and a mopping of the surface. Maintain the tile surface regularly so kids and other family members are not dragging all sorts of oils and chemicals into the house. When weather permits, remove the debris and dust below to keep the entire system clean.

Make Garage Floor Maintenance Easier

To maintain your garage floor more easily, look after oil stains soon after they occur for improved success and thorough stain removal. It will make general cleaning of the floor easier.

Of course, the concrete floor is the most difficult part of the floor to clean and maintain. It is also more difficult to remove oil stains from concrete than some of these other materials. To reduce the maintenance work, consider garage floor tiles or polyaspartic floor coatings to keep the cleaning task easy and free from concrete dust. If you’re interested in renovating your garage this summer, the garage floor is a great project to consider. If you’re looking to upgrade your garage floor, contact our garage renovation specialists for a complimentary in-home consultation today.

Water Ways to Celebrate World Ocean’s Day

June 7, 2017 by Rick Scully

On June 8, 2017, we can celebrate the annual World Ocean’s Day. In large part, we can thank Canada’s recommendation at the Earth Summit in 1992 when it was our delegates who suggested an annual celebration to improve our international awareness to the issues surrounding water systems around the world. Since 2002, each June 8^th this day has been celebrated as World Ocean’s Day. In 2008, the United Nations then officially passed a resolution to recognize this day officially.

June 8^th is a great day to break out the canoe, kayak, paddleboard and more to reconnect with the many water ways throughout our neighbourhoods. Celebrate by making it a full family day on the water with conservation activities and more.

Celebrating World Ocean’s Day

Every lake, river, stream or body of water is part of a watershed that eventually empties into our immense oceans. Caring for our local water systems helps reduce the downstream effects of our footprint on them. Here are some suggestions from Canada’s World Ocean’s Day website and how you could turn it into a family activity:

Reduced Energy Consumption

Do simple things such as swapping out existing lightbulbs with LED lightbulbs. Use fans instead of using air conditioning to cool our homes this summer.

Choose Sustainable Seafood

There are sustainable species that we can eat. As a family event, visit a local fish market and plan a meal that honours sustainable seafood is a great way to educate and celebrate. Some fish to consider are albacore tuna, Pacific cod, sardines, Dungeness crab and some specific types of farmed fish too.

Use Less Plastic

Plastics harm and kill a lot of our ocean life each year. To reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans we can do things such as owning and using a reusable water bottle. Bring your lunch in a reusable container. Use cloth or reusable bags for groceries and other shopping. And, of course, recycle whenever possible.

Look After Our Beaches and Shore Lines

When spending the day at the beach or the park, remember to pick up after ourselves afterwards to reduce the footprint we leave behind. Also, spend some time walking a quiet shoreline for some fresh air and a way to clean up odds and ends that you find there. Spend the day paddling the shores of your local water way and picking up garbage along the shores as a way to contribute to cleaning up our waters.

Avoid Buying Products which Exploit Marine Life

Avoid buying shell or coral jewellery to reduce the exploitation of marine life.

Ocean-friendly Pet Ownership

Read the labels of food that you’re feeding your pets to be sure the seafood ingredients are sustainable species.

Travel the Water Ways Responsibly

Avoid using foam products near the water as foam wears down and breaks down leaving debris in the water. Sanitize boats, canoes, kayaks and other water going crafts thoroughly inside and out to avoid cross contamination of new waters with a trip last week whose water may have been infested. Specific species such as zebra mussels and quagga mussels have been destroying water ways.

Enjoy the Day on the Water around Ontario

Spending the day on the water is the best way to become connected to the importance of clean water to our existence. There are so many places throughout the province of Ontario to enjoy our water systems. To plan a trip along one of our many water systems, visit the Ontario Trails website for a location.

