garden tools Archives - Garage Tailors

Garage Renovation & Design: DIY or Do It For Me

March 21, 2017 by Rick Scully

Garages are a great way to use the space effectively for storing a wide variety of household items from garden tools to sports equipment to winter tires. The main concern, of course, is to find a place for all these items in the garage while keeping the vehicles safe as they are being driven in and out as well as parked inside the garage.

The walls of a garage may be made of cement blocks, brick and for some newer homes, drywall. It’s not easy to work with some of these types of walls. Not only are some garage walls difficult to work with but mounting shelves so it can carry the weight of heavy items. We want to prevent things from falling off and damaging the vehicles or worse, injuring family members.

Am I ready for a Do It Yourself Garage Renovation?

The garage is one of the more complex rooms in the entire house. If you’ve just purchased your first set of tools, this is likely not the project for you to tackle. Some of the building materials and dimensions of the space can be more challenging than the typical room found inside the house.

Some of us have very talented hands-on people in our family. They may even be professionals with related skills. However, not all professionals may have the time to spare to work their own homes in a timely manner. Some professionals are over worked because they are so talented in their field of expertise. If this is your family, consider if the best way for this person to gain a mental reprieve from work is to spend their time off doing something else or whether a garage renovation would be a relaxing past time activity.

Many of our garage renovations can be completed in approximately one week, once we start because we have a well-established plan, process and timeline. There are exceptions to this timeline, but a big consideration is keeping the garage renovation time to a minimum so the family may be able to enjoy as much of the summer as possible.

While a garage renovation is a great home project, don’t let it take away from your time with your kids during those precious years. Also, don’t let a home project affect your children’s summer experience and enjoyment of the garage as home base to their bikes, scooters, skateboards and other modes of play and transportation.

Knowledge and Expertise Gets It Done Right the First Time

There are no other rooms in the house with the same challenges as the garage. While learning to paint one bedroom gives experience to painting a second bedroom, it’s not the same when it comes to the garage. Renovating the garage has its unique challenges because it is a room directly exposed to the outside and the elements.

Knowledge and the experience to complete the task properly the first time means as homeowners, you can enjoy a low maintenance garage for many, many years ahead. The whole family can appreciate the garage instead of having regular garage projects every couple of years which take people away from family time together.

Many of our garage storage solutions last the lifetime of the home when they are applied correctly. We often see other solutions which don’t last or which need regular attention every couple of years. High maintenance items take away from family time because of time and attention needed for regular maintenance.

Specialty Tools and Skills for Garage Renovation

Whether you are ready to renovate your own garage or not, there are some specialty solutions in the garage. For instance, the preparation and application of garage floor coating takes specialty tools and skills to apply. However, a high quality garage floor such as polyaspartic coating is an item which adds a lot of comfort to the garage while making the floor surface easy to clean up and low maintenance.

Garage floor coatings require special skills, tools and processes to prepare the cement foundation adequately. Preparing the cement foundation is the key to a successful polyaspartic garage floor coating. The polyaspartic floor coating will not adhere and remain maintenance free for the lifetime of the coating unless the preparation of the cement floor is completed properly.

In addition, there are a wide variety of engineering skills used throughout a garage renovation to assure that the mounting of overhead platforms and wall shelving can carry typical loads of 600lb to 800lb per square foot. Safe and secure installations of overhead platforms, racks or shelving are key to assuring that belongings, vehicles as well as family members are protected from any damage or injury.

Made to Measure Garage Storage

There are no standard dimensions or shapes for garages. Made to measure solutions give a finished and professional look to the garage. People often want to see end-to-end wall organization systems or garage cabinets. The typical big box store garage storage items or cabinets come in standard sizes and dimensions that are rarely able to accommodate unique dimensions or other challenges which add to the unique space of a garage.

There are a variety of challenges that shape a garage including:

odd outcropping or corners of the walls,
the location of the door to the house
the central vacuum situated in the middle of a wall
the plumbing for an outdoor faucet placed at an awkward location along a garage wall
the standard slope of a garage floor built to code

These hurdles add challenges which are overcome with Made to Measure solutions that need a little additional preparation. This includes unique sizing of platforms, cabinets and wall systems as well as some special adaptations to the garage space, at times.

