Rick Scully, Author at Garage Tailors

CTECH Cabinets

December 4, 2012 by Rick Scully

For car aficionados and collectors or individuals with a keen interest in design, the garage is a place that goes beyond simple storage and protection. It’s a refuge. It’s also a place of distinction. That’s why Garage Tailors Garage offers the finest quality cabinets available for our garage transformations and renovations. And to satisfy all tastes and budgets, we carry the high-quality systems made by Hercke, Onex and CTECH.

Motion Latch - CTECH garage drawers — Click Image to View Enlargement

Over the past few months I’ve outlined the various features of the very adaptable family-owned, lockable Hercke storage system and multi-colour, options of the Onex line. But for pure, sleek, high tech design, my favourite choice is CTECH.

The light-weight high-quality aluminum system was launched in 1995 by professional drag racer, Jim Greenheck, as an extension of his racecar trailer systems. As a result, CTECH has some very cool, space age features like the patented MotionLatch™ drawer and door systems that open with the wave of a hand and automatically latch when shut.

The system also comes with a standard leak resistant GasketLoc™ countertop that allows for expansion and contraction without warping. Counters are also injection molded with no sharp edges for a clean, safe finish. These innovations, enduring durability and high style make CTECH the chosen system of motorsport and racing teams as well as connoisseurs of industrial design.

One of the best things about CTECH designs, and the reason why Garage Tailors Garage offers it to clients, is that these features, which were originally engineered for pit carts, racing facilities and trailer cabinets, translate beautifully to create one-of-a-kind garages.

The aluminum cabinets are powder coated and available in nine standard colours – red, yellow, green, blue, orange, midnight blue – as well as white, grey, and black, with custom colours available upon request. This means they can be coordinated with your interior house designs offering continuity between the garage and the mudroom or adjacent laundry room.

CTECH cabinet systems are totally customizable to suit your needs and space requirements while also being available in an array of standard configurations. Doors can be adapted to open in either direction and overhead cabinet doors swing open vertically for easy access.

So whether you have high performance cars that deserve a home with the same level of sleek engineering, fantasize about owning the track like Paul Tracy or simply want to invest in the best-looking, highest quality storage systems on the market, CTECH can make your racecar and design dreams a reality every time you step into your ideal garage.

If you’re interested in a garage renovation, I’d be happy to visit and discuss various design ideas and give you an estimate. Customized CTECH cabinet orders require about six weeks lead time and once they’ve been delivered, our Garage Tailors Garage renovation can be completed in as few as two days.

Simple and Secure Tire Storage

November 20, 2012 by Rick Scully

If you’re like most people, you might be pretending that despite the raked leaves, frosty mornings and occasional dusting of snow, winter is still far away. Or maybe you’re thinking that given last year’s virtually nonexistent winter and lack of snow, we’re in for the same this year. Either way, it’s hard to imagine getting excited about the task of hauling out the snow tires and heading to the garage for a changeover. But if your tires are stored properly and easy to access, this seemingly fraught task is simple.

At Garage Tailors Garage, our garage renovations are designed to maximize storage and organize your belongings efficiently. Tires require a designated space for safe storage. Many of our clients opt for wall tire racks, which can accommodate tires with or without rims. These racks are mounted securely to the wall and ensure that the tires don’t touch the floor putting unnecessary pressure on the rubber. This configuration is especially practical for people with physical limitations who are unable to lift heavier objects or for people who simply would rather not. Depending on what other items you want to store and the size of your garage, cabinets are another close-to-the-floor option that also keeps tires out-of-sight for a sleeker look. These cabinets must be at least 48 inches deep and 30 inches high to fit most tires.

For tires without rims, we often suggest overhead storage solutions that also include room for storing heavy-duty floor mats and other out-of-season belongings. One of our more common installations involves suspending steel racks from the ceiling. This system is both strong and secure while also being easily accessed by a stepladder when you need take care of the seasonal tire changeover. It’s also a good option for people with one or two sets of tires. Platforms can support more weight so I often suggest them for clients with multiple vehicles, sets of tires and other automotive accessories.

Of course for people with very large garages and a penchant for high-tech storage solutions, we recommend hydraulic lifts. These sit flat against the wall and lift the tires but since you can’t store items underneath, you’ll need space to accommodate the snow blower, bicycles, garden equipment and any other things that live in the garage.

