garage renovation specialist Archives

Earth Day Canada 2019 – EarthPlay

April 7, 2019 by Rick Scully

This April 22^nd is Earth Day 2019 (https://earthday.ca/) and the Canadian theme has been EarthPlay. It’s about having outdoor play for children to foster social connection, a sense of inclusion, resilience, health and their interest in the environment. You can also foster a sense of community if you run a street party for all the kids in the neighbourhood. And, of course, it all starts at home, in the yard or driveway.

Getting the young ones involved in Earth Day activities is a great way to kick-start their interest in being and playing outdoors on a regular basis. Here are some ways to not only get your own kids outside but all the kids in the neighbourhood to enjoy play outdoors together.

Loose Parts Outdoor Play

Earth Day Canada is promoting adventure parks for outdoor play at local parks. It’s the latest design concept in outdoor parks where loose parts maximizes children’s creativity, communication and social interaction.

In 2008, an observational study provided research on loose parts playgrounds showing that all children like to act out little dramas with each other on the playground. When loose play parts where added to static parts of the playground, the level of play became more dynamic where the children used the loose parts to create new play areas together and then played out new dramas within the new spaces created.

This sort of open-ended self-directed play is something where all the kids in the neighbourhood could benefit. If an Adventure Playground with loose parts is something that would make sense for your neighbourhood, it can start with smaller steps this Earth Day to get the kids involved and the neighbourhood too.

Loose Parts Outdoor Play at Home

Hosting an adventure playground in your own front yard and driveway is the place to start. Now that it’s spring, it’s time to do some spring cleaning and the best place to find some of those loose parts would be the garage. It is a good way to both de-clutter the garage and start gathering loose parts for a play area in your yard or driveway.

Finding loose parts for your outdoor playground at home consists of recycled materials that you already have lying around the garage. They can be everything from old tires, wood blocks, cardboard boxes, pvc piping or cardboard tubes, plastic bottles & caps, old wooden spoons, old pots & pans and old plastic bowls. From the outdoors, fallen branches and leaves, pebbles, larger stones, pine cones, dirt and water. Reclaimed wood pallets, bamboo poles, old blankets or fabrics, buckets, some plastic planters and other non-recyclable items make for better loose play items than more garbage for the landfills.

For toddlers and pre-schoolers, keep the pieces larger so that it’s not something that they will swallow. Anything reusable, flexible and either unbreakable or harmless if broken would work well for the loose parts playground. Be prepared that loose play items typically get damaged during play.

When it comes to storage, some playground pieces such as the branches, stones and pebbles can be stored outside in a designated play area. Other pieces such as recycled household items can be stored in large rolling bins or toy trunks so the kids can roll out all the pieces to the driveway or play area. With appropriate garage storage systems, large storage bins and storage bags loose play items can be stored easily so the kids can pull or roll these things out to play.

Storage bins can be stored on platforms. Otherwise, slatwall organization systems with camlock hooks can hang large storage bags of loose play parts. On rainy days, the kids can return wet and muddy loose parts with a minimal of clean up. Especially when a polyaspartic garage floor coating covers the cement floor of the garage, it makes garage floor maintenance simple. If you don’t have some of these standard storage components in your garage, you may want to consider a garage remodel or renovation this spring so the garage has a place for your children’s outdoor play toys.

Outdoor Play on the Street

To get outdoors, combining loose parts play areas with other outdoor activities is important. Riding bikes, scooters, skateboard and more can be a big part of spending time outdoors. Also, road hockey on quieter crescents or streets as well as basketball and skip rope on sidewalks or driveways are great outdoor activities.

This Earth Day, you can get the families on the street together, get a street event permit and have a street party. During the day, multiple play stations for the children could kick-start play dates amongst the families on the street with evening events so the entire family can participate.

Garage Remodel, Reuse and Renovation

Earth Day is a great way to kick off good habits for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. As we try to get our families connected to the environment, we can also get connected to our neighbours and community while decluttering our garage and re-organizing it so that we can reuse items for our children’s playtime.

To help the kids find places to put things back, consider a garage remodel or renovation so appropriate garage storage solutions can be designed. Contact us for a complimentary in-home consultation early to plan the timing of your garage interior design.

Christmas Decorations Inside and Out of the Garage

October 23, 2018 by Rick Scully

garage renovation, garage interior design, garage renovation, slatwall organization system, garage cabinets, garage storage, aluminum, steel, wood, workbench, made to measure, swisstrax ribtrax,

It’s that time again to get out the Christmas decorations. There are a lot of people out there who enjoy going all out to do a light show with choreographed music themes and moving lawn ornaments to match. With an aging population, this may not be possible for all of us. And, getting up on ladders may not always be practical for everyone especially if you have a fear of heights.