Many Paths to a Garage Renovation

After overviewing some of the larger challenges that might be found during a renovation, it’s easier to see what would be appropriate for your situation. There are few paths that we find people will take to accomplishing their goal of a functional garage design.

The Do It Yourself project is self-explanatory. However, many people with DIY projects get us to complete a garage floor coating, made to measure product installation or a variety of other specialty services. The Do It For Me project is what we find the large majority of people are seeking whether it is a fully finished or a partially finished look as the final goal.

To start your project, use our online garage survey tool to assist with a definition of your garage renovation project that best reflects your needs and preferences. The garage survey tool helps people define what they need or don’t need and to start to consider and communicate preferences as well as a plan to fit their garage storage requirements. We provide a complimentary in-home consultation to discuss how you envision your project. After seeing your garage, we introduce additional ideas that you may want to consider.

Give yourself a healthy lead time for planning, ordering and installation dates so your family can make the most out of the summer days ahead.

Preparing for a Garage Renovation

March 14, 2017 by Rick Scully

The garage has become a dumping ground for your family’s stuff. It’s taking over the garage floor and it’s becoming ever more difficult to park the vehicles with belongings littering the space. Now is the time to start planning and preparing a garage renovation.

Declutter with a Garage Sale

Start by clearing out the clutter. As spring approaches, it’s a great time to hold a garage sale and clear out equipment or tools you haven’t used for a couple of seasons or toys the kids have outgrown by paying it forward to another family in the neighbourhood.

Having a garage sale is a great way to set a deadline for everyone to get things cleared out. By getting the entire family involved in the process, it becomes a learning experience in decluttering and organizing habits which will carry through a lifetime.

Start by throwing out anything that is broken. From there, if you have duplicate items, move them to your garage sale items. Decorative items that we don’t love are ideal for the garage sale. If you’re just holding on for some day, then take courage and put it with the other garage sale items. If it is clothing that you haven’t worn for a year, the guideline is that you probably won’t be wearing it again. So, take courage and include it with the garage sale items. Finally, all belongings require upkeep so if you’re not willing to dust and clean it regularly, consider it another item for the garage sale.

For some people, decluttering may be more psychologically difficult than it is physically difficult to do. Letting go of items will improve the well-being of your family.

Donate Your Stuff

Whether you decide to run a garage sale or not, whatever is collected or left behind from the garage sale can be donated. Anything from clothing, furniture, small appliances, old renovation items like insulation and even an old clunker which may still be sitting in your driveway can be donated.

In Canada, there are some great ways to donate your belongings. In the Greater Toronto Area, there are many drop off locations for donations of clothing, furniture and old renovation items. In some cases, there are ways to get your donations picked up free or for a small fee. Depending on the items, sometimes you may get a donation receipts for your items.

Clothing & Small Items

You can donate to specific charities or choose a thrift shop near you.

For instance, Diabetes Canada (formerly Canadian Diabetes Association before February 13, 2017) will accept: gently used clothing, bedding, sleeping bags, blankets, footwear and small household items such as kitchenware, pots & pans, tools, blenders, etc. They’ll also accept small electronics such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, iPods, digital cameras, gaming consoles, PDAs.

Visit http://www.diabetes.ca/how-you-can-help/clothesline to book a pick up.

Vehicle Donation

If you’ve got an old clunker which needs to go to Car Heaven, they will tow it ($200 value) for no charge and give you a $100 donation receipt to one of the charities featured to promote health, protect the environment or inspire communities.

Furniture Bank

The furniture bank works with social agencies which need furniture for shelters, refugee programs as well as homeless & poverty programs. For a listing of agencies they service, visit http://www.furniturebank.org/programs-services/partner-agencies/.

Donate here: http://www.furniturebank.org/furniture-houseware-donate/

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Donate by dropping off items to a Habitat ReStore nearest you. They accept all sorts of renovation items from flooring, windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, sinks, counter tops, hardware, tools, building materials, garden tools, fridges, stoves, microwaves and more.

