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You are here: Home / Archives for Rick Scully

Spring Cleaning

May 21, 2013 by Rick Scully

spring cleaning - garage sale today

Over the winter months you likely don’t spend a lot of time in the garage. Your main goal is to get from the car into the warmth of the house as quickly as possible, or grab the skis or hockey equipment you need and go. Now the weather has finally warmed up, you might be a little more interested in spending time in the garage doing a little spring cleaning. But more than just a sweep and a mop, you need to switch around the winter stuff to make it easier to access gardening supplies and summer recreation equipment.  If your garage is already organized, this becomes a much easier task.

The stage of life you are at will determine the level of organization and the type of garage storage you need. A couple with no kids around will have very different needs to a family with young children. Let’s explore some different scenarios:

 

The no-children or post-children-at-home couple

This is my situation now, and boy it sure makes a difference to the amount of clutter in our life. I’ve either given away or sold anything that I no longer need and there’s not a lot of new stuff coming in to be stored. I’ve organized my garage into zones for gardening supplies, seasonal decorations, car supplies and my golf clubs. When the season changes I just have to switch the things I’ll need to where I can find them easily. Slatwall with hooks and baskets makes this easy. And anything I won’t need for the next six months I can store away in overhead bins. I then just have to give the flooring a wash with soapy water and a mop and I’m done.

 

The family with growing children

This is the most challenging stage for garage organizing.  There’s bikes of varying sizes, sports equipment, maybe some boxes of old clothes and toys, as well as gardening tools, car accessories and other treasures you just haven’t been able to part with.  It’s time to take stock of what you need and what you can get rid of.   A little cash to be earned from having a garage sale or listing items on Kijiji or Craigslist is a great motivator for kids to help sort through their stuff.  Once you’ve gotten rid of what you no longer need, you can organize the rest.  Hooks, baskets, overhead containers and bicycle racks make it easy.  And before you store away the hockey equipment for the summer, treat it to a professional washing.  Most sports stores offer this service, and you can also check out ProCleanGear and Fresh Gear for more information.

 

The family with aging parents and children away at university

They don’t call this the sandwich generation for nothing.  In the garage, it can feel like your car and your stuff is literally sandwiched between your kids’ and your parents’ stored furniture.  Granted, it’s difficult to part with furniture that has sentimental value – but there are solutions.  Take an honest look and decide if you’ll really ever use it again.  And ask your kids. Most of us gladly furnished our first homes with our parents’ old furniture, but today’s generation seems less willing to.  Sell what you can and look for ways to re-purpose the rest.  An old wooden coffee table or chair could have new life inside your house with a coat or paint or a faux finish.

No matter your age or stage of life, an organized garage can make spring-cleaning a simple task. For more ideas on how to create a garage that fits your life, have a look at my website.

 

Filed Under: Organizing Tips Tagged With: baskets, car supplies, flooring, garage cleaning, garage ideas, garage organizing, garage sale, garage solutions, garage storage, gardening supplies, hooks, organize garage, overhead containers, ProCleanGear, professional washing, seasonal decorations, slatwall, spring cleaning, summer recreation equipment, type of garage storage

Garage Flooring – Prepare & Protect

May 7, 2013 by Rick Scully

concrete floor preparation grinderSpring has arrived and we’re looking at everything in a new light.  That includes the garage. Time to pull out the broom and give the floor a much-needed sweep to rid it of the debris collected over the winter. But does that sweep reveal issues that cannot simply be removed with a broom?  Bare concrete floors are prone to cracking over time as well as pitting from the effects of our Canadian climate.  Cement is a natural dust generator.  As often as you sweep, the dust will just keep returning with a vengeance.  Maybe it’s time to look at options for garage flooring?

The big box stores carry various floor coatings and some of my clients have been tempted to go with an inexpensive, do-it-yourself option.  While many of these coatings are fine, the downfall is the concrete floor must be properly prepared in order for the product to adhere well and last.  And unless you have access to a professional floor grinder to smooth out the concrete, you will never achieve a satisfying result.  Coatings applied to floors that are not properly prepared are likely to flake and peel.