Even if you live in a large city like Toronto, it’s not that difficult to stay in the city and still be able to enjoy a day kayaking or canoeing. Some of the launches for paddlers can be found at Bluffer’s Park, Kew / Balmy Beach, Brickworks along the Don River, Cherry Beach, Harbourfront Canoe and Kayak Centre, Sunnyside Beach, and along the Humber River at several spots.

Care and Clean for Canoes, Kayaks and other Watercrafts

Remember to protect the waters and your equipment by cleaning, maintaining and storing your water crafts safely. Not only will this get rid of the millions of microbes to keep your family and pets safe, but it will also get rid of the creepy crawlers that may have hopped on board for a ride.

The best way to wash your kayak or canoe is to use some eco-friendly soap and water. These are easily found at your local camping store or health store. Some of the more popular brands include Castle brand soap which can be found at most health stores and Campsuds which is available at most sporting goods or outdoor stores.

Leave your kayak or canoe in the backyard under the sunlight for several hours to dry. Not only does this help dry your watercraft but it helps remove some of the dips or dents which polyethylene boats are prone to acquire. Under the sun for several hours will provide the heat necessary for these deformations to work themselves out.

Canoe, Kayak and Accessory Storage

Store your kayak or canoe up high along the wall or in the overhead storage space of the garage. With a pulley system to hoist the boat up above, this makes it easy to use for the whole family. With the canoe or kayak secured by a rubberized sling, it will keep the craft safely out of the way of harm from vehicles and kids rushing in and out of the house.

If your family enjoys multiple water sports, accessories such as Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) and safety kits for your boat, canoe or kayak can be stored on hooks or in wire baskets of a slatwall organization system. Wire baskets and hooks are the best ways to store items which are used again and again. It also makes it easy to have these items dry out thoroughly between trips back to the water.

If you don’t have one of these solutions, during your next garage renovation project consider implementing these valuable garage storage solutions to store, dry and care for your watercrafts. And, enjoy the water this coming World Ocean’s Day!

Cycling Fits All in the Family

May 2, 2017 by Rick Scully

With an outlook to reduce our footprint and energy consumption, cycling has become a popular past time, a fun sport and a mode of commuting to work. Many of us might know someone who cycles to work every day as part of their lifestyle if we don’t do it ourselves. Drivers are often navigating bicycle lanes daily throughout the centre of town and along well travelled routes. Or, we have kids who just crazy about cycling either for play or for sport.

In fact, cycling has branched out to accommodate a wide range of terrain and purposes than ever before. During the typical garage renovation, homeowners often encounter the challenge of bike storage and how to accommodate an entire family of cycling requirements through the summer and during the winter or off-season for most cyclists.

A Wide Variety of Bicycle Types

These days there a wide variety of bikes to fit the different type of cycling that people do. Let’s review some of the more popular bicycle types and a variety of bicycle storage solutions to fit the entire family.

Mountain Bikes

Mountain bikes were designed for off-road terrain and trails. They have a low gear range to ride up steep trails and some have shock absorbers or suspensions for the front and / or rear to handle a much rougher terrain. A lot of younger riders enjoy the mountain bike style for riding around the neighbourhood, school or community centre.

Road Bikes

Road bikes were designed to be ridden on smooth paved surfaces. They have skinny tires for speed and drop down handle bars for the rider’s comfort. The frame is typically lighter than many of the other types of bikes. The skinny tires allows for great speeds in long distances of flat paved road. The bike was not designed for a lot of stop and go traffic, sandy or gravelly surfaces such as roads under construction or pot holes when roads have not yet been repaired.

Since the introduction of spin classes, a lot of people who would cycle for fitness indoors started to take the sport outdoors during the warm weather. These days, people who get into cycling for fitness or sport often tend to invest in a road bike, join cycling clubs and consider charity bike rides to set fitness goals for themselves.

