Many garages serve as in-home storage facilities where families keep items that are used outside or which cannot fit inside their home. Whether it be a car, summer toys, or old family photographs, garages are a great place to store things. However, many people also place dangerous chemicals and combustible materials inside of their garages. Sometimes, machinery such as a garage door or othergarage hardware can create friction or sparks, which can lead to a fire. Because of this potential danger, it is wise to take steps to prevent a possible fire in your garage.

1. Store Combustible and Flammable Materials Safely

This step may sound obvious, but a surprising number of people do not store flammable materials such as gasoline or oil safely in their garage. The excuse for doing so is that a person never thought an accident or fire would happen to them. The truth is that gas and oil can very quickly catch fire, and even the fumes are explosive. While it is advisable that you do not keep these materials in your garage at all, if you must do so, then be sure they are in properly sealed containers and stored away from electrical outlets and heaters.

2. Follow Safety Procedures When Using Electrical Outlets and Extension Cords

Not only are extension cords a tripping hazard, but they can cause fires as well. Old extension cords or poorly maintained electrical outlets can start fires due to sparks from old or exposed wiring. In addition, an electrical surge can cause equipment and wiring to be burnt out, and repairs may cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

3. Prepare for a Potential Fire

Sadly, not all preventative measures can stop garage fires. That is why you need to prepare for every possibility. You can do so by purchasing smoke detectors to alert you if a piece of equipment in your garage is smoking. You should also keep a fire extinguisher in your garage so that you can stop any potential fire before it engulfs the garage and burns your entire house down.

Contact Our Downers Grove Garage Experts

The best way to prevent garage fires is to make sure that your garage is designed and built correctly. At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., our DuPage County custom garage professionals can help you design and build a garage that meets your needs and provides protection against fires or other dangers. Please contact us today by calling 630-852-8485.

Whether your garage is used for storing your car, as a zone for family activities, or as a man cave, you are likely to customize the space in one way or another. However, those who have a little extra dough are able to take garage customization to another level. If you are interested in creating a custom garage, then here are three garages which might offer you a little bit of inspiration:

The Mayor’s Garage

A little known fact about New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio is that he collects custom cars and has built a custom garage to hold them. His garage, which he spent 10 years developing and completing, contains about 800 square feet of flooring. He boasts that it is very durable and waterproof, allowing messes from things such as oil spills to be easily cleaned up. Inside, he stores his 1995 black Chevy Impala SS, a ’69 blue Chevy Camaro, and a ’57 Chevy Bel Air. In addition to the cars, he has a collection of around 500 license plates which he has gathered since childhood.

The Live-in Garage

A great example of a unique custom garage is the one owned by Natalie Adams in Oakland Park, Florida. Ms. Adams collects JDM Hondas, which are only available in the Japanese market. After storing her cars in a self-storage facility for several years, she decided to create a unique live-in garage to better protect her vehicles. Ms. Adams took a 1950s warehouse and customized it into a half-home, half-garage living area. Approximately 60 percent of her home is a part of her garage, and 40 percent is her living space. By choosing to sacrifice her kitchen, she was able to create a large storage area where she can protect her Hondas while still living comfortably.

The Show Room

One of the most impressive custom garages can be found in Águeda, Portugal and was designed by the company Paulo Martins Arquitectura & Design. The concept behind this custom garage was to create a garage that is part showroom and part fortress. Outside, the garage is built with aluminum siding and a steel framework which protects the collection of BMWs, motorcycles, and other equipment inside from dangers. However, the interior has a minimalistic design with a smooth epoxy flooring that is lit by dozens of LED spotlights. The owner is said to regularly spend time in his garage simply relaxing and admiring his collection.

Contact Our Downers Grove Garage Customization Professionals

If you are considering upgrading or customizing your garage, then you need to contact the DuPage County custom garage experts at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. With our decades of experience designing and building custom garages, we will work with you to create the garage you have always dreamed of. For inquiries, please contact our offices at 630-852-8485.

During the summer, we are all trying to find a way to keep our homes and garages cool. In the hotter months of the year, this usually means keeping the air conditioning on 24/7, which can really increase the amount of electric bills. Thus, we all try to search for alternative means of keeping the summer heat at bay. One such way is through using low-e glass windows. If you are planning to replace the windows in your home or garage, then you may want to consider using low-e glass windows to make your home an oasis of cool during the summer.

What Are Low-e Glass Windows?

Low-e glass is a relatively new advancement in window technology. Low-e stands for low emissivity, and emissivity refers to the amount of energy released from an object. In a nutshell, low-e windows contain a small filament in the glass which reflects heat from the sun’s rays. This filament is invisible to the human eye and is designed to block UV rays while allowing natural light into your home. During the summer, as the sun is beating down, these windows keep hot and humid temperatures outside where they belong. In addition, a similar process will take place during the winter, and low-e windows will reflect heat generated in your home back inside. In a way, low-e glass is like a natural thermostat that helps keep your home fresh during the summer and warm during the winter.

