Uncategorized Archives - Page 40 of 49

Preventing Mice from Entering Your Garage

October 29, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Winter is coming, and with that comes the allure of your garage to pests like mice, chipmunks, and raccoons. What rodent could resist a slightly warmer area that could be a location in which you store pet food or dispose of trash? Worse yet, once a pest enters the garage, the next step is moving into the warmer, more food-filled location: your house.

This is why preventing pests from entering your garage should be at the top of the mind before the cold winters hit the Chicagoland area.

Today, we cover some of the ways to prevent mice from entering your home, from sealing your home to placing deterrents in your home.

Sealing Points of Ingress

If your garage is old, there may be holes used by mice to enter. Our first advice would obviously be to contact us for a new garage or professional repairs; but if that won’t do for you, the next best advice is to seal the openings to the outside.

If a mouse can get its head though, the body can go through as well. The little pests only need about a ¼ inch (0.6 cm) wide opening. They can jump – up to 18 inches, travel upside down, and crawl along an electrical wire. If you can stick a #2 pencil through a hole, a mouse can probably use it to get into your home.

Simple, Temporary Fix: Steel wool, copper gauze (Stuf-it® brand) or screen wire packed tightly into openings
More Permanent Option: mix a quick-drying patching plaster or anchoring such as Fixall® into a wad of Stuf-it® before pushing the material into the hole, and smooth over the outside. Holes 3 inches (8 cm) or more in diameter should be covered or backed with 1/4-inch (0.6-cm) woven/welded hardware cloth prior to filling with a good patching compound.

Keeping the Door Shut

Pretty simple fix here, if you’re not going in or out of the garage, don’t open the door.

Reducing Outside Habitat

If you have a lot of berry or nut trees outside, continuously remove these from your yard to prevent the mice from even seeing your property as a viable option.

Reducing Temptation to Enter

If you leave food in the garage or store trash, get it out. Dog or cat food make for great temptation for pests to enter. If you must store food in the garage, be sure to store it in an airtight container.

Get Boxes and Firewood off the Floor

Don’t give the pest a good home for the winter. Use our garage storage tips to get everything off the floor before it’s too late.

Get a Cat (Or Dog)

Obviously not an option for people with allergies, a cat would hunt pests efficiently, due to its nature as a mouse hunter.

Purchase Mouse Repellent

There is a lot of debate over the effectiveness of many of these, but if you look for an all-natural or humane solution, you can try some of these:

Peppermint Oil
Moth Balls
Ammonia
Cat urine, coyote urine
Snake Dung
High-pitch sound machines
Flashing, bright light machines
Toilet cakes
Hedge Apples/Road Apples/Osage Oranges
Dryer Sheets

Protecting Your Garage this Winter

From preparing storage to winterizing your garage to inspecting your garage, we have shared and will continue to share with you tips on preparing your garage for fall and winter.

Related Resources:

Contact us for any of your pre winter garage repairs.

Garage Door Material Options

October 22, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Like any part of your property, you are provided many options in building your garage. From attached to detached, a pressing concern among homeowners-second to garage door style-is the material of which your garage door is made.

From Aluminum to Wood, and every option between, each type of garage door material has its benefits to homeowners. Today, we would like to share with you the common types of garage door material available to homeowners today.

Steel Garage Doors

Steel, the most popular material for garage doors, is reasonably priced, durable, low maintenance and available in just about any style you like.

Related: Garage Door Panel Design

The best steel garage doors are made of two layers of galvanized steel, the surface of which is either primed and painted with a tough topcoat finish or clad with a composite material. Steel doors can be painted to match your home and are available with or without insulation. The downside of steel doors is that they can be dented and are subject to corrosion, especially in coastal areas.

Pros: Reasonably priced, durable, low maintenance, paintable, allows design options

Cons: Lower priced varieties easily dented, poor insulation

Aluminum Garage Doors

Aluminum doors share many of the characteristics of steel, with optional faux wood texturing and long-lasting finishes. Aluminum is lighter and less expensive than steel, but it is more likely to dent.

Pros: Cheaper than steel, lighter than steel, corrosion free, many design options, easy to install, less pressure on garage opener spring, recyclable

Cons: Easily dented

Fiberglass Garage Doors

Fiberglass garage doors represent a small segment of the market, but do have benefits for homeowners. They do not rust but can break upon impact.