Hybrid Bikes

These bikes were designed to leverage the advantages of a road bike with the advantages of mountain bikes. They have larger padded seats and upright handlebars for a more comfortable riding position. They have medium width tires with a semi-smooth tread for a smooth ride on pavement but an ability to ride on unpaved surfaces as well. They are heavier than road bikes but not quite as heavy as the mountain bike. It makes the bike ideal for riding around the neighbourhood or commuting to work or school with the smooth ride of a road bike and the confidence of stability that we might expect from a mountain bike.

City Bikes

The city bike was designed with the most upright sitting position of all these bike styles. The city bike was designed to ride in regular clothes such as a typical work outfit. The typical city bike will include fenders, a chain guard and a skirt guard around the rear wheel to protect the rider’s clothing from water, dirt or mud encountered along the path during a commute. The additional accessories add weight to the bike making it a heavier bike than the hybrid bike.

To make the bike easier to use, a city bike may have an internally-geared rear hub which has been used more throughout Europe where bikes are used more often for commuting than sport or leisure. This gear hub is easier to use and practically maintenance free and much more durable than the typical derailleurs which has been the typical gears of a North American bike. In addition, some city bikes come with a built-in generator to power lights for riding after dark. For the rider looking for comfort, this is the bike!

Bike Storage and Bicycle Racks

Regardless of the type of bikes we might each choose to ride, we need to store them. So, there are many options for bike storage.

Easy to Use Floor Racks for the Kids

With busy on the go kids playing all throughout the summer, they need an easy way to get into the house and then back out riding again. The “on the floor” bike rack makes it easy and more likely that kids will get into the habit of putting their bikes away in a safe spot within the garage. While building good habits, it also keeps their bicycles off the driveway where bikes often damage the family vehicles.

Wall Mount Bicycle Storage

When it comes to wall mount bike storage, there are a couple of ways to use wall mount racks. Most often, we’ll mount bicycles along the wall to maximize the space available for the vehicles to park inside the garage. When someone has many bikes and wall space is at a premium, we can mount bicycles perpendicular to the wall to maximize the number of bikes we can fit onto the wall.

For younger family members, the key is to assure that the wall mounts are low enough that young people can lift their bike onto the mounting hooks all on their own.

Hydraulic Overhead Bike Racks

The hydraulic overhead bike lift is an effective storage option for both summer and winter bicycle storage. Family members of all heights and strength can use this type of bike storage quite easily with a flip of a switch to lift the bicycles away. Often, if there are not enough bikes to fill the entire rack, people use it to store other sports equipment such as a bag full of golf clubs.

The Right Bicycle Storage

Every year, creative new ways to store bikes keep appearing in the marketplace. Based on the number of bikes you need to store and your family’s overall garage storage requirements, a little planning will make your bicycle rack storage options become apparent.

When reviewing your next garage renovation, consider the amount of space you have available and how you might need to use it for storage. If you’re looking for professional help, book our complimentary in-home consultation to give yourself adequate lead time on professional services .

Garden Days are Here Again: Are You Ready?

April 18, 2017 by Rick Scully

Smells of fresh wet soil and the sight of green peeking out from the ground have arrived again. It’s spring! And, it’s time to start preparing the garden again. It’s time to dust off the garden tools and pick up seedlings as well as annuals from the local garden centre.

Not only are gardens relaxing for many home owners, but they add curb appeal and value to the home. The most avid gardeners among us have already been nurturing their own seeds since early March in anticipation of the big planting weekend in spring.

Get the Essential Garden Tools

It’s time to take inventory and make sure we’re ready for the season. Maybe, there was a tool or two that you could have used last season. Here’s a checklist of some of the essential garden tools that every horticulturalist to novice gardener should have available.

Garden Gloves with Nitrile Palms

The ideal garden gloves should be form fitting and thin enough so you can feel everything you’re touching. A nitrile coated palm makes the glove waterproof in the palm area and thin enough for dexterity and delicate handling of plants and soil.

