Organizing Your Garage the Right Way

How do you know it's time to get the garage in order? When people marvel that you're able to get the car into that narrow pathway in a wall-to-wall sea of boxes, tools, ladders, fertilizer bags and holiday decorations, aka ''the garage,'' it might be time to organize. When it's December and you finally locate the Halloween decorations...again, it might be time to organize the garage. When the squirrel family is looking for new lodging with more square footage...it's definitely time to organize the garage. 

Step One

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Take everything, repeat everything, out of the garage. This includes every can, every bottle, every last nail. Sort things on the driveway in three labeled piles: KEEP, TRASH and DONATE/SELL. Be sure to get rid of anything you no longer use. When you have two children, do you really need eight bicycles? Donating to a charity is a great way to teach children to share their possessions with less fortunate children. If you have a family heirloom that you love too much to throw away, find a new use for it. An old wagon that Grandpa built can be painted and taken into a bedroom for displaying stuffed animals or storing books and toys.  Once everything is sorted, the process will move more quickly.

Step Two

The next step is a fresh coat of paint on interior surfaces. A lighter color paint will create the illusion of more space; a light, metallic gray, for instance, on walls and ceiling will brighten the area. The floor can be painted with a heavy-duty garage floor coating, or covered in thick vinyl/rubber sheeting made specifically for garage floors, applied with two-sided adhesive tape. Another flooring option is modular garage floor tile.

Step Three

Garages are meant for cars, but the space serves many other roles, including workshop, potting barn, auto supply station and year-round storage area. The secret is to utilize vertical space. Storing as many items as possible off the floor is the best way to create a clutter-free garage.

A wall-mounted track, screwed to the wall, is an ideal system. One track can be installed approximately 7 feet from the floor for long handled items such as a broom, shovel, rake, electric trimmer, lawn furniture and ladders. Another track can be installed approximately 3 feet from the floor. This is a good place for hoses, sprinklers, dustpan and brush.

Tracking systems can be equipped with hooks, shelves, drawer units and baskets for hand tools, garden supplies, cleaning essentials.  Designate one basket or drawer for carpentry tools such as hammer, pliers, wire clipper, jars of nails and screws. A metal receptacle can be included for trash, and another could be used to keep rock salt handy for icy mornings in the winter.

A pegboard with hooks and accessories is another good wall system. Any wall-storage method that keeps items of the garage floor is a valuable organizational tool.

Open-frame walls are perfect locations for small shelves. Ledges can be installed over windows and doors for seldom used items such as lanterns and other seasonal garden items.

Step Four

Find a convenient corner to use for a potting station. An ideal spot would be near a sunny window that overlooks the garden. Near a doorway is also a good location for easy hauling in and out of heavy potted plants. A potting station also needs to be close to a water supply, either use a long garden hose connected to an exterior spigot, or a four-gallon metal watering can that can be transported easily. The area will be busiest in spring and summer, but when the weather is cold, the area can be used for tending to houseplants, storing bulbs or planting and cultivating seeds.

Hang metal buckets or wire baskets on walls to hold garden twine, scissors, and plant markers. Larger items, such as hedge clippers and pruners can be hung on the wall on hooks. Equipment such as rotary spreader and wheel barrow can be hung on large hooks and held again the wall with bungee chord, with the lawn mower stored beneath on the floor. Bins on casters, either galvanized metal or plastic, are perfect for storing bulky quantities of fertilizer, grass seed and potting soil.

A potting station needs a work surface. A table or desk is one option; another is a table-top without legs attached to the wall with a hinged bracket. When the surface is not being used it can be dropped down against the wall, out of the way.

Step Five

Create a storage wall for holiday decorations, bulk grocery purchases, seasonal items and sporting equipment.  A long, high shelf is the perfect place for the picnic basket and cooler or fishing tackle and rods. Shelves on the wall can be used to store household items bought in bulk, such as bottled water, rolls of paper towel, cleaning supplies, and dry food. A substitute for shelving would be a metal cabinet. Another cabinet without shelves, or a portable closet, can be used to store golf bags.  

Underneath the shelving (or alongside the storage cabinet), a painted, pine storage chest with bins inside is perfect for balls, roller-blades, or helmets. Equipment can be sorted by family member or season. This is also a good location for recycle bins for plastic, metal and glass, plus a wire basket and twine for newspapers. 