Proper tire storage is easy and doesn’t require a lot of space or expense, just a bit of planning so you can transition effortlessly from season to season. Make your life easier with a Garage Tailors Garage transformation. That way you’ll always know where to find everything when you need it, and in winter you’ll even be able to park your cars in the garage where they belong and save time clearing snow off windshields in the morning.

To ensure minimal disruption, our renovations can be completed in as few as two days. I’d be happy to come over to discuss options and give you an estimate.

Onex Cabinets

November 6, 2012 by Rick Scully

Any home renovation, no matter how big or small, requires a myriad of decisions. A great way to ease your mind is to hire a professional with specialized expertise. At Garage Tailors Garage, we’re experts in garage renovations that provide efficient organization, innovative storage and also look terrific. One of the main components of a successful garage transformation is the cabinetry so to that end, we only use products and suppliers with a great track record.

Last month, I talked about the family-owned Hercke cabinets and garage organization systems and next month, I’ll be discussing Ctech, a very sleek, high-tech system popular with high-performance car aficionados. The focus this time is Onex™, a sturdy, mid-range system constructed from steel that’s completely customizable and the ideal garage storage system for design conscious homeowners.

One of the most appealing features of Onex High Performance Steel cabinets is the expansive range of colours. The company offers 21 different colours that are easily coordinated with your car, mudroom or to complement the wall paint and floor. The Onex catalogue boasts 50 different cabinet options that can be configured in a wide range of ways to maximize the space and storage capacity in any garage. This includes base and wall cabinets, tall floor cabinets, tables and suspended cabinets.

Constructed from cold-rolled steel, the components have a barrier coating against moisture and corrosion, an ideal feature given the swings in the Canadian climate and our extremely cold winters and humid summers. Additionally, the customized colour coatings are produced on a thermosetting powder-coating system, a high temperature process, which irreversible cures polymers ensuring a high-quality finish with excellent scratch and chemical resistance. This finish is an important feature given the sometimes rough and tumble uses of your garage and means that the cabinets will look great for a very long time.

Another notable feature of Onex components is their consistency. The company is registered under the Switzerland-based ISO standard (International Organization for Standardization). ISO is a quality management system that measures the ongoing performance of products.

When we take on a garage transformation, we like to work from the outside in and blend the look so that it’s an extension of the house. Some clients like a serene, unified look and choose paint colours that blend and disappear. Other clients want something that really stands out and are more drawn to bold, vibrant colours. With the wide selection of colour options and configurations offered for Onex High Performance Steel Cabinets, it’s easy to create the customized garage storage system that suits your specific needs, tastes and style. Fully adaptable and flexible for any surface, the steel cabinets also have optional locks so you can safely secure dangerous chemicals or valuable tools and equipment.

Onex can produce a customized storage cabinet solution in about six weeks and Garage Tailors Garage renovations can be completed in as few as two days to ensure minimal disruption. I’d be happy to come over and give you an estimate.

Hercke Cabinets

October 9, 2012 by Rick Scully

Designs That Let You Put Things Away in Style

It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. Consequently some of the most useful products are designed for very specific situations and requirements. But that doesn’t mean these solutions can’t look terrific too, which is why when people are interested in efficient and great-looking garage organization solutions, I’m happy to suggest three different lines of cabinets – Hercke, Onex and Ctech. All of the products that Garage Tailors Garage carries and recommends for garage transformations are highly functional and have specialized features that will appeal to various needs, priorities and budgets. Over the next few months, I’ll get into more specific details about the unique features of each product, but this month I’m going to focus on Hercke.

As the operator of an independent business, I have the luxury of choosing the suppliers and products I believe in and Hercke’s modular system is durable, functional and attractive. It’s one of my favourite storage solution systems because in addition to good design and adaptability, dollar for dollar it’s a sturdier, higher quality product than similar systems offered by home improvement retailers.

Is there a gauge distinction between big box cabinets and these?
The fully lockable system includes 30-inch wide steel cabinets with black cases and black shelves. They can be personalized with stainless steel or powder grey fronts that work extremely well in a garage storage setting and can also be utilized in other areas of your home for storage system continuity. Another key feature is they have scalable legs, which ensure that the cabinets can be levelly installed to retain their integrity even with the 5% grade slant on garage floors, a building code requirement that ensures proper water run-off.

