Home garage organization is one of those things we just love to put off or ignore all together. In some cases, this tendency has a price either in wasted time, wasted money, or even personal injury. Some garage organization tips follow, tips you can use if you set your mind to doing so. That is the hard part though, right? In effort to at least get you started, and to give you a chance at finishing at least a step or two, we will keep this simple.
Most garages have some sort of front or side bench or combination of both. Most of those benches become a permanent home to parts, scattered tools, buckets of bolts, and a list far to long for public disclosure. Congratulations, you’ve found your valid starting point, and a goal – reclaim your bench space.
One key tip for finishing a garage organization project I use myself is to pick out the car or toy I hate to leave outside, and back it out into the driveway. Then, in the case of a bench cleaning, move EVERYTHING off and out from under the bench into the now empty place. Do you think we have sufficient motivation now? The prized toy cannot come back in till the job is done, so you better get started.
You should now have a (huge?) pile, and a new view of your workspace and storage areas (just remember, they are separate things and we will now use them that way). Once you are over the shock and surprise of that new outlet or bench grinder you rediscovered, grab a broom and pan, and anything else you need to get the bench-top and underneath clean. Do it now or it will not get done.
Now we can look at tip number two. Call it the two step. Step one is to cull out things like old batteries for recycling, scrap steel and aluminum, and that spare radiator with a hole in it. Put those things outside the garage, out of reach of the magnetic field of your bench and odd corners of your garage. They will fight you to return, but be strong. Step two is distract yourself from those newly liberated items by placing your large items to a place under the bench where they make sense. The snow-blower, mower, or tiller, and things like the shop vac are first. A bonus tip here is to put those items one deep with nothing behind them or in front of them. you should be able to move these items in and out from under the bench without moving anything else, and have a completely empty stall to return them. This gives you fewer surprises and quests, and saves time and effort when these items are needed. Repeat the two step outlined above till there are no more trash, junk, recyclables, or large to mid-size itemsleft. The pile is getting pretty small now, and you can still see a work-bench. Amazing, isn’t it?
Time for a new tip. If you are prone to being a pack-rat and collecting bolts, nuts, and brackets, now is the time to organize these as well. The hidden tips here are usefulness, and weight, and quantity. Do you really need 1 inch bolts and nuts to fix the car or mower? Put them with your scrap. Do you like emptying that five gallon bucket to find a washer? Besides weighing way too much, this time honored system is a real time waster, so sort your fasteners into coffee cans, bins, or one gallon buckets instead. All the time you are working this way, keep in mind junk versus treasure, and how long and how many steps to put your hands on say a 3/8 by 2 inch bolt and nut. When you are all done, now decide based on combined weight and space, what would be a good place to put them? If you have many bins or buckets and they are a bit heavy, you can place them in one area under your bench with nothing on top of them so you can easily see and retrieve what you need.
At this point, the end should at least be in sight. Tools, power cords, power tools, all cost money. Store them accordingly and finally make use of your pegboard and toolboxes and hooks like they should be used. If you find at this stage there are still lots of things on the floor, resist putting them on the bench, and consider more weeding out and re-organizing. Remember, if you clear this stage, your garage will be organized and efficient, and you will have your work-bench back. Really dig deep into the relocate, trash, or treasure mode though and you can get done.
Pat yourself on the back, sweep up, and pull the toy back in it’s place. But, what about the recycling stuff outside? That is up to you, the day of the week, and what recycling is available. The point is that entire pile outside can go, and should no longer find a permanent home in your garage. In fact, by using the steps above, you’ll find yourself reluctant to even let them back in your newly organized garage, so it’s up to you. Make a few bucks if you can, or else it’s trash.
The hardest parts of home garage organization are starting, culling, and finishing. This brief system above actually helps me in my battle of procrastination, and hording. Try them yourself.
July 1, 2010
Home Garage Organization Tips
June 29, 2010
Garage Doors-an Overview of Styles, Types, Options, and How to Choose a New Garage Door
There are an abundance of options as far as building materials and designs available in new garage doors, wood and steel being the most commonly installed. Each type of garage door will have options available for the exterior style/color, decorative windows, hardware, insulation, etc. Every garage door manufacturer will tell you theirs is best, and give you tons of reasons why you should agree. Just like any other product or service. That being said, you should keep in mind that the new garage door you are thinking of purchasing is going to be around for a long time. Garage doors usually last anywhere from 10-20 years, depending on usage and maintenance, and can possibly last longer.