Related: Choosing the Right Garage Type

Fiberglass panels, which are encased in aluminum frames, can be painted and offer greater resistance to dents than thin steel.

Pros: Dent resistant, crack resistance, lightweight, will not shrink or expand due to changes in temperature or moisture, translucency offers increased light into garage, many design options

Cons: Can break upon impact, poor insulator, can become brittle in extremely cold conditions

Vinyl Garage Doors

Promoted as being ‘kid-proof’, vinyl doors are difficult to dent or break. Typically built upon steel frames, these too are filled with polyurethane insulation. Vinyl doors look similar to fiberglass doors but are available in fewer colors. They are very durable and require little maintenance aside from an occasional hosing.

Pros: Rust proof, more noise resistant than other options, dent proof, crack proof, easy to maintain

Cons: More costly than steel, become brittle in cold climates, can fade or become chalky from long periods of direct exposure to sunlight, fewer design options or manufacturer options, painting a vinyl door can violate warranty

Wood Garage Doors

The first garage doors were made with wood, and wood continues to appeal to those seeking traditional styles and materials. Wood doors are offered in a variety of styles, which can include windows.

The lowest-cost option is painted wood with flat hardboard panels. Stain-grade wood doors cost more, but offer the warmth of natural wood that can make a big difference in the curb appeal of a house.

Related: Garage Door Replacement

Wood is a better insulator than steel, but insulated steel doors provide better energy conservation. Wood doors need to be maintained and refinished regularly.

Pros: The option that other doors imitate, ultimate in style and design, many custom options available,

Cons: High maintenance (sanding, painting), potential to rot, generally more costly, short warranties, not meant for exposure to direct sunlight, heavier

Wood Composite

Composite doors are made with recycled wood fibers. They offer the strength of steel with the looks and texture of wood, and they can be painted or stained. Composite doors are superior to solid wood in resisting rot and splitting.

Pros: provide the strength of steel and the look of wood, dent resistant, rot resistant, design options, paint, low maintenance, environmentally friendly,

Special thanks to Bob Villa and About Garages for their garage door material advice. Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has been helping homeowners throughout the Chicagoland area to make the smart garage decision. Learn more about what we can do for your next home project and read these related materials to learn more about the garage building process.

Contact Blue Sky Builders, Inc. today for an estimate on your new garage!

Build a Haunted Garage for Halloween!

October 15, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Halloween is right around the corner, and one of our favorite traditions is visiting haunted houses with our children. But why, instead of going to a haunted house, don’t you build one into your home? The garage, especially a detached garage, can create a horrifyingly brilliant haunted house. Today, we share tips on building a haunted house in your garage and yard.

Step 1: Clean up

No one wants a lawsuit on their hands, so make sure that anything that can actually harm someone is locked away. Start by removing cars, lawn mowers, tools, and chemicals. Clear out as much space as possible to allow for the biggest layout. If there’s somewhere else you can store your stuff, move it there. If not, just put everything against the walls.

Step 2: Plan a Path

Measure out your garage, and draw out the map you plan to make of your garage. This is critical, not only in planning, but on the night of the event.

Maze Style

Use space dividers, boxes, boards, and dark sheets to create a maze-like path to the back of the garage. If you want to go all out, Fright Props provides a short guide to building tongue and groove haunted house walls that can be reused in the future.

Straight Path

A straight path is fine, so long as you create a few hidden recesses where people can hide and jump out from at unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.

Horseshoe Shape

If you have a smaller garage, the horseshoe may get the job done. Create one entrance and one exit, with hiding places.

Step 3: Get Supplies

Depending on how much you already have, this could be an easy trip to your local thrift shop, Halloween store, and hardware store.

Purchases from the Thrift Store

Get anything you can find to create the mood from your local Goodwill or Savers. It’s cheaper, and you can get advice from other thrifty shoppers.

Costumes
Lighting (Strobe Lights, Black Lights, etc.)
Wall Décor
Creepy CDs
A few scary movies for motivation.

Purchases from the Halloween Store

You may have to hit the Halloween Store for other haunted house needs, including:

Fog Machines
Additional Lighting
Masks and Face Paint
Décor

And be sure to head back after Halloween if you would like to do this again next year. Save yourself money.

Purchases from Hardware Store

Your haunted house won’t be all monsters and smoke machines. You’re also going to need to build some walls. The easiest way to do this is with black plastic sheeting.

