The garage of most homes ends up being the place where handyman projects are done and items, such as tools, boxes, machinery and cans, are stored for future use. If there is enough room, this might even be the place the car gets parked to protect it from the elements. Since the garage tends to be a rather useful space, it only stands to reason that a home’s garage should be maintained and kept as functional as possible. The following are a few tips to help whip a garage into shape for optimal usage.
Declutter the Garage
Since people fill their garage with tons of things, it never hurts to assess and discard unnecessary, space robbing objects. From broken machinery to empty boxes and cans, a lot of garage space can be reclaimed by simply discarding these unnecessary items. This is especially the case when a garage is filled with stuff that the home-owner has not used in years. A home-owner should consider that a cluttered garage will not serve them well as a work space or for too many other purposes either. For this reason, decluttering the garage ends up being the first step to restoring a garage to a usable state.
Organizing Items for Better Storage
To further optimize the storage space in a garage, it helps to simply organize the various items being stored. Fortunately, there are a variety of organizational methods a home-owner can employ to increase the storage capacity of their garage. Setting up shelves and containers for nails and screws, for example, helps to get these items off the floor and out of the reach of children. Stacking wood helps to increase floor space and makes a garage look tons cleaner. Purchasing a rolling toolbox and installing wall nails and hangers for tools will also make your garage a far more functional work-space for important DIY fix-it projects. When storing items in a garage, it is important to remember to keep flammable objects away from other chemicals and items that could easily be used to start a fire.
Cleaning the Garage Floor
A garage floor can get rather stained up over the years. Rust, oil, paint and other stains will contribute to making a garage floor look bad. Fortunately, it is possible to purchase chemicals, such as muriatic acid, trisodium phosphate or paint strippers, to aid in the process of drawing out and removing all kinds of floor stains. According to article posted here, it is important to understand the safety aspects of using many of these stain removers. Having the proper protective gear and following established safety protocols helps to get the job done right without anyone getting harmed in the process.
Improve Garage Lighting
Some garages look rather dark and uninviting. Often this problem can be addressed by simply increasing the light sources to brighten a garage up. Installing an overhead florescent light over a workbench will certainly improve visibility for working on projects. Using a brighter, energy saving bulb will increase the amount of available garage light while cutting energy costs. Rewiring the light-switch to control multiple lighting options is a nice way to customize the lighting of a garage as well.
The Garage Door
That old rusted out garage door really needs to be replaced. Not only does it make the house look poorly maintained, many of its mechanical parts are worn
out. In some cases, installing a new automatic door would make a big difference in improving access into and out of a garage. This is an important consideration
as a person gets older, and it becomes more difficult to bend over and lift a heavy garage door for themselves. According to experts in the industry, if a garage has very little headroom, a nicer option may be to install a sliding garage door instead. With this type of door, the door can be opened slightly
to improve circulation of air or partially to allow for pedestrian access.
Conclusion
From DIY projects to storage, a home’s garage provides a home-owner with a wide variety of useful functions. When a garage is left in disrepair and cluttered up, its level of overall functionality significantly decreases. Taking the time to revamp a garage and making it look nice again will provide a home-owner renewed functionality and a definite cause to be proud of their garage once again.
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