Hand Trowel or Hori Hori Trowel

The hand trowel allows the gardener to get into small spaces and move soil around. The Japanese Hori Hori Trowel is a step up from the standard hand trowel by including a measure so that plants are placed at the correct depth into the soil. It also comes with a serrated edge along one side to cut roots in order to untangle a plant from its neighbours so it can be moved to another part of the garden.

The Spade

The spade is an essential tool for moving larger clumps of soil. It`s longer handle and square top allows the gardener to place their foot on the spade and break tougher ground. Some of the best spades will cut through roots to release larger plants for transplanting to other parts of the garden. There are different types of spades including border spades, digging spades and transplant spades but if this is your first spade, try owning a digging spade to start.

The Rake

Removing fallen leaves and other debris that have fallen onto the ground is a key task to maintain the health of a garden. A good rake will come in handy throughout the season and especially at the end of the season when it`s time to clean up after the trees in the yard.

The Garden Fork

The garden fork is an essential tool for turning over the soil in a garden. It mixes the nutrients in the soil making it a more suitable growing environment for plants. It also turns over any dead plant materials so this mulch will decay and provide additional nutrients to the garden.

The Hoe

The hoe is an old favourite. It’s used to shape the soil in the garden. It can be used to hill the soil around a row of plants while removing dead roots and weeds from the garden. At harvest time, the hoe is used to dig up root crops such as potatoes, carrots and other tubers.

The Long Hose with a Rain Wand

Water gives life to every garden. Using a long hose with a rain wand attachment makes it possible to water the garden in a way that simulates rain. The water arcs and drops onto the plant and soil gently like rain. Choose a good rain wand attachment head. It will allow you to adjust the pressure of the water to suit your garden.

The Wheelbarrow

Move heavy bags of compost and fertilizer using a wheelbarrow. A lot of people also use wheelbarrows to transport their garden tools and large trays of annuals to the correct spot in the garden. It’s a handy tool that will save your back.

When to Start Planting & Finding Your Frost-Free Date

So, now that the tools are ready, you can probably barely contain yourself from getting out to the garden to start working on it. How do you know when to start planting?

As soon as the ground is workable, it’s time to start planting. Test the soil by picking up a handful and give it a squeeze. It should fall apart easily. If it doesn’t, it’s a little too wet to work with. In the early days, you can turn soil and work with dormant perennials, shrubs and trees. In addition, cold drop vegetables such as peas, spinach and onions are workable at this time of year.

Use the Farmer’s Almanac to find your frost free date. This year, the frost free date is May 4^th around the Greater Toronto Area.

After this date, there are many annuals that you can plant because they can withstand a small frost or two. But, wait 2 to 3 weeks after your frost free date to be on the safe side for many of your plants. Discuss your planting intentions with your local garden centre and get advice. A lot depends on how the season progresses and occasionally, we can all be surprised by a sudden overnight frost.

If there’s an anticipated overnight frost, you can protect your garden. Dig out some old blankets or burlap sacs to cover your plants and give them some protection from the potential frost. Use bricks or rocks to secure the edges of your coverings. In the morning, remove the coverings, especially when the sun comes out. Avoid having your plants suffocate under the coverings on a warm sunny day.

Store Your Lawn & Garden Tools Easily and Safely

When using your garage wall for storing garden tools, you’ll want to move your winter tools to the back of the garage and the garden tools to the front near the garage door where it’s easier to access. Wall organization systems makes it easy to hang and store all your tools including wheelbarrows and even heavy lawn mowers. The camlock hooks plus proper mounting of your slatwall system are the secret to a well organized and secure wall storage system. Instead fighting through a shed full of stuff to dig out a single trowel or hand tool, it’s all visibly easy to find and use .

Besides protecting your best garden tools from rust and dampness, the garage wall organization system gives the gardener in the family peace of mind that tools won’t become bent or misshapen. Enjoy your gardening and cherish your gardening tools this spring with a little re-organization or small garage renovation project!

« Previous Page
1
…
4
5
6
7
8
…
15
Next Page »