Moisture is also an issue. If the moisture in your concrete floor exceeds 70%, any floor coating will be prone to peeling.  And if you choose a rolled rubber or vinyl flooring, you’re creating an environment under the flooring that traps the moisture and it will be constantly dirty and smelly.  The advantage of having a professionally finished garage floor is it is a one-time investment that will last indefinitely.

 

How to choose flooring that’s right for you

1 car garage, toronto - garage flooringFirst, take a look at the state of your cement floor.  If there is excessive cracking and pitting, the holes will have to be filled before a coating can be applied.  In this situation I recommend a pvc tile that will protect the floor while hiding those imperfections.

If you’ve got some minor cracking (most cement floors do), you can choose to go with a coating.  My coating of choice is polyaspartic.  It’s a little more expensive than epoxy but its more durable and far more versatile.  If you’d like one of the baseboard or wainscoting effects we talked about in last month’s blog, polyaspartic is the only way to go.

 

How we make your garage floor beautiful with polyaspartic coating

polyaspartic flooring over stairsFirst we’ll test the moisture level and, if the moisture level is more than 70 per cent, you will need a water barrier.  Then we repair any cracks and grind the floor down to get rid or minor imperfections and open the pores in the cement for proper penetration of the coating.  We’ll also apply a moisture seal if necessary to prevent water from coming through the surface of the floor.  You can then choose from myriad colour choices to complement the rest of the garage. We can even custom mix colours to match other design features.  A base coat is applied and a combination of colour flakes are sprinkled on and left to cure.  We then remove the excess flakes, chip off sharp edges, vacuum and apply a top sealer.  The whole process can be completed in less than a day.  Then all you need to do to maintain it is to clean it with soap and water or hose it down with a power washer a couple of times a year.

If you choose to do just one thing in your garage this season, think about flooring.  It’s an easy fix that makes a big impact.

Filed Under: Garage Floors Tagged With: 1 car garage, 2 car garage willowdale, Canadian climate, Cement, cement block floor, chip off sharp edges, Coatings applied, concrete floor, concrete floors, custom mix colours, environment, excessive cracking, floor coatings, garage, garage floor, garage flooring, grind the floor, How to choose flooring, make your garage floor beautiful, Moisture, moisture level, moisture seal, myriad colour, painted garage floor, polyaspartic, polyaspartic coating, polyaspartic flooring over stairs, power washer, Prepare & Protect, professional floor grinder, proper penetration of the coating, protect the floor, sweep reveal issues, think about flooring, toronto - garage flooring, vacuum, versatile, vinyl flooring, wainscoting effects

Open vs. Closed Garage Storage

April 30, 2013 by Rick Scully

We’ve talked about purging your garage and getting rid of what you don’t need to keep; now it’s time to think about how to organize what’s remaining.

slatwall - wall organizers, grey, drywall, hooks, garden toolsThis is when you really need to reflect a little on your storage personality: Is it open or closed? Take a look at your kitchen. Do you have open shelves with items stored neatly on display? Or is there a disaster lurking behind the closed cupboards? You might try to keep things neat and orderly, but maybe you’ve got teenagers who sabotage the organization. The same thing can happen in the garage. When we organize, we have the best of intentions to keep everything neat, but life gets in the way and we fall into old habits.

You need to look at the way you live your life and find a storage plan that fits every member of the family’s storage personality. With spring arriving, if you’re an avid gardener, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to walk into the garage and instantly find those pruning shears that always seem to disappear over winter? And you need a place to keep tools, soil, fertilizer and other gardening items. If you’ve been skiing all winter and now your thoughts are turning to golf, you’ll need a convenient place to store your equipment and switch sports with the seasons without a lot of effort. If you’ve got kids, You need a way to keep their stuff organized while keeping them safe when they’re you need to think about them running in and out of the garage with their bikes, toboggans or looking for toys. This calls for different types of storage solutions. To help you decide what will work best for you, let’s look at open shelves versus closed cabinets and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

closed storage solutions - golf locker, garage cabinets lockableWhen you think about things looking tidy, a cabinet with doors sounds appealing. Closed cabinets can work well for organizing in a garage. If you have small children, cabinets with locking doors,to keep small hands from being able to reach for toxic chemicals such as fertilizers and cleaning solutions, is a great solution. A cabinet with drawers is handy for storing small tools for the exotic car guy or DIY-er of the home so they can enjoy a professional-style environment in the garage.There are also tall, locker-style cabinets with shelves above and an open area below to store long tools or golf clubs. Storing everything in closed cabinets give an overall clean look to a garage. But do they really keep you organized? Unless you’re naturally organized (and can train the rest of your family to be the same), things that are hidden can end up messy after a while. And you’ll be paying a premium to hide all your stuff.