However, many of us thoroughly enjoy this time of year and we want to participate in the merriment, the coming together of people as well as all the good tidings of joy and peace. Here are some ideas for how to decorate the garage from the outside while using the garage for storing decorations again in the new year.

Overhead Garage Storage for Rarely Used Items

The overhead space is the best place to store things we use only once or twice a year. Or, we may want to store summer garden tools in the overhead space during the winter and early spring when we need to use winter tools to maintain the driveway and yard in these colder seasons.

Overhead platforms offer open storage space where it is fairly easy to see what’s up there and it is only a limited distance of 18 to 24 inches to the back or furthest reaches of the platform. They come in a variety of formats including made-to-measure wood platforms with pot lights installed to illuminate work spaces below. There are also metal shelves which are mounted against the walls or platforms which hang from the ceiling and can still carry hundreds of pounds of belongings as long as it is properly secured to the ceiling. And, for garages with a high ceiling, a mezzanine makes using the storage space above a lot easier.

For the smaller items such as strings of lights or delicate ornaments, clear plastic storage bins are a great way to store and manage the decorations available. They not only store well on overhead shelves or platforms, but they help the family to seethe available decorations available so you don’t end up with duplicate items which go unused each year due to a lack of space.

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Decorating Around the Garage Door

We often will hang a wreath on the front door and add decorations around the front steps or porch. Often, we forget the garage door yet this door may be a large part of the presentation of the front of the home.

Keeping with the theme that we might use for the front entrance of the house, we can add garlands along the top and down the sides of a garage opening. Wreaths can also be used on the garage door or along the opening of the garage by hanging them over the outdoor lighting fixtures or sconces.

Garage Door Wraps

These days, garage door wraps are available for garage doors of all sizes. They come in a variety of Christmas themes from peaceful to fun and frivolous. Depending on your style, a garage door wrap can match the style of your lawn ornaments.

Whether you go to the extent of having a nativity scene or reindeers with Santa, a garage door wrap can stand on its own or compliment the whole theme of the outdoor landscape décor.

Add Lighting along the Driveway

Still keeping it simple, if you don’t have the ability to get on a ladder and string lights around the house, you can always add a little light along the sides of the driveway. With reliable LED lights, they can be installed temporarily or as a permanent feature of the driveway with spotlights highlighting potted plants of the season or seasonal ornaments.

At the foot of the driveway is a great spot to place over sized outdoor bows, wreaths or seasonal ornaments to welcome your guests with the spirit of the season. All of these decorative ideas not only highlight the garage and the driveway which is the first entry to the house, but it adds some practical benefits of lighting the driveway for more easily locating the driveway entrance on quieter streets.

Make Seasonal Storage Easy for the Whole Family

At the end of the season, most of these decorative ornaments and lights have to go back into storage until the next year. If you find that storing your seasonal decorations has become difficult to manage, start planning for a garage renovation and design which will create a garage storage system to help your family transition to the winter season, the holiday season as well as all the family activities which winter inspires.

Should I convert my garage into an additional room?

October 9, 2018 by Rick Scully

As our families grow and change, we have growing needs for our home. We might start by just throwing a few things into the garage because we’ve run out of storage space in our basements. Next, we might organize the storage in our garage with a renovation so that everything has a place which is safe and secure from other items in our garage including vehicles which are parked inside the garage.

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With older children or parents / in-laws who might need to live with us, we might even start to think of the garage as more than just a storage space. Is it a good idea to turn the garage into an additional room in the house?

Can a Garage Be a Room for All Seasons?

In the warmer months, the garage makes for a good place to do some gardening chores such as potting plants, preparing seedlings for the planting season and preparing bulbs for storage over the winter. Even when the weather is not quite ready for planting, it’s a great place for the gardener who is itching to get their hands into the soil to start tinkering around with the plants. For the handy person in the family, it’s a great place to do some of the creative and DIY projects around the home.

In the heart of winter, the garage is still not the most pleasant place for most of us. Even with a space heater and insulation, it’s difficult to keep the garage warm enough to be a full time living space. A few people still manage to use the room for hobbies even on some of the colder days of the year. However, without a full renovation and conversion of the garage into a permanent room of the house, it is difficult for the garage to be a pleasant living space in the winter.

If I Convert My Garage into a Room, will it Affect the Value of My Home?

The floor plan of the conversion is very important. Open concept living spaces can affect the value of a home by 25% so to make the overall living concept flow through to the additional room which the garage will become may require some professional design.

Renovating a detached garage into a guest room or in-law suite might be a great idea but you’ll need to be able to bring electricity,heating and plumbing into the detached garage if it’s not already available. As a finishing touch, a covered walkway between the detached living space and the main house as part of the living space plan would complete the vision and flow of the garage as a room of the house.

