By Christine Miller Blue Sky Builders • Garage Renovation • Garage Siding • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

What Is the Best Type of Siding to Use for My Garage?

Blue Sky Builders garage siding material optionsAs the weather warms up during the spring, you may be looking to make improvements to your home or garage. If the exterior of your garage is looking worn, you may be considering replacing the siding. This type of garage renovation can not only improve the appearance of your home, but it can provide you with other benefits, such as better energy efficiency. By looking at factors such as price, durability, and maintenance requirements, you can choose the type of garage siding that will meet your needs both right now and in the years to come. Read more

By Christine Miller Garage Roofing • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

What to Do If You Suspect Your Garage Roof Needs Some Work

Downers Grove Garage Roofing ProfessionalsMany homeowners look at their garages and think primarily of their internal features: the garage door, the entry doors, the inside space, and the overall design. But roofing and siding are just as important to garages as they are to the rest of the house. If you are considering remodeling, replacing, or taking a look at the current condition of your garage, consider taking the following steps to assess the condition of your garage’s roof first.

4 Steps to Determine the Condition of Your Garage Roof

Whether you are replacing your current garage with a custom garage or just upgrading what you have, an evaluation of your current garage’s roof is important. Here are steps in the evaluation process that can paint a better picture of your garage’s overall condition:

1. Review documentation—Find all receipts and other paperwork regarding the roofing on your home and your garage. From this data, you will be able to sketch out a full history of your roofing. This will enable you to determine with more certainty how old your garage roof is. You may be able to go up to 25 years with the same roof, but after that, the wear and tear of the weather outside will take its toll.
2. Take a snapshot—Look at your garage roof from the outside as a whole, as part of your house. This at-a-glance, big-picture view will give you perspective on major structural issues. Is it drooping, sagging, discolored, or misshapen in any way? This might indicate detrimental damage that could lead to leaks or, worse yet, major safety issues with its structure.
3. Inspect, inspect, inspect—Start investigating the inside of your garage. See if there are any leaks from the ceiling. Also pay attention to natural light coming in from above or the corners of the garage. This will help you know whether leaks are a major issue, or will be a major issue, for your garage roof. After that, evaluate the exterior of the roof itself up close. Are there any cracks or other damages? Do you see any rot? Are there any green spots? If you see any green that signifies moss, mold, fungi, or other plant-life, your roof is likely retaining moisture which will adversely affect its condition.

The Final Step: Contact a Chicago-Area Garage Roofing Professional

Do not neglect the roof of your garage; it needs as much care as the rest of your home’s exterior. If you need help evaluating the condition of your garage’s roof or you are interested in remodeling or replacing your garage, call a Downers Grove garage specialist at 630-852-8485. Blue Sky Builders has been doing this for decades—we can assess your situation and provide you with various options.

Source:

https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/7-signs-you-need-a-new-roof-48751

By Christine Miller Custom Garages • Garage Siding and Roofing • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

6 Ways to Protect Your Garage from Flooding

Downers Grove garage builders for flooding preventionAs hurricane season fast approaches, and with prior months this past spring already having shown heavy downpours, you might be concerned about your garage and its safety from flooding. You may have already seen some damage in recent months due to heavy rainfall. Whatever the case may be, here are some inventive ways to protect your garage from flooding:

How to Prevent Flooding in Your Garage

When first building your custom garage, you may need to take steps to keep the floodwaters away. You may also need to protect against flooding in the garage that came with your home. Whichever situation you face, here are some helpful methods for dealing with flooding in your garage:

  1. Repair or Replacement of Garage Door and Floor Seals—If your garage door is not properly sealed at the ground when closed, you will need to fix or replace your seals. The good news is this is not a difficult process, and it will also keep insects and other pests out of your garage once completed. You should be sure to monitor the seals regularly and fix or replace them when necessary.
  2. Usage of an Outdoor Sump Pump—While most people assume sump pumps are only useful in basements, the truth is they can also be beneficial when protecting your garage from floodwaters. If you install an outdoor sump pump just below your garage floor, you could prevent some serious flooding issues.
  3. Slab-Jacking or Other Concrete Repair or Replacement—In many cases, the flooding in your garage is the direct result of crumbling structures, especially with concrete. In those cases, slab-jacking can help, in which massive amounts of grout are forced beneath vulnerable concrete sites in the garage. If slab-jacking does not seem right for your situation, you could also mix your own concrete and use that instead of grout.
  4. Installation of Garage Gutters—When dealing with flooding in any area of your home, the primary goal is to direct water flow away from the home’s structure. The same goes for your garage. Brand-new garage gutters can help guide extra water runoff into spouts and drains away from the garage. Professional garage roofing and siding services can ensure that gutters and drainage are installed correctly.
  5. Addition of Extra Indoor and Outdoor Drains—Especially if you are noticing pools of water inside your garage, possibly even during the winter, interior drains can help. In addition, exterior drains can also be useful if you notice the existing drains are being taxed beyond their capabilities during each rainfall.
  6. Placement of Smart Home Water Sensors—Many of the aforementioned pieces of advice consider what to do when flooding in the garage becomes a problem. However, if you are worried about the possibility of flooding without having actually had it happen at your home or garage yet, then installing affordable smart home water sensors in your garage will help you keep tabs on things and take preemptive measures as soon as possible.

Contact a Dupage County Garage Renovation Professional

Weather authorities have issued warnings of a hurricane season that will be “more severe than usual” this season. There is no better time than now to make sure your garage is protected from flooding. Water in your garage can destroy personal property, and cause damage to the overall structure of your garage and even your house. If you are looking to build a garage that takes these concerns into consideration, or if you want to renovate your garage to address these issues, call a Downers Grove custom garage expert at 630-852-8485.

By Christine Miller Blue Sky Builders • • • • • • 0 Comments

3 Signs That Your Garage Siding May Need to be Replaced

Blue Sky Builders garage siding replacementFor many garage owners, the installation of new siding is not a renovation that is at the top of their list of priorities. However, inclement weather conditions and longevity can leave a garage’s siding in desperate need of replacement. Considering the amount of damage that cracks, holes, and warped siding can cause to the structure of a garage, property owners should routinely conduct inspections. There are several indicators that can help determine whether new siding is needed:

Holes and Water Damage

As previously mentioned, if it is discovered that your garage siding is not in good condition, it is possible that additional damage may occur. Tiny holes in your siding are typically caused by animals or insects. In addition, breaks in your siding can also provide an entryway for water, snow, and mud. Bubbles may start to appear just under the surface of your siding if moisture is trapped. Water damage can lead to mold, fungus, or mildew, and it is an immediate sign that siding needs to be replaced.   

Loose or Missing Siding

If you notice that pieces of your siding are not properly attached to your garage or have completely fallen off, it is imperative that they be replaced as soon as possible. When the structural wood of a garage is exposed to the elements, this can cause severe damage. If a few pieces of siding become detached after a storm, it is possible that they can simply be put back into place. However, if multiple pieces have become disconnected or are missing, you may need to contact a professional to replace your garage’s siding. 
Read more

By Christine Miller Garage Siding • • • • 0 Comments

Find the Perfect Siding for Your Custom Garage

sidingWhen customizing your brand new or recently remodeled garage, one important decision you will have to make is which siding you would like on the exterior of your garage. Like siding for a home, there are multiple garage siding options to choose from, depending on your specific needs. Shopping for siding is a lot like shopping for clothes. What you buy and wear depends on a number of factors including the weather in your area, your location, and your budget. Some siding options work best in cooler climates, while others are great at withstanding high temperatures. Siding comes in expensive options, and fancier options for those looking to spend more. Unlike clothing, however, siding is not changed very often, and while painting and modifications can change a structure’s appearance, most of us count on our siding to last for years without requiring too much maintenance. When searching for the right siding option for your garage, check out some of these popular choices.
Read more