Garage Makeovers Archives - Page 2 of 3

Can you and your garage pass the squeeze test?

September 24, 2013 by Rick Scully

Is your garage causing you stress?

As the season changes, many people find themselves faced with an unappetizing item on their plate, namely the garage and what could have been. During the warm summer months the very best of intentions were always there. Yet, somehow the task of organizing, of making sense of all that stuff in the garage never seemed to make it to the top of the to-do list. This chore kept getting put off to the next weekend, the next available Friday afternoon. Finally now we find the season change is upon us, and the garage is no better than it was at the start of the season. The summer ended so much faster than anyone planned on. Now you may very well feel like you have a monster on your hands.

To help you come to terms with this, your friendly team here at Garage Tailors Garage put together a 7 point self-evaluation garage organization quiz. You can use this quiz to help you figure out where you are and what your best options are at this point. Relax, no one is going to grade this quiz so this is for your eyes only. This is just a fun way for you to find out how much you can or cannot squeeze into your garage and whether you experience what we affectionately call Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder.

1. Do you feel your blood pressure rising if you pause to consider your garage, the things that need to be moved in, the things that need to be moved out, the things that need to be shuffled around to prepare for the upcoming season?

2. Are you embarrassed to open up your garage door in front of your neighbors for the mess that’s readily visible to anyone that takes a peek inside?

3. If your garage door happens to be open and a friend stops by to chat, do you find yourself apologizing for the mess?

4. Does your car fit in your garage? Seriously, if you have a one car garage, will one car fit in there at the same time as all your stuff you have strewn about? Or, if you have a two car garage, can you comfortably park both cars inside without moving some of your stuff to one corner or the other? Also, whether it’s a one car or a two car garage, if the car(s) are parked in the garage, can you safely get to your car without stumbling over piles of your stuff?

5. Do truly know where your stuff is? If you suddenly need a pair of shears to trim the bushes out front, can you locate them without hunting all over the garage?

6. Do you actually know how much stuff you really have? You may be surprised to learn that during organization storage solution installations the team here at Garage Tailors Garage often surprises homeowners. These homeowners are shocked and amazed to learn there are duplicate or even triplicate tools such as snow shovels, rakes and the like strewn all over the garage.

7. How much time would you reckon you spend moving piles of stuff around to get to the tools or materials you are looking for at the moment?

Well, there are your 7 questions. There is no real score per se, just a self assessment to help you figure out where you are. As you might imagine, knowing where you are is the first step to moving forward and making a better choice. So, take a look back at your answers. Your answers are a big clue for the next step, which as you might have already guessed is better organization.

Of course, you are already aware of the value of a proper storage and organization solution since you’ve made it this far and to the end of the quiz. Now, one last thing, look back to your answers and ask yourself one final question: Is now the time to take some action and get organized?

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

AFTER – 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.

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.

The 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.

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.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder: Getting Started

October 25, 2011 by Rick Scully

Last time, we discussed Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder and how to cope with it. Today, we’re going to prepare you to start your garage cleanup.

Remind yourself why you’re doing this. There are probably tools, seasonal decorations or other items that you know are in your garage, but you just can’t find them. Maybe a paint can spilled or things are piled so high there’s a risk of something falling.

Sometimes when we can’t find something, we replace it. Don’t be surprised if you end up with multiple sets of tools, weed whackers, etc. When you have proper storage systems with slatwall hooks for tools and equipment, you won’t be spending money on things you don’t need because you’ll be able to find everything you have.

Here are some things you can think about when you’re preparing to attack the clutter in the garage:

First, plan to dedicate an entire day for this and get members of the household on board.

Second, before you start removing items, designate areas for three categories: Keep it, donate it, toss it.

Be prepared to experience emotional attachments to some of the things you find. This is where a family member can help you decide – if you’re not putting it to use, it’s best given to someone else.

I have three basic rules:

If it can’t be used, or has no value, toss it.
If you no longer need it, or plan to use it, give it away or sell it.
If you need it and use it, keep it.

Tip: Half-full cans of paint can be taken to Rona. If you’re throwing out a lot, you can take it to a dump yourself, or call a company like 1-800-Got-Junk.

Once the garage has been purged, it’s time to get organized. We want to maximize the space we’ve got on the floors, walls and overhead. Stay tuned for the next blog.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder

October 13, 2011 by Rick Scully

For most of us, the garage is likely the largest room in our house. Our cars are probably our second largest assets. It makes sense to use this space to house and protect our vehicles.

During spring and summer, however, we leave our cars on the driveway to have easy access to things like lawn mowers, bicycles and gardening tools.

It’s during the first cold snap of the year as we’re putting everything away that we look into our garages and wonder how two cars are going to fit. Seeing everything that’s filling up the garage, we experience paralysis. Often, there’s no clear way to start the clean-up process, so it doesn’t get started at all.

I call this Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder (SGAD): All the stuff is preventing us from using our garages for what they’re meant for and it causes concern.