They also have multi-item pick up services and de-construction services to remove kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures. Submit your ReStore Donation Form here.

Organize What Stays in the Garage

Now that you`ve decluttered, the remaining items will need to be organized back into the garage.

Organize the remaining belongings into groups. Typical groups include sports equipment and camping gear, bicycles, seasonal decorations, household supplies, workshop tools, gardening tools, automotive accessories, recycle and trash bins. You may have some additional categories unique to your lifestyle. Many people who have home businesses may find that they need to find appropriate storage space for their working tools and supplies so plan this category of items into your overall garage renovation plan.

Once there are categories of items, it makes it much easier to understand what needs to be organized and stored in the garage.

Do It for Me or Do It Yourself Garage Renovations

Next, the question becomes whether you do it for yourself or you get someone to do it for you. You might have a handyman in your family. Maybe, they are not adequately skilled. Or, they are abundantly skilled but just don’t have the time to get it done in a timely manner. It`s may be time to consider booking a complimentary in-home consultation with one of our garage renovation specialists.

If you’re on the fence as to whether you’re ready and prepared to do your own garage renovation, then, read my upcoming blog on “Garage Renovation & Design: DIY or Do It For Me”. You’ll gain some insights as to whether you are able to handle the garage renovation as a DIY or DIFM project.

The Year of Soil – 4 Ways to Improve Our Own Backyards

August 17, 2015 by Rick Scully

The year 2015 is the International Year of Soils according to the United Nations. Worldwide recognition of the need to promote sustainable soil resources has prompted scientists and researchers around the globe to come up with a variety of ways we can help keep the planet green. Green thumbs among us understand that good soil is critical to any backyard garden or landscaping endeavor. With a few of the right garden tools and a composter, gardeners naturally return to the soil what it needs to be a rich source of organic carbons. These organic carbons are an important towards mitigating the effects of climate change.

Likewise, non-gardeners can make a difference in the world by recycling reusable and organic wastes with the sorting of garbage, recycle and green bin storage solutions. Experience tells us that a system must be convenient and easy to use so our families will utilize them. By properly sorting green waste, recyclables, and trash, everyone can promote less use of landfills and better soil worldwide. The number of options available might surprise you. This list will help you achieve sustainable soil in your own yard, as well as maintaining a workable solution for your recycling and green waste.

Tip #1: Choose water conscious plants and landscaping.

The effects of global warming and other environmental changes have inspired the trend for landscaping that requires little to no water. Those not affected by drought can still benefit from these water conscious choices.

Planning a landscape includes finding plants that will work well in your soil. Many drought resistant plants are ideal for poor soil and full sun. Proper placement and planting is the secret to creating a beautiful garden able to sustain itself, and thrive, even in harsher conditions. Hardscaping is a technique that augments landscaping by adding tiles, stones, walls or patios. Consult an expert to determine the best plan for your needs.

Determine the best way to care for your soil, and your soil will care for you.

Tip #2: Smart Composting

Composting is a sound way to eliminate organic waste / composting. It is the ultimate form of recycling. Any waste products that come from plants can be tossed together, including leaves, banana peels, apple cores, or even the bedding from small animals. Many items you currently place in your green bin can be put to use as mulch in your own garden as compost. Kitchen waste is acceptable such as vegetable peels, fading lettuce or coffee grounds.

Meats, fats, and non-plant based byproducts should never be included in the compost pile. Keep a trash receptacle close and handy at all time. If you are worried about the smells that might occur from the garage, or under your kitchen sink, consider an outdoor bin storage solution. These also work well for people that do not have much storage space in their garage.

Despite what some experts will tell you about “layering” compost, you should feel comfortable tossing in green and brown waste as you produce it. Most gardens produce more green than brown waste, so layering is not easy to accomplish. Just stir the mix from time to time to ensure the green and brown waste mixes properly together.

Composting creates a lot of heat and must be done outside. If you have a large yard, you can compost directly on the ground, but if your garden is small purchase a good compost bin or tumbler. Never store compost in plastic containers. The heat will melt the plastic and could create a hazard. Only use approved composting equipment.