Of course, anything you do to convert the garage into a living space will need to meet codes. For instance, ceiling heights need to be able to be at least 7.5 feet tall. In addition, a renovation which will meet building codes is essential. The new room will need additional electrical outlets, insulation and drywall as well as vents to extend the heating and cooling into the additional space so that room temperature can easily be maintained. Typical windows found in a garage are usually sub par to the ones we find in the living spaces of the house so new windows, skylights and other sources of natural light to make the space enjoyable while protecting the space from drafts, cold and heat.

Leaving the Vehicles Parked in the Driveway vs. the Garage

By converting a garage into a permanent living space which meets the building codes of the other rooms of the house, it leaves the home without a space to park vehicles. Firstly, this may affect your home’s value. It may be alright in an area where there is plenty of parking on the streets or in the driveway. However, many home people are looking for garages so it can cause some home buyers to overlook your home when it comes time to sell it.

Remember not to overlook the fact that parking a vehicle inside a garage has many benefits. Firstly, it protects the vehicle from the weather which reduces the wear and tear of fluctuating weather and prolong the life of the vehicle while reducing maintenance and repairs. In the winter, it’s a lot easier on the vehicle to be started from the warmer garage area than the freezing outdoor temperatures and in the morning, there’s no need to brush off snow or scrape ice which makes the morning easier for people who need to drive to work.

Also, parking a vehicle inside the garage reduces the chances of theft or vandalism of the vehicle by making it more difficult for someone to break into the vehicle and drive off unnoticed.

The Value of Garages to Homeowners

When you do have a driveway, you’ll want snow removal equipment or possibly salt for the sidewalk in front. Along with these essentials to maintain your home’s driveways and walkways, the garage has become an essential space for storing decorations, garden tools, sports equipment and vehicle accessories such as antifreeze, windshield wipers, tires and vehicle racks. Turning the garage into an additional room means losing a large amount of storage space for the family’s many belongings.

If it’s absolutely essential to get more living space,converting the garage might be a good idea. For most people, a good garage renovation will help most families get much more out of the garage space so that it’s a more pleasant space with a lot of organized garage storage opportunities. If you’re looking for more storage, contact a garage renovation specialist. If you’re looking for an additional room for your home, you’ll want to contact an interior designer who can help you get the most out of your space as well as your real estate investment.

Preparing for a Garage Sale

August 14, 2018 by Rick Scully

August 11^th 2018 was National Garage Sale Day. All of us can benefit from a garage sale from time to time. And, it’s a great way to spend time with your growing family and the lifestyle changes that occur as children grow out of old toys or as new sports or other hobbies enter our lives.

It’s not just the garage sale but the process which can be a great learning experience for everyone in the house. The day of the garage sale is a good way to connect with neighbours and friends from the neighbourhood. In fact, they often say that getting together with a few other families to plan a garage sale is a great way to be more successful. And, while the National Garage Sale Day occurs in August each year, any of the warm days from about April to October can be a good day.

A garage sale allows us to let go of things and manage our garage storage whether we’re looking to have a garage renovation done shortly or we’re looking to make the most of our existing garage storage options.

The Benefits of Decluttering

Decluttering and organizing has great psychological benefits for us and our family members. It’s a great learning experience for younger members in many ways.

There is a lot of decision making involved with decluttering because we are working with limited garage storage space while we may have a growing selection of things we believe we want to store. So, we need to make decisions as to which things to get rid of and which things might need to be stored elsewhere.

This task allows our children as well as ourselves to gain a sense of competence or confidence that we are able to do things well. Also, it gets everyone moving and active while accomplishing tasks so there is a lot of satisfaction about completing things.

Also, we know that we feel relief as well as reduced anxiety from being organized. Order and symmetry has been known to do this for us psychologically or as witnessed from people with OCD who feel temporary relief immediately after organizing something.

Step-by-Step Decluttering Rules

If you don’t yet have a garage storage system, the first step is to empty the garage. This first step alone lifts our spirits. It is the first step to getting us motivated and inspired about the space. When the garage is just full of stuff, we just don’t want to look at it so some of us just keep ignoring the problem because it’s unpleasant to keep looking at our own clutter.

Creating piles is now the next step to your final garage organization masterpiece. Start by creating 2 piles. One pile will be the stuff that you want to store in the garage. The other pile will be the discard pile or the pile for the garage sale.

If your garage is already organized into a garage storage system, you may only need to create the pile of items to be discarded. These might be toys and sports equipment which the kids have outgrown. It may also be duplicate items such as an additional weed trimmer tool.