Plywood to build walls
Plywood to build decorations
Sheeting to cover walls
Extension Cords
Tape

Step 4: Start Construction and Decorate

Build your walls, hang your decorations, and add the finishing scary touches to the garage.

Set the perfect haunted mood by decorating your home in the true Halloween spirit!

String lights with Halloween colors outside.
Cover your furniture with white sheets, for an abandoned appearance.
Drape mirrors with cheesecloth.
Paint witches or hanging figures on your window shades. Backlit, and seen from the outside, they are a sign of more scares to come!
If there are areas of the house that will be off-limits, mark them as such with police tape.
For extra scares, have a CD player emitting screams, sighs, and moans from the cloistered area

Step 5: Recruit a Few Friends

You don’t want to run this alone, and if you haven’t recruited a few people to help build, you will want to recruit a few people to manage this.

You’ll need at least two people to dress up in terrifying costumes and jump out of the shadows, and there’s nothing better than the tried and true chainsaw-murderer and demonic vampire.

Run a Successful Show!

Now that you have your house in place, your crew briefed, and decorations in place; be sure to invite the neighborhood and leave candy at the end. For more motivation, be sure to check out the following resources:

11 Best Haunted Houses in America
How to Build Your Own Haunted House

Blue Sky Builders, Inc. is all about Garages, and hopes that this provides a little bit of motivation into turning your garage into the best in the neighborhood.

If your garage looks scary-and it’s not supposed to be-contact us today.

How to Clean and Remove Stains from a Garage Floor

October 8, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

A few weeks ago, we covered the different types of garage flooring types available to homeowners. However, what if you never have put down epoxy or protective paint? What if you’ve had an oil stain on your floor for years, and want to make this the year that you finally get rid of it for good?

You are running out of weekends to work on outdoor tasks-maybe you make this the weekend you get rid of that stubborn spot? Today, we’ll share with you the best garage cleaning tips and some products to get the job done.

Cleaning a Concrete Garage Floor

Getting rid of tire marks, dirt, grime, oil, and oil may seem impossible, but with the right tools, you can easily remove even the most stubborn stain. However, before jumping into the tactical removal of the stains and tire marks, it helps for you to understand how to properly clean a garage floor.

Basic Garage Floor Cleaning

Learning the best way to clean a garage floor properly is a skill that is high on most home improvement lists. Depending upon what type of garage floor project you have chosen and how dirty your floor is, there are different methods of cleaning a concrete floor that you may want to engage.

This simple 9 step process will provide a nice start to garage floor cleaning:

Equipment Required

Plastic Drop Cloth (Optional, but Recommended)
Push Broom
Concrete Cleaner
- Tide (Laundry Detergent) and Water
- Simple Green
- Dry Cleaning Agent: Comet or Barkeeper’s Friend
- Many More available: Muriatic/Hydrochloric Acid is not recommended
- Hose with Sprayer Attachment OR Power Washer
- Deck Brush

Cleaning Process

Remove anything from your garage that isn’t anchored down.
Cover all Electrical Outlets and drywall lower than 3 feet with plastic.
Sweep out all dirt, dust, leaves, and any other dry debris.
Spray floor from back to door, making sure to spray corners or areas where grime accumulates
Choose Your Cleaning Agent:
1. Mix Laundry Detergent with Hot Water and Pour over Floor
2. Sprinkle Dry Cleaner into Sprayed Floor
Using Your Deck Brush, start scrubbing
Rinse
Repeat if Necessary
Allow to Dry

Now that you have the basic cleaning out of the way, you can finally make progress on tire marks, oil, grease, and whatever else has made its way onto your floors. Advanced garage floor cleaning, if you can consider it as such, is actually quite simple.

Removing Oil Stains from a Garage Floor

Apply bleach to the stain (using a spray bottle is the most efficient way to apply bleach). Let sit 20 minutes. Scrub with a scrub brush and rinse. Avoid getting bleach on your clothing as it will stain, and avoid contact with skin and especially eyes.

Getting Grease Out of the Garage

Spread a thick layer of fresh kitty litter over the spot. Allow to sit for two or three days. Sweep (or shop vac) kitty litter and dispose of in the trash. If stain still remains, sprinkle the area with DRY concrete mix. Allow to sit for two or three days. Sweep up dry concrete.

An important thing to remember, but surprisingly common mistake: DO NOT dispose of dry concrete in sewer, sink or toilet-among other things it WILL cause plumbing problems!