You might think that storing things in the open in your garage would make it look messy. But using the right sort of open storage system can actually help you get and stay organized, and potentiallymake it easier for younger members of the family to participate in keeping the space neat and organized. Hooks have a defined purpose and if you take a tool down from a hook, it’s easy to hang it back in its place when you’re done using it. If you’ve started by sorting your garage items into groups, you can then attach baskets and hooks to slatwall. Car cleaning items such as chamois, sponges and soap can go in a basket where they are easily accessible. Kids can have easily accessible baskets for balls, skipping ropes and water toys. Their bikes can also be placed on hooks low down. They’re more likely to put stuff back if it’s got a specific home. Open shelving or platforms can be placed higher on the walls or hung from the ceiling to neatly store seasonal or seldom used items away from eye level. Closed cabinets look a little neater at first glance, but open storage might keep you more organized. It’s also a less-expensive option.

Benefit from the best of both worlds and use a combination of closed and open storage.  Hide the things that you know you can keep organized or need to be locked away, and have the rest out where you can see it. When you’re ready to design your garage storage, ask yourself, “Am I an open or closed door personality?”

 

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Protection where Garage Walls meet Garage Floors

April 2, 2013 by Rick Scully

 

Achieving a really finished look that makes the garage an extension of the rest of your home means thinking about the interior design just as you would any other room. Instead of thinking about the wall, floor or organization as their own projects, think of the wall treatment as part of a whole design especially where the wall meets the floor.

Polyaspartic Coated Wall Base & Floor
treating cement block garage walls & cement garage floors - before BEFORE – right garage wall

polyaspartic coating garage walls, wall base & cement garage floors - afterAFTER – left garage wall

You can design the space simply by finishing the floors, adding some slatwall, baskets, racks, and hooks. Or you can transform your garage into a room that your family will enjoy using by designing a stunning space with cabinets, a workbench, or even a second level. Whichever route you choose, an important consideration will be where your floor meets the wall. You wouldn’t think of laying carpet or hardwood in your house and not finishing it with a baseboard. The same is true for the garage. And depending on the type of flooring and walls you have, baseboards provide protection from dust, dirt and water seeping behind the drywall or slatwall.

When you’re choosing a baseboard, look first to what is on the walls and the floors. Wall protection is essential in garages where the drywall goes right down to the floor. Water can seep into the drywall at the bottom of the wall and cause crumbling over time. 

If your garage floor is PVC tiling, you can use 6-inch vinyl baseboards. The baseboard is glued to the wall and will protect against any water that may seep into the drywall, or under the tiles and create mildew. 

Polyaspartic flooring is always a great choice for any garage, but especially those with drywall that extends down to the floor. You can go with the standard 6-inch vinyl baseboard, or we can create a baseboard from 3/4″ plywood and then apply the polyaspartic flooring and continue it up over the wood to create a neat and unified baseboard. 

Drywall higher up can also be damaged from, spray from hoses, moisture from damp weather, or water dripping from skis, toboggans and tools. A wainscoting treatment protects against this and looks great too. 

Punched Aluminum Wainscoting
Where Garage Wall meets Garage Floor
punched aluminum wainscotting - wall covering meets polyaspartic coated floor

Punched aluminum wainscoting provides a modern industrial look that also provides great protection for the drywall. It can be used with any type of flooring. The walls are protected and the wall/floor joint is caulked to prevent any water seepage. Car enthusiasts love it because they can wash the car or spray down the aluminum and floors after using the garage as a workshop without fear of water damage to the garage or home. It also protects walls from damage when the car doors swing open inside the garage. 

