Mice, chipmunks, raccoons, and other wild animals love to find safe places to make their nest or find their next meal. If your garage is not secured, it could be an attractive place for them to access and attempt to make their home. In the winter, they may be in search of a warm place to stay and escape the cold. In the summer, they may be attracted by bird seed, dog food, or other rodent-friendly snacks that you may be storing in your garage. They can destroy your belongings, bring in fleas and other pests, leave behind their droppings, and be a biting danger if startled. They could even chew on wires and wood beams, leaving behind expensive damage. Here are some tips to follow to keep animals out of your garage.

Keeping Bugs and Animals Out of the Garage

• Fix holes and gaps in your siding and doors. The small spaces that some rodents are able to squeeze through are incredible, so eliminating access points to your garage can be challenging. Check for holes, especially around doors and windows where animals could get through. Smaller holes can be patched and repaired, but larger or widespread holes or cracks could require new or upgraded siding or windows.
• Checking the gap between your garage door. The weather stripping along the bottom of your garage door does more than keep the heat and cold out. It acts as a barrier to pests as well. The strip can be replaced if it is old or damaged, but a wider gap may mean it is time for a new garage door.
• Don’t store food or dog food in your garage. Easy access to food is one of the most common reasons that animals enter a garage.
• Keep your garbage cans covered and secure. You can reduce the temptation of a tasty treat by preventing the animals from getting to your garbage bags.
• Clear out any clutter. Old cardboard boxes, furniture, and weathered sporting equipment gives critters the perfect place to hide and build their nest. Eliminate the temptation by reducing the clutter in your garage and keeping it clean.

Contact a Downers Grove Garage Expert

For the upgrades and improvements that will keep your garage clean and pest-free, contact the DuPage County garage professionals at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. We can make improvements to the siding, doors, and windows of your existing garage or custom-build you the perfect new garage for your lifestyle. Call us at 630-852-8485 to schedule your free estimate today.

There are many ways you can update an existing garage and improve the usefulness and value of your home. By adding new windows or replacing your old ones, you can freshen up your garage, lighten up the interior, and provide better protection. While replacing existing windows is a common option, a garage renovation expert may be able to help determine if you could enlarge the existing windows or even add new windows to your existing garage. Whatever window option you choose, there are many benefits to updating your garage’s windows.

• Let in a breeze – Ventilation in a garage is always important, especially during a hot Chicago summer. You can choose hinged casement or awning windows that both operate on a crank or double-hung windows which slide up and down. Either way, more air circulating through your garage will make it more comfortable.
• Bring in the Light – Newer windows with larger panes of glass can provide additional natural light into your garage. Additional windows or enlarging existing windows is another option. To allow for additional light but also provide privacy for your valuable possessions inside, frosted glass or a plastic coating is also available. Windows on a garage, whether it is attached or stand-alone, can match the existing windows on your house. It is important to check with an expert on whether adding additional windows to your garage or enlarging the existing ones is structurally possible.
• Added security – Newer windows have better security features, including better locking mechanisms to prevent thieves from accessing your garage and possibly your house through an old window. An old fragile, single-paned window is a tempting access point, so it is best to replace it with a strong new vinyl replacement window.
• Increased curb appeal – New windows on a garage, just like your house, can improve the look of your garage and add curb appeal. Windows provide an appealing design element for an otherwise plain exterior wall of siding or brick. We can offer a wide variety of grid patterns and colors. To dress your windows up even more, you can add flower boxes.

Call Our Chicago Garage Window Professionals

If you are looking for new window options for your garage, or for any garage project questions, contact our Downers Grove garage renovation specialists at Blue Sky Garages. We can provide you with the options and pricing you need to improve or replace your existing garage. Call our office at 630-852-8485 to schedule your free estimate today.

During warmer months when foot traffic increases through your garage, it is important to keep your garage safe for children, other members of your family, and anyone else who may enter. However, it also is essential to keep an eye on potential hazards to your pets. Keeping a well-maintained and clean garage will keep them safe too.

Make sure your garage floor is free from any spills, leaks, or even old chemical stains. Your pet may be tempted to drink or lick anything that is on the floor. The most common source is from your car, truck, or other vehicles, so make sure you check under them carefully. Antifreeze has a sweet smell and taste that may be attractive to pets, but it can be extremely dangerous. Petroleum Projects, such as gasoline, paint thinner, and motor oil are also commonly found in garages and can be harmful if ingested or even inhaled by your pet.

Pesticides and other lawn chemicals can also be particularly harmful to human and pet populations alike. Prevent spills and keep them high up on shelves away from curious mouths and paws. Many lawn chemicals also come in small, granular forms and can be easily spilled before or after application. A good sweeping or hosing down of the floor of your garage can help eliminate the threat.

Dangerous substances aren’t the only hazards that can threaten your pet’s safety in a garage. If your pet likes to chew on things, keeping your tools hung up and off of the garage floor will eliminate any temptations your pet may have to gnaw. Make sure that wires or cords aren’t left dangling, the workbench or storage shelves are closed, and toolboxes are put away. If you keep your garbage cans in the garage, make sure they are secured so they cannot be easily knocked over, allowing their contents to be consumed.