Say Ta-Ta to Tire Marks

Wet the area and use an over-the-counter degreaser, such as ORANGE CITRUS concentrate. Allow the degreaser to sit on the spot for a few hours. Scrub with a scrub brush and rinse.

Remove Rust

Combine an ounce of trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a gallon of hot water. Wet the concrete and use a push broom with rigid bristles to scrub. Let the solution soak into the concrete for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Cleaning your garage at the end of the year may sound counterintuitive, with salt and other marks bound to mess up the floor again, but cleaning now will help to minimize the layers of dirt. Maybe after cleaning, it may be the best time to choose a new floor coat so you can minimize the hassle of cleaning this floor.

Related Resources

Garage Storage for Bicycles: 3 Options to Save Space

October 1, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Brace yourself, winter is coming. More than a quote from a TV show turned internet meme; winter is actually coming. With this comes less need for summer items such as bikes, patio furniture, bags sets (cornhole boards), kayaks, fishing gear, and grills. However, much of this takes up space, and seemingly takes up more space than last year. A seemingly bulky option that needs storage is the bicycle. We will share with you 3 space saving options for storing your bike in your garage this winter.

Garage Bicycle Storage

It’s understandable that some of us may be riding this winter; but for the casual rider, the winter is not the time to go riding. This means that you need to find storage for an item that generally sits 3 feet high and 4-5 feet wide.

Before considering the basic hook around the tires approach or dark corner of the garage, remember that an extended period of contact with freezing concrete does not benefit the tires. However, if you don’t want to take the indoor trainer option, you need a safe and effective storage option that will allow you to start spring with little more than a tune-up.

Sounds tough, right? Not with the following storage ideas:

1. Wall Storage

The wall is a great storage option for single bikes. You can build your own or Purchase a kit. Many good options are available from REI or the Home Depot. Simple options could be for purchase that store one, two, or four bikes.

2. Ceiling Storage

Common options are easily available that keep the bicycle securely hoisted overhead. Generally more expensive but also built to fit more bikes, these save you wall space and allow you parking underneath.

3. Frame Storage Options

Maybe the wall option and the ceiling option aren’t for you. Available for purchase are frames built to hold multiple bikes but also be movable as needed. these are the least permanent options but make sense for temporary use.

We thank the Daily Sightline for sharing these images and welcome you to head over to their blog for more inspiration surrounding bicycle storage.

We also would like to share with you the basics of winterizing a bicycle.

Looking for more Storage Advice? We’ve compiled the following resources to improve your garage storage success.

There are many more options for storing a bicycle in the winter, but these three are the most common and easily attainable with winter right around the corner. As the winter months come, we will continue to share storage ideas and garage winterization tips.

Maintaining a Safe Home Workshop

September 24, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

As a homeowner, your workshop may be the only place to work on home projects. As one of the more durable and spacious locations in the home, the garage is one of the best locations to set up a workbench, store tools and supplies, and complete the home projects you wanted to get done 4 months ago. But before you set up shop, we would like to walk you through an important factor in using a workshop in the garage-safety.

Safety in the Garage Workshop

What do you need in your workshop? Whether you are working on your automobile or a have a complete wood shop, there are certain things that you should have installed or on hand that will keep you or your family safe.

Proper Lighting

An overlooked, but significant consideration in your garage is right over your head. Yes, often an afterthought in garage, proper lighting can increase the safety, usability, and aesthetic appeal of a garage. Specific considerations include the following:

Placement: Make sure you light the garage where you will need it most. Examples would be lights placed over a workbench or the area of the garage that corresponds to above the vehicle engine.
Safety: Avoid Lighting that will create shadows or will be hard to replace.
Bulb Type: For proper lighting for your workshop, it is highly recommended to use fluorescent bulbs.

For more information on lighting your garage, take a look at a recent blog: Choosing the right lighting for your garage.

Electrical Outlets, Cords, and Breakers

Trying to prevent a garage fire? Something you may forget is the importance of maintaining breakers, fuses, cords, and electrical outlets. Before you work, ask yourself the following:

Are fuse and breaker boxes up to Code and in good working condition?
Are tool cords and extension cords kept secured and out of the flow of traffic?
Are extension plugs and cords being used properly – not overloaded or used in relay?

Tool and Chemical Storage

Keeping your garage organized is one of the first safety tips you should follow, but even more so when you have a workshop in your garage.

