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Planning a Garage Renovation this Summer

February 20, 2018 by Rick Scully

It’s the time of the year when people are planning for their garage renovations over the summer.  There are many aspects to completing a successful garage renovation project.  A lot of people are looking to finally get a garage storage solution for all the things that the family dumps onto the garage floor instead of having a place for everything to reside inside the garage.

If you’re finally done with having to look at the chaos in the garage, you’re ready for a garage renovation this year.  To get the family and the garage ready for a garage storage system, here are some steps to take.

Start Planning Well in Advance

The garage renovation season is approximately mid-spring to mid-autumn because temperature is important to some aspects of the project such as some of the garage flooring and paint.  When the temperature is moderate then these applications will dry and set with high quality and long lasting results.  As home owners, we all want high quality renovation projects completed.

In addition, good renovation specialists will be booked many weeks in advance.  So, meeting with a garage renovation specialist early is a good idea not only to book the project timeline for a garage renovation that is ideal for your family and their many activities this summer but it also sets out the time to prepare for the project.

De-Clutter and Select Items to Store

If your family has collected many items or have plans to store things in the garage which are actually sitting elsewhere in the home, it’s important to identify these items for storage.  In addition, de-cluttering family belongings helps the homeowner avoid trying to store things that the family does not actually use.  Finally, group the items which will be stored in the garage into their respective piles. It is an important initial step of the process to take inventory of things which will need to reside in the garage in the long term.

After these initial steps, other activities will become apparent and discussed as your well-chosen garage renovation specialist guides you and your family through the project process.

Choose a Quality Garage Renovation Specialist

One of the most important aspects of a successful project is finding a good garage renovation specialist. 

So, what are the qualities homeowners are seeking in a garage renovation specialist?  The garage renovation specialist is the key to your project team in achieving a result with the best possible outcome with the best experience for your family.  Here are some key qualities to consider and how they’ll affect your project this summer.

A Garage Renovation Specialist must be a Creative Solution Provider

professional garage interior designer, rick scully, spatial visualization, engineering, design, commercial tools, knowledge, experienceWhen it comes creating garage solutions to our storage problems, there are a lot of factors at play from the idiosyncrasies of the garage space to the unique lifestyle needs of each of the family members in your home.

The creativity of a good garage renovation specialist assures that new solutions can be found to difficult combinations of challenges around the garage. Also, creativity means that new and unique solutions can be found when faced with difficult problems and challenges.

Creative solution providers ask the questions that need to be addressed.  Working as a team with the homeowners to find the answers, the garage renovation specialist can work to achieve optimal solutions that address the challenges of a project.

Does Your Garage Renovation Specialist Act as your Personal Project Manager?

Not only will a good garage renovation specialist manage their own crew and work timetable, but they’ll also guide the homeowners through the steps they need to take or considerations that they’ll need to make throughout the entire project.  Instead of having to make hasty decisions at the last minute, guiding the planning and decision making process well in advance allows the homeowner to have peace of mind with their choices.

Every homeowner wants to know what they’ll experience or need to do to achieve the best garage storage solution outcome.  When the garage renovation specialist acts as your own personal project manager, you’ll get the guidance needed to both prepare and act when required.

Quality Garage Renovation Specialists Possess Strong Communication Skills

Organizing and creating a garage storage system that fits the family lifestyle while overcoming any physical challenges within the garage requires effective communication skills.  Homeowners may have some anxiety but there are also more moving parts to a garage renovation than some people may suspect.  It’s everything from unique challenges of a garage space to the weather and timing of garage storage items to the responses of younger or older family members being prepared for the changes ahead.

Good communication skills amongst the garage renovation specialist and the family members will result in:

  1. Increased Clarity: everyone understands what will happen and there is time to take it all in so that frustration remains low and understanding remains high
  2. Increased Success: when everyone is clear on the project steps and direction, the garage renovation specialist and homeowners can work together for optimal results
  3. Project Productivity: clear communication means the project moves forward meeting both the project timeline as well as the project budget
  4. Homeowner Satisfaction: when people can understand the vision and everyone is able to communicate their own thoughts, concerns and anticipated directions then everyone will feel a satisfaction with both the process as well as the outcome

Punctuality is Respect for You & Your Project

Punctuality is respect for people, the team and the project.  It shows discipline and the ability to focus on the tasks at hand while meeting timelines.  It reduces stress on the project and for the homeowners.  We’ve been noted for our punctuality and whenever we run into traffic issues or another type of delay, we will call ahead to let homeowners know how long we’ll be delayed.

