424 Ogden Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515
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Recent Blog Posts
Garage Flood Cleanup and Prevention
A flooded garage can be a major problem. While everyone uses their garage for different purposes, it is safe to say that most people would be sad to see the things stored in the garage damaged by invasive water. Furthermore, flooding can damage the entire structure of your garage. The heavier the flooding, the more serious the damage can become. Your garage walls and flooring can easily be damaged by water, and extensive flooding can even break or damage your garage door. Many homeowners believe that they do not need to worry about flooding because they do not live in an area with a major risk of flooding, but water can easily make its way into any garage in any location. Therefore, it is important that all garage owners take extra care to ensure their garage is protected from flooding. Below, check out a few ways to flood proof your garage, and a step by step guide for cleaning up an already flooded garage.
Flood Prevention
If you are hoping to protect your garage from flood damage, start by inspecting the space. Pull everything out of your garage so you have a full view of the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and your garage door. Removing everything you have in your garage may seem a bit extensive, but the alternative could be overlooking a leak that could lead to major damage. Look for cracks in the flooring and walls that water could run through. Seal anything you think looks risky. Fix any holes in your roofing as well to ensure water is not dripping down from above. Most repairs should be fairly easy, but a contractor may be needed if extensive repairs are necessary.
What Is a Car Lift?
Have you ever heard of a car lift before? Imagine purchasing a brand new vehicle, only to discover you do not have the space within your garage to store it. Do you build a new garage? Should you purchase an awning and leave the vehicle exposed? Fortunately, car lifts are great, convenient solutions for those needing extra vehicle storage within their garage. Car lifts are growing in popularity among homeowners who are short in storage, and these easy to use tools are great at optimizing the space within your garage to free up more storage space. Taking advantage of the vertical space within your garage, car lifts raise one vehicle off the ground, allowing another vehicle to be parked underneath it. Car lifts are safe, can hold significant weight loads, and are easy for homeowners to operate on a daily basis. This week, we are exploring a few of the many benefits of installing a car lift within your garage.
Easy Additional Storage
Most homes feature only one-car garages. This can be problematic for households with more than one vehicle. Sometimes even two-car garages are not enough if more than two vehicles are involved. Aside from rebuilding or expanding your garage, car lifts are a great option to add significantly more space to your garage. A lift can turn your one car garage into a two car garage, and can potentially upgrade a two-car garage into a four-car garage, depending on the space available. The specialists at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can inspect your available space and advise you on the number of lifts you can fit within your garage.
Fighting Moisture and Humidity in Your Garage
Have you noticed excess moisture and humidity in your garage? People often face humidity problems in their bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements, but garages are also easily susceptible to invasive water and the troubles it can bring with it. Excess humidity and condensation can damage your garage's structure, its flooring and finishes, and can potentially harm anything stored within your garage as well. The moisture and heat stored in your garage can potentially seep into your home, causing increased temperatures and humidity within your house.
Moisture problems can also lead to mildew and mold, putting your family's health in jeopardy. Additionally, wet areas are ideal for dust mites, tiny creatures who multiply in humid areas and are a common cause of allergies. While garages are easily susceptible to water, there are fortunately many different methods of removing any excess condensation and humidity you notice in your garage. Below, we list some of the most commonly used ways you can reduce excess moisture from your garage.
America’s Most Unusual and Expensive Garages
The talented team of garage specialists at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has been providing dream garages to clients across Illinois for over 30 years. Are you ready to get started on your next garage project? Even small updates can help increase your garage's functionality and boost your property value. Realtors estimate that adding a two-car garage to your home can increase your home's market value by thousands of dollars.
Contact our team today to learn more about the wide variety of garage services we offer including custom garage design, unique customization opportunities, renovations, and more. Thanks to our cost effective services and financing options, the perfect garage may be closer than you think. For this week's blog, however, we are exploring a few garages that most of us can only drool over. Check out some of America's weirdest, wildest, and most expensive dream garages.
Mockingbird Lane – Paradise Valley, Arizona
Part of a massive five acre, 35,000 estate, the garage of Mockingbird Lane in Paradise Valley, Arizona, is one that will make classic car enthusiasts swoon. The garage houses 20 vehicles and features a "show garage" that cost $400,000 to complete. To complete the classic look, the garage has a 1950's style checkered floor, antique gas pumps, art-deco style columns and great lighting.
Common Garage Accidents and How to Prevent Them
At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we pride ourselves on delivering high quality work and service on every project. Our knowledge of construction and use of quality building materials means that with just a little upkeep, your garage will be fully functional, safe, and efficient for years to come. That said, accidents do happen. The garage is one of the most common sites for household accidents. From slips to burns to crushed fingers, garages can be hot spots for accidents and injuries. It is important that garage owners are aware of the many potential accidents that could occur in their garage, and that preventative measures are taken to ensure safety for everyone. For this week's blog, we are taking a look at a few common garage accidents and the steps you can take to keep you and your family safe.