Regular turning, with a shovel or in a bin will help keep the compost moist enough and aid in the decomposition, creating a marvelous fertilizer for your yard.

Tip #3: Recycling made easy.

Keeping reusable products out of the landfills will help promote healthier soil content, and a better environment. Recycling can be inconvenient, but a garage renovation specialist can help design a recycle centre that will work for the whole family.

It is important to have recycle bins easily accessible and conveniently placed to encourage consistent use. Stackable bins offer maximum storage space, while large bins provide more room for trash or recyclables. Recycle centers can be set up in your garage, or outside, depending on your preferences. Outdoor storage has specific challenges, such as protection from raccoons or other scavengers looking for food. A professional garage renovation specialist will help plan an easily accessible recycle centre for your household safe from curious paws.

Tip #4: Use organizational systems to cut down on your carbon footprint.

Do you have piles of stuff hanging out in your garage? Have you ever replaced an item you know you owned but could not locate? Have you ever discovered a lost article, only to find it broken or unusable? Everyone has these experiences, unless they are organized.

Getting everything off the floor is the first step. You have more space than you realize, and several garage storage options to fit any lifestyle. Many people overlook the use of valuable overhead and wall space available to them.

There is no need to remain caught up in a disposable society. Reuse, reduce, and recycle with a good system inside your garage or outdoors in a bin solution. It is good for the planet.

Three Tips for Making This Year’s Garden Your Best Ever

May 12, 2015 by Rick Scully

Now that the temperatures are steadily rising, your thoughts have likely turned to gardening. The Farmer’s Almanac predicts our last date of spring frost for Toronto as May 9^th, but how can you be sure your soil is ready to be worked? Take a handful of soil and squeeze. If the soil forms a ball, it’s not quite ready. When the soil crumbles in your hand, it’s go time for gardening. Though you’re probably eager to start planting, to get the best results you must first prep the soil.

Feed and Prep Soil to Maximize Results

Building a rock-solid home begins with laying a solid foundation. Likewise, growing healthy, vibrant plants begins with healthy soil. Dry, sandy or compacted soil isn’t conducive to producing healthy plants. Amend problematic soil by introducing nutrient-rich, organic matter into it at the start of each growing season.

Spread a one to three-inch layer of dark, earthy, finished compost on flower beds and gardens. When used in a vegetable garden, use organic compost or a variety designated for use with edible plants. Work compost into the top six to twelve inches of soil using a shovel, rake or rototiller one to two weeks before planting. Compost adds nutrients to soil and encourages the presence of garden-friendly earth worms.

Compost improves the hardest, toughest soil, creating a nutrient-rich environment where flowers and vegetation can thrive. Strong, healthy plants, grown in a nutrient-rich soil, tend to be more naturally resistant to bugs and diseases.

Deciding What to Plant and Where

You’ve selected the perfect space to plant your garden. Only, it might not be so perfect. For instance, most flowering annuals won’t fare well in the shade. Other plants don’t do well with extended hours of sunlight. Carefully select plants that are optimal for your allocated space.

If the area receives less than six hours of daylight each day, plant vegetation that thrives in shade. Begonias, impatiens, elephant ears, black-eyed Susans and fuchsia do well in shade. If the area gets partial shade, pansies, petunias and snapdragons may be a good choice.Flower beds that receive more than six hours of sunlight daily are ideal for flowering annuals like colourful petunias, geraniums, marigolds, carnations, sunshine impatiens or verbena.

Your annuals will make the most impact if planted in groups of three or more. Each group of flowers should overlap the next to create a powerful punch of colour.

Sunlight should also dictate the makeup and layout of your vegetable garden. Kale, herbs, spinach and scallions can do well with as little as three hours of sunlight each day. Peas, beans and root vegetable require close to five hours of daily sunlight.

While tending to your flowers and garden, don’t forget the perennials. If they aren’t looking as lively and vivacious as they once did, it may be because they’ve overgrown the available space. Divide the plants, relocating some of them. The additional room will allow the plants left to flourish. The rest can be used in another part of your yard. If you don’t have room to plant them elsewhere, consider gifting them.