Hercke cabinets work effectively because their storage and organization system was created by homeowners with needs that are likely quite similar to yours. The company was founded by the husband and wife team of Tom and Katy Van Hercke when they were unable to find adequate storage solutions to keep power tools out of the reach of their two young children and Katy wanted to store some over-sized platters and trays in the kitchen. Their breakthrough was developing a system that was functional in the garage or basement, but also flexible and attractive for other areas of the home including the kitchen, laundry room, office or playroom. The other important component was they wanted the design to be appealing for both men and women. It is. And that kind of aesthetic appeal and continuity is handy to get consensus on a project like transforming the chaos of your garage into an attractive place of highly organized storage, safety and efficiency.

As a consumer, you have a is a range of options, but I believe that customized Hercke cabinets are a far better value and long-term investment than a lot of lower priced, and consequently lower quality substitutes out there. Plus, Garage Tailors Garage offers full-service transformations from the design and sourcing through installation that can be completed in a few days once specialty orders have been placed. For a consultation and estimate, give me a call.

Avoid Seasonal Anxiety Disorder with a Garage Changeover

October 2, 2012 by Rick Scully

Spring cleaning has become a tried and true ritual, the ideal time to gather up unwanted things for a garage sale or trash haul. Fall is also a great time of year to consider a sort and purge to transition into winter and ensure your garage is ready to do what it was built for – protect your car from the elements. But for many people, the idea of saying goodbye to summer and getting ready for winter is so off-putting they avoid it. At Garage Tailors Garage we call this common condition, Seasonal Anxiety Disorder. And the best way to alleviate symptoms is to have an organized garage.

For people with existing garage storage solution systems, the time that it takes to do the seasonal changeover is usually less than an hour. The changeover typically involves transferring the items you won’t need for a few months to the back of your garage and the ones you will be using to the front for quick access. Shovels replace rakes, the snow blower gets more prominent placement than the lawnmower and you can stash the pink, bug-eliminating windshield fluid in a cupboard and break out the blue antifreeze. Any sand or ice melting products that keep your stairs, pathways and front sidewalk slip-free get moved to a basket, which is suspended just off the floor near the front of the garage to grab when necessary. Snow tires are removed from overhead platforms or secure floor racks to be replaced with your all-weather tires until the spring. Typically people power-wash the garage in the spring to remove any salt stains from the floor, but a good soap, water and brush cleaning in the fall wouldn’t hurt.

If you’ve accumulated stuff that you no longer need, get rid of it. Give it away to a charity, have a garage sale or throw it out. Don’t put yourself in the position that led you to organize your garage in the first place. Purging should be an ongoing activity. It’s impossible to keep everything and keeping things you’ll never use again is a waste of space. For example, when kids get older, strollers get replaced by tricycles, which are replaced by scooters and bikes. Unless you’re planning on having more children, don’t keep the stroller. That’s what Craigslist and Kijiji, or the curb with a “free” sign, are for.

However, if the very idea of going into your garage to dig out winter items makes you feel queasy, you might be suffering unnecessarily from a bout of Seasonal Anxiety Disorder. Chaotic garages can be scary, but the problem is easily remedied. If you’ve never organized your garage, or the last time you did was during the past millennium, the best way to tackle it is to start in reverse. First, you decide what you need to keep, what to donate and what to throw away and then organize your garage to make space for your cars. The process takes planning, time and money, but ultimately will save you valuable time and aggravation each time you realize snow is on the way.

You can pretend the good weather will last forever and then cuss and fuss every time you find yourself scraping snow and ice from your windshield in minus 30 degrees. Or you can transform your garage with custom-designed storage solutions that address your personal needs and get into a warm, snow-free vehicle every winter morning.

At Garage Tailors Garage, we’re hoping to eradicate Seasonal Anxiety Disorder so everyone can feel good about getting the garage winter-ready. If you’re interested in knowing what could be done with your garage, we offer free in-home consultations.

Selling your house? Let your garage help set the stage.

September 25, 2012 by Rick Scully

When you’re thinking about putting your house up for sale, you can’t just hang out a For Sale sign, let people stroll through an open house and expect a great offer or incite a bidding war. Even though the current real estate market is overheated, the trend toward timed offers and increasingly savvy buyers combined with the popularity of interior design and home makeover shows have created new challenges to attract buyers willing to go the distance.

Houses are now staged, often by professional companies that remove your personal effects and replace them with stylish home furnishings and décor. Home staging, or fluffing as it’s sometimes known in the industry, might also include upgrading flooring, lighting and painting to give your home a fresh, new look. Since curb appeal is important, it’s not uncommon for agents to suggest some minor landscaping or at the very least putting out a large planter with flowers.