Now, most garage floors are not level but sloped to allow water run off in the correct direction. Another advantage of using a wainscoting is the top can be leveled to the eye rather than follow the slope of the floor. 

When using an epoxy flooring, it’s best to install a simple vinyl baseboard. The product is  too thin and will run if you try and apply it to a baseboard or a wall. It’s another reason why we recommend using polyaspartic flooring. For the small cost premium, it gives you so many advantages. 

The big decisions are important when designing your garage, but it’s the small details, such as baseboards and wainscoting, that really complete the look. 

Filed Under: Garage Floors, Garage Interior Design, Garage Makeovers Tagged With: baseboard, cabinets, designing your garage, drywall, floor connection, garage design, garage extension, garage floor, garage mildew, garage workshop, interior design, polyaspartic flooring, protects walls, Punched aluminum, Punched aluminum wainscoting, PVC tiling, slatwall, transform your garage, unified baseboard, vinyl baseboards, wainscoting, wainscoting treatment, wainscotting, Wall protection, water damage in garage, water seepage

Custom Fitting

March 19, 2013 by Rick Scully

Off-the-shelf storage products are great as a simple solution to organizing your garage. But custom-built storage can turn your garage into a room with truly functional storage and workspace.

Just because it’s custom-built doesn’t mean it has to be more expensive. Having a storage unit designed specifically to fit an area of your garage often costs no more than buying a read-made product that may not fit as well in the space.

Custom-built is all about creativity and effective use of space. Here are some ideas:

 

Workbenches

Workbench for One Car GarageIf you’re a gardener, car-enthusiast or DIYer, a workbench is a nice addition to any garage. Workbenches can be designed to any size or shape. A workbench that folds up to be stored when you aren’t using it is a great space-saver for small garages.

 

 

 

 Overhead platforms and mezzanines

1 car garage, central toronto - custom attic mezzanine storage areaAs I wrote in my previous blog, overhead storage is a great way to create extra space in garages with high ceilings. It can be as simple as a plywood platform to store seasonal items or as elaborate as a full mezzanine, which allows for another level of storage and workspace.

 

 

Ladders

retractable attic ladder to custom mezzanineLadders or stairs are useful if you have a mezzanine or just need an easy way to access overhead storage. They can be designed to save floor space by pulling down when you need them and retracting out of the way when you’re done.

 

Thule or canoe slings

custom storage overhead of canoes & kayaksThe best place to store canoes, kayaks or Thules is overhead. We build slings out of sturdy foam-covered chain with loop-and-eye hooks to safely and easily hoist these bulky items up and down.

 

 

 

Baseboards

custom platform - finished slatwall sidings, floors, baseboardsHaving a custom-built baseboard in your garage not only looks good, it protects against water leaks and rot.  Wood baseboards allow polyaspartic flooring to wrap up the sides of the drywall.  Stamped aluminium is a great modern, industrial look and provides excellent water protection.

 

 

Custom-built boxes

electrical panel, 3 car garageThere are often unsightly items in the garage that can benefit from being covered up. We’ve built boxes to cover irrigation systems, electrical panels and central vacuum canisters. They can be finished to fit seamlessly into the rest of the garage design.

 

 

Designs for irregular-shaped spaces

1.5 car garage, etobicoke - overhead platform storage, garage cabinets, slatwall organization system, camlock camlok hooks, polyaspartic floor, cement block coating - afterAs mentioned before, garages are rarely standard squares or rectangles. By having something custom-designed and built, you make the best use of all nooks and crannies and odd-shaped corners. When I visit a garage to do a consultation, or often when I’m on the job doing the renovation, I spot areas that would really benefit from a custom-built solution so I’d be happy to make a few suggestions.

 

 

Custom finishing

garage interior design - home stagingFinishes really up the wow factor in any garage renovation. We’ve done everything from finishing slatwall panels in an oak stain, in keeping with the cottage-look of the house, to installing custom wood worktops. We can even custom-mix paint chip colours to make the perfect shade of polyaspartic flooring.

 

Have a look around your garage and see if you have any odd-shaped areas or things you want to change. If you do, a custom-built storage solution is what you’ll want to consider to maximize the storage capability of your garage.