Bicycles can be hung on hefty hooks on the wall; or suspended from ceiling-mounted hooks.  Another good location for the hooks is on a center support beam; one support beam can accommodate two bicycles.

A separate closet or metal cabinet can be designated for holiday decorations, stored according to season. Shelving is also an option if everything is stored in separate bins. 

Finally, with a place for everything and everything in its place your garage will be a daily convenience and source of pride. There'll be no more wasting precious time searching and not finding. Instead, you'll know exactly where to find what you need for work or play.  Once organized, you can say farewell to clutter and hello to a more pleasant lifestyle....and you car will finally no longer feel like an intruder in its own home. 

RESOURCES:

''Clean Out Your Garage,'' Real Simple Home & Organizing, Real Simple Magazine, Time Inc., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020 (877) 747-1048

"Get Organized, Expert Tips & Ideas," The Container Store, Coppell, TX 75019 (888) 266-8246

www.containerstore.com

"Organize Your Garage," Lowe's Home Improvement, Lowe's Home Improvement, Lowe's, North Wilkesboro, NC 28656, (800) 445-6937

www.lowes.com

Organizing Your Garage the Right Way

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Storing Bikes in Your Garage

If you have more than one bike in your garage, which many people do, you'd probably love to get them out of the way when you're not using them. There are several ways you can set up your garage to keep your bicycles out of the way when you need to conserve space.

There are other reasons you might want to consider storing your bikes out of the way too. Say for example your bikes are worth more than your cars. it sounds a bit crazy, but many bicyclist have bikes worth upwards of ,000 and leaning those up against the wall isn't an option.

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With any of the options listed below, always consider the tracks of your garage door. You want to make sure you don't install bike hooks or other storage assemblies in the way of the garage door, or you'll have to reinstall everything all over again.

If you have a high enough garage ceiling, consider installing a pulley system. These usually consist of two pulleys that bolt into the joists of your garage ceiling. Each pulley will have two ropes with rubber hooks on them that attach to the handlebars and the seat. Once the hooks are in place, you can pull the rope and the bike will begin to raise up to the ceiling, where a locking mechanism will keep the bikes in place. It's just as easy to take them down as well.

Some bikes are equipped with a quick release system and if this is the case, you can also mount a board on your wall with quick releases built into it. This will allow you to easily hang your bike up on the wall and bring it down when you need it.

If you have some room in a corner of your garage somewhere, you can pick up a standing bike rack. These can usually hold 2-4 bikes.

For the cheapest route possible, you can pick up some rubber hooks that screw right into the studs in your wall or up above in the rafters. Most hooks can handle 50lbs of weight each so you can hang your bike easily by the front rim. This will require you to lift the bikes up high enough to reach the hook, but is a very affordable option. You can find these hooks at most home improvement stores, such as Home Depot and Lowes.

As you can see, there are variety of ways you can store your bikes in your garage, depending on which option fits your garage best. Whatever your price range, you should be able to get your bicycles out of the way when you aren't riding them and dust them off for bike riding season.

Storing Bikes in Your Garage

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Use Garage Door Ratings to Find the Best Door For Your New Home

Finding the best garage doors for your new home or business can be a problem for many people. Looking at the different ratings of garage doors can also be misleading as well. One of the most important things you must do prior to beginning your search is to make a list of the features that you feel are important. Once you have this list you will be able to make a more logical selection.

In terms of garage door pricing the all metal garage doors are probably the cheapest door on the market today. In many cases these doors can be purchased and installed for as little as 0. The most expensive doors on the market are custom made wooden garage doors that may exceed 00. As you can see the ratings of garage doors using price alone is generally not a good Idea. Modern garage doors are constructed using a number of different materials. One of the most popular garage doors is an all wood door. The beauty of wood will accent almost any home. The most common woods used include Cedar, Hemlock and Redwood with Cedar being the most popular. Cedar is not only light but also very rot resistant. Be aware that all wood doors have two major deficiencies they being lack of overall strength and requiring a relatively high degree of maintenance. The rating garage doors that are made of wood should include the type and look of the wood, door design and the required maintenance and care that is required.

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Metal and composites materials should also be included in your ratings of garage doors. In terms of strength and durability steel garage doors are pretty unbeatable. The galvanized steel frame along with a quality maintenance free surface will provide protection for many years. Always pick a door that features panels that use at least 25 gauge or heavier rating. However steel is a poor insulator and if you are heating or cooling your garage your energy bills will most likely be unacceptable. Better ratings of garage doors include those with an all steel door that has panels constructed of two or more steel sheets that sandwich some form of insulation in between them. The best designs include polyurethane foam that is sandwiched between two layers of galvanized steel. Your ratings of garage doors should include the fact that metal doors also allow you to select a wood or composite exterior finish if you are looking for the look of a custom door.