Are lawn and garden tools and supplies safety stored off the floor and out of the traffic flow?
Are hazardous and flammable liquids properly marked and stored away from equipment such as furnaces, hot water heaters and gas dryers?

Follow our list of 6 steps to planning garage storage to get started today!

Fire Prevention

We’re not asking you to include a full irrigation system built to put out any fire (Although that would be great), we recommend though that you have an accessible fire extinguisher. With more than 6,600 Garage Fires each year in the United States, you need to understand the importance of fire prevention in the garage. Specifically, remember the following:

Is there a functioning fire extinguisher at hand?
Do You have a Smoke Detector working and properly placed?
Did you follow the prior tips on keeping chemicals away from appliances and not overloading outlets?
Is the area clear of cardboard, paper or sawdust that might become a fire hazard?

Consider our advice on preventing garage fires for more advice on this.

Skin, Ear, and Eye Protection

Eye protection is absolutely essential in much of the work done in workshops, including any work that involves power tools. In fact, it’s a good idea to leave goggles or safety glasses in a hard-to-miss location with respect to power tools — such as on the table of a drill press — as a reminder to wear them.

Ear protection is important when using high-decibel power tools such as table saws and circular saws. If full-sized ear-muff style protectors aren’t available, at least use ear plugs.

Finally, protecting your skin from chemicals can be accomplished using gloves, prevent burns while welding or soldering using proper gloves, vests, and sleeves; and be sure to use a vest for chest protection.

Respiratory Protection

Working with chemicals, sawdust, or brake pads? Protect your lungs. Long-term damage to your lungs may not seem as important as more immediate crushing injuries. But you’ll feel the pain, eventually. Yes, asbestos is gone from brake linings, but pad dust is still nasty stuff. A disposable particle mask is cheap insurance. And abandon that time-honored practice of blowing brake dust out of backing plates and calipers with compressed air.

Ventilation

Chemicals leave fumes. Fumes are hazardous. For instance, if you were to epoxy-coat your garage, this product needs to cure over time and while curing, releases volatile organic compounds. Properly ventilating your garage will prevent you from damaging your lungs or in the case of an attached garage, anyone in your house.

The easiest way to ventilate your workshop is with a fan; these come in a large array of styles and sizes.

Industrial fans, which move large amounts of air, are good for a large space.
Oscillating fans move back and forth to enhance circulation.
Box fans are inexpensive and particularly handy for a workshop since they can easily be set in a window to bring in outside air, or turned around to draw out stale air.

For a more sophisticated approach, a more elaborate system can be installed using ductwork, air filters and an enclosed fan to move air and return filtered air into the workspace.

First Aid Kit

Don’t overlook the importance of an easily accessible first-aid kit inside your garage. Understandably, this isn’t going to help you if you were to chop off a finger, but the importance of a first-aid kit will allow you a line of defense for the minor injuries. Always keep a first-aid kit in the workshop, and always know where it is. First aid kits can be purchased, or can be assembled. Essential items include bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, scissors, tweezers and a cold-pack. Toolbox-sized first aid kits are available, and are small enough for easy portability inside a toolbox.

An Exit Strategy

All in all, if something goes wrong, a lifesaving tip is to make sure that you have an accessible exit always available, and a phone in case of emergency.

Blue Sky Builders, Inc. hopes that you can remain safe in your garage, and hopes these tips will help you to stay safe while working on your next project. Looking for a garage door safety inspection before winter? Contact us for an inspection and more advice to protect your home.

Design, Convenience and Safety: Benefits of a Detached Garage

September 17, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

As a company in the Chicago Suburbs, we have heard many a concern with the detached garage. Winter and summer both can make the walk to the garage seem like enough reason to attach your garage, but there are many visible and invisible benefits of choosing a detached garage.

Style and Functionality

The detached garage is generally easer to add and can be fit onto your property more conveniently, and you can see the obvious benefit of avoiding the overpowering

A detached garage can more easily reduce or even eliminate the garage-dominated facade that many find so unattractive. Further, if you have a small house, adding an attached house can overwhelm it. A detached garage can be a much more aesthetically pleasing option.
A detached garage can be set at an angle to the house, or set back from the house.
Detached Garages allow you to have windows on all sides of your house.
With no garage attached to the house, think of what you could do with that space instead. A patio or kitchen garden might be more appreciated here. Maybe you could add a nice pathway from garage to house, enhancing the beauty of your property.
In Spring and Fall, you might actually enjoy a nicely landscaped walk from the car to the house.
A detached garage can more effectively serve as a tool shed or workshop, allowing the handyman of the family to work without disturbing the rest of the house.
With this, comes safety. Any fumes that could occur from this work (varnish, paint, etc.) will be separated from the home and more effectively ventilated.