If you don’t already have a garage organization system, it’s time to organize the pile which has been designated to be stored in the garage. You can do this by grouping these items into smaller piles. Group things together into these types of piles on the floor of the garage:

gardening items
automotive accessories
household tools
patio furniture & accessories
sports equipment
bicycles
camping gear

And, add any other categories of items which might be a part of your lifestyle. Organize these groupings of storage items onto the floor of your garage.

Now, it’s time to call in a garage renovation specialist to help you design and implement a made-to-measure garage organization and storage system. Or, if you’re looking for a DIY solution, it’s time to visit the big box stores for supplies to build and mount your systems inside the garage.

Meanwhile, it’s time to run a garage sale to find new owners for all the items in the discard pile. It will be quite a relief when all the things you want to get rid of are finally out of your home.

Promoting the Garage Sale

There are some keys to getting the garage sale to become a success and an event which is full of people visiting your sale. If you follow a few steps, you’ll be able to elevate the success of this event and have a little more fun running the event with your family and neighbours.

We’ll continue next month with a blog on how to put on a successful garage sale. In the meantime, if you’re looking to hire a garage renovation specialist, please contact us for a complimentary in-home consultation.

Winterize the Garage Floors

January 26, 2017 by Rick Scully

We seldom think about the garage floor. However, this important surface undergoes continuous abuse. It must bear the weight of vehicles, withstand damage caused by debris tracked in on tires and shoes and hold its own against leaking automotive fluids. Fluctuating temperatures of sweltering summer heat and frigid Canadian winters cause concrete floors to expand and contract. Then there is the battle of the elements: rain, sleet, snow and salt that gets tracked in on shoes and tires.

Protect the Garage Floor from the Elements

Winterizing your garage floor may not be the first thing on your garage renovation list of to-do’s, but it is important not to be missed. Your car and your family will undoubtedly track snow and salt into your garage this winter. Ensure the protection of your floor from road salt and other damaging de-icers. Road salt on an untreated concrete floor can easily be absorbed and within a few years, it can destroy an unprotected floor.

By preparing your garage floor now, you can reduce the inevitable damage to your floor this winter. Consider applying a durable waterproof and stain-resistant protective floor coating to prevent harsh damage and preserve the life of your garage floor.

Prepare the Garage Floor

There are several reasons why durable garage flooring is a key part of a long-lasting garage renovation. Concrete floors are vulnerable to degradation caused by the elements including salt and oil. Thus, concrete floors often become pitted, which is not only unsightly, but generates dust causing the concrete to become more difficult to keep clean and maintain.

Bare concrete floors generate dust and are susceptible to staining and cracking that gets worse with moisture. Garage floor coatings and coverings are not only beautiful, but functional. They protect concrete floors from stains and other damage.

Refinishing your floor will protect it from the elements, while at the same time reducing the dust which covers your tools, bikes, garden equipment and other items. The household items and tools stored in the garage become easy to appreciate when you’re reducing the concrete dust that can affect the operation of work and garden tools or that can give your belongings a prematurely aged look. Of course, garage floor coatings or floor tiles look great too!

Painted Garage Floors Peel Up After Just a Season or Two

A lot of people consider painting floors. The issue with paint is it only coats the top layer of your concrete. Whether you prepare a concrete floor or not, paint based materials sit on the top of concrete which means that paint doesn’t protect or enhance the concrete floor unlike some other options.

Because paint sits atop the concrete, it’s not forgiving when the concrete floor expands and contracts with the changing seasons. Whether we know it or not, our garage floor is subject to thermal expansion and contraction. This means that the concrete swells up and expands in the heat. In cool weather, the opposite effect occurs; your concrete floor shrinks or contracts. Often times, it is these expansion and contraction cycles that tend to lead to cracking and peeling of painted floors.

Polyaspartic Floor Coatings are Durable and Last

Polyaspartic flooring is always a great choice for any garage, but especially those with drywall that extends down to the floor. A polyaspartic flooring system is a tough, durable floor coating with the sophisticated look of granite. Unlike paint which sits on top of the concrete, the polyaspartic coating seals concrete and keeps moisture out to prevent the garage floor from cracking. Not only does a polyaspartic floor coating reduce concrete dust, it provides a non-slip grip to make the garage a safer place for little ones during wet and slushy weather. All the snow and mud of the various seasons get tracked into the garage by everyone in the family but having a floor coating makes the garage easy to keep clean and dry.

A professionally installed polyaspartic flooring system includes a ten-year warranty and is available in a wide range of colours. The colours of the floor can be selected to match the exterior brick, siding or trim of your home for a matching look and feel as seen from the sidewalk or edge of the property. The variety of coloured flakes makes it possible to transition from exterior house colours to interior colour schemes.