Filed Under: Custom Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Interior Design, Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Storage Systems Tagged With: Baseboards, canoe slings, car-enthusiast, central vacuum canisters, create extra space in garages, creativity and effective use of space, Custom finishing, Custom Fitting, custom wood worktops, custom-built baseboard, Custom-built boxes, custom-built storage, custom-built storage solution, Designs for irregular-shaped spaces, effective use of space, electrical panels, full mezzanine, functional storage and workspace, garage, garage design, garage renovation, how to save floor space, irrigation systems, Ladders, maximize the storage capability, organizing your garage, Overhead platforms and mezzanines, overhead storage, plywood platform, polyaspartic flooring, read-made product, shelf storage products, small garages, water protection, Workbenches

Overhead Storage

March 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

A recurring theme in helping my clients with garage organization is getting stuff off the floor. Having hooks to hang tools and racks to store equipment keeps the garage neat and maximizes your space. But there’s often an overlooked way to get even more storage space from your garage. Overhead, there’s a whole new area for storage.

Overhead racks are an ideal place to store items that you use infrequently. It’s a great place for storing garden furniture in the winter, as well as camping gear, out-of-season sports equipment and seasonal decorations. Tires can also be stored on overhead racks, but it’s best for tires without rims. Tires with rims are heavy and you likely don’t want to lift that much weight over your own head.

 

Where can I place overhead storage?

ready-made steel overhead storage above garage doorSelecting the ideal area for ceiling storage depends on the height of your ceilingand whether you have an entrance to your home from the garage. Over the garage doors, for example, is an ideal spot if your ceiling is 10 feet or higher. The tops of the rear and side walls make excellent storage areas as well, provided that you leave enough clearance for parking and walking below.

 

Types of overhead storage solutions

Ready-made

tire storage solutions - mounted overhead tire storage

There are ready-made durable racks made of steel with a scratch-resistant finish. The ceiling unit is 48 x 96 inches and is secured to the ceiling joists. The rack can extend from 16 to 34 inches from the ceiling and holds up to 750 lbs.

For ready-made overhead storage on the side walls, there are 24 x 48 inch cantilevered racks that can be attached to the wall studs with sturdy metal brackets. These shelves can hold lighter items of under 200 lbs.

 

Custom-made

custom overhead storage, rear wall secured with airplane cablesGarage Tailors Garage can create custom-made overhead storage that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Canadian garages are rarely a standard size or shape and this limits what is available in ready-made storage solutions. Having overhead storage custom-designed to fit your garage ensures you are making good use of every inch of available space.

Ready-made overhead racks come in limited sizes and are often wide and open on all sides, making it difficult to see and reach items stored in the middle. We can design and make overhead platforms out of wood to any shape, size or depth you need.

1 car garage, central Toronto - attic mezzanine overhead storage for 1.5 storey garage

Garage Tailors Garage attaches custom-made overhead storage to the ceiling using aircraft cable. These sturdy cables can support more than 1000 lbs. And we’ll finish your platforms to complement the design of your garage. The possibilities are endless. We can even install pot lights underneath to create a lighted workspace or create something as elaborate as the mezzanine we recently built for a client, complete with a space-saving retractable ladder.

Often clients will choose a combination of ready-made and custom-made storage to make their garage space work for them. If you’re ready to get organized, consider overhead storage.

 

Filed Under: Custom Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Storage Systems Tagged With: aircraft cable, area for storage, camping gear, Canadian garages, cantilevered racks, ceiling joists, custom-made overhead storage, design your garage, garage doors, garage space, Get Organized, install pot lights, maximizes your space, mezzanine, more storage space, Garage Tailors Garage, out-of-season sports equipment, overhead platforms, Overhead racks, overhead storage, ready-made durable racks, seasonal decorations, space-saving retractable ladder, storing garden furniture, sturdy metal brackets, tire rims, Types of overhead storage solutions, Where can I place overhead storage

Spring Purging

February 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

Spring Purge

For many people, hanging onto the memories & sentiments of kids sporting equipment, science projects and bedroom furniture or pieces of wood from recently completed renovations is comforting.  You just never know when you might need a piece of wood for a home project or an extra roll of insulation.