Generally speaking, when showing houses, real estate agents don’t spend much time in the garage mainly because they’re usually a mess. That’s unfortunate since a garage is another asset that adds value to your home. A clean, tidy garage with well-organized storage provides another feature for agents to point out to their clients. Not only does it highlight useful storage solutions, it’s also a place to show a home’s personality, utility and suitability for potential buyers.

While “garage staging” isn’t an industry standard yet, I have been called in to install slatwall and flooring by a contractor who was finishing a house on the Bridle Path. In addition to setting up a system for organizing the garage, I supplied bikes, golf clubs, tennis racquets and gardening tools to make it look authentic so that prospective buyers could envision how the space might work for their needs.

When you’re considering minor upgrades to make your home market-ready, don’t forget about the garage. It can be so much more than the place to stow packed boxes and Rubbermaid bins before your move and really showcase the flexibility and livability of the house.

One of the more popular upgrades we do is creating customized overhead storage shelves. Suspended from the ceiling the shelves create a half storey and increase the storage space footprint for items like snow tires and seasonal decorations that are only accessed once or twice a year. We can also paint and install slatwall, which can be outfitted with cam lock hooks to hang everything from shovels, rakes and power tools to skis and bikes. Flooring is another easy option. Unlike concrete, which soaks up oil and shows other stains, our low-VOC polyaspartic floors don’t absorb liquids and can be washed with soap and water. Plus, depending on the complexity, the renovation can usually be done in two days.

Buyers are critics. While they’re looking for reasons to buy your house, they’re also considering reasons not to buy it. One way to ensure good reviews is to put everything in its place. A garage upgrade is a cost effective, efficient way to increase the value of your property before you sell it.

Seasonal Garage Storage

September 11, 2012 by Rick Scully

Every family is unique, which means their storage needs differ. That’s why garages should be adaptable and suited to your lifestyle. If your family enjoys the holidays, you probably have an array of seasonal items and decorations stuffed into boxes that are stacked precariously in the corner of the basement or garage. Since they’re only accessed once a year, it might not be the most effective or, more importantly, safe use of your storage space.

Whether your holiday celebrations include elaborate Halloween decorations, large Christmas nativity scenes and inflatable snowballs or sukkahs, Garage Tailors Garage specializes in creating innovative storage solutions like overhead storage and platforms that are customized for your requirements.

For example, safely storing a sukkah can be a challenge. For those of you unfamiliar with a sukkah, it’s a temporary, four-walled structure with a thatched roof that is used for eating meals (and sometimes sleeping) during the Jewish holiday known as Sukkot. During September and October, there is a series of celebrations including Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles, or Booth, mentioned in the Old Testament. The seven-day holiday is like an extended Thanksgiving with families gathering to eat in a sukkah in the backyard or on the back porch (the sukkah is meant to represent the fragile dwellings used by the Israelites during their time living in the desert).

The size of a sukkah varies depending on the number of people in the family, and they can be constructed from large pieces of wood, aluminum or fiberglass sheeting that measure about 8 x 10 and include other bracing pieces to ensure structural integrity. Sometimes they’re made from metal frames and canvas or cloth reminiscent of a prospector’s tent. Since it’s an item that is used every year, it’s made to have a level of integrity and re-usability. They can be self built or even bought pre-made from specialized companies.

Even though a sukkah is built to be outdoors, it shouldn’t remain outside all year, especially given our climate. The pieces are usually too cumbersome for convenient basement storage and tucking them away in some unused area of the backyard or under the patio isn’t the best way to care for your investment.

When clients request a storage space for the sukkah, or any other seasonal items, Garage Tailors Garage assesses your garage size and storage requirements before designing the most reliable and viable solution. This can include installing an overhead garage storage system that can be easily accessed by a ladder, a custom platform or a wall shelving enclosure to ensure the various pieces of the structure can be safely restrained. Additionally, because meals are eaten inside the sukkah, the family will often have a folding table and bridge chairs that require a storage solution. These items need to be more readily accessed for other occasions so an ideal organization solution is an area with a Camlok™ system to hang the chairs from.

If you’re looking for a sensible way to store your sukkah, or any other holiday items, I’d be happy to come over and give you an estimate. A simple garage storage project can be completed in as little as two days, so there’s minimal disruption.

In the meantime, to our Jewish clients and friends celebrating the year 5773 on the Hebrew calendar, the team at Garage Tailors Garage wish you a “shana tova” (Happy New Year).

A Brief History of Garages

February 21, 2012 by Rick Scully

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to discuss the evolution of garages: from sheds to what have been called ‘Garage Mahals‘, home extensions that contain everything from work stations to interlocking floor tiles to hydraulic lifts.

