424 Ogden Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-852-8485
Recent Blog Posts
Our Favorite Christmas Lights Shows and Traditions in Chicagoland
Here at Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we love the holiday season (who doesn't?). Light shows, decorations, and more-this season brings the creative side of homeowners across the nation. Just as we love sharing our creative side designing and building garages in Chicago and the suburbs, we love seeing homeowners share their creative side through light shows and decorative schemes.
So, today, in honor of the holidays, we would like to share with you some our favorite light shows and holiday traditions from across the Chicagoland Area.
Our Favorite Chicagoland Christmas Traditions
Many of the best decorations and lights are merely a short drive away! See some of the best decorations near our hometown of Downers Grove!
Larsen Lights (Elburn)
Probably one of the most intense suburban light displays, the Larsen Light Show in Elburn features over a million LED lights, and takes over 3 months to set up. See the video below, synced to "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" from Frozen.
How Much Can Windows and Doors Save You Come Tax Time?
Once again, the House of Representatives (12/3) and Senate (12/16) have come together to approve taxes retroactive to 2014, just in time for Christmas. Now, this may not seem like the Christmas gift you may have wanted, but think of the consequences had this bill not passed. Yet another one-year extension, the extension will still allow homeowners to take advantage of this year's purchases for their homes-specifically in energy efficient windows and doors.
So, this means that not only will new windows and doors be one of the most valuable things you can do for your home, it may even save you some cash come tax time.
The 25C Homeowner Tax Credit
An important part of the extension was the 10 percent "25C" homeowner income tax credit of up to $200 for installation of Energy Star qualified windows and skylights, and $500 for Energy Star exterior doors. Both are subject to a $500 lifetime limit per individual taxpayer.
35 Things that Have Happened in Chicagoland During Blue Sky Builders' 35 Years
As we close out another season building garages in the Chicagoland area, this year marks one slightly more special than the others. Announced earlier this year, we are celebrating our 35th Anniversary. Since 1979, we have proudly build garages for homeowners from Antioch to Oak Forest, with every city in between.
But to commemorate these 35 years, we would like to share with you 35 things that have happened in the Chicagoland area since 1979.
- 1979-The Great Blizzard of 1979 dumped 18.8 inches of snow on Chicago in two days
- 1979-Disco Demolition Night occurred on July 12, 1979 at Comiskey Park
- 1980-Taste of Chicago was Born on July 4, 1980
- 1980-Blues Brothers directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd released on June 20,1980.
- 1981-Illinois-born Ronald Reagan sworn in as 40th U.S. President on January 20, 1981
- 1981-Naperville Commemorates 150th Anniversary with Riverwalk
Is a Home Office in Your Garage a Good Idea?
We know the story-build a garage, park in it, have a safe environment for your vehicle. We know this because we've built garages for this purpose for over 35 years. Garages are convenient, safe, and great for storage. But we also know that garages can serve more than just for parking. With a recent study sharing that only 15% of two car garages are used for two cars, there are a multitude of options for that extra space. One option? The addition of a home office in place of this second car. Another? Build right above your garage.
Converting Part of Your Garage into a Home Office
Many people want more out of their garages. A great multi-functional room, the garage has made its mark most popularly as a space for a workshop. However, there are many other ideas for homeowners looking to build into their extra space including the ‘man cave,' but one of the rooms that every home could use is the home office.
About Garages shared a recent post, and understands the value of creating a multi-purpose garage-something that can fit both a car and serve the needs of others, not an either/or situation. Providing two options, either half of a two car garage or a loft above a one car garage, author Thomas Mello provided tips on turning your garage into office space.
What’s on Your Home Improvement Wish List?
Welcome to the holiday season. While stores (and radio stations) may have been trying to convince you that the holiday season may have started the day after Halloween, here at Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we are the traditionalists who decorate our homes the day after Thanksgiving. With the kids writing their wish lists to Santa, we would like to ask you, "What's on your home improvement wish list in 2015?"
Thanks to the annual "Cost vs. Value" Report, provided by Remodeling Magazine, we share with you a few of the things that you can add to your wish list that will improve the value.
Entry Door Replacement
One of the easiest things you can do that will recoup its value nearly completely for homebuyers is that of replacing your entry door.