Purge before Adding Storage2 car garage willowdale showcase - garage door, clutter, painted garage floor, slatwall organizer, shelving, drywall finished walls, drywall finished ceilings2 car garage willowdale showcase - garage cabinets, overhead platform storage, tire storage, seasonal storage, flatscreen tv, work station, polyaspartic garage flooring

Why bother getting rid of perfectly good things when you can always store things in the garage? But wouldn’t you like to be able to park both your cars inside during the winter, or not have to worry about your kids taking out their bikes and scratching the car doors? Maybe it’s time to purge.

Start with a manageable task.  Just charging ahead and trying to tidy everything up sets you up for disappointment.  Take a good long look at all the stuff living in your garage and divide it up into what you need and what you no longer use. Old bikes, skiis and other household items may be useful and valuable to other people so give them away. Give away online via freecycle, donate items to a charity, prepare for a garage sale or just leave things at the curb. It’s almost guaranteed someone will scoop them up.

The next step is to review what you need to store in the garage and organize it into groups by category.  Decide how often items are accessed as well as their use & placement within the garage.  For example, holiday decorations can be placed into a sealed plastic storage bin instead of a cardboard box in the corner of the garage.  For seasonal items, the best place for them is off the floor and above in overhead storage where you will only be accessing them occasionally or once a year. If you don’t create a well thought plan for storage locations of items, you’re likely to resort to old habits and pile them up in the corner.

Creating designated storage areas in the garage is the key to good organization.  Unlike your kitchen, which already has specific places such as a pantry for food or drawers for cutlery, a garage usually starts as a bare room with walls & doors. Create specific zones for items so they can be found when you need to use them, or stored safely away when you don’t. Imagine the ease of knowing where to look and  finding your weed remover when you need it, or no longer tripping over your son’s skates on the garage floor. Clearing the clutter and a bit of organizing can do wonders for your state of mind. Start by deciding how you want to use your space, then transforming it to suit those needs.

Gardening equipment such as rakes, hoes and spades can be stored in one zone and can be hung from hooks.  Shovels and ice breakers can also be hung on the wall.  Sports equipment, such as hockey sticks and pucks can be placed on hooks or in baskets. And while you’re re-arranging your space, garbage and recycling bins placed near the entrance to the house makes for convenient access.

A happy consequence of purging the garage and getting it organized for spring is a sense of freedom or heavy weight finally being lifted.  I’ve helped many people transform cluttered garages, where there wasn’t room to park the family car, into garages with the space to store family belongings, to become a workshop and to park the full number of vehicles intended.  When the garage is no longer a dumping ground for things without a home, it becomes a functional living space and frees up room for tools, sports equipment, seasonal decorations and garbage and recycling bins.  I can show you garage storage solutions and fabulous products to transform your garage into the envy of your neighbours. 

My clients say they feel happier and uplifted when they are finally free of the shackles of a cluttered and dangerous garage.  Organizing allows them to concentrate on things that really matter and to stop stressing about the mess hidden behind the garage door.  If you’re interested in discovering your garage’s potential, start by purging.

 

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Winter Toy Storage

January 22, 2013 by Rick Scully

In the great Canadian tradition of celebrating winter, sports equipment that lets you face the elements for pure fun is crucial.  From toboggans and skis to snowshoes, snowboards and skates, there’s a range of winter toys that can enhance your family life when you’re surrounded by snow and ice.

garage entrance to home - effectively leverage space for sports storageThe types and amounts of equipment families have stowed away generally depends on their children’s ages.  When kids are little, toboggans, sleds, crazy carpets and flying saucers are in abundance.  As they get a little older, skis become the most common.

Creating a proper storage solution for your skis, boots and poles is a simple way to protect your investment.  The better you take care of them, the longer they’ll last.  You could store your skis in the house but if they’re not properly dried out, you might end up with wet carpets or slippery floors.  If they are hung on hooks inside the garage, drips won’t matter. Wherever you decide to put them, the best reason to have a designated space is so you won’t have to look around to find everything when the snow beckons.

