This summer, Blue Sky Builders, Inc. held our “Ugliest Garage Contest”. We’d like to thank all of those who participated. And we are pleased to announce we’ve selected a winner!

The winner of the 2014 Ugliest Garage Content is located in Glen Ellyn, IL.

With a garage on the verge of collapsing and doors that no longer functioned/closed, they were very deserving of the title.

When the owner was asked how she felt about being the Ugliest Garage contest winner she said, “Actually, I kind of expected it”.

Scott from Blue Sky Builders, Inc. commented, “It’s going to be a fun project and it’s going to look really great when it’s done”.

Stay tuned for pictures of the brand new garage!

Often an afterthought, your garage can do more than just store your car and tools. It also provides you with an excellent chance to green your home. Below, we discuss some simple changes you can make in your garage to improve your home’s environmental performance and save money on energy.

Garage Door

Garage doors containing recycled content are available on the market, including ones made of composite wood or steel. Insulated garage doors are also widely available, which can help keep your garage and any adjacent rooms warmer in the winter, and improve the energy efficiency of your home. For homes in warmer climates, consider a perforated garage door, which allows ventilation and light inside the garage, while providing security and privacy.

Insulation and Air Leaks

As in other parts of the home, sealing and insulating your garage’s walls and ceiling can be a cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and money on your utility bills. Download the Do-it-yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating with ENERGY STAR to better understand the importance of air sealing and insulating and key steps to sealing and insulating your garage.

Garage Healthy Home Considerations

Car Emissions

If you have an attached garage, make sure that the door between your house and the garage is air tight through air sealing. Also, avoid idling your car while it is in your garage. The fumes emitted can leak into your home via the connecting door, resulting in indoor air quality issues.

Household Hazardous Waste

Hazardous materials are found in almost every home. If you walk around your garage, you’ll probably find hazardous materials or products you and your family use every day. Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be household hazardous waste such as certain cleaners, pesticides, and rodenticides. Highly toxic items should always be treated as hazardous waste. Disposing of household hazardous wastes improperly pollutes the environment and poses a threat to human health.

You can reduce the impact of household hazardous waste from your home by:

Proper management – Communities offer a variety of options for safely managing household hazardous waste. Check with your local government for information on programs in your area.

Reconsidering what you use – Read labels on the products you use and ask yourself, “Do I really need to use this product?” Safer alternatives may exist. For example, for some applications, you could use cedar chips instead of mothballs, or boric acid instead of commercial ant and roach killers.

Reconsidering your methods – Think about what you do in your home that generates hazardous waste and ask yourself, “Is there a safer way I can be doing this?” For example, you could use sandpaper or a heat gun instead of chemical paint strippers.

For more information on managing household hazardous waste, go to epa.gov:

Safer Pest Management

A variety of approaches are available to control pests (e.g., insects, vermin) that may enter your garage, however many common insecticides can contain toxic chemicals. The best way to manage pests is to try to prevent them from appearing in the first place. For instance, stop insects from entering your home by removing sources of food, water, and shelter.

If pest prevention does not work, consider natural or less-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides. If you decide to use chemical pest control products, use them safely and correctly (and do not use any more).

Transportation Choices

Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

The next time you purchase a new or used car, help your wallet and the environment by choosing a fuel efficient model. This includes vehicles that obtain high miles per gallon (MPG), hybrid vehicles, or vehicles that run on alternative fuels other than gasoline (e.g., biodiesel). You can save as much as $200-$1,500 in fuel costs each year by choosing the most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. Choosing a more efficient car is also one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy sustainability.

Urban Buses

Try integrating alternative transportation into your everyday life.

Plug-in hybrid electric cars are another fuel efficient option on the market. The federal government is investing $400 million in electric car production infrastructure. Part of the economic recovery program includes a $7,500 tax credit to encourage Americans to buy them. When building a new garage, consider installing a plug-in outlet for a plug-in hybrid-electric car, to make your home is ready should you decide to purchase an electric car in the future.