Types of Low-e Windows

There are two types of low-e window coatings: passive and solar control. Passive low-e coatings are designed to passively control the flow of heat in and out of a home, creating a more natural environment. Solar control coating is designed to control the amount of sunlight and solar heat allowed into a home or building and reducing the amount of energy used to artificially keep an environment cool through air conditioning.

Why Should I Get Low-e Windows?

As mentioned above, low-e windows block harmful UV light. UV light is the kind of light which causes sunburns, but it can also cause carpets, furniture, and other home appliances to fade. By upgrading to low-e windows, you will not only keep your home cooler, but you will also be protecting valuables from the slow damage that can be caused by harmful sunlight.

Contact a Downers Grove Window Repair and Installation Professional

If you are considering upgrading your windows and wish to learn more about low-e window options, contact the Downers Grove garage and window installation professionals at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. For questions, please call our office at 630-852-8485.

Summer is upon us, and that means your garage door is likely to see a lot more activity. Garage doors are used significantly less during the winter months, since they are only opened and closed when the family car is needed. However, in the summer, a garage often becomes the home’s most used entrance and exit. It may be opened or closed each time your children fetch their bikes and toys, when you and your spouse retrieve your lawnmower or gardening equipment, or for hundreds of other different reasons. This extra work that your garage door performs can create the potential for wear and tear. To keep your garage door functional and avoid causing problems during the summer, you need to make sure that it is well lubricated.

The Purpose of Lubrication

Lubrication has been employed by builders for thousands of years. When two rough surfaces meet, this causes friction that can lead to damage over time. A lubricant provides a slick filling that coats the spots where hard surfaces meet, allowing for better mobility and reducing the potential for damage. Your garage door is no different. Each time you open and close your garage door, its tough metal and plastic components scrape against each other. Without that smooth coating of lubrication, the garage door will quickly degrade and cease to function.

How Do You Know When Your Garage Door Needs to Be Lubricated?

The need for lubrication is often very obvious. A poorly lubricated garage door will make a sound worse than the proverbial fingernails against a chalkboard. If your garage door’s springs and rails require some work, they will produce very loud and noticeable scraping, clanging, or rattling sound. If it gets bad enough, your garage door will make a noise so loud that it will reverberate throughout the entire house. A well-lubricated garage door will make very little sound, and noise will be limited to what you hear when the motor of your garage door opener is operating. If your garage door is stuttering each time you open and close it, then chances are it needs some maintenance.

What Parts of the Garage Door Should Be Lubricated?

A garage door may produce noise if its parts are dirty. Before lubricating, be sure to clean every inch of your garage door by giving it a good thorough dusting, and clean away any dirt that has built up. After this is complete, be sure to lubricate therollers and springs, since these are the parts which do the most work. Typically, a can of WD-40 should be sufficient, but there are other specialty sprays which can be purchased at your local home improvement store.

Contact Our DuPage County Garage Door Repair and Installation Professionals

If your garage door is making a loud noise when opening and closing, and you have tried everything to fix it, that is when you need to bring in the Downers Grove garage professionals at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. We can provide garage door repairs and maintenance, and if necessary, we can help you determine your options for garage door replacement. For more information, contact us at 630-852-8485.

The garage door opener industry is like almost every other industry in that it has been dramatically affected by the influx of new smart technologies. In previous blogs, we have discussed how electric garage door openers can now be connected to your smart devices, such as smartphones, Amazon Echo, Google Home, etc. to allow you to open and monitor your garage more efficiently. Smart technology keeps on evolving, and so do garage door openers. Here is a short list of some of the most advanced garage door openers available at this point in 2019:

• Chamberlain Group B550 Smartphone-Controlled Ultra-Quiet & Strong Belt Drive Garage Door Opener. The garage door works with the myQ App, which can be installed on your smart device, allowing you access to your garage door remotely. This opener allows Amazon Prime members to give Amazon delivery people the ability to enter your garage and deliver packages safely while you are away. Additionally, the B550 uses a steel-reinforced belt drive system which is both sturdy and silent. No longer will a noisy garage door disturb the quiet in your home.
• Chamberlain B510 Ultra-Quiet & Strong Belt Drive Garage Door Opener. This is a slightly cheaper alternative model to the B550 mentioned above. It includes all the structural security and quiet opening and closing of the garage door but does not include smart technology. If you are looking for a reliable solution without the need for remote access, this garage door opener is for you.
• The Genie Company Model 2128 Opener. This month, Genie Company announced that they were updating this model to be connectable to the Aladdin Connect system. This system allows homeowners to integrate their garage doors with both Alexa and Google Assistant devices. Homeowners can set schedules for when their garage door can be opened, and they can give friends and family members “virtual keys” through their smart devices. This opener uses a DC motor that is small and easy to lift, meaning it can often be installed in garages more quickly than other garage door openers.

Contact Our Professional DuPage County Garage Door Installers

Technology is rapidly advancing, and every device in the home is evolving with the times. Garage doors are no different, and smart garage door openers have many benefits. If you want to learn more about your available options for upgrading the technology in your garage, contact the Downers Grove garage professionals at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. Call us today at 630-852-8485.