The granite arrangement of colour flakes also camouflage the dirt, dust and debris left behind! You’ll be glad to know that this system also protects concrete floors from corrosive elements including winter’s biggest culprit – salt.

The quality of a polyaspartic floor coating system is in the preparation of the concrete floor before applying the polyaspartic coating. By grinding and preparing the concrete floor, any application of the polyaspartic floor coating bonds to the concrete for lasting results.

Challenges of Other Floor Coatings

Other types of floor coating include epoxy which is also applied concrete floors. While it is sold in big box stores, homeowners run into problems when applying epoxy because they miss the importance of surface preparation. More than a simple, weekend DIY project, applying epoxy to a garage floor still requires several steps and specialized equipment.

Unlike polyaspartic floor coating, epoxy floor coating can take a few days to cure and it tends to be more brittle the polyaspartic. On the other hand, the 100% UV resistant polyaspartic floor coating doesn’t yellow with time.

PVC Garage Floor Tiles

Alternately, a garage floor made of an interlocking PVC tile floor will hide imperfections and protect floors from further damage.

Interlocking PVC tiles are sturdy, attractive and chemical-resistant. They can easily be adapted to fit any garage configuration. Since no adhesive is used, simply remove and replace a single tile in the event of damage. PVC tile can be hosed down, pressure washed, mopped or hand scrubbed.

A variety of floor designs can be accomplished with a series of coloured floor tiles.

Baseboards in the Garage Protect Walls, Brick and Concrete Blocks

The baseboard in your garage serves a couple of functions. Perhaps the most important function is that of protection. If your baseboard is installed properly, it protects the interior of your garage from small animals from making a home in your garage. Baseboards also provide protection from dust, dirt and water seeping behind the drywall or slatwall and into the exposed brick or concrete.

Another function of your garage baseboard is aesthetics. Some of the baseboard finishes include a polyaspartic finish, vinyl baseboards or even, punched aluminum wainscoting or baseboards. With a garage flooring makeover, many homeowners choose to finish the floors with a baseboard trim.

Planning You New Garage Floor This Spring

There are several factors to consider when selecting the best garage flooring system. Budget and personal preference play a major role. However, the condition of your garage floor is also a factor. Substantial pitting or cracking requires that voids be filled before any coating is applied.

Consult with a garage renovation specialist and then plan the de-cluttering of belongings so there is unrestricted access to the entire garage floor space to apply a new floor to your garage.

Five Ways to Maximize Space in Your Garage with Overhead Storage

July 12, 2016 by Rick Scully

There never seems to be enough storage space in our homes. When we exhaust storage space inside, the garage is the most likely space to fill the void. However, with a limited amount of space, the garage can quickly become a cluttered dumping ground for the entire family.

Our garages house important items like tools, lawn and garden supplies and sporting equipment. However, mounting garage clutter often includes items that are broken, outdated or no longer needed. If your garage is overflowing; you’re forced to park your vehicles in the driveway; or you haven’t seen your garage floor in years, you’re probably frustrated with your storage situation. Before you consider renting additional storage space, look for ways to maximize your available space.

The first step to reclaiming precious square footage in your garage is to annually purge unneeded items. Give new life to an old table or dresser by repurposing or donating it. Give away unnecessary duplicate items. Toss broken toys and furniture. Safely dispose of expired household cleaners. Once you’ve pared down to the necessities, you may discover that you still have more than you can fit comfortably in your garage. To find additional space, look overhead.

Overhead space offers an ideal way to store items while reserving premium floor space, maximizing unused space, keeping items stored out of sight and out of the reach of small children and pets. With a variety of overhead storage options available, let’s explore five ways you can use overhead storage to save space in your garage.

Store Seldom Used Items on Overhead Shelving

Overhead shelves come in a variety of options. Sturdy steel overhead garage shelves—secured to ceiling joists or to the ceiling and a wall—are designed to support several hundred pounds. For safety, overhead shelving should be installed by a garage renovation specialist or an experienced professional knowledgeable about how to properly install weight-bearing shelves.

Holiday decorations, camping gear and other seasonal, or seldom-used items can take up considerable space in your garage. Such items are ideal for overhead storage because they don’t need to be accessed frequently. A small step ladder provides access to overhead shelves. If climbing up and down a step ladder isn’t appealing, try hydraulic shelves. With the touch of a button the shelf lowers for loading. Another push of the button raises it overhead again.

Lift Ladders and Bulky Household Items Overhead

Large ladders come in handy if you own a multilevel home. Yet, they can be difficult to store. Even when stored along a wall, a large ladder consumes a lot of valuable real estate. Store bulky household items overhead using overhead shelving or an overhead rack made especially for storing such items.