It’s not only satisfying for us, but it keeps our homeowners experiencing project timelines with few to no delays.

A Commitment to Quality Results is Essential

From product selection to the quality of the workmanship for each renovation project, quality is the key. Homeowners experience pride in their garage and the garage storage solutions that matches their family lifestyle.

For us, quality is not just good quality product selection but it’s assuring that there isn’t that awkward gap because the cabinets are just 4 inches short of the wall or space.  Everything is made to measure which means it fits the garage space and everything is configured to fit plum with the wall and floor lines.  It’s all made to measure. Just like a kitchen with all its cabinets and appliances fitting perfectly and plum to each wall, a quality garage renovation will do the same for the garage.

An Established Track Record in Successful Garage Renovations Completed

We can say a lot about our work but the proof is in the many satisfied homeowners we have helped.  We have a wide variety of transformations that we’ve posted not only to give people an idea of what can be done with a variety of challenges but it also gives people an idea of how homeowners have felt about their projects.

Get Started Today with Your Garage Renovation Project

If you’re looking to recover the space in your garage for a storage system which will meet your growing family demands and with an experience you’ll find as satisfying as the final results, contact one of our garage renovation specialists today.

Filed Under: Garage Renovation Tagged With: customized garage storage solutions, de-cluttering, garage flooring, garage renovation specialists, growing family demands, homeowners, personal project manager, quality workmanship

What to Look for in a Professional Garage Designer

March 25, 2014 by Rick Scully

You’ve decided that you’re finally ready to renovate your garage and you don’t want to do it yourself. How do you know which professional garage designer is right for you? Of course, you want to know that the person’s business is licensed and insured. However, there are several other factors that will help you decide whether a garage design professional will meet your needs. Here are a few to consider.

Experience

One of the advantages of hiring a professional garage designer, rather than trying to tackle the project yourself, is the knowledge, wisdom and experience that he or she will bring to the project. Every project is different. However, the more renovation projects the person has under his belt, the more scenarios he has encountered. This adds to the person’s overall knowledgebase, which is invaluable on a design project. Ask your potential designer how many projects he has designed. If he has a strong body of work, he should have a substantial portfolio that he is willing to share. Otherwise, your project could end up being where the designer cuts his teeth. Good for him; potentially disastrous for you.

what to look for in a professional garage designer

Testimonials and References

If the designer has a large body of work, then he should also have several happy customers who have given him glowing testimonials. Look for testimonials on the designer’s website. If there are several, that’s a good start. However, how do you know that all of that glowing praise is from legitimate customers? Ask the design pro for references from past clients who are willing to spend a few minutes talking to you. A good designer with a solid body of work, and lots of happy clients, will likely have several.

Work Style and Reliability

When talking to references, don’t just ask about the design itself. Find out what it was like to work with this designer.

  • Was he prompt?
  • Did he deliver on his promises?
  • Was the owner/manager on site?
  • Was the project on time? On budget?
  • Did he clearly communicate about any problems or issues that arose?
  • Was he respectful of their property and that of their neighbors?
  • Did he follow-up promptly with any requests?
  • Have there been any issues since the completion of the project?
  • Would they hire the designer again in the future?

Detailed Proposal

Within a few days of meeting with you and seeing your space, your potential garage design professional should come up with a proposal. If you’ve wanted to renovate your garage for a long time, the moment you get that proposal can be truly exciting. You begin envisioning your new space. Take a hard look, though, at the proposal itself. Is it a simple sketch with few details? Did the person jot down a few ideas on the back of a napkin? A competent garage design professional will provide you with a detailed proposal that clearly defines the scope, timeline and estimated cost of the project.