Related: Attached vs. Detached

Detached Garages: Right for Your Home?

Remember, the choice between attached garages is the middle ground between structural and personal. A detached garage is more akin to building a small house from scratch, including digging out and pouring a foundation, and then building your new garage from the ground up.

Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can help you make the best choice, contact us today!

Which Garage Flooring Option is Right for You?

September 10, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

When it comes to the garage, one of the most important considerations is right under your feet. Choosing the right garage floor can help improve safety of your garage, reduce money spent in repairs, and help make your home more valuable. At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we would like to share the most popular flooring options, along with the pros and cons of each.

Garage Floor Epoxy

The standard for a tough, good-looking surface on the garage floor is garage floor epoxy. Although it is common to hear people refer to “epoxy paint,” in reality epoxy and paint are different products, with different chemical compositions. Preparation and application are a bit more complex than is the case with paint.

Benefits of Garage Floor Epoxy

Epoxy floor coatings offer many advantages when compared to other traditional coatings applied over concrete:

Epoxy offers a hard wearing durable surface able to withstand heavy and continuous traffic.
Resists oil stains, beads water, and wipes super clean and will create a seamless surface
Epoxy floor, when applied properly can last several years.
Can be combined with paints and colors to mask off chips and cracks
Provide a chemically resistant surface ideal for manufacturing plants
Epoxy floors offer enhanced safety by creating an anti-slip surface, heat and fire resistant solution to concrete floors.
Different patterns can be combined to create driveways and/or identify walkable areas.
Prevent wear and tear to the existing concrete floor.
Epoxy floors are considered environmental friendly solutions.
Some of the products used can also be combined with self-leveling products that can be applied over new or old concrete.
Require little or no major maintenance.

Types of Garage Epoxy

Two-Part 100% Solid Garage Epoxy: Two-part epoxy floor coatings that are 100% solids are the best choice if you are looking for a tough, long-lasting garage floor.

Pros: Long-Lasting, Durable
Cons: More costly than other options, harder to install
Popular Brands: EpoxyMaster, Epoxy-Coat, Performance Epoxy

Two-Part Solvent Based Garage Epoxy: The most readily available epoxy for flooring, these products are water-based, like latex paint, and are easier to work with and clean up than 100% solids coatings.

Pros: Easy to work with, Easier to clean, more cost effective than 100% solid, easy to find
Cons: Thinner coating, less durable
Popular Brands: Behr, Quikrete, Rust-Oleum

One-Part Solvent: Not exactly a true epoxy, this is convenient, but not much more effective than paint. If you have low garage traffic, and don’t mind retouching every few years, this is a fair option.

Pros: One-Part solvent is simple
Cons: Basically paint
Popular Brands: Behr, Kilz

Learn more about Epoxy by reading How to Epoxy-Coat a Garage Floor

Garage Floor Paint, Stain, Dye

If your garage floor is stained with oil, grease and rust, you can easily give it new life with some garage floor paint. Latex paint intended for use on concrete floors is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply.

Benefits of Garage Floor Paint

Cheap
Easy to Install
Provides Moderate Amount of Protection
Will withstand automobile fluids if cleaned quickly
Lasts 2-3 years
Mold and Mildew Resistant
Water Resistant
Easy to Clean

Types of Garage Floor Paint, Stain, and Dye

Latex Acrylic Concrete Paint: There are a number of latex paints formulated specifically for use on concrete flooring. These paints are relatively inexpensive and after proper surface preparation, easy to apply.

Pros: Easy to Install, Cheap
Cons: Not as durable as epoxy options, requires specific preparation work
Popular Brands: Sure Step, Drylok

Acid Based Concrete Stains: These Stains react with the calcium hydroxide found in concrete and penetrate into the flooring surface. Because they are chemical and solvent based, health precautions must be taken during the application due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the formula.

