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Enjoy Outdoor Winter Activities in Toronto

January 19, 2016 by Rick Scully

When you live in a region known for long, cold winters, you can either hide out inside until the snow melts or learn to love all that the great outdoors has to offer during winter in Toronto. Whether you’re the adventurous type or prefer to be a spectator to the winter fun, Toronto has something to offer.

Perhaps you dread winter sports because kids and pets track snow, salt and grime onto floors and carpeting. Avoid the mess in the house by making your garage the launch pad for all winter activities. Maximize winter fun by first making sure everyone stays safe.

Colonel Sam Smith Park Ice Trail & Skating — Skaters at Colonel Sam Smith Park Ice Trail.

Attend to Safety First

While there are lots of fun things to do in the Greater Toronto Area during winter, it’s important to put safety first. That means wearing proper gear like helmets, mouth guards, and knee and elbow pads during sports like hockey or snowboarding. However, keeping yourself and others safe during snowy, icy winter weather begins by making sure the driveway and sidewalks outside of your home and garage are properly maintained.

Per Toronto Municipal Code 719-2, property owners have twelve hours after the snowfall, rain or hail ends to remove snow and ice from sidewalks surrounding their property. If the removal of snow or ice leaves the surface slippery, the property owner must put down sand, salt or ashes to cover the surface. Failing to comply with this code could lead to fines or slip-and-fall lawsuits, so stay vigilant about preventing ice and snow from building on sidewalks, driveways and around your garage.

Storing Winter Equipment and Gear

Create a zone in your garage where winter weather supplies and equipment are kept. The snow blower will likely fit best along a back wall, so it won’t interfere with parking your vehicles in the garage. However, shovels, salt and ashes should be stored near the garage door for convenient access.

A slatwall organization system, like slatwall, with its corresponding shelves, hooks and baskets, is ideal for storing winter weather items near the garage door. Garage storage cabinets offer another excellent option for storage.

A good wall organization system will allow you to easily configure hooks, baskets and shelves to accommodate your storage needs during the changing seasons. Hockey sticks, pucks, ice skates and other winter sports equipment can be accommodated during winter. Larger items, like skis, snowboards, sleds and toboggans can be stored using specialty hooks and shelves or on larger, made-to-measure shelving or platforms. When spring arrives, the wall organization system can be reconfigured to store summer sporting goods.

Toronto Outdoor Winter Activities

Now that you’re prepared for winter fun with the family, let’s look at a few fun outdoor winter activities:

Ice skating: Enjoy free ice skating at Harbourfront Centre’s scenic Natrel Rink, set on the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Skating is free and rental skates and helmets are available. New to ice skating? Child and adult skating lessons are available. Turn the fun up a notch with another free event, DJ Skate Nights on Saturday nights through February 20^th.
Tobogganing: Ready to head down the slopes? Grab your sled (makeshift or store-bought) and head for one of the various toboggan hills located in neighbourhoods all over the Greater Toronto Area. See the downtown skyline from Riverdale Park East or check out Christie Pits Park where the hills come in different sizes to accommodate daredevils and more reserved sled enthusiasts.
Snowshoeing on Toronto Islands: Who says the beach is only a summertime destination? Enjoy the peace and quiet of the Toronto Islands without the busy summer crowds. Snowshoe or cross-country ski, then build a snowman with the kids.
Icefest on February 21 – 22: Head over to Bloor-Yorkville for the 2016 Icefest. This year’s theme is Frozen in Time. See magnificent ice sculptures inspired by Ancient Egypt and check out live ice carving competitions.
Bonus: Winterlicious on January 29 – Feb 11, 2016: This isn’t an outdoor event, but after all that ice skating and tobogganing, you’ll work up an appetite. Winterlicious offers a great opportunity to sample some of Toronto’s finest cuisine without breaking the bank. Try prix fixe, 3-course meals at more than 200 restaurants all over the city or take a cooking class during this yummy winter event.

Regardless of which Toronto outdoor winter activity you and your family enjoy, your garage can serve as the perfect launch and landing pad for your adventures. An organized garage with a wall organization system, cabinets or bins for specific sports or individual family members makes it easy to store and retrieve everyone’s gear. When you return home, you can clean toys, skis and sleds so they’ll be ready for the next adventure.

If your garage can’t accommodate all of your winter adventures, discover how a few renovations can make winter safe for you and your neighbours while making it easy to enjoy all the fun of the season. With a little help from Garage Tailors Garage, planning and renovation during the spring and summer months can improve the layout and function of even the smallest of garages.

