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Recent Blog Posts
How Your Garage Can Affect the Selling of Your Home
Potential homebuyers typically create a checklist of what they desire to have in their new house. When it comes time for you to sell your home, make sure that you are ready to "wow" those viewing it with your updated and well-organized garage. There some resources you have to option of using to ensure that your garage is in good shape for the people that move in.
Speak with your real estate agent about what works:
He or she may have first-hand insight on whether or not the status of your garage currently will help or harm the selling of your home.
One car vs. two car garage:
The number of cars that one can fit into their garage is sometimes critical to buyers. There are many families that prefer to have a two car garage because this gives them more space for storage.
Hire a garage builder to work on a redesign to help sell your home:
All you might need is just a little bit of a redesigning in your garage. Simply organizing what you already have and adding some paint or shelves to give your garage a more "homey" feel makes a big difference when it comes time to impressing potential home buyers.
New Year's Garage Resolutions
As you ring in 2017, you may have created a list of New Year's resolutions. When writing down what you wish to accomplish in the next 12 months, adding the task of examining your garage could be beneficial to consider.
Overall garage maintenance: There are a number of issues that can happen to your garage throughout the long winter months in Illinois. In order to ensure that your garage stays in good condition, a yearly examination is essential to discovering any problematic issues. Some of these issues may have a temporary fix, but you have to consider the long term affects each problem may have to the garage. The best option may be to invest and replace specific parts instead of repairing them so that they are functional and safe.
Shingles that are not intact: There are certain signs that signify that you may need new shingles on your garage roof. If they are curling or buckling, this means that they are way past their life expectancy and you will need to replace them. Additionally, you could be missing a few singles. In that case, replace them immediately.
How to Host a Football Party in Your Garage
Your garage space has the ability to be transformed into just about any creative idea you have if you put the time and effort into it. Now that the holidays are over, it is time for sports lovers to focus on what they enjoy most. Transforming your garage into a place to host a football party is just one way to celebrate your favorite team's victory. Before tackling the decorations, there are a few important key steps you must put into place.
When there is not enough room in your house, use the garage:
If your home is not the ideal size to host a large party, transform your garage into a comfortable area for your friends and family to gather. As long as you have the proper appliances accessible and all unnecessary tools and items in your garage are put away, you should be all set to begin organizing your football party.
Safety comes first:
Illinois weather is typically cold during football season, especially around the Super Bowl. So, remember to insulate your garage so that it remains warm for your guests. Another warming source to consider is setting up a few heating lamps. Just one or two lamps should be fine in your garage to ensure that this space is properly heated at all times.
How to Prevent Mice From Nesting in Your Garage
There are a number of ways that you can prepare your garage for certain situations such as the winter weather, decorations for Thanksgiving, or even reorganizing your garage. However, there may come a time when you have to prepare your garage space well in advance so that little critters, such as mice and squirrels, do not invade and repopulate your space. If you are faced with the task of getting rid of mice, there are steps you can take to prevent them from getting into your house.
There are a few mouse characteristics that may affect how quickly you begin the process of eliminating them in your garage, such as:
- There has been an abundance of mice in the U.S. in 2016, and the mouse population is on the rise.
- Mice have the ability to begin reproducing as early as 6-weeks-old, so it is important to take preventative measures as quickly as possible to lessen the chances of more mice appearing in your home.
Protect Your Garage From Melting Snow and Ice Build Up
The winter months bring weather that may resemble a beautiful snow globe, but in reality, the cold temperatures can be very dangerous if precautions are not taken. For instance, icicles that form on your roof and garage can become sharp and potentially fall and hurt someone if not removed properly. There are a number of ways you can protect your garage from melting snow and ice build up that forms due to the cold weather spreading across Illinois.
Make sure your garage is clean: It is important that the floor is clear of any sort of water spills as it may freeze during the cold winter months. Once your garage is clean, check to see if there are any cracks or openings that cold air or snow may leak through.
Seal your floor and door: Sealing your garage floor and door will help prevent melted snow and salt from affecting your concrete floor. There are sealants that prevent damage to your floor as well. If your floors are ready for the winter, the sealer can be applied just to add a shiny look to your garage floor as well.