Keep Kayaks and Seasonal Sporting Goods Overhead

Ladders aren’t the only bulky items that might be stealing space in your garage. Kayaks, skis, surf boards, snow boards, fishing poles, roof racks and other unwieldy recreational items can either be stored on overhead shelving, specialty hooks or a customized overhead sling. A made-to-measure overhead garage sling has the added benefit of making it easier to load kayaks and roof racks onto your vehicle.

Utilize Overhead Bike Racks

It can be difficult to find just the right place to store your bicycle. A variety of vertical and horizontal wall racks are available. However, if there is limited wall space left or you already have a tight fit in your garage, overhead bicycle storage provides another good option.

Overhead bicycle storage racks operate on a pulley system that is either manual or motorized. A two-bike pulley system stores bikes flat against the ceiling and requires minimal clearance space. The five-bike pulley system, which requires 60-inches of clearance, is designed to take advantage of the generous height of tall ceilings.

Maximize High Ceilings with a Custom Built Mezzanine

Towering garage ceilings offer another exciting option for maximizing storage space. A custom-built mezzanine provides additional space ideal for storing seldom-accessed items. To accommodate a garage mezzanine, the ceiling must be at least 14-feet high and deep enough to accommodate the 8-foot depth of the platform, without obstructing garage door rails.

Mezzanines run the full width of the garage and can either be installed at the rear of the garage or over the garage door. The overhead garage balcony is accessible via step ladder, stairs or even a car lift. Light, bulky items—like seasonal decorations and off-season sports equipment—are ideal for storage in a mezzanine.

Overhead space is an untapped storage jackpot in most garages. Sturdy steel overhead shelving is the perfect place to store seasonal and seldom-used items. Specialty racks make light work of storing ladders and other bulky items overhead. Customized overhead slings make lifting and lowering kayaks, roof racks and other sporting goods a breeze. Overhead bicycle racks safely store multiple bikes while reserving floor and wall space. A made-to-measure mezzanine provides loads of overhead storage space for bulky items.

Need more storage in your garage? Contact a garage renovation specialist to discover how overhead storage options can maximize your storage space.

Safe Use and Storage of Holiday Décor

November 26, 2015 by Rick Scully

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.

Strong Racks Shelving – Maximize Garage Storage

March 24, 2015 by Rick Scully

Whether your garage is big or small, it probably doesn’t have nearly enough storage space to accommodate your family’s lifestyles. Bikes, sporting goods, lawn care equipment and gardening tools take up lots of space. Then there are bulky items like tires, kayaks and roof equipment racks that consume as much space as a small vehicle. So how can you possibly fit all of these items in your garage and still have space to park your vehicle?

Last time we discussed the importance of optimizing available storage space, as one of three steps to prepare your garage for the change of season. Now we’ll consider how sturdy, steel shelving can be used to maximize the storage space in your garage.

Boost Garage Storage with Strong Racks Steel Shelving

Inside your home there are designated spaces for storing items. The closets, laundry room and pantry have racks, shelving and perhaps even cabinets. However, the typical garage consists of three bare walls. Without distinct storage space, it’s no wonder families often resort to using the entire garage as a dumping ground. The key to eliminating clutter in the garage is creating clearly defined storage space for each item. Shelving creates much-needed storage space while keeping items clearly visible.

There are a variety of shelving options available, from freestanding shelving units to garage wall organization systems with movable shelves that lock into place. Another option is sturdy, steel shelving, which does not require a paneled wall system for installation. Strong Racks ceiling shelves provide sturdy overhead storage. This reserves premium floor space, allowing room to park your vehicle inside the garage.

Strong Racks wall shelving provides a sturdy space for storing boxes, cans and other items that are solid underneath. Available accessories, like ladder and bike hooks, double your storage by creating space in front of the shelf to hang these items.

Make Use of “Unusable” Space

Overhead storage racks convert “unusable” space into functional storage space; perfect for seasonal and rarely used items. With the highest weight capacity in the industry, Strong Racks provide safe, convenient overhead storage. Available in chrome or white, these shelving units are highly-configurable. The height of the shelves can be adjusted to accommodate tall items.

Storing heavy items overhead can be challenging for some, as it requires ascending and descending a ladder with heavy items in tow. However, a motorized lift system allows the rack to be lowered with the touch of a button. Load the rack with heavy tools and boxes or bulky items. Then simply push the button to hoist the shelf back into place overhead.Push button, motorized overhead storage is an ideal solution for storing large, bulky items like kayaks, canoes and roof rack equipment carriers.