Protect Your Garage Door during Winter Weather

December 15, 2015 by Rick Scully

Harsh Canadian winters are tough on roads and automobiles. The weather can also wreak havoc on your garage door. Ice and snow builds up beneath the garage door, freezing it shut. Metal components contract and seize up in extreme temperatures. Old lubricating grease hardens when temperatures drop, gumming up the tracks. While some issues cause minor inconveniences, others can lead to expensive damage to your garage door or garage opener.

Whether your garage is unfinished or you’ve invested in a snazzy garage renovation, you want to protect your home and the items stored inside your garage. Not all of the consequences of brutal winter weather can be avoided. However, a few preventive steps will greatly reduce the likelihood you’ll return home to the aggravation of a frozen garage door.

Inspect Your Garage Door Regularly

Like many elements of your home and car, your garage door should be inspected regularly. From inside, with the garage door closed, do a monthly inspection of the door and its moving components. Examine rollers, pulley, cables and springs for damage or excessive wear. Confirm that the mounting hardware is securely fastened.

If you see evidence of damage to cables or torsion springs, do not try to adjust them yourself. This can cause injury to you or severe damage to the garage door. Instead, consult a garage door professional who can take care of trickier maintenance and repair issues for you. If you don’t know one, a good garage renovation specialist can likely recommend one for you.

Get the Gunk Out

The moving parts of your garage door require lubricant to slide against one another easily each time the garage door is opened or closed. The grease used to lubricate garage door parts can thicken over time. Debris also tends to collect in the tracks and on the rollers, interfering with movement.

When air temperature dips considerably, the old grease and debris caught in the tracks tends to harden. This clogs the tracks and prevents normal operation of your garage door. To remove built-up gunk, use a damp cloth to remove debris and grease that has built up inside the tracks or on other parts.

Lubricate Your Garage Door

Once you’ve cleared away the hardened grease, get a good grade of silicone lubricant made for use with garage doors. For smooth, trouble-free operation during the winter, and year-round, all the moving parts of your garage door must stay lubricated. Spray rollers, bushings and hinges liberally with the lubricant. Then spray between the sections of the garage door to prevent them from sticking together during icy weather. Do not spray the spring, the chain, the bottom of the chain rail or the track.

Check periodically to ensure that all components are lubricated and operating optimally. Reapply lubricant, as needed. However, be careful not to lube components too much. Too much lubrication can interfere with the alignment of the rollers and lead to a buildup of gunky grease again.

Keep your silicone lubricant and any other household items out of the reach of pets and small children. A locked storage cabinet or high garage shelving are ideal for storing such household items.

Clean and Examine Weather Stripping

The weather stripping beneath your garage door plays an important role. It prevents water, snow, ice and debris from entering your garage. Frequent use of the garage door puts wear and tear on the weather seal. When the weather stripping is compromised, water and dust can get into the garage and damage items stored there. Ice and snow will also build up beneath the garage door if the weather stripping is worn or damaged. If this happens, you could return home from a long day of work one wintry evening to discover that your garage door is frozen to the ground.

Maintain your weather stripping to protect your garage door and the opening mechanism, which can be damaged when you try to raise a garage door that has been frozen shut. First, take a rag and wipe down the seal, inside and out. Then, thoroughly examine the weather stripping. Check for cracks, wear and missing pieces. Test the seal to ensure it is keeping cold air and moisture outside.

If your garage door weather stripping has been damaged, replacing it is an easy fix. Purchase a good garage door seal and install it after removing the old one. If you’d rather not tackle the job yourself, a garage door professional can handle the job for you.

For added protection in the event that moisture does get inside the garage, store items inside your garage above ground whenever possible. A good slatwall organization system, garage storage cabinets and overhead garage storage racks will keep your belongings high and dry if water or ice gets inside.

Four Ways to Reduce Costs by Winterizing Your Garage

November 24, 2015 by Rick Scully

Frigid winter temperatures can wreak havoc in and around your garage. More than a mere inconvenience, freezing temperatures can drain the energy efficiency of your home, putting a sizable dent in your wallet. Preventive maintenance in your garage will save you time and heating energy while preventing expensive repairs. Consider four ways you can reduce costs by winterizing your garage.

