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Recent Blog Posts
Is It Time to Replace Your Garage Door Opener?
The lifetime of a garage door opener is typically around ten years, so if your opener is nearing that age, it may be time to consider replacing it. An aging garage door opener can present a variety of problems, including noisy operation, garage doors that do not completely open or close, improperly functioning safety features, and decreased security.
If you are thinking about replacing your garage door opener, here are a few things you should consider:
Choose the Right Type of Equipment
Garage door openers come in a number of different types, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. These models include:
- Chain drives - This type of garage door opener uses a motor that moves a chain attached to a trolley, which in turn is attached to a metal bar called a J-arm that is connected to the garage door. These types of garage door openers provide reliable operation at a good price, but they can be noisy, so they may not be the best option if your garage is adjacent to your living area.
Types of Garage Gutters and Accessories
With the summer weather cooling off and autumn right around the corner, now is the perfect time to clean your garage's gutters and inspect them for clogs, leaks, cracks, and rust stains. In order to accomplish this task, you will need to have access to a ladder, a trowel, and a pair of gloves.
The first thing you will need to do is clean out the gutters. After ensuring that your ladder is firmly set in place, climb up and shovel out all of the leaves, dirt, and slime that you can see. It will take a fair amount of time and effort to completely clear the gutters, so be patient and make sure that you are diligent. Some clogs will be harder to find than others; however, it is important to clear them all. Once you have completely cleaned out the gutters, it is time to inspect them for damage. Look for rust, dripping water, and cracked sections, as these are the signs that your gutters need to be replaced.
If you find that it is time to replace your gutters, you have a few different options to choose from when shopping for their replacements:
How to Prepare Your Garage for An Electric Car
Buying an electric car offers consumers a number of immediate benefits: a quieter engine, reduced operation costs, and, of course, the elimination of emissions. Drawing power from an electrical battery source, these cars can drive without gasoline for anywhere from 100 miles to 300 miles before they need to be charged.
When you purchase your new electric car, it is important to understand how to prepare your garage for your new ride. The following tips can help you make your garage well-suited for your electric car:
Implement a charging station in your garage to properly charge your electric car. In order to transform your garage into a charging station, you will need to do is convert a power outlet in your garage into a 240-volt source. The typical outlets found in homes include two 120-volt sources, so you will likely need to contact an electrician who can assist you in converting your power outlet into a 240-volt source.
Tips on Driveway Safety
It seems as though every year we hear about unfortunate circumstances involving children and cars on driveways. Whether it involves a child running behind an SUV as they chase a ball or possibly a toddler who finds him or herself locked inside a car, these accidents can happen to anybody and it is important to make sure that you take all of these precautions seriously.
In the U.S., about 2,600 children are victims of backover accidents per year. That equates to 50 children per week or one tragedy in each state. Backing out of the driveway may seem like a routine activity, but it can lead to disaster if proper safety precautions are not taken. Read these tips on how to keep yourself and those near your vehicle safe:
The first step to take is to make sure that no children are nearby when you enter your vehicle. While you may believe that you can see in every direction from your driver's seat, it is important to double check. Blind spots have their name for a reason and examining your surroundings before you sit down in your car will ensure that you and those around you are safe when you back your car out of the driveway.
Tips on Storing Sports Equipment in Your Garage
As the yearly tradition goes, the calendar has turned to August and children across the country are turning their attention towards the upcoming school year.
*Crickets*
Ok, so maybe they aren't exactly rushing back to their studies; however, their return to the classroom is approaching and a change to the way your garage is used will come right along with it. Soon enough, it will be time to pack up your summer equipment and start thinking about school supplies. Thankfully, to help make that transition as seamless as possible, the Blue Sky Builders, Inc. are here to offer their advice in order to help you stay one step ahead of things and maximize the efficiency inside your garage throughout the school year.
Bikes
One of the most difficult things to store in your garage is bicycles. They are usually quite large and feature many oddly shaped parts, like handlebars and pedals, that struggle to fit into the compact places you might wish to store them. Keeping bikes on the ground takes up a lot of room in your garage and is not an efficient use of space. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem: hanging bike racks. Widely available in most hardware and sporting goods stores, these racks will typically cost anywhere from $50 to $100 but will be well worth the investment once you realize just how much space you can save in your garage by hanging your bikes on the wall.