In the next two blog entries, I’m going to help you cope with your SGAD! But first, we have to think about motivation: how badly do you want to get your car in that garage and why?

If the garage is de-cluttered to make room for vehicles, we can:

say goodbye to scraping ice off the windshield before the sun comes up
get into a warm car – in the middle of winter
worry less about security, especially for those who spend much of the winter down south

One of the main objections to cleaning out a garage is the amount of decision making that has to happen. It requires some tough choices about what to keep and it’s usually a full day’s worth of work.

I’ve encountered garages that were full of furniture – both from parents who have downsized and children who were moving out, seasonal decorations, winter tires, garbage and recycling bins. Some of the clutter has value, but there is only an emotional attachment to the rest.

The feeling of relief that’s experienced once all the stuff you’re not using is gone, will give a sense of release and freedom necessary to move forward with new activities and projects.

How great would it be to have shelving and storage systems that allowed garden tools, holiday decorations and toys to be found without digging through boxes? Easy access and storage for seasonal items like paddles, kayaks and canoes and tires? A discreet space for your garbage bins?

Garage storage systems, whether it’s cabinets, wall organizers, shelving, or a combination, can keep the garage organized all year round. So when next fall comes, we’re not standing in front of our garage doors, wondering where we’re going to park our cars, we simply drive them in.

Stay tuned for the next blog: How to get Started.

Add a Workshop in your Garage

September 20, 2011 by Rick Scully

Whether you’re an avid gardener, car enthusiast or weekend DIYer, it’s great to have a workbench in your garage to work on your projects. Even if your garage space is limited, there’s likely a way to give yourself a little workspace.

A surface area of 4 ft x 2 ft, positioned about 40 inches from the floor is an ideal minimum size.

This workbench, with a tabletop made of plywood, easily folds up to fit onto the side wall of a one-car garage.

This simple and inexpensive yet very functional corner workbench is made out of plywood. It provides you with a good amount of workspace as well as extra storage room for tools.

The ultimate in garage workspace is this sleek steel workbench with drawers, cupboards and a butcher-block top.

Give us a call. We’ll help you design a workspace in your garage that suits you.

Easy Garage Maintenance

July 19, 2011 by Rick Scully

Summertime is the perfect time to do a little maintenance on the garage.

Oil the rails on the garage door with a lubricant (such as WD-40) to make sure it runs smoothly.
Clear any spider webs from the electronic eye on the garage door.
If you need a new garage door, contact Aurora Overhead Doors for a quote.
If you use extension cords to connect your garage door power, consider having a receptacle installed in the ceiling. Extension cords are really only safe for temporary use.
Improve your lighting. Ask us about T8 fluorescent bulbs. They stand up to cold temperatures and provide lots of light.

Keep your things and your family safe. Change the code on your garage door periodically.

Also, kids are in an out of the garage this time of year looking for their toys and sports equipment, or even playing hide-and-go seek. Make sure dangerous tools and chemicals are locked away in cabinets and their toys are on low shelves or hanging on hooks within easy reach.

Any questions? Give us a call.

The joys and benefits of a slatwall system

May 19, 2011 by Rick Scully

We’ve talked a lot about garage organizing using the slatwall system. What’s so special about the storeWALL™ brand that we use at Garage Tailors Garage?

Unlike traditional slatwall, storeWALL is made with pvc, which is rugged, waterproof and mildew-proof — Important for garage use.

We install the slatwall over existing framed drywall, using existing studs. It comes in a variety of colours and wood-grain finishes.

And it’s cost-effective as well as attractive. There’s no need to cover all the garage walls. We can install it along just one side wall to give you storage options, but still have ample clearance on the driver’s side of your car. We can also install it along the back wall of the garage with a variety of hooks and baskets to keep you organized.

The best part of having a slatwall in your garage is that you can easily rearrange hooks, shelves and baskets to accommodate tools and equipment for whatever season you’re in.

Ready to transform your garage? Give us a call

Make Way for Spring in Your Garage

March 22, 2011 by Rick Scully

In our last post we talked about pre-planning for the season ahead. In keeping with that theme, let’s give some thought to your garage. It’s finally time (or almost time) to lay snow shovels and snow blowers to rest for another nine months, along with ice scrapers, bags of salt, skis and snowboards. Where are you going to store them? Your garage, of course, but let’s not close the subject there.

If you thoughtlessly dump winter items onto the floor of your garage, you’ll not only have a harder time manoeuvring your way around your vehicle; you may also risk damaging this valuable possession. (Skis and shovels stacked in the corner aren’t as steady as you may think.) What’s more, you won’t have an easy time accessing garden hoses, planters, lawn mowers and the other items that you’ll wish to have readily available come spring.

The solution: garage organization. With the right garage cabinets and wall organizers in place, you can almost completely eliminate clutter from your floor, freeing up space that will allow you to utilize your garage to the max this spring. If you need a hand getting organized, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to talk to you about a custom garage storage solution.

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