Organize Your Garage

Avoid the frustration of rummaging through the garage to locate the window washer fluid or a shovel when it’s icy outside. Organize your garage for the most efficient use during winter (and throughout the year). A complete garage renovation during a bitter cold Toronto winter isn’t feasible. However, the following steps will help you organize your garage for winter:

Group items into task-related zones. Create zones for winter sports, automotive care, winter yard care, tools, household items and the garbage and recycling. You can quickly locate the item you need when it’s stored in the same place every time.
Store chemicals, household products and other items in garage storage cabinets. Tall, locked, vertical cabinets keep dangerous chemicals beyond the reach of pets and small children. Horizontal cabinets create hidden, accessible storage. Countertops double as project workspace. Relocate paint and fuel gels, which can freeze, inside during winter.
Reclaim floor space with a garage slatwall organization system. Lockable hooks, shelves and baskets provide flexible storage for ice skates, sleds and hockey sticks. Shelves, hooks and baskets can be quickly and easily moved. High hooks and shelves keep items out of little hands. Low baskets enable small children to store and retrieve their own winter toys and gear.
Store out-of-season items or those infrequently used on overhead garage storage Overhead storage racks are ideal for storing outdoor furniture cushions, holiday decorations and bulky items that take up too much space.

Garage organization doesn’t have to be daunting. Keep it simple until you’re prepared for a more ambitious garage renovation.

Weatherproof Your Garage

The harsh Canadian winter is tough on garages. Heat loss during cold weather wastes energy and significantly increases heating costs. Take an hour or so to care for the tasks below. You’ll reduce energy costs and prevent costly repairs.

Seal garage door and trim. Reduce drafts in your garage by applying weatherstripping around the sides and bottom of the garage door. Caulk the leading edge of the newly-installed weatherstripping. Fill gaps in garage door trim using foam or caulk backer rod (for larger gaps). Finish up with a quality indoor/outdoor caulk.
Insulate the garage door. Heat loss via your garage door can lower the temperature inside your garage (and the vehicles stored there) considerably. A single or double layer of foam board installed between the garage door frames reduces heat loss.
Fix or replace weather stripping around doors and windows. A tight seal is the key to keeping warm air inside and cold air out. Weatherstripping around windows and doors compresses over time and deteriorates due to age, exposure to the elements and other damage. Do a visual inspection of weatherstripping around windows and doors. Look for obvious damage. Close the door and check for gaps. Repair or replace weatherstripping as needed.
Insulate older, less efficient water heaters. Newer water heaters are insulated for cost-effective operation during brutally cold winters. Older tanks with an R-value rating of less than 24 must work harder to heat water and keep it warm, especially when located in an unheated space. Reduce heat loss by up to 45% and cut your heating costs by as much as 9% by draping the water heater with a water heater insulation blanket.
Insulate outside wall light switches and electrical outlets. As much as 5% of outside air that seeps inside your home each year enters via exterior wall light switches and electrical outlets. Reduce drafts and heat loss with inexpensive foam insulation designed for electrical covers.

Prevent Pipes from Freezing

Frozen water pipes and spigots can cause costly damage to your home. To prevent damage:

Drain, remove and store garden hoses. If left connected, ice can form and create pressure in interior water lines. This could lead to an expensive water line break. Instead, remove the hose, drain it and store it.
Turn off outside water sources during the frigid winter months. If there is an interior shut-off valve, cut off the water to exterior water spigots. Allow water to drain from faucet to prevent freezing.
Insulate pipes. An insulated faucet jacket will protect your exterior water spigot and connected interior pipes from frigid temperatures.

In addition to preventing damage and costly repairs, you’ll prevent accidents that could occur when dripping water freezes, creating a slippery surface.

Seal Garage Floors

A polyaspartic flooring system is a tough, durable floor coating with the look of granite. It seals floors, keeps moisture out, reduces dust, provides non-slip grip and is easy to clean. This professionally-installed flooring system includes a ten-year warranty and is available in a wide range of colours.

This winter, your garage will take a beating from cold temperatures, ice and snow. Lessen the impact of harsh winter weather by organizing your space with a garage wall storage system and garage cabinets; weatherproofing your water heater, windows, doors and electrical outlets; turning off exterior water sources; and sealing garage floors.

Ready to improve the look and function of your garage? Garage Tailors Garage specializes in custom garage renovations designed to maximize storage and make your garage the envy of the neighborhood. Request a consultation and reserve your space today on our spring garage renovation schedule.

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