Customized Solutions

Look closer at the proposal. Does it reflect that the designer took the time to get to understand your lifestyle and what’s most important to you in your garage renovation? Does the proposal make the most of your unique space? Is the designer simply planning to install “out-of-the-box” cabinets and shelves, or are you getting a space designed to fit your specific needs? An experienced design professional will maximize your space by building custom storage solutions that take advantage of overhead space and other areas of the space you probably hadn’t considered. A good design pro will ensure that the renovated space fits your lifestyle and specialized storage needs. For instance, if your family is active and has bicycles, kayaks and other sporting goods, the space will be specifically designed to house those goods.

Service Follow-up Spelled Out in Contract     

You expect, of course, that everything will turn out well on a project. However, it is important to address what happens when things don’t go exactly as planned. What kind of follow-up does the garage design professional offer? Is a warranty offered on the materials that will be used in the renovation, like slatwall, shelving, cabinetry and flooring treatments? Does he guarantee his work? If so, for how long? While such scenarios aren’t pleasant to consider, the possibility of paying for an expensive renovation and being left with shoddy work or materials, and no recourse, is far worse.

Planning a garage renovation is exciting. A well-designed garage can organize your life and beautify your home. However, it is well worth it to do your homework when it comes to choosing the garage design professional that will transform your space.

Would you like to see what an experienced garage design professional can do for your space? Request a consultation today.

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Garage Flooring, The Rest of the Story

August 27, 2013 by Rick Scully

2 car garage, north york - garage flooring, recycle bins, workbench

With our most recent post, the crucial steps to properly preparing the floor for the application of a new finish was thoroughly discussed. Now that the existing garage floor has been properly prepared, the actual finishing process can begin.  At this point, it is time to get into high gear and ensure best practices are followed to install the best floor finish possible.

Before we begin, here is a quick note about your choices of materials and why professional garage designers Garage Tailors Garage recommends using polyaspartic coatings.  As you probably know, there are two other popularly recommended materials for garage floors: paints and epoxy based coatings.  The challenge with both of these choices is twofold.  For one thing, both paint and epoxy only coat the top most layer of your concrete.  Whether you open the pores or not, paints and epoxy based materials essentially sit on the top of your floor. Alternatively, water soluble materials such as polyaspartic coatings actually penetrate deep down into the concrete pores.  Of course, now you can see yet another reason that opening the pores in the preparation phase is such a crucial step.

A second issue with paints or epoxy materials is that they are not so forgiving when your concrete floor moves.  You see, whether its apparent or not, your garage floor is subject to thermal expansion and contraction. The term thermal expansion and contraction means how your concrete actually swells up and expands in the heat.  In cool weather, the opposite effect occurs; your concrete floor actually shrinks or contracts.  Oftentimes, it is these expansion and contraction cycles that tend to lead to cracking and peeling from painted or epoxy coated floors.  Alternatively, polyaspartic coatings are significantly more forgiving. Polyaspartic coatings tend to move with your floor instead of breaking apart. 

Now it’s time to get back to work. At this point, the professional installation team applies the first application of your new polyaspartic coating.  One thing to note here is that polyaspartic coatings actually dry extremely fast.  Don’t be surprised if you see the installation teams pick up the pace a bit to complete the next steps before the drying process completes.  They know they have to be deliberate and focused as they work to apply the first coating.  Once this first coat is applied, the installation team brings out the color flakes you have chosen.  Remember, you have an incredible array of colors to choose from, we’ll help you with a choice that matches your garage and home exterior.  Just make sure you’ll be happy with your choice for a while.  You will see the installation team applying the color flakes as the base coat is curing. Applying the color flakes at this stage allows the flakes to become firmly and permanently embedded.  At first, it will look like your floor is covered with these color flakes.  That’s okay, though, it’s all part of a professional installation.

Next up, the floor needs to be cleaned up. You will see the installation team fetching their brooms and scrapers. Once the polyaspartic coating with the color flakes has dried, the team works to clean up any loose flakes.  First, you see the team take a broom to sweep up any excess.  Next the team carefully goes over your floor to scrape off any rough edges going both ways, that is up and own.   Now, your floor is vacuumed to remove any remaining flakes or other debris on the floor so that your floor is ready for the remaining steps in this process.

