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Garage Project Blog - Oak Park, IL
Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has been building top quality custom garages in the Chicago area since 1979. We have built so many garages, we thought it'd be nice to share some project blogs sharing the details and highlighting some of the work we've done.
We recently completed a project in Oak Park, Illinois. The existing garage was wrecked on 3/27/13 and a brand new garage was built in its place. Below we will share project details and some before & after pictures!
Located in Oak Park, IL, the existing garage was wrecked on 3/27/13 and the new garage project was completed on 5/10/13.
Before Pictures
New Garage Details
Dimensions: 22×24
Garage style: Reverse gable, 18'6" total height, 10' hip dormer, full floor with stairs
Carport to Garage Conversion Checklist
Are you looking to convert your carport into a garage? While carports can offer a more inexpensive and easy-to-build solution, some opt for garages for complete four-wall protection and storage purposes.
If you would like to convert your carport into a fully enclosed and secure garage, keep in mind you will have abide by more city regulations. Following is a 7-point checklist from Jeff Benke for converting your carport!
- Check your local building code and HOA regulations. Find out if the project is allowed and what you may need to do to get a permit. For example, an attached garage will likely need a fire-rated wall on the house side.
- Measure the slab. At a bare minimum, a garage should be 20-ft. deep, with a width of 10 ft. for one car and 18 ft., 6 in. for two cars. A more comfortable garage would add 2-4 ft. to each dimension.
- Check the height. Will there be room for a header above the garage door opening? A standard garage door requires a rough opening 8 ft., 1 in. high, with a 2×8 or 2×12 header spanning the opening.
9 Ways to Take Advantage of Your Garage Space
As the cost of real estate rises, the garage has become valuable extended square footage. And cars are often left outside in favor of a gym, playroom, or craft areas (Garage History).
Your garage can be used for so much more than just parking your car. With that in mind, Garage Door Repair created an infographic sharing creative ways to take advantage of the space in your garage as long as you are in accordance with your local building codes and permits. View the full infographic. See 9 of those ideas below!
1. Apartment for Lease
Even the tallest SUVs on the market right now don't exceed seven feet in height. For garages with higher ceilings, that means there is enough vertical space to build a second floor. With a proper renters license, you could lease that space as an apartment - that is if you have the appropriate plumbing for a bathroom and a kitchen.
4 Garage Summer Maintenance Tips
Are you feeling the heat yet? With Summer officially beginning last Friday 6/21/13, we thought it would be appropriate to share some summer garage maintenance tips.
Be sure to keep in mind that activity in the garage increases exponentially during the summer months! Check out some tips for getting your garage ready for summer. Then, consider these 4 summer maintenance tips from the Clopay Door Blog.
1. Wash Away Seasonal Grime on Door and Windows to Prevent Rust
Wash steel and aluminum door surfaces with a mild household detergent and rinse with water. In harsh or coastal environments, apply a quality car wax to the front side of a steel door surface twice a year, immediately after cleaning, to help maintain the finish.
Clean windows with a mild solution of dishwashing detergent and a soft cloth. Do not use amoniated, abrasive or solvent- based cleaners of any kind.
2. Remove Rust
Visible rust or flaking paint on a steel door indicates that moisture is taking its toll. Sand the rust, apply a zinc-rich primer, and paint with a quality exterior latex.
How to Pick The Right Garage Door
When choosing the perfect garage door there are a variety of considerations including overhead garage door sizes, panel styles, materials, colors, and window options. From basic stock to custom designs, you have a range of options.
Basic considerations include material, style, and price. Below are some tips for choosing the right garage door from the Bob Vila Blog.
When selecting a garage door for your home, the list of questions includes basic material, style, and price.
There is a range of options and prices for garage doors, starting with the basic stock offerings and moving up to architecturally designed custom doors. The wood you select, the quality of the insulation, the glass inserts, and the panel style will all impact the purchase price of your garage door. Of course, you can pay bargain basement prices for a garage door that will only last a few years - Or break out the checkbook for a craftsman's $10,000 work of art.
With a little homework, however, you can find the best door for your home while staying within your budget. Here are some general guidelines for what to expect when you go shopping.
10 Garage Facts - Did You Know?
It goes up. It goes down. And more than 70 percent of homeowners enter and leave their home through the garage door, relying on it as their new front door. But there is a lot more to your garage than meets the eye. Below are 10 garage facts from GarageWowNow. Did you know your garage…
…Can increase the value of your home.
An online survey says that 71% of homeowners who recently replaced their garage door believe it increased the value of their home. When real estate agents were shown "before" and "after" snaps of houses that upgraded with new, stylish garage doors, they increased the list price of the home anywhere from 1 to 4 percent. That means a $2,000+ investment in a garage door could increase the sale value of your home by as much as $7,000 if you're selling a $175,000 home. See some dramatic "before & after" photos at GarageWowNow.com, and you'll see the difference a new garage door can make.
3 Awesome Garage Makeovers - Before & After
What does your dream garage look like? Garages can be more than just a place to park your car. In fact, they can serve as an expansion of your house! Garages across the country are being made over, anything from utilizing neat storage ideas to having a personal gym in the garage!
Below are 3 before and after pictures of extraordinary garage makeovers from the Garage Mahal team of the DIY Network.
Home Gym Garage
This garage goes from disorganized clutter, to home gym!
After
Rock ‘n' Roll Garage
This everyday garage gets transformed into a band's space complete with a foldout stage!
Casino Garage
A junk-filled garage gets transformed into the ultimate game room and gets an organization overhaul with new shelving units.
June: National Garage Door Safety Month
June is only a couple of days away and June is national garage door safety month! While garage door safety is important all year round, make this an opportunity to make sure everything is operating safely because more time is often spent in the garage in the summer months.
"June is the perfect time to pay a little more attention to your garage door and opener since a garage often becomes the hub of activity for many families," notes Paul Accardo of LiftMaster.
In preparation for garage door safety month, below you will find 10 safety and security tips and a garage safety video.
10 Garage Safety Tips
Ensure your garage is safe and operating properly with the following 10 tips (Garage Door Weblog):
1. Make sure garage door opener control button is out of the reach of small children.
2. Do not let children play with garage door remote controls.
The History of the Garage
There are over 82 million homes with a garage in the United States! Garages have come a long way since their humble beginnings in the 1920s. New innovations and technologies have shaped the modern-day garage, an integral part of all homes. Below is an interesting infographic from IFA Insurance Company detailing the history of the garage!
(click to view full size)
Garage History Infographic.
Do you want a garage worth bragging about? Visit our garage gallery, or contact us today!
Garage Door Customer Testimonials
Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has helped hundreds of homeowners in the Chicagoland area build their brand new dream garage and/or renovate their current garage. Some of our customers have been so kind as to give us their testimonials on their garages that we have built and/or remodeled for them. We will share some of these below.
"I am very happy with my garage, and also with the quality of service from every one of the workmen at every stage of the project. Everyone was friendly as well as competent. I also appreciate the way you were always there when I had a question and always got back to me as quickly as possible with the answer. And I especially appreciate the way you went the exra mile and did things you didn't have to do, like bringing in the load of gravel to fill the low spot in my driveway so I could actually drive into the garage. I will definitely recommend Blue Sky to anyone I know. Thank you again for a job well done."
- Vera K., Lombard, IL
To see a gallery of garages we have built in Lombard, link to: Lombard Garage Gallery.
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Services listed are not a guarantee or indication of future work.