Sheds to Showrooms: The Evolution of the Garage
Since the invention of the automobile, garages have slowly evolved from humble, barn-like storage areas into what many people believe to be the most important room in the home. How did we get to this point? Well, it's funny you should ask that because the evolution of the garage is exactly what we will be discussing in this blog. We will be taking a look at the early days of the garage, the development of the garage, and the modern garage and all of its amenities. Follow along as we take you on a trip back in time and examine the development of garages through the years.
The Early Days
In the earliest days of cars, garages were not much of a priority for homeowners. Horse drawn carriages were popular and only the wealthiest individuals had the means to own a car. Even so, cars were more of a luxury item than anything else and, as a result, the storage of cars was in a very primitive stage. In many cases, cars were stored in any available sheds or barns that had enough room to accommodate them and nobody spent recreational time in those areas. While you could say that the concept of "the garage" was born, these were very basic times.
How to Set Up a Swap Meet in Your Garage
While they are a fairly common sight in suburban neighborhoods, organizing a swap meet in your garage can be a bit of a challenge for beginners who… well … uhm... okay, fine. Setting up your garage for a swap meet is a pretty easy task. Nevertheless, there are some things that can go wrong and you are bound to make a few mistakes if you go into your swap meet completely blind. Fortunately, those in need of advice have come to the right place. Featured below is our list of the most important parts of every swap meet:
Advertising
Since a swap meet is different than a garage sale, the most important aspect of your planning process is going to be advertising. It is important to make it clear to your audience that you are holding a swap meet, not a garage sale, and that they will be expected to bring items which they are willing to swap. The internet (especially social media) provides a good place to advertise, with local groups serving as your ideal targets. Frequently posting about your swap meet will raise the awareness of your upcoming event and also allow for a place in which people can ask you questions if they are interested in attending.
Garage Decorating Guide
At first glance, decorating your garage seems to be a fairly simple task. Pin up some signs, add a few chairs, and just like that, mission accomplished. However, the decoration process is much more nuanced than you may have been led to believe and a well-decorated garage is not easy to achieve. That being said, if you want to design a garage that stands out from the rest, you have come to the right place. Follow our advice in this garage decorating guide and you will become the envy of your neighborhood in no time.
Wall Signs. A popular way to give your garage character is by hanging up a wide variety of signs on the walls. These signs can be inspired by any number of factors, such as the type of car you drive, your favorite sports teams, or even your preferred brand of beer or liquor. There are not many rules when it comes to what should and should not be used to decorate the walls of your garage and simply put, the key to laying out the design on any wall is to find the signs that best portray your personality to everybody who enters your garage.
Summer Safety Checklist for Your Garage
Summer weather represents a perfect opportunity to get outdoors. If you are like many homeowners, the summertime means that you will be spending an increased amount of time in your garage. While you may believe that you have gone to all necessary lengths to ensure that your garage is as risk-free as it can be, there could be safety hazards in the garage. It is likely that your garage is where you store a wide variety of potentially hazardous items, and it is important to address any situations which present a risk to those who enter the area. Featured below are tips that you can use to keep yourself safe as you spend the summer months in your favorite workspace.
Store tools in secure locations
While it may seem obvious, it is important to make sure that all of your tools are stored in a secure location in your garage and out of the reach of children. An easy way to do this is by placing them in a storage unit with a lock on it that keeps them off of the floor and out of harm's way.
Top Five Ways to Keep Your Garage Cool
Whether you are planning on completing your latest project or just trying to sit back and relax, keeping the inside of your garage cool can prove to be a challenge during the hot summer months. Listed below are our top five ways to keep your garage cool when the weather turns hot.
1. Insulate your garage. Unlike the other walls in your home, your garage door was not designed with climate control in mind. No amount of air conditioning will cool your garage if the door exposes it to the outside heat. Whether you use form, wood, or tape, a well-insulated garage door will cool your garage and cut your energy bill.
2. Install an air conditioning unit. Ranging from $150 to more than $500, window and/or wall-mounted air conditioning units are a reasonable way to cool your garage. Whether you have one professionally installed or you choose to do it yourself, an AC unit will surely cool you off while you tackle your latest project.
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