Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Archives

The gift-giving season is upon us. If you’re a parent or grandparent, you may find yourself in need of a workspace where you can create or assemble toys and other gifts away from prying eyes. Or perhaps you simply want a workshop where you can work on crafts and hobbies. Your garage can provide the needed workspace and solitude.

Create Workable Space

If your garage is the family dumping ground for old toys, furniture and sports equipment, you might find it difficult to make room in your garage for your vehicle(s). Finding space for a safe, comfortable workspace in your garage probably seems like an impossible dream. However, integrating a slatwall organization system, like slatwall, into your garage reserves much-needed floor space.

Wall organization panels utilize movable shelves, hooks and baskets to store toys, tools, sporting goods and other items along vertical wall space. With most items stored neatly along the walls, you can carve out a back corner or sidewall to create workspace or a makeshift Santa’s Workshop.

Locate your new workspace near an existing electrical outlet. If your garage lacks sufficient outlets or enough power to accommodate your work, have additional outlets installed by a professional electrician. The use of extension cords should be minimized. If an extension cord is required, make sure it’s approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Standard incandescent overhead lighting is adequate if you do little more than park your vehicle in your garage. To create a functional workshop in the garage you’ll require directed task lighting. Ceiling-mounted spotlights and track lighting can flood a particular area with much-needed lighting. Tabletop or desk-mounting lightings provide focused lighting on your work surface. If you’ll be working beneath an overhead cabinet, under cabinet fluorescent lighting is a good option for creating directed task lighting.

You’ll also want to stay warm and cozy while you’re working. A fan-forced electric garage heater is a relatively inexpensive way to safely warm the space. There is no messy fuel to deal with and no open flame, so electric heaters are maintenance-free and easy to operate. Be sure to follow all of the manufacturer’s directions and don’t place the heater too close to anything combustible.

Now that you have a warm, well-lit corner of the garage, it’s time to find the perfect workspace.

Explore Workspace Options

The most essential component in your garage workshop will be the flat workspace. There are a variety of options for your work surface:

Custom cabinets.

A sleek, highly-flexible modular cabinet system like Contur Cabinets offers timeless design and highly-functional cabinets and workspace at an affordable price. Sturdy, adjustable shelves and spacious, lockable drawers provide ample space to store tools and materials.

Box store workbench.

A typical wooden or stainless steel workbench, available at any home improvement store, can provide a flat work surface, if additional storage isn’t needed. Carefully measure the space in your garage to make sure the workbench will fit. A bench with adjustable height is preferable, particularly if more than one person will be using the space. Opt for a model that has a footrest; this will help alleviate strain on the legs and back.

Reclaimed furniture.

For a quick fix, repurpose an old desk, table or dresser into a work surface for your garage. This is a great way to make use of that damaged piece of furniture you just can’t seem to let go of. If you don’t have a table or desk that’s the appropriate size or height, try garage sales or resale shops. Repurposing furniture and other items reduces your carbon footprint and gives new life to a treasured old piece. Just be sure that any standing workbench has an appropriate height, so as not to cause back or neck strain.

Made-to-measure workbench.

Creating workspace in your garage may seem hopeless if you have very limited space or an odd configuration. However, an innovative garage renovation specialist can create a custom or made-to-measure workbench to accommodate your space. Even in a small, one-car garage a fold-away workbench can provide the workspace you need.

For more tips on how to set up an ergonomic standing workspace, refer to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

Plan for Next Year

A reclaimed desk or box store workbench can be an ideal short-term solution for assembling toys and other items in preparation for holiday gift-giving. However, if you’re looking for a year-round workshop for gardening, auto or bicycle maintenance or crafts and hobbies, these solutions might not provide the storage and space you require. Begin planning your garage renovation now.

A garage renovation specialist can maximize storage and workspace in your garage, creating a custom or made-to-measure workbench, if needed. Check out some of amazing garage transformations Garage Tailors Garage has done in the Greater Toronto area. Then begin thinking about how you’d like to use your garage in the year ahead. Whether your goal is to store all of your bikes, tools and lawn care equipment and still have room to park your vehicles or to create a bona fide workshop in your garage, we can help.

