Homeowner Spring Training: Getting Your Garage in Shape

Baseball’s Spring Training is upon us. With players getting in shape for the long season ahead of them, we would like to invite homeowners to get their garages ready for spring and summer. From cleaning to conditioning, your garage will see a lot more action as the weather continues to warm. Grills, bikes, boats, and more will take the center stage, and homeowners are called to get their garages in shape for summer.

Here at Blue Sky Builders, Inc., we’ve been providing advice on how to keep your garage in tip-top shape on our blog for a few years, and would like to share with you today a few handy guides on garage care and maintenance.

Durability Exercise: Don’t Chance it, Check It.

With garages a main point of entrance in many homes and a major activity hub for families, the garage is important-keep it safe. One of the key safety concerns of homeowners has and always be the garage door opener. This is why in late 2013, LiftMaster introduced its “Don’t Chance It, Check It” campaign urging homeowners to complete routine inspections of their garage door openers.

For homeowners with garage door openers built after 1993, LiftMaster offered a simple three-step inspection guide to ensure functionality:

1. Check the sides of the garage door for properly installed photo-eyes (black sensors), mounted no higher than six inches off the floor.
2. Block the photo-eye with an object over six inches tall and press the close button on the garage door opener. The door should not close.
3. Lay an object that is at least 1.5 inches in height flat on the ground in the door’s path and press the close button. Household objects this size might be a bar of soap, stack of index cards, or a hardcover book. The door should reverse off this object. If it makes contact and does not reverse, the door is not operating correctly.

For more advice on inspecting a garage door opener for safety and reliability, follow this door to floor garage door safety checklist.

Additional Resources:

• Garage Door Safety Checklist
• How to Align a Garage Door
• 10 Garage Door Safety Tips

Think it’s time to replace your garage door? Learn the symptoms of a garage door in need of repair, and see how we can help you fix it.

Clean it Up: Remove Stains from Garage Floors

We’re guessing that if you’re like most homeowners, some kind of stain has crept into your garage over the course of winter. Salt, oil, grease, and more are all causes for concern, as they can contribute to the aging of a garage floor.

We’ve offered many different tips for removing everything from rust to salt to tire marks from your garage floor. We also offered a deeper look into removing winter stains and restoring your garage from winter damage.

Looking to prevent that unsightly stain from ever appearing again? Learn how to epoxy coat or paint your garage floor before it gets too hot and humid to do so.

Get Organized: Storage and Organization Tips for Garages

Whether you’re looking to store more stuff or move more effectively, if your garage looks like something out of Hoarders, it might be time to think of a storage solution.

Six Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Garage:

1. Assess the Mess
2. Throw Things Out
3. Zone Your Space
4. Freshen Up
5. Mobilize Your Gear
6. Show it Off

Looking for more advice? Check out the Garage Organization Infographic from Angie’s List, and read up on the following cleaning and organization resources:

• Clutter-Busting Garage Storage Ideas
• White Rabbit Garage Storage Solutions
• Six Steps to Planning Garage Storage
• Garage Storage for Bicycles

Play it Safe: Prevent Injuries All Year Long

Do you have a workshop in your garage? How about any form of chemical? Play it safe in 2015 with these tips:

• How to Maintain a Safe Home Workshop
• Quick Fixes for Garage Safety including How to Choose a Garage Fire Extinguisher
• Three Tips for Preventing Garage Fires
• Important Garage Safety Tips

Is Your Garage Falling Apart?

Sometimes in life, as in baseball, everything looks good in theory, but never pans out. If your current garage looks like it should be sent to the minor leagues, don’t hesitate to call us so that we can install a superstar of a garage for your home. Contact Blue Sky Builders, Inc. today.