Now you are in the home stretch, where a specialized sealant is applied as the last stage in your floor refinishing project.  This sealant is carefully and methodically rolled onto all sections of your garage floor.  You will be pleased to learn this sealant serves as a final lockdown for your new floor finish. Think of it as a protective shield. At this point in your floor refinishing project, a specialized sealant is applied as a top coating.  This sealant is “rolled” on to your floor and serves as a final lockdown for your new floor finish.  It serves as a protective shield.   The sealant includes an Ultraviolet (UV) ray inhibitor which protects the floor from fading in the bright summer sun.  This sealant is allowed to thoroughly dry.   You will see the installation team conduct a final walk through to make sure the new floor finish is complete and ready for your enjoyment.

 Now that the project is complete here is a little bit more about your new floor finish.  The polyaspartic floor is good for the lifetime of your garage floor.  Unlike some of the other garage floor refinish options that must be redone every 3 to 5 years, you can count on your new polyaspartic floor finish for the lifetime of your garage floor.

Filed Under: Garage Floors Tagged With: best garage floor finish, concrete pores, contraction, drying process, epoxy based coatings, floor refinishing project, garage flooring, north york, Garage Tailors Garage, paints based coatings, polyaspartic coatings, Professional Garage Designers, professional installation team, refinishing project, sealant, specialized sealant, The polyaspartic floor, thermal expansion, Ultraviolet (UV) ray inhibitor

Garage Flooring, The Untold Story

August 13, 2013 by Rick Scully

2 car garage willowdale showcase - painted garage floor, cement block floor

Nowadays many homeowners who want to refinish their garage floors start with online searches or queries with the neighborhood big-box store.  Oftentimes, these inspired homeowners walk out with a do-it-yourself recipe that is sadly lacking a few key ingredients.  Much like leaving out a key ingredient such as yeast when you want to bake a loaf of bread, it’s the missing ingredients that can make or break the success of your garage floor refinishing project.

 The Facts about Proper Garage Floor Refinishing

You have undoubtedly heard the wisdom from the old days about how it’s all about the preparation. That is especially true with your garage floor.  The initial preparation steps are essential to properly finishing your garage floor.

First of all, before any real action starts, the garage floor must be tested for moisture content.  Some of those D-I-Y recipes often fail to mention how important is to determine how much water there is in your concrete floor.  The professional installation team here at Garage Tailors Garage begins each and every floor refinishing project by conducting a moisture test at various sample points around your floor.  You see, without the appropriate strategies to prevent water seeping up into your new floor finish, any existing moisture may well propagate through the concrete and lead to pop ups, peeling or even cracking.  Knowing how much moisture is already there tells the installation team how best to proceed when your new floor coating is applied.

Now that the moisture content has been checked and recorded, the real preparation work begins.  This phase of the project is referred to by the professionals as “opening up the pores”. For now, here’s what you need to know about this process.  You might have seen or heard some recommendations to use muriatic acid to clean or open up the pores in your concrete floor.  This is a lousy idea for a couple of reasons.  As you know, muriatic acid is a hazard.  You do not want to be using this chemical in an enclosed space, or certainly, not without the proper breathing attire, hand and eye protection, that sort of thing.  But more importantly, muriatic acid does not actually perform well on older concrete to clean or open up the pores.  Muriatic acid reacts with existing organics in or on your floor to bind them or lock them into the cement.  Organics are substances such as oils, greases, plant matterand so on. When organic compounds are bound in place, instead of being chemically removed, it does not allow concrete pores from being opened up for a long lasting floor application.

concrete floor preparation grinderProfessional garage floor preparation is best accomplished by an abrasive grinding process which removes the top 1/16 of an inch from the top of your floor.  Understand this grinding process is not even possible without the proper equipment.  The commercial grinder used by professionals is equipped with a large circular carbide blade which removes the uppermost layer of the existing floor.  Additionally, these industrial grinders are equipped with a continuously running vacuum which captures any resulting concrete dust.  You will see the installation team wheel this monster tool into your garage and then carefully grind the entire floor.

The newly exposed concrete is now ready for the next phase of the project.  At this point, the installation team does an exceedingly careful inspection of your garage floor.  They look for and carefully identify and mark any cracks, voids, pitting, etc.  These areas are then carefully repaired one by one with hydraulic cement, a common concrete material found at the big box stores.  This patching material is a fast-curing concrete repair material.  This repair material is allowed to dry, which takes less than an hour.