Steel garage doors are the most commonly installed types. Their lower costs, maintenance, and a variety of available designs make them the obvious choice for most homeowners. No painting is required, although the doors can be painted, and most manufacturers offer different finish warranties on their garage doors. Styles include, but are not limited to, raised panel designs, flush panels, and various carriage house designs. Most have insulation options, as well. Considering the fact that most garages share an interior wall with the home, insulation inside your garage door can help conserve on heating and cooling costs.
While their not as common as they once were, wooden garage doors are still readily available in most places. They are available in the same standard styles as steel doors, and can be built to suit. Their costs are generally slightly higher than steel doors, and they will need to be painted or stained to prevent water damage. There are still benefits to having a wooden garage door. A standard model wood door can provide a better R-value than a basic non-insulated steel door. Wooden garage doors can also take a little bit more punishment than the steel types-something to consider if you have kids that play near the doors, or work in or around the garage yourself. Wood doors also have insulation options available. The versatility of wooden garage doors is probably their best point. Homeowners wanting custom garage doors for their home typically go with wooden garage doors.
Vinyl garage doors are beginning to make a larger impression on the market. These doors won’t rust, and are more resistant to dings and scratches than the steel doors. Prepare to pay substantially more for these types of garage doors. Many dealers don’t carry any in stock, so a lead time of 2-4 weeks can be expected. They usually look like a steel door as far as exterior styles are concerned. Vinyl garage doors also have similar insulation options as steel garage doors.
Composite garage doors are becoming more mainstream as consumer demand for environmentally-friendly products grows. These garage doors are typically made from recycled wood. They are insulated in most cases. Again, opting for insulation on a garage door can provide a higher R-value. Composite doors can be painted, or even stained.
Our website has links to many of the large garage door manufacturer sites. Some of these sites will have a “door designer†available where you can view different color and style options for their doors. You can usually find other information on warranties or other garage door specs. When you have your new garage door installed be sure to remember to keep the invoice/receipt in a safe place, and make sure you complete any required registrations in order to have a valid warranty.
June 23, 2010
Automotive Tools For Your Home Garage
You can save hundreds of dollars on garage fees every year by carrying out minor servicing and maintenance jobs on your car yourself. Armed with a selection of widely available automotive tools, a garage manual for your car, and enough time and patience to get a job done properly, pretty much anyone can carry out the routine tasks needed to keep your car on the road and running smoothly.
One of the most satisfying aspects of carrying out maintenance tasks on your vehicle – aside from saving money on expensive garage bills – is that you are able to get an understanding of how the car works, and the more you understand about the vehicle, the easier it is to put things right in the event of a breakdown.
Any home garage requires a good selection of automotive tools to carry out work on a car. Some vehicles from certain manufacturers have non standard machining and sizes used throughout their construction, and you will need to get automotive specialty tools designed for the purpose of working on that particular car from a motor store. No home workshop is complete without a trolley jack and axle stands to allow you to get under the car and do things like oil changes and exhaust checks.
For most small jobs, such as changing the oil or replacing filters, changing the spark plugs and brake pads on your vehicle, general tools such as a wrench and a screwdriver are all that is required, and these are widely available in most hardware stores. It is a good idea to keep your automotive tools separate from other tools you may have, because if you begin a job and then discover that the tool you want to use is missing, it can cause major headaches.
Twenty years ago, cars were much simpler to maintain and understand than they are today. Computerised engine management systems and adjustable fuel injectors are now commonplace, and special automotive diagnostic tools are required in order to make adjustments to the engine timing and fuel air mix, whereas in the past, these jobs could be done quite simply.
Areas of the car that almost anyone can handle the regular maintenance of are the interior and exterior panels. Simple scratches and dents to the bodywork are easy to repair using a soft mallet for panel beating and abrasive paper, spray paint and filler for paintwork repairs.
If your car is well used, the interior is likely to start to look tired and dated and in need of a little tender loving care. Thankfully, there are many automotive upholstery tools available to help you to tidy up the interior of the car and bring it back to its sparkling best. You can repair small tears and burns on the seats by darning them or applying a repair patch over the affected area. The trim of the car can be brought back to life with a good buffing using a polisher, while using specialist tools it is possible to repair the carpets or even replace them.
Of course there is much more to owning and maintaining a car than just tightening nuts and sewing up split seams, and you may find that you want to add non-stock parts such as a more efficient air filter or new exhaust to improve performance, and once you understand the basics of automotive maintenance, upgrades and tuning will become more accessible, saving you even more money in the long term.
Doing small jobs yourself can save you plenty of money on garage bills, and having the right automotive tools to get the jobs done is an excellent idea that will save you time and effort in the long run. However, one of the most important things for any mechanic to know is when to pass over a job to an expert, and rather than potentially do more damage than good, to get a qualified mechanic to carry out work on a car.