When considering your ratings of garage doors you should consider the various styles including the popular carriage door designs as well as the window options that are available. It would be wise to visit one of the big box home improvement stores such as Lowes or Home Depot and ask the qualified staff what the best ratings of garage doors are for their products. In most cases they will provide you will valuable insights on picking the best garage door that will meet your home construction design.

Use Garage Door Ratings to Find the Best Door For Your New Home

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A Few Helpful Hints For Performing DIY Garage Door Repair

Having a professional come and perform garage door repair can be quite expensive and time-consuming. In order to avoid additional bills such as these, the following article is compiled of a few steps for making minor repairs. Additionally performing proper maintenance on the hardware will help to prevent future problems from occurring.

The first thing to look at when an assembly is not opening and closing correctly is the track system which is the set of rails the enclosure moves on. The metal guides are secured to the wall and also to the overhead rafters. The overhead pieces are generally set at a slight downward angle where the wall mount guides are flush.

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Check the rails to make sure they are properly secured and not lose, if they are loose they can cause the guides to become misaligned. Next check to see if the rails are damaged in any way such as bent areas, if there are bent areas take a mallet and pound them straight again. If there are no damaged areas and the screws are all tight, a check to make sure the rails are level is the next course of action.

When repairs have been made take some cleaner and remove any dirt and debris from the runners to ensure the wheels will roll smoothly. Once everything is cleaned, take some lubricant that is designed for this assembly and apply it evenly to both sides. This will provide the lubrication the wheels require to successfully traverse the tracks during opening and closing operations.

Another part to inspect are the rollers that are attached to the hinges, these are the designed to guide the enclosure up and down the tracks. If one of the rollers is broken or worn out it can cause the whole assembly to not open or close correctly. While checking the rollers, examine the hinges as well and make sure they are securely fastened.

The springs also need to be examined and if the tension is not tight enough the spring can be adjusted manually. A few different types of springs are used, if the spring system has a spring cable and pulley design the string will need to be pulled out further and re-tied to provide more tension. If the spring is located in the center of the opening and is the only spring for the whole unit then a professional should be called in to adjust it.

Performing proper maintenance will not only save money in the future it will also provide added peace of mind for a job well done. Maintenance includes checking all the hardware at least once every other month to ensure everything is still tight. Also regularly cleaning tracks of debris along with making sure they and the rollers are properly lubricated will help to make sure the assembly continues working for many years to come.

Garage door repair is one of the easiest projects that can be performed by a homeowner. The important thing to remember is safety first and foremost. By practicing safety the project will go smoothly and be completed the first time out.

A Few Helpful Hints For Performing DIY Garage Door Repair

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Lowes Garage Door Installation Cost Will Save You Money

Lowes Home Improvement stores are well known for their low prices and quality products. If you own a home you probably have used Lowes to find the products you need to improve, maintain or repair it.

Searching for and finding the right garage doors for your home can be a nightmare even if you use the Internet to conduct your research. The best garage doors available are frequently the most expensive however you should not use garage doors pricing alone to make your selection.

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Your selection process should carefully consider installation costs, construction materials, removal of any existing door, type of garage door opener and warranty. Lowes garage doors installation costs are considered one of the best buys on the market today. Lowes installers are considered and called partners and they must meet Lowes strict standards. Every installation is rated by the purchaser to assure that customers are receiving the quality services they are paying for.

Lowes garage doors installation costs range from as low as 9 to 9 depending on the size of the door and where the door is being installed. Obviously installing an oversize garage door will require more skill and time. If you need to install a garage door opener as part of your installation you can expect additional cost. Over all the, Lowes garage door installation cost is slightly lower than the average installation costs.

As an alternative to purchasing your garage door from Lowes you should consider comparing prices and services with Home Depot. Both Home Depot and Lowes sell quality garage doors. Just as with Lowes Home Depot provides garage door installation services that are comparable. In addition you have the option of installing a garage door yourself. Both home improvement stores will assist you in your efforts. The downside of self installation is the time it takes to complete the installation and the cost of disposing the old door which normally part of any professional installation cost. Self installation will also require you to have the assistance of at least one helper.