At this point, your preparation steps are just about complete. The installation team carefully sweeps up any loose material, smoothes out any rough repair material and ensures the entire surface is ready for the next step.  After removing all the loose material, the team  works on the  moisture barrier.  In this case, the moisture barrier is a solution that is carefully and methodically applied to the entire surface of your floor.  This highly specialized sealant material penetrates through the freshly opened pores of the concrete to bind the sealant and create that essential water barrier that prevents floor coatings from lifting.  Once it is dry, this sealant protects your floor and your new floor covering from moisture intrusion.

Does all of the above sound like a lot?  Well, for a homeowner or a weekend D-I-Y ‘er, it might be, but for the professional installation team here at Garage Tailors Garage, it’s all in a day’s work.

Next: Once the floor is prepared, how is the new floor coating applied? 

Filed Under: Garage Floors Tagged With: abrasive grinding process, breathing attire, circular carbide blade, commercial grinder, concrete floor, D-I-Y recipes, floor coatings, floor covering, floor refinishing, floor test, garage flooring, hand -eye protection, moisture barrier, moisture content, moisture intrusion, muriatic acid, Garage Tailors Garage, organic compounds, professional installation team, sealant, water barrier

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.

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A Brief History of Garages

February 21, 2012 by Rick Scully

carriage house for horses, converted for cars garagesOver 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.

Filed Under: Garage Storage Systems Tagged With: Atlantic Monthly, auto lifts Canada, auto lifts for garage, automatic garage door opener, car lift Canada, car lift for garage, Carports, carriage houses, evolution of garages, first garages, French garer, garage cabinets, garage floor coating, garage flooring, garage floors, garage interior design, garage interior walls, garage interiors, Garage Mahals, garage organization, garage overhead storage solutions, garage overhead storage systems, garage storage, garage storage systems, garage wall coverings, garage wall organizers, hooks, house design, hydraulic lifts, interlocking floor tiles, main house, multiple cars, professional garage organizer, shelves, stand-alone structures, steel garage cabinets storage

What to Expect When You’re Organizing Your Garage

November 22, 2011 by Rick Scully

garage organization project checklistIn the last several blog entries, we discussed clearing the clutter out of your garage.  In today’s blog, you’re going to find out about the process of a garage transformation, getting an estimate and what questions you should be prepared for.

When I’m called in, the decluttering should be nearly complete.  Only the stuff you want to keep should be in the garage.  When we can see the space we’re working with, it makes planning a whole lot easier.

You may also find that there’s stuff in the house such as seasonal decorations that you’d like to store in the garage as well as boxed items like clothes, or tools that are currently in the basement.

Some people have a good idea of what they want or need, such as shelves for storage, tools they want to hang on the wall, cabinets to keep things out of the way.  Most people show me what they want to store and ask for recommendations.

The main questions I need answered are:

  • What’s your objective?
  • What do you want the garage to do that it’s not doing today?
  • How many cars do you want to fit in the garage?

The answers to these questions and the initial visit can last up to an hour.  I get a sense of how the client lives and what they are looking for.  I try and understand their aesthetic priorities versus their functional needs.

Some people like to be able to see everything at a glance.  In this case it could be mostly hooks and shelves.  Other people are a little messy, and I understand that.  Cabinets are great for hiding messes, as well as keeping things like chemicals out of the reach of small hands, for people who have kids.

Within two days of the visit, I’ll send a detailed drawing, proposal and itemized estimate.  It’s not something I can do on the spot as each job is custom, which is one of the benefits of using Garage TailorsGarage.

The transformation can be done in as little as two days, if all we’re doing is getting the garage organized.  If we’re drywalling, that will add another two days and flooring will add a day.

Once you’ve had a chance to look over the proposal and estimate, you have a chance to ask any questions you might have, give me additional suggestions and make the decision to move forward and have the garage that you’ve always wanted.

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Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder

October 13, 2011 by Rick Scully

seasonal garage anxiety disorderFor 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.

