Garage Tailors

Garage Interior Design & Renovation | Garage Flooring

CALL IAN AT 416.617.7551
FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION
COMPLETE THE ONLINE GARAGE SURVEYGarage Survey
  • GARAGE STORAGE
    • Bicycle Lifts & Racks
    • Garden Tools
    • Recycling & Garbage
    • Sports Equipment
    • Tire Storage
  • Unique Spaces
    • Shelving, Platforms and Mezzanines
  • Services
    • Wall Organization Systems
    • Garage Cabinets
      • Iconic Cabinets
      • Contur Cabinets
      • Global Steel Cabinets
    • Garage Flooring – Done In a Day
      • Ribtrax Garage Floor Tiles
    • Overhead Storage Racks
      • Strong Racks Overhead Storage
    • Car Lifts
    • Work Stations & Workbenches
  • GARAGE UPGRADES
    • 1 Car Garage Transformations
      • 1 Car Garage – Cabbagetown
      • 1 Car Garage: Slatwall, Cabinets, Overhead Storage – Toronto
      • 1.5 Car Garage – Etobicoke
      • 1 Car Garage – High Park
      • 1 Car Garage – Markham
      • 1 Car Garage – North Toronto
      • 1 Car Garage – North York
    • 2 Car Garage Transformations
      • 2 Car Garage – North Toronto
      • 2 Car Garage – Markham
      • 2 Car Garage – Etobicoke
      • 2 Car Garage – Stouffville
      • 2 Car Garage – Bayview Village
      • 2 Car Garage – Beacon Hall
      • 2 Car Garage – Brampton
      • 2 Car Garage – Etobicoke
      • 2 Car Garage – Lawrence Park
      • 2 Car Garage – North York
      • 2 Car Garage – Oakville
      • 2 Car Garage – Oakville (2)
      • 2 Car Garage – South Oakville
      • 2 Car Garage – Oakville (4)
      • 2 Car Garage – Toronto
      • 2 Car Garage – Willowdale
      • 2 .5 Car Garage – Toronto
    • 3 Car Garage Transformations
      • 3 Car Garage – Aurora
      • 3 Car Garage – Bayview York Mills
      • 3 Car Garage – Newmarket
      • 3 Car Garage – Toronto
      • 3 Car Garage – Etobicoke
      • 3 Car Garage – Richmond Hill
    • 4 Car Garage – Richmond Hill
  • About Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Testimonials
  • Contact
    • Consultation Request
You are here: Home / Archives for winter weather supplies

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 20th.
  • 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.

Filed Under: Garage Storage Solutions Tagged With: garage door, garage storage cabinets, Greater Toronto Area, hockey equipment, Icefest, Natrel Rink, slatwall organization system, snow removal equipment, snowboarding, toboggan hills, winter adventures, winter weather supplies

Is Your Garage Ready for Winter?

October 21, 2014 by Rick Scully

slatwall - wall organizers, grey, hooks, garden toolsWe’ve settled into fall and the air is turning crisp and cool. Though most of us would prefer to reminisce over how we spent the summer, it’s time to give serious thought to preparing for winter.

Remember last winter?

It was the coldest winter Toronto has experienced in twenty years. The harsh winter caught many of us unaware, and left homeowners, businesses and governments reeling from the unexpected impact and costs. Most homeowners realize how essential it is to winterize their homes, but don’t forget about your garage. It needs winter weather prep, too.

What can you do to prepare your garage for the snowy winter ahead? Here are four steps that will help you get your garage ready for winter.

Clean Up Your Act

During the activity of summer it’s easy for the garage to become a family dumping ground. Maybe you’ve even resorted to parking your vehicles outside, rather than vying for space inside the garage. However, with snow and cold weather headed our way in the coming months, now is the time to carve out space for your vehicles and all of your winter weather supplies, like shovels, salt and your trusty snow blower.

Begin your winter weather prep by cleaning out your garage. Sort through all of the items stored in your garage. Honestly assess which items are needed and which should go. Be brutal. Toss broken items, including the ones you’ve been planning to fix for the past five years. Donate items in good condition that are duplicates or that your family no longer uses.

Still having trouble deciding what should stay and what should get the old heave-ho? Here are a few questions to consider:

  • Do I trulyneed this item?
  • How likely is it that we’ll use it again?
  • If I’m not using it, why am I really holding onto this item?
  • Could someone else use it?
  • If it’s broken, is it worth fixing? How likely am I to fix the item (or get it fixed)?
  • Does this item fit with my current lifestyle?
  • Which is more important: holding onto this item or parking inside the garage?

Once you’ve pared down the volume of items stored in the garage, it’s the perfect time to spruce it up. Sweep floors, dust for cobwebs, clean the garage door and give the floor a good scrub.