We feel that the Lowes garage door installation cost is very reasonable and provides the home owner the peace of mind knowing that the installation was done correctly. Occasionally installation cost can be included in the purchase price of your garage door. Be sure to check with you Lowes sales representative on the latest sales offers.

Lowes Garage Door Installation Cost Will Save You Money

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The Garage Door Opener Keyless Entry Pad Part

A crucial garage door opener part is a keyless entry pad. Its a must have for anyone looking to upgrade their home or garage door set-up.

This part is very handy if you have a lot of guests that come to your house. These guests can include babysitters if you have kids. If you are having work done to your house they can include various tradesmen that are doing work inside your house (ie. carpenters). Maybe you have a maid that comes to your residence several times a week to clean. These are people you may not necessarily distrust but would nevertheless prefer not to give your personal house key to should they go to the store and copy it or possibly misplace it. The latter reason would be my biggest concern. I have a hard time myself keeping up with my keys let alone someone else.

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You can easily change the codes to your keyless pad. Its only takes a couple seconds to modify this garage door opener part. You can set the code for entry for "123456" one week and then change it to "654321" for another. Another pleasant option relating to this is that you can set up a "guest code." This is a special temporary code you make for a certain person that allows them to access your garage for a specified period of time. You only want Joe the plumber to have access to your house on Saturday from 1PM to 4PM you can set that up.

Another added benefit in installing this handy part is if you accidently forget your garage door opener. Its happened to all of us. Maybe you switched cars. Maybe you took your clicker out to clean your car. For whatever reason, if this happens, you can still access your garage door by stepping out of your car and entering in your personal code on the keyless entry pad.

This addition your garage door is a must have. It will make your house set-up more convenient and efficient. Unless other garage door parts keyless entry pads are not that expensive and you can get them online or go to Home Depot or Lowes to pick them up. Its highly recommended you start to look into it.

The Garage Door Opener Keyless Entry Pad Part

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Great Garage Doors For Mid America

If you live in the middle of the country then you probably have heard of Delden Garage Doors. Delden is a regional garage door manufacturer and installer that located in middle of the USA with offices in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. Delden also owns the Amarr garage door company. Delden has been manufacturing garage doors since the mid 1960's. They manufacture and install a complete line of residential and commercial garage doors. A review of garage door pricing shows that Delden Garage doors are considered a mid priced garage door.

The Vintage Plus line of Delden Garage Doors is a very popular and affordable carriage door. The 25 gauge steel pre-painted doors are 2 inches thick insulated with polystyrene with a vinyl backing. They are reported to have an R-value of at least 6. Obviously these doors are not meant to be used in areas that have tough winters or where you are going to heat or cool your garage. One of the problems with using polystyrene insulated panels is that this type insulation leaves gaps which reduce the effectiveness of the insulation.
 
The Delden DTR 1748 is probably the company's best garage doors. The dual steel panels have a galvanized 25 gauge external panel and a 27 gauge interior panel that sandwiches 2 inches of polyurethane insulation. This gives the door a very energy efficient R-value of 15 plus. Installing a Delden Garage Doors of this quality will mean that you will save significant energy if you planning to heat or cool your garage. You will certainly find that your workshop will be comfortable no matter what the weather is outside. These garages will cost you more money but in our opinion they are worth it.
 
Saving money by purchasing cheap garage doors really is penny wise and pound foolish as the garage door opening is certainly the weakest point in your homes structure. Thieves routinely target garage doors in their efforts to get into your home. A solid garage door that is tied to your home security system will go a long way to protecting your family and your homes contents. In some cases the security system will email you whenever someone opens or enters your garage. If you have a workshop located in your garage or have a classic care collection then you can be assured that your toys are well protected.
 
Purchasing good quality Delden Garage Doors will save you money and keep you garage and your home secure. However if you live in a high wind risk area Delden does not offer any door that will meet the stringent standards needed to protect your home from a severe thunderstorm, tornado or hurricane. Never the less if you live in the Midwest where the high wind risk is minimal than Delden Garage Doors will certainly meet all your weather protection needs.
 
Customer service is considered to be good with Delden doors. The fact that the company is regionally Midwest based means that your ability to locate garage doors parts or service is relatively easy. Delden may build some of the best garage doors available. We do recommend Delden Garage Doors for your home or business. You may find that Deldon doors are even priced better than doors sold at both Lowes and Home Depot.

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Great Garage Doors For Mid America

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