The Key Advantages of the Strong Racks Steel Shelving System

Strong Racks provides an excellent system for getting items off of your garage floor by utilizing what is normally considered unusable space. While other overhead shelving system are available, Strong Racks shelving is superior in these key areas:

Strength:

The Strong Racks mounting rack is the thickest and strongest in the industry. It is made of strong, 11-gauge steel, not the low-cost angle iron, or steel straps used by some competitors.
The square tubes used to hang the racks are made of strong steel.
Each overhead rack holds up to 750 pounds. Wall mounted overhead racks can accommodate up to 1,000 pounds.

Safety:

Each 4’x8’ section is secured to four ceiling trusses with sixteen, three-inch screws. This distributes the weight over a wider area of the ceiling, ensuring that each rack remains firmly and safely attached.
Sixteen bolts are used to secure the grid system to the rails, for added strength and safety.
The exclusive, patented rail brackets used to secure shelving allows the shelf to be secured to a wall, for additional safety and increased weight capacity.
A two-inch safety lip surrounds each shelving unit to prevent items from inadvertently being shoved off of shelves.

Quality:

Strong Racks are backed by a lifetime guarantee, when professionally installed.
The durable ceiling assembly uses thirteen pieces of hardware to attach the shelving to the ceiling.
The quality construction and installation of each rack eliminates movement in installed shelves.

Flexibility:

Strong Racks come in depths of 2, 3 and 4-feet, to accommodate items of all sizes.
Multiple Strong Racks can be mounted in a variety of configurations, creating up to 99 different platforms sizes, to easily accommodate your specific storage needs.
Two square steel tubes are used per mounting rack, allowing the height of each rack to be adjusted between 27.5 and 41.5 inches.
The Super Drop system adjusts platform height between 40 and 96 inches from the ceiling, to allow racks to be hung at an accessible height, even in garages with high ceilings.

Strong Racks can be purchased for DIY installation, or be installed by a garage renovation specialist. However, these racks are made to hold a considerable amount of weight overhead. It is crucial that they are installed correctly to ensure your family’s safety.Also, when installed professionally, Strong Racks come with a lifetime guarantee.

Garages haven’t changed much in the past few decades, but our lifestyles have. Homeowners want a garage that will accommodate their active lifestyles and provide space to park the cars. The installation of Strong Racks steel shelving is a simple way to transform your garage from a chaotic dumping ground to an organized space with designated spots to store all of the things you need. Are you ready to transform your garage with Strong Racks overhead or motorized shelving? Request your free consultation today.

Would you prefer to keep items in your garage stored out-of-sight, rather than on-display on shelves? Next time we’ll discuss how to keep your clutter under wraps, without breaking the bank, by installing laminate cabinetry.

Five Tips for Applying Feng Shui in Your Garage

February 12, 2015 by Rick Scully

With the Chinese New Year approaching, many feng shui practitioners are busy cleaning and preparing their homes to get rid of bad chi (energy) and usher in good luck before the New Year arrives.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art and science that recognizes the impact our environment, and the objects in it, can have upon us. Often regarded the art of placement, feng shui is literally translated “wind and water.” Feng shui strives to balance the five elements—wood, water, fire, earth and metal–and the energy (chi) that flows from all things—living and inanimate.

The goal of feng shui is to create harmonious environments that reflect one’s internal environment by improving the flow of chi throughout the space. Optimizing the flow of chi in one’s home or office can enhance happiness and one’s financial and romantic life. This is accomplished through the use of colour and the mindful placement of objects in one’s living and work spaces.

While you may be incorporating feng shui into your home, have you ever considered incorporating the principles of feng shui into your garage? This ancient art of placement can be used to create a garage that welcomes positive energy into your home, rather than blocking it. Below are five tips for using feng shui to enhance the flow of chi in your garage.

Eliminate clutter.

Have you ever tried to work in a cluttered space and found it difficult to function or think clearly? That’s because clutter represents stagnant energy, which can zap your personal energy. This is true of clutter whether it be in an office, bedroom or your garage. Eliminate energy-draining garage clutter by ridding the space of items that no longer serve a purpose.

Objects that are outdated, non-functional, redundant or rarely used harbour stalled energy and have a negative impact on your energy. Toss, repurpose or donate such items stored in your garage. It can be difficult to let go of items to which we have an emotional attachment. Knowing that donated items will benefit those less fortunate can be a powerful motivator to finally release unneeded items.

Every item must have a purpose and a designated place.

Order is an essential component of feng shui. However, it’s difficult to create order in your garage without a system for organizing your space. A garage renovation specialist can work with you to develop a garage design suited to the needs of your family. Wall organization systems that use corresponding shelves, hooks and baskets create a designated space for everything in your garage from bicycles and sporting equipment to gardening tools. Lockable storage cabinets provide a safe, concealed space to store tools, household chemicals and other items.