For more information on fuel economy, including gas mileage tips and tax incentives, go to:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Automobile Alternatives

Many communities are set up to allow for a variety of transportation choices beyond your car, such as pedestrian friendly sidewalks for walking, bike friendly paths and roadways, and public transportation options (e.g., buses, trains). Try integrating alternative transport into your every day life. Also consider carpooling to work or telecommuting (if your employer is open to it) a few times a week. Using your car less will save you money on gas, increase your activity levels through walking and biking, often eases your commute to work and reduces air pollution and green house gases.

Your small garage is more of a catch-all storage zone for a variety of misfit items. The reality of having a functional workspace in your garage while still being able to store the necessities and pull in a car feels more like a dream.

While getting a brand new garage may not be realistic, these 13 tips can give you more space in a small garage:

1. Host the Blow-out Sale of the Year

Space is extremely valuable in a small garage so getting rid of anything you absolutely don’t need will pay off big in the extra workspace you’ll gain. Chances are there are items lurking in the corners of your garage you don’t even know are there. Categorize items based on what to keep, what to donate and what to throw away. Clearing out clutter is incredibly satisfying and odds are you won’t really miss that broken toaster you’ve been meaning to fix for 5 years or that piece of fencing you took from your neighbor just because it was free.

2. Paint your Concrete Garage Floor

Projects have a tendency of getting messy and if you also store your project car in the garage they don’t waste time with marking their territory. Concrete is porous so cleaning oil spots, paint drips or other spills is difficult. Don’t skimp here – invest in a good quality do-it-yourself garage floor coating system. It only takes 2-3 days to apply, its glossy finish reflects more light into the room and is a breeze to clean.

3. Upgrade to Wall-mounted, Adjustable Shelving

Stationary shelving will have a hard time keeping pace with your growing collection of tools and supplies. On top of that, the items you need for your car project will always be vying for space with other home essentials like painting and caulking supplies, light bulbs, spare outlets and more. Upgrading to a wall-mounted, adjustable shelving system allows you to add on in the future and customize the configuration as your needs change.

4. Maximize Vertical and Ceiling Space

If you have open rafters in your garage, use it to your advantage. Lay down boards across the joists and stack items there you don’t need to access much. Alternatively, you can hang ceiling storage units and even a bike lift to get seldom used, bulky items off the floor.

5. Where there’s space, go from floor to ceiling with cabinets or shelving

If you need to allow room to park a car, use a pegboard system at the car level and then put cabinets or shelves high up along the walls starting above the peg board and car.

6. Rather than buying that attractive 56″ wide tool chest, opt for a 28″ instead and stack a tall middle section on top

Use the top drawers for supplies or hand tools you use less frequently. It may be difficult to see into the top drawers but it’s a small inconvenience in comparison to the floor space you’ll gain by going up instead of wide.

7. Get Mobile with Wheels

Mobile work areas are a must in a small garage. Put wheels on as many stationary items as you can like floor cabinets, tool chests and work benches. Furniture dollies work great for rolling around big parts bins and even transmissions! Items on wheels can be moved away from the walls to create temporary work areas or even rolled outside for an afternoon and then easily rolled back into place when you’re done.

8. Choose Power over the Fancy Stuff

Even in a small garage, power is never where you need it. Run extra outlets on every wall near the tools or areas you’ll be working most. You can never have too much power! As for the fancy stuff, air hose reels and drop-down work lights are a bonus to have, but in a typical one-car garage, a 25′ air hose can reach every area and takes up no space at all. For working outside, running a copper air line to the garage door for a quick-connect comes in handy and eliminates the need for buying (and storing) a really long air hose.

9. Tame Small Parts Clutter

Despite your best organizational efforts, small parts have a tendency of accumulating all over your garage. You can never have enough storage for small parts but with a bit of strategy you can keep them from starting a revolution in your garage.

10. Organize and label small parts bin

Although it’s tedious, go through and organize your bucket of hodgepodge nails, screws, washers, bolts, etc, by type and then label each and every drawer of your small parts bins. Alternatively, baby food jars are great for storing small parts because they are clear, stackable and you can even attach their metal lids to the underside of a shelf and then have the jars hang for easy access – just twist on and twist off.