Create a Plan

Now that you can see how much space you’re working with, it’s time to devise a plan for organizing your items. Ask yourself:

  • What is my objective?
  • What additional items need to go into the garage?
  • Is there room for the snow blower?
  • Which items should be grouped together? (More on this later.)
  • Where should each item be placed for easiest access?

Map out a plan that will allow you to safely store all items while also accommodating any vehicles you’d like to park in the garage.

Floor space is at a premium in the typical garage. Don’t limit yourself to perimeter floor space. Install a wall organizer system, or have one installed by a garage interior design expert. Storing items vertically in baskets, or on shelves and hooks, reserves floor space for larger items and for vehicle parking.

Still need more space? Look up. If your garage has wasted overhead space, as most do, you could add valuable storage space by getting overhead storage platforms installed.Before you give your plan the green light, make sure it includes task-related zones.

Create Task-Oriented Zones

While creating your plan, you considered which items should be grouped together. This question is essential and deserves further discussion. Creating task-oriented zones will help keep your garage organized throughout the year.

Carefully consider all of the activities that take place in your garage. Keep seasonal and related items together. Create a car care zone, one for yard care and another for winter sports gear. Shift winter gear to a prime space and store summer items where they are less accessible.

Ideally, winter yard maintenance equipment and supplies should be stored close to the garage door for easy access to the driveway. However, not all sidewalls can accommodate a snow blower while still allowing room to park vehicles inside. If this is the case in a two-car garage, try storing the snow blower on the back wall near the center of the garage. This will allow you to exit the garage between the vehicles parked inside.

Winterize Your Garage (and Everything in It)

Now that your garage is decluttered and organized, it’s time to make sure that everything is ready for that first icy blast of Arctic air.

  • Replace the batteries in your garage door openers.
  • Check garage door weather stripping and replace, if needed.
  • Check all moving parts of the garage door. Get any missing or broken parts repaired.
  • Lubricate garage door rollersand hinges for smooth operation all winter.
  • Ensure that the safety reverse sensor is functional. If not, adjust sensors or have them repaired.
  • Drain water from hoses, purge sprinkler system and shut off water supply to exterior spigot.

Take advantage of cool, comfortable fall temperatures by preparing your home and garage for the winter ahead. Once you’ve decluttered your garage and created a plan of action that includes task-oriented zones, it’s time to put that plan into action. Store any items that can’t be stored vertically or overhead around the perimeter of your garage. Stack or nest like items, like flower pots or storage bins, to maximize space.

Filed Under: Garage Storage Solutions, Organizing Tips Tagged With: add valuable storage space, car care zone, cleaning out your garage, Create Task-Oriented Zones, garage has wasted overhead space, garage interior design expert, hooks, maximize space, overhead storage platforms, prepare your garage for the snowy winter, preparing for winter, preparing your home and garage for the winter ahead, salt, shelve, Shovels, snow blower, Storing items vertically, storing the snow blower, task-related zones, wall organizer system, winter weather prep, winter weather supplies, Winterize Your Garage

  • GARAGE STORAGE AREAS
    • Automotive Accessories
    • Bicycle Storage & Bike Racks
    • Garden Tools & Supplies Storage
    • Household Supplies
    • Recycling and Garbage Bin Storage
    • Sports Equipment
    • Tire Storage
  • Storage Solutions: Made to Measure Solutions
    • Shelving, Platforms and Mezzanines
  • Products
    • Exotic Car Enthusiasts
    • Garage Wall Organization Systems
    • Garage Cabinets
      • CTech Cabinets
      • Contur Cabinets
    • Garage Flooring – Done In a Day
    • Storage Systems
    • Overhead Garage Storage & Platforms
    • Work Stations & Workbenches
  • GARAGE UPGRADES
  • Customer Testimonials
  • Consultation Request
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About Us
  • Contact

GARAGE VIEWS FROM NUVO

  • Get Ready to Drool – Epoxy Garage Floors Are the Ultimate Luxury Upgrade!
  • Is It Worth Investing In Epoxy Garage Flooring?
  • A Guide To Help You Get Rid Of Unwanted Mess In The Garage
  • Things To Keep In Mind While Organizing Your Garage
  • A Guide To Help You Convert Garage Into A Practical Space
  • 5 Key Reasons Your Garage Door Needs An Instant Repair
  • Did You Select The Right Door For Your Garage?
  • Do I Really Need A Garage Cabinet System?
  • Make Best Use Of Your Space With These Amazing Garage Storage Ideas
  • 5 Top Reasons To Keep Your Garage Properly Structured
  • A Detailed Guide To Help Keep The Garage Properly Organized
  • Five Reasons to Install an Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

Garage Tailors INC.
51-3176 Ridgeway Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5L 5S6

416.617.7551
Twitter LinkedIn Google Plus Pinterest Facebook RSS Feed
Copyright © 2023 · Garage Tailors Garage Inc.
Website Design by Yenius Interactive Marketing