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Recent Blog Posts
Protecting Your Garage from Break-Ins
The idea of someone gaining access to yourgarage can be quite disconcerting. If someone can get into your garage, he or she could potentially damage or steal items you store. Even worse, they might even be able to gain entry into your home and threaten your family's well-being. The good news is that you can take steps to limit the likelihood of a break-in and to ensure that your home and garage are well protected.
Tips for Increasing Garage Security
There are a number of ways in which you can reduce the chances of someone breaking into your garage. Some of these include:
- Motion-activated lighting – Most break-ins occur at night, as would-be burglars tend to use the darkness to aid their efforts. If you install motion-activated floodlights on the exterior of your garage, they will come on whenever anyone approaches. You could also integrate smart home technology and security cameras, allowing you to monitor activity in and around your garage using smartphone apps.
Landscaping Ideas for Beautifying Your Garage
While the weather seems to be stubborn this year, spring will soon be here in full bloom, and you are probably excited to finally get outside again. As temperatures rise and the skies start to clear, the time is coming when you can enjoy the sunshine and get some things done around the outside of your home. Perhaps you are thinking about pulling out old, dead shrubs or bushes and planting vibrant new greenery around your house and driveway. Or, maybe you have ideas for flower beds that will brighten up your front walk. As you make your outdoor to-do list for this spring and summer, do not forget about the areas around yourgarage.
Greenery Can Improve the Look of Your Garage
Certain types of bushes, shrubs, and other green plants are more conducive to the climate in the Midwest than others. The Midwest is known for lots of rain, high heat and humidity in the summer, and of course, cold and snowy winters. Plantain lilies, more commonly known as hostas, are hardy green plants that are perennial favorites among gardening hobbyists. Their lush foliage and ease of care make them perfect for a low-maintenance bed. Other plants might be chosen for their ability to ward off pests, such as marigolds which tend to repel mosquitoes.
The Largest Garage Door in the World
Garage doors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A single-car garage door might be 8 feet wide by 7 feet tall or 9 feet wide by 7 feet tall, while a two-car garage is likely to be 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall. You can also get a garage door custom-made to fit your garage.
Of course, there are countless other doors that fall under the category of garage doors but are customized for special uses. A good example of this are the doors that are widely considered to be the largest garage door in the world-and behind these doors are not cars or trucks but spacecraft.
The NASA Vehicle Assembly Building
The Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida is the home of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Vehicle Assembly Building, known as the VAB. NASA uses the VAB to assemble rockets before they are transported to the launchpad. For the 30-year duration of the space shuttle program, the shuttle assemblies were put together in the VAB as well.
4 Steps Toward an Organized Garage
Has yourgarage become the proverbial "junk drawer" of your home? Have you reached the point where you can't even fit your car inside due to all of the random tools, sports equipment, yard games, and anything else that does not have a home elsewhere in your house? Cleaning up a cluttered, disorganized garage may seem daunting and overwhelming, but with a little preparation and some hard work, you can turn your garage into the ideal space you have always envisioned it to be.
Step 1: Set Aside Time
If your garage is in need of deep decluttering, set aside a specific time to do the work. It is probably best to decide ahead of time, as well. Do not suddenly decide to clean the garage one day, or you might get pulled away by your other responsibilities. Instead, choose a day and set an amount of time to focus on what needs to be done in your garage. You might also consider enlisting some help, whether you ask a friend to help you in exchange for food and a six-pack, or you coordinate with your spouse and children to make sure everyone is pitching in to get the job done.
What You Should Know About Insulating Your Garage
Winter weather is nothing new in Northern Illinois, but this year has been particularly snowy and cold. If you have agarage-and you actually use it for your vehicle-you have probably saved yourself some time and energy by not having to brush off the snow before heading out. However, you might have noticed that your garage is not as warm as it should be. Or, maybe the heater you have installed in your garage is having to work overtime to keep up with frigid temperatures. If either of these is true for you, it might be time to consider insulating or re-insulating your garage.
The Basics of Garage Insulation
As you probably know, insulation does not add warmth to any structure. It simply slows the transfer of heat through the barrier in question, whether that is a wall, floor, or ceiling. With this in mind, it only makes sense to insulate a detached garage if you have added a permanent or as-needed garage heater. If your garage is attached to your home, you will definitely want to insulate any walls that are shared with the house, but unless you have heat in the garage, insulating the exterior walls probably will not help very much.