Pros: Penetrate the Floor, allow many color options
Cons: Volatile Organic Compounds require additional precautions
Popular Brands: Butterfield, SRI Concrete Products

Concrete Dyes: Concrete dyes can be used with stains (both chemical and water based penetrating) to enhance color and create a variety of effects.

Pros: Many Colors Available, No VOCs, Minimal Time to implement
Cons: Literally a dye, no protection offered
Popular Brands: AmeriPolish, Scofield, H&C Concrete

Other Garage Flooring Applications

Of course, there are many other options, including porcelain tiles, Interlocking PVC tiles, rolled vinyl, Vinyl Composite Tile, and Polyvinyl Peel-and-Stick flooring. These have their own benefits and disadvantages, and often require professional installation.

Blue Sky Builders, Inc. thanks all of the contributors advising garage flooring, and as a builder of custom garages, hopes that this information will help you make the right choices in garage flooring that will bring safety and security for years to come. We welcome you to contact us at 630-852-8485 for a garage consultation.

6 Steps to Planning Your Garage Storage

September 3, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Winter is coming. What better time than now to set up storage for items you do not plan to use within the next 6 months? Generally underutilized, your garage has more potential for storage than you think. In this week’s blog, we share 6 tips for planning your garage storage that will increase usage and reduce garage clutter.

1. Clear Out Unnecessary Junk

Weed out all the junk you don’t need. Keep only what you use; give away what you don’t, and throw away what’s broken and taking up precious space.

Related: How to Clean Your Garage

2. Make a Plan

Treat your garage like any other room in the house. Take measurements and draw a floor plan to help you visualize what will fit and where it can be placed, just as you would for a kitchen or a dining room.

3. Categorize and Organize

Decide what items you’ll use often, like garbage bags and cleaning supplies. These things should be kept nearest the door. Next, map out space for seasonal equipment: lawn mowers, weed-trimmers, snowblowers, etc. Avoid planting big items, such as lawn mowers, in a corner where they’ll chew up space. Try to park them under a shelf unit. And be sure to clip ladders, shovels, rakes, and other garden tools into a wall rack off the floor.

4. Think Vertical

Finally, get seasonal space hogs such as snow tires, kayaks, and bikes off the floor. These items should be relegated to walls or hung from the ceiling. A hoist pulley system that operates like the cords on window blinds and has clips or straps to hold large items can be installed directly into ceiling joists.

5. Containerize

Keeping things in containers not only lets you get them off the floor but keeps them clean. Transparent stackable bins conserve space and also allow you to see their contents. Always label opaque containers so you know what’s inside.

6. Safety-Proof

Designate a safe space for hazardous materials like fertilizers, pesticides, and paint, so kids can’t get into them. Sharp gardening tools should also be hung up out of reach, and chain saws and other sharp tools stored in locked boxes.

Related: Garage Safety Tips

Blue Sky Builders, Inc. thanks This Old House for sharing these tips on creating a garage storage plan. Is your garage ready for winter? We are still taking appointments for last minute garage renovations. Contact us toll-free at 800.308.0000 or by emailing our representatives.

7 Benefits of a New Garage Addition

August 29, 2014/in Uncategorized/by Blue Sky Builders

Once you consider all of the benefits a garage addition can provide, you may wonder why it took you so long to move ahead with the project. Here are just some of the reasons you might want a new garage:

1. Car storage

The ability to jump in a clean, dry car without having to scrape ice off the windows or endure sun-baked seats is a major advantage to having a garage addition.

2. Household storage

Garages are great storage spaces. Even with cars, mowers, bikes and other items taking up floor space, you can still create an enormous amount of additional storage on the walls and ceilings.

3. Car maintenance

Whether you are the type of car junkie who can happily spend entire days rebuilding an engine or a weekend warrior who likes to change the oil yourself, a garage addition will make your life much easier.

4. Workshop

Thinking about taking up woodworking, gardening or some other craft? A garage addition will provide the room you need to work and a safe, secure place to keep your tools and equipment.

5. Playroom

A garage can easily be turned into a great playroom. It is big enough to set up a ping-pong table, for example, even if only temporarily. A garage is also perfect for birthday parties and other (messy) celebrations.

6. New living space

With a little advance planning, you can build a garage addition today that can be easily converted into new living space at some future date.

7. Home office

With greater numbers of people working out of their homes these days, one of the biggest challenges is finding a quiet space with enough room to set up a suitable home office. A garage addition can offer the perfect solution.

Via About.com