Once planting is done, give plants a weekly boost by feeding them with a calcium-rich eggshell tea. To create the eggshell tea, store eggshells in a container of water. Allow them to steep for a few days or weeks and continue adding more shells. Water plants with one cup of the eggshell mixture combined with a gallon of water. This calcium-rich mixture will strengthen plants and improve production.

Create a Gardening Space in the Garage

There is no shortage of tools and supplies required to keep your lawn and garden looking their best. Shovels, rakes, hoes, trimmers, hedgers, garden gloves, compost, grass seed and fertilizer can take over your garage during gardening season. Searching for tools amid chaos is frustrating.

When a task becomes frustrating, it’s human nature to avoid it. So make time at the start of the season to take inventory of your gardening tools and supplies and organize them. If there isn’t enough room in the garage for all of your garden tools, consider installing a wall organization or shelving system to create dedicated storage space for each item. A purchased or custom-built garden bench will provide space for repotting plants. However, a repurposed table will achieve the same end.

Once your garden tools are neat and organized, the soil has been fed and you’ve chosen the right plants for your yard, you’re on the way to making this year’s garden your best yet.

Five Ways to Maximize Garage Storage

May 27, 2014 by Rick Scully

There are a few basic steps that will help you create a neat, organized garage. Last time we discussed the first step, creating related zones in your garage. We discovered why it makes sense to create separate zones for auto accessories, household supplies, garden tools, garbage and recycling bins, tools and workstations and sporting equipment. Now let’s discuss how to keep the items in each zone neat and organized by using a variety of tools and accessories designed just for this purpose.

Slatwall – The Key to Getting Everything Off of Your Garage Floor

Maybe you’ve never heard of slatwall, but you’ve probably seen it in your local retail store. It wasn’t the item being sold. However, it was likely used as the base for the baskets and hooks that held merchandise. Slatwall (also called slotwall and slat board) isn’t limited to use by retailers anymore. It is frequently used in garages as a hanging system that enables homeowners to get everything off of the garage floor.

Slatwall comes in panels which are installed on the walls of the garage. The grooves in the slatwall hold hooks, baskets and other organizational products and give the homeowner the freedom to easily move these items as needed.

Your local big-box store might sell a basic slatwall system. However, slatwall sold there is typically composed of MDF. It doesn’t have the durability and weight-bearing capacity of sturdier, PVC-based slatwall available to professional garage renovation specialists and other contractors.

Getting professional-grade slatwall installed provides the base for organization in each zone of your garage.

Baskets and Hooks

Once professional-grade slatwall panels are installed on your garage walls, corresponding baskets and hooks can be inserted into the grooves. These baskets and hooks will provide wall storage for everything ranging from garden tools and sports equipment to snow shovels and bicycles.

Just think of all of the possibilities!

Rather than the garage being a dumping ground for everyone’s in-line skates or softball equipment, each item can be hung neatly in its designated spot. You won’t spend half an hour searching for your snow brush when the first snow of winter hits unexpectedly. Instead, you can walk right over to the automotive zone in your garage and take the snow brush of its hook.

Best of all, since the hooks and baskets can be easily moved, you can adjust the configuration to better accommodate the items you’re storing at various times of the year.

Shelving

Slatwall can also accommodate shelving. Like the corresponding baskets and hooks, the shelving used with slatwall can also be relocated at any time. This provides endless possibilities for storage on your garage walls.

Shelving can be particularly useful when it comes to storing window washing fluid, automotive fluids, household chemicals or flower pots. Create shelves high on the wall to store items that should be kept out of the reach of pets and children. Create low shelves for items that should be easily accessible to children.

Overhead Storage Solutions

One area frequently overlooked for garage storage is the space overhead. However, with a bit of imagination and essential expertise, the overhead space in your garage can safely store household items that aren’t frequently accessed, like seasonal tires, holiday decorations or roof racks used for carrying luggage or sporting equipment. Bicycles, kayaks, leftover wood or siding and other large, bulky items can also be stored overhead with the right custom solutions.

