garage safety Archives - Garage Tailors

Not All Garage Cabinets Are Equal

January 24, 2012 by Rick Scully

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy Garage Maintenance

July 19, 2011 by Rick Scully

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

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

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

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

Any questions? Give us a call.

Make Way for Spring in Your Garage

March 22, 2011 by Rick Scully

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

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

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

Is your garage ready for winter?

December 7, 2010 by Rick Scully

In September, I came across an article in The Globe & Mail that featured seven tips on how to prepare your property for winter. Back then I was in denial. I didn’t want to contemplate winter’s wrath, but the season is now officially upon us and I’m finally ready to share.

The maintenance suggestions were provided by Ontario-based home inspector Roger Frost. You’d be wise to apply at least half of them to your garage as well as your home. Got a few minutes? Check out the full article here. Pressed for time? Here are a few highlights:

Caulk windows on the outside, and check sills and frames for cracks.
Store patio furniture in a dry area to prevent rust and mildew. Remember, we’ve got garage storage solutions if you need them.
Service your furnace ASAP. If you wait until it’s freezing outside to discover a problem, you’ll end up paying high emergency service fees.
To prevent cracking and sagging, fill gaps in your home’s exterior, including your asphalt driveway, patio and wood deck.
Inspect the roof. Check flashing and shingles for potential water entry points.
Shut off water supply taps and lines from inside the home to prevent components from freezing.
Inspect your fireplace. Clean debris from the rain cap on your chimney and check for gaps and cracks.

If you have any questions regarding winter maintenance of your garage, feel free to drop us a line.

Clear your garage of old batteries, pesticides and other hazardous items

September 21, 2010 by Rick Scully

Since our last post, in which we pointed you to Rona as a great drop-off point for old paint, we came across a fantastic site that will help you clear your garage of everything hazardous – from aerosol containers, oil filters and antifreeze to gas canisters, batteries, pesticides and more.

Orange Drop is a Stewardship Ontario initiative that helps Ontarians recycle way beyond the Blue and Green Bin, and their site is really user-friendly.

Here’s what we suggest. Head out to your garage now with pen and paper in hand. Write a list of any hazardous items you’ve been meaning to dispose of. Then go directly to www.makethedrop.ca.

Once you’re there:

Click on the button that reads “Where do I go to make the drop?”

Enter your postal code in the space provided.

Use the drop-down menu to select the waste category of the first item on your list.

Browse the results page and choose the most convenient location for drop-off.

It’s that simple, so no more excuses. Clear out your garage day. Your car will thank you!

Discarded paint doesn’t belong in your garage

September 7, 2010 by Rick Scully

Paint Can Recycling Programs In our last post, we talked about ways to restore order to your garage so that you can get your vehicle back inside before the season turns. The long and short of it was purge what you don’t need; organize what you do. Following that post, a reader dropped us a note asking how to dispose of leftover paint responsibly. Here’s an easy solution.

Remember the saying “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure?” Well, last January Rona launched a new initiative under Ontario’s Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste Program. Under that program, you can now drop-off old paint at Rona stores across Ontario. They recondition about 80 percent of what they collect.

Who knows whose walls your old paint will turn up on, but we think you’ll agree that anywhere is better than a landfill.

Does your garage have a purpose?

August 19, 2010 by Rick Scully

Floor Cabinets - Garage When you ask the right questions, you’re more likely to find the right solutions. So, what can your garage do for you? If you don’t know, don’t read on. If, however, you believe your garage can protect your vehicle from the elements, not to mention vandalism, keep going.

Picking up where we left off last post, for weeks your garage has been a hard-to-navigate maze of bicycles, garden supplies and more. How do you restore order?

Purge! If you no longer need it, let it go. Give it to a neighbour, sell it at a yard sale, take it to a charity store, or, if it’s broken, send it straight to the dump.
Dispose! In the interest of safety and space, get rid of empty or near-empty containers of paint, pesticides, motor oil and other hazardous substances by following municipal guidelines.
Organize! With excess items removed, you’re ready to clear the floor by maximizing the walls and ceiling for storage. For some, a two-by-four and a nail work wonders but if you’re looking for a little more functionality, check out our selection of shelves and cabinets.
Park that car! It’s what your garage was designed for, after all!

Garage Wall Coverings: A Practical and Safe Way to Create Storage

June 15, 2010 by Rick Scully

Slatwalls Garage Organizing In the last post, we left you precariously hanging on the garage wall with a two-by-four, a nail and a pencil outline, waiting to fall on top of a car or a kid.

Not a good place to be.

Because not only is such a garage organizing system dangerous, but it doesn’t take advantage of the wide expanse of possible storage available to you on the garage wall.

And that’s where a slatwall system comes in handy. When you cover your garage wall with a slatwall system, you create an infinite number of storage combinations that use the space effectively – and more importantly – without risk of things crashing down on top of someone.

With a slatwall, you can create organized zones in your garage dedicated to specific tasks. Hang off season bikes up off the floor, suspend toxic substances out of reach of children.

And of course, secure dangerous tools to the wall without fear of them accidentally harming anyone or anything.

Want proof? Go check out our Transformations. You’ll be amazed at the difference.

A Board and a Pencil Are Not A Safe Organizing Solution: Risking Damage to Cars & Kids

June 8, 2010 by Rick Scully

Do the two photos in today’s post look familiar to you? I see it all the time in garage after garage. A board nailed to the wall with outlines of what tools hang where.

And with that most of us would call it garage organization.

Take a look at the first picture again, the one of the whole wall. What’s supporting that tool? A single nail? Someone brushes by it and the whole thing will fall down, possible scratching your car or worse causing some major damage to your kids.

While this garage organization system might work for a few tools in a large garage where few people enter, it doesn’t work in a high-traffic zone that also acts as workshop, garden shed, and sports equipment storage.

So what to do? Check out our next post to find out how installing a modular storage system can turn those little-thought-of walls into valuable and SAFE real estate.

(If you’re impatient of course you can go take a look at what we offer for walls.)

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