We look forward to beautiful holiday light displays at this time of year. However, holiday decorations cause numerous residential fires each year, most of which could be prevented. So before you plot your head-turning holiday display, let’s review some best practices for installing and storing holiday décor.

Electrical Requirements

Verify that all outdoor electrical outlets are working. It’s best to plug lights directly into outdoor ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. When extension cords are required, it’s safer to use a longer, heavy-duty cord than to string together shorter extension cords. The extension cords used must be rated for outdoor use by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) – ground fault circuit interrupter.

Don’t overload electrical outlets. According to the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, no more than three standard-size sets of lights should be used per extension cord. If your garage and outdoor outlets are on the same circuit, you’ll need to take the lighting, garage door opener, outlets and other items plugged inside your garage into the equation as well. Lay out your holiday display with the location of electrical outlets in mind to reduce the temptation to use too many extension cords.

Examine Holiday Lighting for Damage

Examine each string of holiday lights for damage sustained during previous use or storage. Dispose of lighting with cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections. Test each light string, then replace burned out bulbs. When buying new holiday lights, consider LED lights, which burn cooler and use less energy.

Safely Install Lighting

To reduce fire hazard, secure lights with insulated tape, insulated staples or hooks. Don’t use nails or tacks. Do not attach lighting over, under or along metal eavestroughs.

Securely fasten lights to the walls of the house or garage, trees, or other stable structures to avoid wind damage. Point bulbs toward the ground to keep moisture out of the sockets. Hang lighting and extension cords high enough above the ground so they won’t sit in snow and puddles.

Don’t block exits with holiday decorations. All exits must remain easily accessible, in the event of a fire. For added safety, turn off the lights at night or when you are away from home.

Storing Holiday Decorations

Safely storing holiday décor is the best way to ensure that lighting and other décor remains in good repair. Clear, stackable plastic containers provide excellent storage space for holiday décor. Contents remain visible, making it easier to find items. As you dismantle holiday light displays, note the length of each string of lights and where it was used. Include this info on or in the storage container. Eliminate tangling, which can damage wiring, by using a holiday lights storage reel or wrapping each string around a clean, empty cylindrical can or a piece of cardboard.

Dead space in the garage provides an ideal location for storing seasonal items like holiday lighting and decorations. How can you make the best use of what may seem like unusable space in your garage? Here are three options:

Overhead Storage Racks: Installing overhead shelving can be tricky, so consult a garage renovation specialist if you’re unfamiliar with how to safely install weight-bearing overhead shelving. Garage Tailors Garage offers metal storage shelving to make underutilized ceiling height functional. Metal storage units are made of durable steel and the largest units support up to 700lbs. Store lighting and other holiday decorations in stackable bins on overhead storage racks in the garage. Access the space using a step ladder.
Install a pulley-based storage platform. Accessing seasonal items stored on overhead storage shelves can be difficult for those with physical limitations. A pulley-based platform uses a crank to lower the items to the floor where they can easily be loaded or unloaded. This type of system is ideal for storing artificial trees and large outdoor displays. Consult a garage renovation specialist to determine whether this option is feasible for your garage.

Made-to-measure solutions. Made-to-measure shelving, platforms and mezzanines provide additional storage space for stackable plastic bins and large holiday displays. Made-to-measure garage shelving can be installed high on a back or side wall. Made-to-measure platforms provide additional vertical storage space high on a back wall. Tall garages with lots of wasted overhead space can accommodate made-to-measure mezzanines which provide considerable storage for holiday décor and other seasonal items rarely accessed.

Need additional storage space in your garage for seasonal items? Request a consultation with a garage renovation specialist and discover how Garage Tailors Garage can transform wasted vertical space into functional, attractive storage space.

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Create Workshop Space in Your Garage