Hockey gear is another type of sports equipment that can be found in abundance in many households. Ideally, if you insist on bringing your hockey equipment into the house, the ripened under armour, long johns, socks and jerseys would immediately find their way into the washing machine while the pads, pants and gloves would dry out on a laundry rack.  But since late-night ice times are very common, most of the time after the game is over, the sweaty gear gets taken inside the house and dumped in the basement.  Admit it, you’ve done it at least once.

There is a middle ground.  As long as you take your under gear inside, skates, sticks, helmets and pads can be dried out in the garage so the musk doesn’t infiltrate the house and potentially aggravate your housemates. True, your gear will be cooler when you put it into the bag, but by the time you arrive at the rink, it’s more than likely warmed up.  And if you’re playing on a year-round league, for three seasons it’s not even a factor.

One family I worked with didn’t want their young boys bringing their hockey gear into the house.  The optimal solution was to build a locker in the garage for them to hang their skates, pants, gloves and pads using a combination of baskets, shelves and hooks mounted to an end wall.  All the washable stuff went inside with the kids for proper clean up.

Winter is an amazing time of the year.  An organized garage where you can protect your car from the elements, while also accessing everything you need to play in the snow, makes it that much better.

Depending on your budget, needs and taste, I can recommend the perfect cabinets and garage storage systems to accommodate all the athletes in your house.  Our suppliers Hercke, Onex and CTECH offer higher quality and more adaptable products than the typical garage cabinets found in big box stores.  Or if you’d like to discuss a custom storage system for your family’s specific activities which can be a better fit as well as cost effective, I can assist you with a solution to make it easy for everyone to use your garage in a way that fits the lifestyle.

Filed Under: Garage Storage Solutions, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Canadian tradition of celebrating winter, combination of baskets, Ctech, custom storage system, designated space, garage cabinets, garage storage systems, Hercke, hockey equipment, hooks, Onex, organized garage, perfect cabinets, range of winter toys, shelves, ski boots, ski poles, skis, slatwall, snowboards, snowshoes, Sports equipment, storage systems, toboggans, typical garage cabinets, Winter Toy Storage

Resolutions / Get Organized

January 15, 2013 by Rick Scully

 

Garage Tailors Year Resolutions

 

It’s a new year and like many people, you’ve probably made, or are considering making, resolutions.  Over the holidays, I did an unscientific survey of my family, friends and associates and confirmed some long-held assumptions – the most common resolutions are joining the gym, quitting smoking, eating better and getting organized.  While the first three are out of my purview, in terms of getting organized, I can offer a lot more than moral support.

 

Thenew years resolutions - garage organization trick behind getting organized is picking a reasonable objective.  Blanket statements like, “I want to organize my life,” can be daunting.  It’s like going to the gym for the first time in two years and insisting on 30 minutes on the Stairmaster.  In theory it might seem like a good idea, but you’ll soon realize incremental steps are the best, and least painful, approach.  That’s why I like projects that are SMAC – specific, measurable, achievable and compatible.

 

When it comes to getting your garage organized, it may seem like a big endeavour, but if you follow my three steps to ideal organization, it’s a lot easier than you think.   And the results of a clean, tidy, organized garage are well worth the effort because it saves time and aggravation in the longrun.

 

1. Get rid of stuff you don’t want or need.

Purging is the hardest part, especially with things you’ve had for a long time. The garage tends to be the dumping ground for things in the house without a real home. Really consider if you need it or are hanging onto it for sentimental reasons. I call this “just in case syndrome.” Remember your objective and ultimate resolution to get organized. When you’re clearing your closets, you don’t want to look at the skirt or jacket that’s been hanging there for the past three years and say, “I might need it.” It’s the same in the garage. Be focused and ruthless.

 

You’ll be amazed how rewarding it is to give old bikes to programs that repair and recycle them, or if you have a variety of stuff, you can save it for a spring garage sale.

 

2. Divide your stuff into manageable chunks.

Separate items by category like gardening supplies, power tools, sporting goods and automotive products.

 

3. Now organize your things according to themes, seasons or the way it’s used, similar to the way you’d group cutlery, dishes, baking accessories and food in the kitchen cupboards and drawers.