Is It Time to Switch to LED Lighting in My Garage?
Picture this scenario: You come home late one night, pull your car into thegarage, get out of your car, and the garage is almost totally dark because the light overhead is burned out. Even the most organized of garages can be dangerous to try to navigate through in the dark.
Or maybe, you are working on your car in your garage, but the incandescent or fluorescent lighting is dim, flickering, or simply making it hard to see what you are working on. If you relate to either of these situations, it might be time to consider switching out the old bulbs in your garage for LED lighting.
What Are LED Lights?
LED stands for "light-emitting diode." An LED is a semiconductor device that gives off visible light when an electric current is passed through it. LEDs are among the fastest-growing lighting technologies, and they are considered as one of the most energy-efficient lighting solutions for most household applications.
On average, household LEDs use less than a quarter of the energy that incandescent lights require for the same amount of light. LEDs even use less energy than fluorescent bulbs do. This means that a switch to LED lighting could quickly pay for itself in savings on your electric bill.
The Five Types of Garage Door Opener Drive Systems
The overhead door on your garage is likely the largest and heaviest piece of moving equipment associated with your home. As such, it is important to take the necessary precautions and perform the proper maintenance to keep your garage door in good shape and to make sure that it opens and closes safely.
When it comes to opening and closing overhead doors, many homeowners opt to useelectric garage door openers. These small but powerful machines offer a significant degree of convenience with just the push of a button. There are many different types of electric garage door openers on the market today, with varying levels of lifting power and drive systems. In general, the lifting power you need will depend on the size, weight, and construction of your garage door, but the type of drive system is an important consideration as well. With this in mind, it is important to know what your options are.
Chain-Drive Door Openers
Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Garage Door
With proper maintenance, the average garage door can last up to 15 years through extreme weather, accidental bumps from new drivers and everyday wear-and-tear. However, when your garage door begins to show signs of old age, it may be time to replace it. Leaving an older or damaged garage door unfixed can not only be a safety hazard, but it can also affect your home value. If your garage door has some of the following signs and symptoms, it may be in your best interest to install a new one.
It's Noisy
Creaky garage doors are not just an annoyance. Noisy garages can indicate that there are significant mechanical issues within the door itself. Most garage doors will make a quiet creaking sound as it runs along the tracks when it opens and closes. However, if your garage begins to make new, loud squeaking, or straining sounds, it is likely that there is mechanical deterioration. This deterioration can stem from numerous factors, such as weather and age, but the garage door must be replaced to prevent lasting damage to the home.
Everything You Need to Know About Custom Garages
As we go through another extreme winter in the Chicagoland area, it may be time to put your long-awaited plan of having a custom garage built for your home into action. Your garage is a direct reflection of your house, and it is where you can go to harness your hobbies, work on your passion projects, and create memories. Building a custom garage is a considerable undertaking but hiring the right company is the first big step in making your dream become a reality.
What You Need to Know When Building a Custom Garage
Everyone has a vision of what their custom garage will look like once it is built but there are important steps that need to be taken and decisions that need to be made prior to breaking ground on your dream project. Some initial decisions that you need to make are the size and shape of the structure, the type of roof you want, and if you want additional living spaces added to the garage. Before beginning construction on your garage, make sure you know which permits are required in your city, decreasing the likelihood of any unexpected work stoppages or fines.
The Benefits of a Well-Insulated Garage During Winter in Illinois
As winter conditions in the Chicago area continue to worsen, having an insulated garage provides an array of benefits. The best way to protect yourself from energy prices going up in the winter is to make sure heat is not escaping unnecessarily through poorly insulated walls. Being able to save money every month on bills while protecting your belongings at the same time are reason enough to have your garage insulated. There are additional benefits that come along with protecting your garage from extreme temperatures associated with living in or near Chicago.
Saving on Heating and Energy Costs
Since a garage is the least energy-efficient part of a home, moderating the temperature will reduce the amount of energy required to heat the rest of your house. A garage is often connected to the living room or kitchen of a home, and on occasion, below a bedroom. Any adjacent room in your house will benefit from the garage being properly insulated.
Since garages aren't technically considered living space, the construction guidelines are more lenient. This can lead to gaps in the structure, which can cause air to leak into your house. If your garage is just above or below freezing temperature, that will likely have a considerable impact on your monthly heating and energy bills during the winter months. A poorly insulated garage will also lead to higher costs in the summer months as the heat from the garage will radiate into the joined rooms in your home.
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