Filed Under: Garage Makeovers, Garage Storage Solutions, Garage Storage Systems, Organizing Tips Tagged With: bicycles, canoes, cleaning garage, garage, garage cabinets, garage doors, garage flooring, garage storage systems, garage wall organizers, garbage bins, gardening tools, holiday decorations, house, kayaks, lawn mowers, park cars, recycling bins, scraping ice, seasonal decorations, Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder, security, two cars, vehicles, windshield, winter tires

Keep your garage smelling clean

July 5, 2011 by Rick Scully

garage smell clean air freshDoes your garage smell like a garage?  Summertime is the ideal opportunity to clear the air and start fresh.

As I’ve mentioned before, if you have a slatwall system and polyaspartic flooring, cleaning the garage is a breeze. But regardless of what kinds of walls or flooring you have, there are a few things you need to do to minimize dirt and odours:

Keep rodents away:

  • Seal up any spaces where animals can enter.  Have a good look at the walls and the ceiling.  Mice can get in through the tiniest holes.
  • If you must keep garbage in your garage, make sure the bins are well sealed and you wash the containers regularly to get rid of any “come to dinner” smells.

Eliminate mould:

  • Look for white spots on the walls, which indicate dampness. Mildew and mould can form and cause odours and health problems.
  • Check the roof on a garage that is separate from the house. Mould can also form from water coming in through the shingles

Prevent chemicals odours

  • Sort through any hazardous products in the garage and dispose of anything you don’t need.
  • Make sure lids are secure on gas containers or smelly solvents.  It’s best to keep this sort of thing behind doors in a cabinet.

Another important thing to note is if you have a room above your garage, make sure your garage is properly drywalled and sealed.  Dangerous (and odourless) carbon monoxide gas can escape into your room.

Need help?  Give us a call.

 

 

Filed Under: Environmental Responsibility, Garage Floors, Garage Storage Solutions Tagged With: eliminating odours, garage, garage cleaning, garage floor coating, garage flooring, garage organization, garage pest control, garage storage systems, garage tidy-up

Easy Spring Cleaning in your Organized Garage

April 5, 2011 by Rick Scully

polyaspartic flooring system

At this time of year, many of us think about giving our homes a spring clean but what about the garage?

For months, you’ve been driving salt and slush into this outdoor space, so the floor is the first thing to tackle in the garage.

Dirt stuck in cracks in the garage floor will never come out, that’s why it’s important to have a quality floor coating. In a previous post we talked about choosing flooring options. Garage Tailors Garage uses a polyaspartic flooring system that will resist cracks and abrasions for years to come and is 4x more durable than epoxy flooring.  And, this flooring is easy to maintain too.

Here’s how to maintain your polyaspartic flooring system:

  • Use a strong bristle broom to sweep away all loose debris and dust
  • Fill a bucket with hot water and add a few drops of dishwashing detergent, preferably one that contains a de-greaser, such as Palmolive
  • Pour the solution on to the garage floor and scrub with your broom. For more aggressive spots such as oil, use a little Varsol and scrub thoughly.
  • Rinse the floor thoroughly with clean water and remove excess water with a sponge-head mop or shop vac.

With a little TLC, a floor from Garage Tailors Garage will look like new each spring.

If you need more help getting your garage ready for spring and summer, give us a call.

 

Filed Under: Garage Floors Tagged With: cleaning organized, cleaning organized garage, easy spring cleaning, epoxy coating, floor, floor coating, garage, garage floor, garage floor coating, garage floor coatings, garage flooring, garage flooring systems, garage floors, Garage Tailors Garage, organized garage, spring clean, spring cleaning, spring cleaning organized, storage systems

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GARAGE VIEWS FROM NUVO

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  • The Secret To A Clutter-Free Life – Garage Cabinets 101
  • The Secret to Making Your Garage the Envy of the Neighborhood – Epoxy Flooring!
  • Get Ready to Drool – Epoxy Garage Floors Are the Ultimate Luxury Upgrade!
  • Is It Worth Investing In Epoxy Garage Flooring?
  • A Guide To Help You Get Rid Of Unwanted Mess In The Garage
  • Things To Keep In Mind While Organizing Your Garage
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  • Do I Really Need A Garage Cabinet System?

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