How to Decorate Your Garage with Holiday Lights
The holiday season has arrived, and your neighbors may have already hung up their lights and decorations. Join in on the holiday spirit by transforming your garage and the outside of your home into a light display for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Before you start putting up any lights, though, take a step back to look at your property. Plan how you want the decorations to look once they are complete. Once you have decided on a focal point for your lights and other decorations to be hung, you can then begin to create your winter wonderland. Be sure to decorate your garage as well to match the other parts of your house as well. Here are some suggestions on decorating your garage this holiday season:
LED Lights
A simple way to brighten up your garage is to incorporate a few strands of LED Lights around the frame of your garage door. There are a number of different light styles available. However, LED lights usually last longer because they are more energy efficient. They typically have a blue-ish tint as well, and most LED lights can connect up to 25 strands.
Transform Your Garage This Thanksgiving
Make your garage space a place to give thanks this holiday season and transform it into a welcoming area for those in your community to gather on Thanksgiving. Discover a few ways that you can transform your garage into the location that gives back this year.
Host Thanksgiving dinner in your garage:
Serve your Thanksgiving meal in a different room in your house this year by setting up a dining area in your garage. You can do this by putting couches and chairs in the garage to create an additional place for your guests to socialize. However, this time of year is typically chilly in Illinois so it may be wise to invest in some space heaters and blankets to ensure that your guests are nice and warm while waiting for their meal to be served. You can choose to host Thanksgiving in your garage for just your family or you can invite a few members of your community a week or so before Thanksgiving to give thanks to your neighbors.
Essential Emergency Items to Store in Your Car and Garage
There are certain items that are essential to store in your garage and car at all times in case of an emergency. You never know what kind of obstacles you may face while living and traveling in Illinois, especially with cold weather approaching.
It is important to take precautionary measures by stocking your garage and car with these safety materials so that you are ready for whatever comes your way.
Emergency items to keep in your garage include:
- Canned food and water bottles - The weather in Illinois can become cold enough that you may not even be able to leave your house. Keep canned food stored in your garage because it has an expiration date far into the future so that you are able to save it for a long time and prepare it when are you unable to travel because of inclement weather.
- Flashlights - These are necessary in case the power goes out or if you need extra light to look for something in the dark.
Garage Storage Tips for the Winter
The winter weather in Illinois can potentially cause damage to your garage. To avoid this from happening, take precautionary steps and organize your garage space before the first snowfall. Implement these key garage storage tips for the winter time.
Make a plan for unused open space in your garage.
Before you start storing your possessions away, make sure that you create a strategy that allows you to get the most storage space out of your garage.
Organize items according to the importance.
Once you have your plan in place for your open space, you can then choose which items you want to keep out for the next couple of months and which ones you want to store away until the weather becomes nicer again. For example, you may want to keep the snow blower out and put the lawnmower away.
Keep the garage floor as clear as possible.
Your garage may become wet and slippery when the snow melts. The water that stays on the floor may cause damage to items that are lying around, so it is important to remove anything of value off of the garage ground.
Autumn Maintenance for Your Garage
It is important to keep up with your garage maintenance as the seasons change. Autumn is a great time to reorganize your garage to ensure that the cold weather that follows does not damage doors, windows, or flooring. Make the most out of your seasonal cleaning with these tips.
Organize
Begin your maintenance by straightening up or clearing out all items in your garage. This could also mean getting rid of some things in your garage such as old bikes, toys, or food if you have a refrigerator. Once you put together what you do not need, double check that your cold weather accessories are easy to access for the winter months, including leaf blowers, rakes, snow blowers, and shovels. You can then put away anything you have been using over the summer that you will not need for maintenance purposes.
Clean Up
Do not put all of your attention in one section of your garage. Make sure that you give the exterior of your garage a cleaning as well. Use a power washer or hose with soap and water to get rid of any dirt. While you are working on the outside of your garage, wash the driveway to get rid of any motor fluids, dirt from the road, or stains. Remember, once the autumn leaves have all fallen you may have to clean out the gutters and downspouts as well. After the outside is clean, you can then apply the same cleaning steps to the inside by washing the windows and floors.
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