Overhead storage solutions can be tricky to handle on your own. A variety of factors must be considered: height, clearance and weight-bearing capacity, to name a few. If you aren’t completely confident about designing and installing heavy overhead storage solutions, contract a professional garage renovation specialist to handle a job of this magnitude instead.

Custom-built Storage Solutions

You can purchase any number of pre-built storage cabinets, workbenches and overhead shelves for your garage at your local big-box store. However, you’re limited to the sizes and configurations that they have available. If you have unique challenges in your garage, like curved walls or odd spaces, you might find it difficult to incorporate pre-made storage cabinets into your space. However, a garage renovation specialist can assess your space and custom-build cabinetry and workbenches to perfectly fit your lifestyle as well as the unique spaces of your garage.

An organized, functional garage is only a few steps away. Start by creating related storage zones. Then, give everything a specified place within its zone. And finally, be sure to return items to their designated spaces after each use.

Want the gorgeous garage, but don’t quite have the time to make it happen? Contact a professional garage renovation specialist to explore the possibilities.

Organize Your Garage with Dedicated Zones

May 14, 2014 by Rick Scully

This time of year our garages can easily descend into a den of chaos. The kids are digging out the bikes and rollerblades. You’re sifting through sleds, snow shovels and Christmas decorations in search of your garden tools. Meanwhile, one (or both) of your vehicles is stuck outside because there’s never enough room to squeeze it inside the garage.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Creating some level of organization in your garage doesn’t need to be a complicated or costly affair. Optimize the space in your garage by creating related storage zones. Why are dedicated zones essential to a well-organized garage? Let’s reconsider the scenario above.

If your winter tools and sports equipment, holiday decorations and garden tools are all stored in the same area, it makes life difficult, especially when the seasons change. You’ll have to search through the winter items in order to reach the garden tools which are now in the back. This type of system breeds chaos and makes us less inclined to do the yard work.

Now, close your eyes and envision your garage as a well-organized space with separate zones for related items. The effect is similar to what you experience when you go to a hardware store. The shovels and winterization items are in one section. The garden hose and tools are in a separate location. You can easily find either type of item with minimal fuss or confusion. With that in mind, let’s apply that same system to your garage.

Like that hardware store, there are a few basic zones into which the items in a garage can typically be categorized. Let’s examine each zone and what items would best fit there.

Automotive Accessories

Create a small section to store items used to maintain your vehicles. In this zone, organize items like car wax, motor oil, windshield wiper fluid, a bucket and chamois cloths for cleaning the car. Group tools used during winter months, like snow brushes. If you keep an additional set of tires in the garage for the winter weather, these might require a separate tire storage solution.

Household Supplies

Perhaps you keep items like household cleaners and paint thinner (but not paint!) in your garage. First, be sure to safely store household chemicals in your garage. Create a dedicated zone for these items. Use a cabinet or shelf that will keep these items out of the reach of your children and pets.

Garden Tools & Supplies

Homeowners often hire a company to maintain their yard and keep it looking beautiful. Others find great pleasure in maintaining their own yards. Planting flowers and shrubbery requires lots of hard work (and tools). The last thing you want to do before a long day of work in the yard is to spend an hour raking through your garage to find your garden tools.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Instead, create a zone in your garage dedicated to storing your yard essentials: hoes, shovels, trowels, fertilizer, garden gloves, flower pots, potting soil and other yard accessories. Then you’ll be able to put your time and effort into making your yard gorgeous, rather than searching for your gardening tools.

Recycling & Garbage Cans

Garbage cans and recycling bins are frequently stored in the garage. It might be necessary to keep these items in your garage. However, if not stored properly, waste bins are open invitations to vermin. They can also detract from the aesthetics of your garage and cause unpleasant odors.

Keep recycling and garbage cans together in a single zone. Store waste in cans with lids that fit tightly. This discourages smells from escaping and pests and vermin from entering the waste cans.

Tools & Workbenches

The garage is often home to a workbench and a variety of tools. Perhaps you’ve always wanted a workstation in your garage, but don’t believe you have the room for it. Even smaller garages can accommodate a custom-built workbench or workstation. Keeping tools organized is made simple with the right toolbox, pegboard or more sophisticated storage solutions. However, recycled items are also useful. For instance, an old muffin tin makes a good place to store nails, bolts and screws. You’ll be helping the environment and organizing your garage.