Steel Entry Doors
Steel doors are durable and available with many different designs and colors. Homeowners could even elect to build sidelights or insets.
- National Average Cost: $1,162
Should You Get a Garage Floor Mat for Snow and Ice Protection?
It's upon us. The snow is slowly falling down in Illinois and with it comes the beginning of the holiday season. It also means that winter is trickling into the area. A winter that many believe to be one of the most snow-laden winters in recent history. Just ask the people of Buffalo how badly the snow can get.
So, we've shown you how to winterize your garage, set up your storage effectively, and even keep the vermin out of your garage; but now we would like to introduce you to another way to protect your garage this winter-the garage floor mat.
Do You Need a Garage Floor Mat?
If you want to protect your floor, and haven't yet put down garage epoxy or paint, the garage floor mat is your next best option. Relatively cost effective, the garage floor mat provides temporary protection to your garage floor, protecting it from stains, spills, and salt.
Can You Really Know Someone by Their Entry Door?
Did you know that in addition to being your source for custom-built garages for over 35 years, we also provide installation of entry doors with different panel styles, colors, and designs available? Did you also know that your front door can say a lot about a person?
It's true. Much like a necktie, the front door is the focal point of the home, and offers a powerful statement about the home's owner. Throughout the spectrum of colors, each promotes a different trait to visitors or neighbors. So what does each color mean?
Red
The ultimate power color in Western Cultures, red, could mean many things to different societies. In feng shui, a red door says "welcome" and invites good energy. In early America, red doors signified a friendly household where a weary traveler might stop for the night. Today, Red is a bold choice for those who are not afraid of standing out on the block.
Advanced Features in Modern Garage Door Openers
Does anyone remember when you had to open a garage door by hand? Invented in 1926 and popularized right here in Chicago after World War II, the electric garage door opener has been making the lives of homeowners easier ever since.
What was once opened by a keypad at the end of the driveway was followed by the fault ridden early radio transmitters, and has advanced since then to make the lives of homeowners easier each year. Now it's 2014, and the technologies of garage door openers match the time. From WiFi-enabled smart garages to ephemeral opener signals, the garage of the future is here.
Today, we'd like to share some of the advanced features available in Blue Sky Builders, Inc.-Preferred LiftMaster garage doors.
MyQ® Technology
By tapping into the power of your Internet Gateway, you can monitor and control your home's or garage door or lighting from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. With MyQ®:
- Confidently know what's going on at home
Preventing Mice from Entering Your Garage
Winter is coming, and with that comes the allure of your garage to pests like mice, chipmunks, and raccoons. What rodent could resist a slightly warmer area that could be a location in which you store pet food or dispose of trash? Worse yet, once a pest enters the garage, the next step is moving into the warmer, more food-filled location: your house.
This is why preventing pests from entering your garage should be at the top of the mind before the cold winters hit the Chicagoland area.
Today, we cover some of the ways to prevent mice from entering your home, from sealing your home to placing deterrents in your home.
Sealing Points of Ingress
If your garage is old, there may be holes used by mice to enter. Our first advice would obviously be to contact us for a new garage or professional repairs; but if that won't do for you, the next best advice is to seal the openings to the outside.
If a mouse can get its head though, the body can go through as well. The little pests only need about a ¼ inch (0.6 cm) wide opening. They can jump – up to 18 inches, travel upside down, and crawl along an electrical wire. If you can stick a #2 pencil through a hole, a mouse can probably use it to get into your home.
Garage Door Material Options
Like any part of your property, you are provided many options in building your garage. From attached to detached, a pressing concern among homeowners-second to garage door style-is the material of which your garage door is made.
From Aluminum to Wood, and every option between, each type of garage door material has its benefits to homeowners. Today, we would like to share with you the common types of garage door material available to homeowners today.
Steel Garage Doors
Steel, the most popular material for garage doors, is reasonably priced, durable, low maintenance and available in just about any style you like.
Related: Garage Door Panel Design
The best steel garage doors are made of two layers of galvanized steel, the surface of which is either primed and painted with a tough topcoat finish or clad with a composite material. Steel doors can be painted to match your home and are available with or without insulation. The downside of steel doors is that they can be dented and are subject to corrosion, especially in coastal areas.
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