The word garage comes from the French garer – to shelter or protect. It’s an apt name because that’s effectively what garages do. They protect our cars from the elements.

During the early part of the 20th century, cars weren’t that common because they were expensive. The first garages were just converted carriage houses that were remodeled to fit cars rather than horses. Garages that were designed for cars didn’t become common until the early 1920s when car sales increase. However, demand grew quickly.

By 1925, in fact, garages were on people’s must have lists. According to the June 1925 issue of Atlantic Monthly, ” the first question asked by the prospective buyer is about the garage. The house without a garage is a slow seller.”

These garages were mostly stand-alone structures, built away from the main house. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that builders started to incorporate garages as part of the house design. Before this, drivers had to brave the elements when getting from their garage to their home.

Carports became popular in the 60s as a low-cost alternative to a garage – often just roof and four posts, they were popular in warmer parts of North America.

The next major change happened in the 80s. Garages were built to be conspicuous and large, to make room for families with multiple cars. Thankfully today they’re now being built to be less obtrusive.

The first patent for an automatic garage door opener was issued in 1937, but oddly enough, it didn’t really become popular until the late 1960s.

Fun fact: many businesses have been started in garages, including Hewlett Packard, Walt Disney, Apple Computers and Motown Records.

Are you using your space efficiently?

February 8, 2012 by Rick Scully

No matter what the size of our home is, most of us feel as though we could use more space: an extra bedroom, a home office, or just more storage.

The question we really need to answer: Are we using the space as efficiently as possible? Judging from the garages and basements I’ve seen, that answer is a resounding “No!”

The two most common rooms I see wasted are garages and basements. When I see a home with a disorganized garage, I’d bet that the basement is just as cluttered. In most cases, the problem isn’t lack of space, people simply aren’t taking advantage of all the space they already have.

In previous blog posts, we’ve talked about how to declutter your garage (keep, donate, toss) but this also applies to basements.

How are the basement and the garage connected? Once the garage has been cleared of everything that’s unnecessary, and shelving, cabinets and overhead storage has been added, it can create room to store more in the garage, including some of what is currently in other parts of your house, such as your basement.

Emptying your basement of unnecessary items leaves you valuable internal space for better use. People have converted their basement into a home theatre, guest room, home office, game room, even an art studio. One recent client was clearing out the basement to create a nanny suite.

Regardless of how you plan to use your basement, if it’s full of stuff you no longer use or need, now is the right time to be thinking about decluttering and getting your storage spaces organized so you can take advantage of all the space you have and use your home the way you’d like to use it!

Not All Garage Cabinets Are Equal

January 24, 2012 by Rick Scully

When it comes to cabinets for your garage, the good news is that there are choices. The bad news is that the quality varies greatly, and you get what you pay for. At the retail level, there are several types of products available: MDF (a waferboard), a Rubbermaid product and steel.

As you weigh your options, the most important thing to consider is the strength of the material. How secure is it and how much weight can it bear? Check the hinges as well and make sure they’re solid. If they’re not, the cabinet may start to wobble.

The advantage of the Rubbermaid cabinet is that it’s impervious to moisture versus the MDF products which will swell and weaken if you have a damp or humid garage. However, neither are very sturdy, so you run the risk of the shelves not supporting anything of any significant weight.

I believe steel or aluminum cabinets are the way to go. They’re sturdier and resistant to animals. They are also lockable, so if you’re storing anything valuable, such as skis and ski boots or tools, you can lock them behind the doors. They’re also good for keeping chemicals out of reach from little hands.

Some retailers carry a steel product but the material is light weight and not commercial quality. It looks similar to the appropriate grade steel cabinets, but it doesn’t hold much and can dent easily, losing its aesthetic appeal quite quickly. In addition, light weight materials may not provide the appropriate level of safety and protection of your valued tools, sports equipment, vehicle and family members.

To find out how strong a steel product is, you have to look at the ‘gauge’. The smaller the number, the stronger it is.

I recommend Onex cabinets. We install these high performance steel garage cabinets because they last longer than retail products while offering superior weight support. They’re also lockable, come in various colours and can be adjusted to the height, width and depth of the space. It provides a high level of utility and quality while giving your garage that luxury feel.

Onex offers a wide variety of cabinets, so we can create a custom storage solution rather than finding something that simply fits into the space.

If you have any questions about cabinets or anything else garage related, please give us a call!

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