Sports Equipment

Most garages are brimming with sports equipment: bikes, skis, kayaks, rollerblades and balls. If you have school-aged children, you know how quickly these items accumulate and overtake the space that was once reserved for your car. When spring comes everyone starts digging out their sports equipment. Any semblance of organization you once had descends into chaos.

That’s why sports equipment requires its own separate zone in the garage. Use hooks, baskets or other organizational tools (which we’ll discuss more next time) to organize sports equipment.

Bicycles are large and bulky, usually requiring a separate storage solution. There are a variety of solutions for bike storage ranging from a traditional school yard-style bike rack to sophisticated overhead pulley systems.

It’s clear why separate zones in your garage make life easier. Now that we’ve reviewed each zone, you might be wondering how to keep the items in each section neatly organized. In the next post we’ll discuss all of the neat solutions that will keep each section of your garage looking its very best.

Do you want an organized garage, but just don’t have the time to do the work yourself? Consider hiring a garage renovation expert to organize your garage.

How much is a disorganized garage really costing you?

October 8, 2013 by Rick Scully

Are you a Have or a Have Not?

As you have probably noticed, it’s that time again. Yes, the days are getting shorter, the kids are back in school and it’s time to set up your garage for the winter season. In our many years of helping people organize their garages, we have identified two distinct types of homeowners in our area, the haves and the have nots.

1 car garage parks bmw plus 7 high end bicycles, portable workshop and all tools — HAVE: 1 Car Garage – parks 1 BMW, 7 high performance road bicycles, flip down workbench, all garden tools & seasonal tire storage

In this case, we are talking about homeowners who have taken steps to setup and organize their garages for easy seasonal transitions. These homeowners greet the seasonal change with open arms. They know that seasonal garage setup is not a chore at all, but a simple task that can be completed in a fairly short amount of time.

On the other hand, there is the other group of homeowners, those who have not organized their garages. As you might guess, these homeowners warily glance around the inside of their garage. They desperately try to figure out how long it will take to gather up all that clutter, move all that stuff around, store all the summer tools, toys and more away and bring out the winter gear. Sometimes, these garages are so disorganized that homeowners actually consider taking almost everything outside and then bringing the stuff back inside in the order they need. Unfortunately, if they are honest with themselves, they know this will most likely never happen. The end result is chaos or worse.

Back right 1 car central toronto garage — HAVE NOT: 1 Car Garage – cluttered, no storage, unable to park family vehicle, lacks organization

Then, once the first cold snap hits for these homeowners, it’s a mad dash to move the piles from here to there and everywhere in between to make room for the car. Oh, and should the home be equipped with a 2 car garage, too often, there is so much clutter piled up that just one car can be safely squeezed into the remaining space.

The point is simple and easy to understand: an organized garage will save a lot of headaches throughout the year, but especially so when it’s time to adjust for the season change. Look, if you plan on just shoving your stuff into various piles around the garage that’s your choice. Yet, you might want to consider what a disorganized garage is really costing you.

Of course, it’s obvious that a disorganized garage costs you extra time throughout the year. Do you ever find yourself hunting all over your garage for a particular garden tool? Do you ever move stuff aside to get to more stuff behind the first pile? Have you ever sent one of your kids out to the garage to fetch a garden tool and they can’t find it? Then, you head into the garage and it takes you a bit of time to find it yourself. You can see that you could end up spending a lot more time than necessary; if only your garage was better organized, you would save yourself a lot of headache.

Another way a cluttered garage is costing you comes right out of your wallet. Our storage solution team members regularly surprise homeowners when they point out that the homeowner has two or more of the same item such as weed whackers, garden hoses or rakes, one of which was buried deep in a pile of clutter years ago. Or, in a more painful hit to your wallet, what about the car door that bangs into a wheelbarrow or other item in the garage simply because the garage is over stuffed with clutter. Whether a small dent or ding, the damage is unsightly and will most likely need repair.