Park your car inside the garage—its designated space.

People often treat their garages as a sort of “junk space.” In reality, the garage is the designated space for storing your car. Keep this in mind as you clean and de-clutter your garage and then assign each remaining item a designated space. If carving out space in the garage to park your car(s) feels impossible, consult with a garage renovation specialist who will design a plan for you.

Finish the walls and/or floor with an energy-enhancing colour.

Garages tend to be a dark, uninviting spaces, but they don’t have to be. The walls are often unfinished, and the floor of an older garage may be stained, cracked or otherwise compromised. Give your garage a cheerful facelift by incorporating colour. Feng shui recognizes the strong impact colour can have on mood and physical and emotional well-being. Incorporate relevant colours connected with the five elements of the natural world, listed earlier.

Colour can be incorporated into the space through wall paint, fabric—like a colourful kite or flag—or by finishing the floor with an epoxy or polyaspartic floor coating, designed for garage and basement floors. Modular interlocking floor tiles offer a less permanent way to introduce colour into the garage floor. All three products come in a range of attractive colours. The floor coatings can be customised to achieve your desired colour.

Make your garage an uplifting and inspiring space.

If you park in the garage, it is the last thing you see when departing home and the first thing you see upon your return. It’s important to make it a space that uplifts and inspires. Post a picture or painting that stirs the soul, a motivating personal affirmation or a moving quote on the garage wall, so you’ll see it when you enter or exit the garage

Make sure to tackle all of your home and garage cleaning projects prior to New Year’s Day, as it’s considered bad luck to clean during the first few days of the New Year. Once that period has passed, you can attack any areas you weren’t able to finish prior to the start of the year.

Are you ready to incorporate the elements of feng shui into your garage? Complete the garage survey form to tell us a little about your garage and schedule a no-cost, in-home consultation to discuss your specific garage needs.

Plan Now for a Better Garage Experience Next Winter

February 3, 2015 by Rick Scully

How many times did you awake this winter to discover that your car was covered in ice and snow because there’s no room for it in the garage? Trudging out in the harsh elements to brush away snow, chip off ice and warm up your car is the last thing you want to do on a busy weekday morning. Worse, it can leave you rushing to get to work or to get the kids to school on time, making winter travel even more dangerous.

Last year, perhaps you promised yourself that you wouldn’t spend another winter forced to park your car outside of the garage. The months seemed to fly by, and your plan to organize or renovate the garage never quite happened. Before you knew it, you were in the midst of another harsh winter. After our last blast of wintry weather, perhaps you’ve made the same promise to yourself again this year.

Next winter might feel as though it’s a lifetime away. But then again, remember how quickly last year seemed to pass? The first month of the year is already in the books, and Groundhog Day is almost here. Ontarians are eagerly awaiting Wiarton Willie’s prediction of whether spring is on the horizon. Wiarton Willie’s forecast of what’s to come is out of your hands, but the fate of your garage isn’t. Now is the time to start making plans.

Think it’s too early to start planning for a garage renovation? It isn’t. Garage organization and renovation services are in high demand and have been growing in popularity in recent years. Schedule your garage renovation consultation in February to ensure your project will be started as soon as spring arrives. Starting early allows plenty of time for consultation, design and the ordering of products.

The primary purpose of your garage renovation might be to rescue your vehicle from the harsh winter weather. However there are many benefits to getting your garage renovation completed during spring. Are you tired of tripping over bikes, bats, balls and gardening tools in your garage? Do you avoid tackling small projects around the house because finding a screwdriver or wrench is a small project in itself? Depending on the options you choose, you’ll be able to:

Safely store your winter tires.
Neatly store winter sports equipment like sleds, ice skates and skis.
Store family bicycles off the ground and out of the way of vehicles.
Organize and store tools.
Neatly house gardening tools and equipment.

Just as unprotected sun exposure can damage your skin, it can also damage the paint on your car. Over time, the sun can cause oxidation and premature fading. Prolonged exposure to the oppressive summer sun weakens leather seats and rubberized trim. The headlights of your vehicle are also impacted by exposure to the sun. Parking your car in the garage during summer keeps your vehicle looking newer longer. It also makes it more comfortable to get into the car on hot summer days.

Renovating your garage during spring means you’ll have a safe place to park your car next winter, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the benefits of an organized garage during spring, summer and fall. Each garage renovation is tailored to meet the unique needs of the client. So whether you need a simple wall organization system, overhead storage, garage cabinet installation or customized storage solutions, your garage renovation specialist can help your dream garage become a reality.

Complete the garage survey form to tell us a little about your garage and schedule your no-cost, in-home consultation.