Contact a DuPage County Garage Specialist

A clean garage is a safe garage. By keeping your garage clean and free of hazards, all members of the family, even those with four legs, will be able to use the space safely. You can keep your garage useful and safe with optimum storage methods, including cabinets, hutches, and lofts. With decades of experience building and optimizing garages in Chicago and DuPage County, you can trust Blue Sky Builders, Inc. to help you make the most out of your garage space. Call our Downers Grove garage professionals today at 630-852-8485 to find out how we can build or renovate the perfect garage for you.

Your garage is an extension and reflection of your home. If you set it up well, it is a haven where you can not only park your cars, but also enjoy your hobbies, pursue your favorite projects, and even establish an inviting home office. So now that we are well into spring-the season of new beginnings-it is the perfect time to consider whether to remodel or rebuild your garage to make it an even bigger part of your overall lifestyle.

Does Your Garage Still Have What It Takes?

What is the physical condition of your present garage? Home garages can typically stand up to a lot of wear and tear over the years. But eventually, there may come a time when your garage becomes less useful or pleasant to be in. Has yours fallen into disrepair? Does it need any structural work? Is the roof starting to sag, or are the boards rotting? Has the lighting become less adequate for the tasks at hand? Has it become unsafe in any way? Or just outdated? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this may be the time to consider remodeling or replacing your garage.

Have You Outgrown the Space Itself?

Over the years since you bought your home or built that new garage, your lifestyle has probably changed in a lot of ways. Your space needs have probably evolved as well. Maybe you now have an additional car to park, or a motorcycle, ATV, pickup truck, or other drivable investment that a controlled environment can help protect. How are you going to expand that space?

Do You Need Better Security?

Unfortunately, we live in a state with some of the highest annual rates of car theft-over 21,000 in 2020 alone. And let’s not forget the tens of thousands of personal property losses due to vehicle break-ins. Perhaps the aging doors and windows in your garage are becoming difficult to lock, leaving them vulnerable to potential intruders. An updated garage with state-of-the-art locks and other security systems is your best guarantee of protection.

Maximize the Value of Your Home

In today’s exploding seller’s real estate market, who hasn’t thought about selling their home at some point? One of the surest ways to increase your home’s value is by renovating or rebuilding your garage. In fact, even a simple garage door replacement can up your home’s value and curb appeal considerably.

Contact Our DuPage County Garage Renovation Professionals Today

At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we know lots of ways to improve your garage today and increase your home’s resale value and curb appeal tomorrow. We can help you remodel your existing garage, or build the garage of your dreams from scratch. For a free estimate, call our Downers Grove custom garage experts at 630-852-8485.

If we have learned anything about the weather lately, it’s that it is growing harder and harder to predict. Especially here in Illinois, there could be snow one day in April and a tornado the next. (DuPage County residents are no strangers to this, as evidenced by last summer’s memorable Naperville tornado.) So this summer, you want to be sure your home can withstand whatever Mother Nature may throw at it, starting with its potential weakest link-your garage.

Ground Zero for Potential Disaster

Take a good look at your garage. What is its overall condition? Is the siding holding up? Any sign of rotted boards or other water damage? Is it standing straight? Now examine the garage’s floor, roof, and walls for cracks and leaks. The time to seal these is before the flooding starts! And speaking of leaks, your garage door has a vinyl or rubber weather seal, which should be pliable to compress when the door is closed. Over time these get brittle and do not keep the water out. How is yours? Ditto for the weatherstripping along the sides and top of the door. If you see any problems, let us come out to make our own expert assessment.

And Now to the “Likeliest Suspect”: Your Garage Door

The number one suspect for potential vulnerability to heavy rain or wind damage is your garage door itself. Why? Because it is both the largest and lightest opening to most homes. Their relatively light weight makes these doors easier to raise and lower, but it also makes them less resistant to the elements. Therefore, they are inherently less sturdy and resilient than your home’s surrounding structure and walls. So in the event of high pressure on the house, this door becomes the weakest link. You can add to a garage door’s weight by reinforcing it, but that may also necessitate adjusting or replacing the door’s counterbalance system, which should only be performed by a trained door systems technician. If you are looking for a replacement, we offer a complete selection in steel, aluminum, fiberglass, vinyl, wood, and wood composite. Each has its own strengths, and we would be happy to recommend the best one for your individual needs.

Contact Our Downers Grove Garage Renovation Specialists

At Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we have over 40 years of experience renovating and building custom garages throughout the Chicago area. We have seen it all, and we can help you strike the best balance between maximum protection and best value per dollar-whether that becomes strengthening your existing garage door, installing a new door, or perhaps building a new custom garage that will answer your full range of needs. For a free estimate, call our DuPage County custom garage experts at 630-852-8485.

Sources:

https://www.flash.org/peril_inside.php?id=159

https://www.flash.org/peril_inside.php?id=181