Make your garage your neighbourhood’s party-central

Its time to see your garage in a whole new way!

Why tolerate a messy garage with garden tools and bikes resting against the wall? With a few easy and inexpensive steps it is possible to make your garage into a room that you are proud of. Here is a list of things to do adapted from  Angie’s List.

First of all assess all the stuff you have been storing. If you don’t use, chances are you never will, so give it to a neighbour or arrange a garage sale and sell it.

Move everything onto your driveway including your vehicles and clean the floor which can be difficult because of dust, oil and fuel.

A coat of white paint brightens up your garage so before tackling the floor consider giving the walls and ceiling a coat of paint.

Then tackle the floor. First use a large broom to sweep up and dirt and dust that has built up on the garage floor.

Then remove oil and grease stains with a specialty oil or grease-absorbent, thoroughly coating dark stains from oil or grease that are on the floor or use kitty litter.

Use chemical cleaners specifically labeled for heavy-duty floor cleaning jobs.  Use it according to the instructions on the label, taking care not to use too much.

Then use a garden hose to rinse the cleaner away, and let your floor air dry.

Lastly seal the floor. Roll on a sealer from your local hardware store. Painting a floor is about the easiest and most satisfying paint job there is.

Use hooks, baskets shelves and racks to organize everything

If you only have a one-car garage, or if you’re trying to store a lot of items in your garage along with a car, you’ll need some organizing products to help you make the most of tight spaces. Overhead storage is a great way to instantly gain space in your garage.  These storage devices consist of a wire rack that hangs from your garage ceiling.

The overhead storage device you see here is motorized for easy access to bicycles. (Photo courtesy of Angie’s List member Marcia H.)

Wall storage is great to store tools and loose items that would be lost on the garage floor.  You can find kits that are specifically designed for tool storage, or you could even invest in wall-bolted cabinets or wire basket storage. When organizing, group like items together. If using boxes, be sure to label the outside so you won’t have to dig through all of them while looking for one specific item.

Take another look at your garage doors

After a hard day’s work there is no finer feeling than arriving home and pressing the button on a garage door opener and seeing the door slide open to welcome you. How about giving us a call at Aurora Overhead Door and seeing all the hundreds of door styles. We’ll install the door, the opener, the weather stripping and capping to make the garage and front of your home look wonderful.

Lastly move your barbecue from the backyard, buy a 2-4, some ice and celebrate your amazing better-than-new garage. It will become party-central and focal point of your neighbourhood.