Accidents within the Garage
It is no surprise that accidents happen often in garages. In addition to vehicle storage, most people use their garages to store items like sharp tools, chemical products, and household clutter. To keep your garage from becoming dangerous, be aware of these common accidents within the garage:
A Look Back at Blue Sky Builder's Best Garage Blogs
Wow, time sure flies when you are having fun! We have been so busy working on garages all over the Chicago area, we barely noticed 2016 is already halfway over. Summer is a great time to get started on your next garage project, and the team of knowledgeable garage specialists at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. is here to help. We have been building quality custom garages in Illinois since 1979 and also offer a wide variety of other garage help like repairs and window and door installation.
We believe in offering other helpful services as well, like financing, free estimates, and help from our specialized team members at every step of your project, to ensure you have the best experience possible. For this week's blog, we are reflecting on a select few of our past posts. Since July is the seventh month of the year, check out our seven most read blogs of all time.
How to Choose the Right Size Garage: What garage size is right for you? We get this question often, and this helpful blog post offers some insight into choosing the best garage size for your property. Of course, our specialists are always available and can help you with choosing the right size of garage to build whenever you are ready.
More Custom Garage Features: Specialty Siding, Aluminum Trim, and Gutters
Are you ready for a new garage? At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we have years of experience helping Illinois residents build the garage of their dreams. Our team of garage specialists offers garages in a variety of sizes and designs depending on your needs, and we offer a wide variety of custom garage features to help you build the perfect garage for your property. This week we are filling you in on three of our very popular garage features - aluminum trim, specialty siding, and gutters. Custom garage features like these can improve the aesthetic and functionality of your garage.
Specialty Siding
Our customers are constantly looking for ways to improve the look and durability of their garage. In response, we offer a wide variety of siding options, from common choices like lap siding and metal, to specialty choices like vinyl fish scale siding and cedar shakes. Both cedar shake and vinyl fish scale siding can be used as accents in addition to your primary garage siding, or they can be installed as the primary siding of your garage.
Your Garage Versus Insect Invaders
Is your garage filled with unwanted visitors? Creepy crawlies like ants, termites, bees, wasps, and spiders are easily attracted to garages. They have plenty of hiding places, can sometimes be damp, frequently provide access to food, and offer shelter from harsh weather conditions. Aside from being a little creepy, many insects have the potential to damage your garage or your yard, and some could be a safety risk to you and your family. For these reasons, it is important that any unwelcome insect guests in your garage are quickly identified and removed. Your home is probably bug free. Follow these easy steps, and your garage can be too.
What Insects Should I Look For?
All sorts of insects have the ability to get into your garage. Some can be frightening but will not cause any damage. Others, such as ants and termites, can be quite damaging. Ants and termites can both do serious damage to your yard and to any wooden structures on your property. Both types of insects eat organic matter and also build their nests in wood. A termite or ant nest in your garage could mean structural damage. Additionally, many species of ants bite, and some even sting, meaning they could harm you, your family, or your pets. Some types of beetles can also cause problems. Wood-boring beetles can be easily identified by any holes bored into the wood of your garage. Spiders, centipedes, wasps, and bees will likely not do any structural damage, but many can bite or sting, so you will likely want them removed as well.
Custom Garage Features
At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we believe everyone deserves the garage of their dreams. To help our customers achieve this, we have been building custom garages in the Chicago area for over 30 years, and our team offers a wide variety of custom garage features to fit our clients' specific needs. When planning your next garage rebuild or remodel, one of the first and most important steps to take is to determine the primary use of your space. Once you know the specifics of what you will be using your garage for, our team can help you decide which custom garage features would benefit your space. Today, we will take a look at three popular custom garage features that come in handy for a variety of reasons; staircases within garages, different garage door sizes, and high lift garage doors.
Staircases
Staircases can be a wonderful way to provide access to extra space above your garage. The extra square footage above your garage can be used for a variety of purposes, such as extra storage space, an in-home gym, an office space, a separate bedroom, or an entirely separate living quarters like an apartment. There are different staircase options to choose from depending on how you plan to use the additional space. If the space above your garage is going to be used primarily for storage, a pull down staircase will likely be sufficient. If, however, you plan to use the space as additional living space, you may consider a full staircase that allows easy access from the first floor of your garage to the space above. While a staircase will take up some of the first floor garage space, if you have the room available, a staircase can provide many benefits, including;
Custom Garage Feature: Dormers
Dormers are an excellent upgrade to a new or existing garage. Built on the roof of your garage, dormers sit and allow light to enter the structure. This is helpful for garages that are not set up with electricity, and for garages that have lofts or extra living areas above them. A loft above your garage can be a great way to add additional storage place to your home, or to add extra livable square footage in the form of a guest apartment, office, or playroom. Dormers allow wonderful natural light into the space, helping you save on utility bills, and also provide the space above your garage with a nice view.
Modern homeowners are increasingly choosing to add dormers above their garage, and there are a variety of dormer types you can choose from. As a general rule of thumb, the type of dormers you choose for your garage should match any existing dormers on your home, to keep the aesthetic consistent. Additionally, if you choose to install multiple dormers above your garage, the size of each dormer should be the same. There can be exceptions to these rules, and the custom garage builders at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can help you with choosing which style and size of dormers to install above your garage. Ready to explore a few common dormer styles?
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