11. Lock down Power Tool Accessories

Attachments or bits that are used less frequently often wander off from the parent power tool. Fishing tackle boxes are ideal for keeping your small power tools and their accessories and bits together and organized.

12. Prevent sandpaper from getting crushed

Prevent your sandpaper from getting crushed in your toolbox by storing sheets in a 3-ring binder. Get a set of transparent leafs and organize sandpaper by different grits.

13. Tie up Extension Cords & Wires

Ponytail holders with the plastic balls at the end keep your wrapped cords and wires from turning into a spaghetti mess. They’re easier to use and last longer than rubber bands or twist ties.

Vehicles and similar assets such as boats, motor cycles, ATVs, etc., represent large investments that homeowners want to protect against harm from outside elements. Which is one good reason to plan a new garage or carport project.

But which is right for you and your family? We will outline the pros and cons of a garage vs a carport below.

Carport Pros

• Less expensive – Building a carport is far less expensive than building a garage. Fewer materials are required since there are no walls, doors or windows, and that translates to lower labor costs, too.
• Quick to build – Carports are relatively simple structures, so they can be built very quickly. An experienced handyman could probably complete the job in just a couple weekends.
• Easier to get approval – Because carports are not considered enclosed or livable space, it’s usually easy to get the project approved by your city or town. The guidelines are less stringent. For example, you won’t be required to build fire-rated walls or ceilings.

Carport Cons

• Limited protection – Carports offer some protection from the sun and the elements, but not complete protection because they lack four walls. In most cases, at least two sides of the carport are open. Sometimes all four sides are open.
• Smaller – Most carport designs provide enough room for just one or two cars. There’s usually no room for storage shelves or a workbench.
• Not ideal for storage – You can’t lock a carport, so it’s not a good idea to use them for storage, even if you do have extra space. Your items can get wet or they could be stolen.
• Not as attractive – Most people consider a full garage to be more attractive than a carport, although this is a matter of personal preference. Garages tend to be better for resale value, particularly in harsh climates – like Chicago ;).

Garage Pros

• Full protection – Garages offer full protection from the elements. Your cars and personal items will be sheltered from rain, sun, wind, hail – you name it. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll never have to clean snow from your car.
• Great for storage – Garages are ideal for storage because they are completely enclosed and can be locked. They also tend to be larger than carports, with extra space for shelves or workbenches.
• More attractive – Most people would agree that garages look nicer than carports. The appearance is more finished and polished. Garages are also much better for resale value than carports.

Garage Cons

• More expensive – Building a garage is much more expensive than building a carport. You’ll pay more for both materials and labor.
• Take longer to build – Because garages are more complex structures than carports, they take longer to build.
• Stricter building requirements – Gaining the necessary building approvals from your city or town will be a longer and more involved process when you’re building a garage. And you will be held to stricter building standards because the space is enclosed. At a minimum, you’ll have to install lights and fire-rated walls and ceilings.

Via KompareIt. Another helpful resource is our, Carport to Garage Conversion Checklist.

The first garage doors relied heavily upon wood to complete their construction. Today, wood still continues to appeal to those seeking traditional styles and materials. Wood doors are available in a variety of styles and can even include windows.

On the low-cost side of the spectrum, wood doors are available in painted, flat hardboard panels. On the other side, 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. Regardless of which side of the spectrum you may choose, all wood doors need to be maintained and refinished regularly. We will share some maintenance tips below.

Stain and Varnish

You should religiously be applying layers of wood stain and wood varnish to your wood garage doors. The wood stain will preserve the natural look of the garage doors, which may have been the reason you opted for them in the first place. The wood varnish will provide a more professional finish and also leave a protective layer over the surface of the wood

Cracks and Holes

Look carefully for cracks and holes in your wood garage doors. These need to be tended to straight away because they are letting moisture weaken the wood. Chip away any cracks and smooth out rough areas, as this will preserve the structural integrity of your wood garage doors.

Lubricate

Spray a high quality lubricant on any hinges, tracks and rollers on the garage door. These will be the only metallic parts and if they rust it will become very difficult to open and close the wood garage doors.

Via DoItYourself