A third way that a cluttered garage can end up costing also concerns your vehicle. Think of it this way. Think about what happens if a garage is so cluttered that one or both vehicles (for a 2-car garage) can’t comfortably fit inside during the winter. A vehicle that’s worth more than everything in the garage combined has to sit outside and endure the brutal winter; but your garden tools, the lawnmower, the bikes, etc get to rest comfortably indoors. Of course, when you look at it that way, it’s immediately obvious there has to be a better way.

Actually, it’s about this time of year the storage solution team here at Garage Tailors Garage starts to field anxious calls from worried homeowners. Remember, your garage is not just a dumping ground for what doesn’t belong in the house. Your garage is there for your vehicles plus your other belongings. With the right organization system in place, your car and your bikes, sports equipment, garden tools and more can comfortably occupy the same space.

Safely Storing Garden Equipment

July 10, 2012 by Rick Scully

Safety is one of the key benefits to having a proper storage system for your gardening equipment and supplies. Without a system, it’s not uncommon to find tools big and small lying around, presenting a hazard.

A garage outfitted with slatwall and professional hooks allows you to hang more than one tool on each hook and know that when you pull one tool off, the hook and the other tools will stay put. For homeowners who have small children or animals, proper storage of sharp gardening equipment and poisonous chemicals is especially important. You can bang a nail into a wall but tools are not very secure.

Different tools require different storage solutions. I find that garden tools fall into three categories:

The first is long-handled tools like rakes and shovels. You can lean them against a wall but they fall over each other and present a serious safety hazard if stepped on.

Putting these tools on hooks and pointing anything sharp towards the wall makes it much safer for anyone entering the garage. Plus, once you give it a spot, you tend to put it back in that home. If it doesn’t have a spot, people are apt to put it anywhere there’s a space. Another thing to consider is the height of the hook; tools should be hung at eye level and not overhead.

Second is smaller hand tools like shears, claws, trowels, etc. Tools that are used for digging often have sharp edges and present a danger if they’re not stored properly. To keep them out of curious hands, they can be stored on hooks or in baskets that are six feet off the ground.

The third category is electrical tools such as hedge trimmers and leaf blowers. When both the equipment and their extension cords are left on the floor, they present a tripping hazard. When they’re hung on a hook, they don’t have a chance of being wrapped around someone’s ankle.

Supplies, fertilizers, items for pest control and plant food can also be dangerous if they’re not stored properly. Lockable cabinets are one solution for keeping them safe, but baskets and shelves are also an option as long as they can be installed out of reach.

Having a garage that’s properly organized will result in peace of mind because you know that everything is safety stored.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder: Getting Started

October 25, 2011 by Rick Scully

Last time, we discussed Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder and how to cope with it. Today, we’re going to prepare you to start your garage cleanup.

Remind yourself why you’re doing this. There are probably tools, seasonal decorations or other items that you know are in your garage, but you just can’t find them. Maybe a paint can spilled or things are piled so high there’s a risk of something falling.

Sometimes when we can’t find something, we replace it. Don’t be surprised if you end up with multiple sets of tools, weed whackers, etc. When you have proper storage systems with slatwall hooks for tools and equipment, you won’t be spending money on things you don’t need because you’ll be able to find everything you have.

Here are some things you can think about when you’re preparing to attack the clutter in the garage:

First, plan to dedicate an entire day for this and get members of the household on board.

Second, before you start removing items, designate areas for three categories: Keep it, donate it, toss it.

Be prepared to experience emotional attachments to some of the things you find. This is where a family member can help you decide – if you’re not putting it to use, it’s best given to someone else.

I have three basic rules:

If it can’t be used, or has no value, toss it.
If you no longer need it, or plan to use it, give it away or sell it.
If you need it and use it, keep it.

Tip: Half-full cans of paint can be taken to Rona. If you’re throwing out a lot, you can take it to a dump yourself, or call a company like 1-800-Got-Junk.

Once the garage has been purged, it’s time to get organized. We want to maximize the space we’ve got on the floors, walls and overhead. Stay tuned for the next blog.