Items that only are only accessed once a year like Halloween or Christmas decorations don’t need priority placement in the garage.  Shovels, ice melting products and antifreeze are items you require frequently, so they should be stored in an easy to reach, logical spot.

 

The idea is you shouldn’t have to think a lot when you’re looking for something in the garage or anywhere else.  It should be intuitive.

 

After purging and organizing everything in the garage, you might wonder how the standard four walls and minimal storage options can effectively make a home for everything. With a well-designed garage that’s custom tailored to your lifestyle needs, you’ll be able to sustain your organizing efforts and the garage will no longer be the dumping ground for clutter.

 

So if you’ve resolved to get finally get things organized in 2013, I welcome you to call me for a free in-home consultation on how you can take your garage to the next level.

 

 

Filed Under: Garage Makeovers, Organizing Tips Tagged With: antifreeze, automotive products, baking accessories, Christmast decoration, dishes, garage, gardening supplies, Get Organized, get things organized in 2013, group cutlery, Halloween decoration, home consultation, ice melting products, minimal storage, most common resolutions, Garage Tailors Year Resolutions, organize your things according to themes, organized garage, power tools, Shovels, sporting goods, spring garage sale, Stairmaster, sustain your organizing efforts, ultimate resolution, well-designed garage

Top Ten Garage Faux Pas

December 18, 2012 by Rick Scully

 

There are a myriad of reasons to organize your garage with customized storage systems from Garage Tailors Garage. There’s the obvious convenience of being able to use your garage for what it was intended – parking your car – particularly on those snowy mornings when you’ve got better things to do than scrape off snow and ice in minus 30 temperatures while waiting for it to warm up.

 

bicycle damaged by car in driveway - lack of garage storage systemThen there’s the satisfaction of having a designated space for everything from tires to gardening equipment, camping gear, bikes and power tools.  That means finding what you need when you need it. This can be accomplished with customized overhead storage shelves suspended from the ceiling, on slatwall outfitted with CamLok™ hooks or by installing Hercke, Onex or CTECH cabinet systems. A Garage Tailors Garage renovation will ensure your perfect garage and most likely mean you’ve got the nicest garage in your neighbourhood.

 

But one of the main reasons to consider a garage renovation is to avoid the ten most common garage faux pas that are easily avoided, usually in only two days, with one of our custom designed transformations.

 

  1. The rake between the eyes – a danger when rakes don’t have a designated space to hang on the wall.
  2. The rollerskate/skateboard underfoot slide – a common hazard for parents of active, occasionally sloppy children.
  3. The excess tool inventory – the rapid multiplying of shovels, rakes and brooms that is a consequence of being unable to find what you need, when you need it.
  4. The old paint-can-on-the-head spill – from perilously storing paint in hard to reach places.
  5. The flat tire – because the cardboard box that housed your nails got damp and soggy and fell apart.
  6. The dust pit– caused by pitted, unfinished concrete garage floors.
  7. The scratch and dent – a consequence of squeezing your car into a cluttered, messy space.
  8. The wall bump – occurs after stumbling around in a poorly lit garage.
  9. The broken thing – obliterated when the ladder that leaned against the wall crashed down on it. But at least it was only stuff.
  10. The broken promise – happens after you’re unable to find the tent and cooking stove you said your neighbours could borrow for the long weekend.

 

Let us help you avoid these and many other garage pitfalls and make your life easier.  At Garage Tailors Garage, our garage renovations are designed to maximize storage and organize your belongings efficiently.

 

Our renovations can be completed in as few as two days so that your life isn’t disrupted.

Filed Under: Custom Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Interior Design Tagged With: cabinet systems, CamLok hooks, camping gear, CTECH cabinet, CTECH cabinet systems, custom designed transformations, customized overhead storage, customized storage systems, Garage Faux Pas, garage floors, garage renovation, gardening equipment, Hercke, maximize storage, Garage Tailors Garage renovation, Onex, organize your garage, overhead storage shelves, perfect garage, power tools, storage systems, storing paint, tool inventory, Top Ten Garage Faux Pas, transformations

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