Archive for the ‘Home Exterior’ Category
Garage improvement recommendations
Finding a place to store stuff we don’t use has been a never-ending problem
Doesn’t it always seem as if there is not adequate storage space inside the garage, no matter how big it might be? To paraphrase Parkinson’s Law, the quantity of junk we have expands to fill up the space available to put it in. The next few hints would help with the dilemma of too much stuff and ways to expand the area to stow it.
Take advantage of the space above your head as storage, due to the fact that there is normally more than enough head room in a garage which can allow you quite a lot of space. Some of the easiest things to suspend from the ceiling are sporting goods such as snowboards, skis, kayaks, plus various light-weight equipment. Adding plywood on top of the ceiling joists will give you still more space to store those items you seldom need to access. You could possibly get hanging racks or platforms which can be raised and lowered by using a lever. These kinds of storage systems will allow you to you to get heavy and cumbersome items up to the rafters conveniently.
Make efficient use of the walls by simply installing pegboard for hand tools, brackets for your larger yard tools such as rakes and shovels, shelving for bins and bulky tools, and support hooks for that bicycle you rode only once and currently is only in the way.
Add cabinets to keep your things organized as well as out of sight. You could still fit most automobiles in a garage once you add a row of cabinets along the side or rear of the space. You are going to gain a lot of extra storage area, even if you have to install cabinets with a narrow depth. They also enhance the overall look of your garage, placing almost all your stored stuff out of view and causing jealousy among your neighbors since your garage looks so neat.
If you are someone who is lucky enough to have too much money, look into setting up a vehicle lift. For people with more cars and trucks than garage floor space, an above-ground vehicle lift may be the solution due to the fact that these machines actually permit you to stack cars one above the other. Even though it will be pricey, a lift will be the ideal option for that classic car you only drive on occasion and yet really want to preserve in peak condition. With one car or truck up on the lift, the second one can be parked directly below it, although provisions must be made to prevent oil and air-conditioner water from leaking on the bottom vehicle.
Will a garage sale be in your future? It may be time to eliminate a few of your less valued possessions if you have used all of the above storage solutions and still are unable to find enough room. Odds are there would be boxes in your garage which haven’t been opened in years, and hold things you no longer really need or want. Having a garage sale allows you to clean out your garage and generate a little money at the same time. Garage sale tip: as one who has had plenty of garage sales over the years, the most important thing to do is make the letters on your signs BIG! B-I-G, BIG! Potential customers passing by on a busy street are going to have less than a second to read your sign so always keep the information brief (use arrows, not addresses) and — have I already mentioned this? — write the letters BIG.
Metal cabinets for the garage
Undoubtedly, there is no space in your home more susceptible to the chaos of clutter than your garage, especially if the garage is often used for many functions including storage room, workshop, and the place where you keep your car, motorcycle, or boat. The room that is usable on the garage walls and the room you have on the floor are two areas you will want to accurately measure to determine what kind of organizing products you need to install. With your measurements taken you will be able to figure out the number of metal cabinets you need and where on the wall or floor you can put them. In a garage the most popular cabinets are built out of metal, as plastic and wood cabinets don’t have the durability necessary for working in the garage. While developing the interior design scheme of the garage is probably not the top of the list of priorities, putting in the usual drab gun-metal gray cabinets is not your only option. You can actually enhance the look of your garage if you want to since your choices for storage cabinets include many vibrant colors, styles, and designs. Garage storage cabinets are more likely to fit into a modern decor scheme, and there are many cabinets available with that look. You may feel the need to call in a professional contractor to mount an comprehensive wall cabinet system, but as a do-it-yourself project it isn’t too difficult.
If the above topics were of value, you could also get additional advice about garages on the following websites. Need additional help finding garage floor tile? Then Easy Garage Floor Tiles might be a good place to start looking.
Relaxing in your backyard swimming pool
A fiberglass inground pool will give you better service than one made of concrete
A while back the only choices for a sturdy in-ground swimming pool were made out of concrete or vinyl, but nowadays there are fiberglass swimming pools on the market that have proven to be far superior to vinyl or concrete pools. If you think about the difference between walking on glass or sandpaper, and you will have an idea of the distinction between the scratchy surface of a concrete pool compared to that of a smooth fiberglass pool. Fiberglass pools offer smooth surfaces that are kind to tender skin, while the rough surfaces of concrete often leave cuts and scrapes and can readily snag and rip bathing suits. The chemical makeup of concrete encourages the growth of micro-organisms, and the divots and grooves in concrete are spots where bacteria and algae collect, leading to major cleaning and maintenance costs. The maintenance costs are quite steep with concrete pools, as one needs to clean, scrub and give them acid washes to safeguard the pool from the production of bacteria. The popular image of concrete is one of strength, but it’s a fact that fiberglass is a lot stronger than traditional concrete, which is subject to cracks when the ground around it swells or contracts due to the weather. Pre-molded at the factory according to your personal specifications, fiberglass pools cost a bit more than concrete pools initially, but the savings on maintenance costs are major year in and year out. A concrete pool will often take weeks to install and require the use of environmentally unfriendly chemicals to maintain and keep clean, while a fiberglass pool only takes a few days to put in and hook up and does not need those nasty chemicals to keep away even nastier bacteria.
Keep your pool warm with a solar pool heater
Get the most enjoyment out of the family swimming pool by setting up a solar pool heater, and you can save money over other heating systems. By using the the sun’s natural energy, a solar pool heater pumps water out of the pool through a filter and then up to the solar collector on the roof where the water is heated and then sent back into the swimming pool. In order to swim in your swimming pool during the colder months you need to be sure the solar collector is big enough to handle the lower temperature, anywhere from 50% to 100% the size of the surface of the pool. The first thing you will need to determine is where to put the solar collector to receive the maximum amount of sunshine, and don’t forget to set your pump timer to operate during daylight hours. Because pools lose an enormous amount of heat it is smart to use a pool cover to minimize evaporation, and help keep dirt or debris from getting into the pool. Solar pool heater systems regularly cost in the $3-4K range, comparable to propane heaters or heat pumps, but those systems have on-going operational costs that solar systems do not have. Unlike conventional pool heater systems, solar pool heaters feature low maintenance expenses, as the only moving part is the diverter valve which controls the flow of water to the solar collector. Additional advantages to solar pool heaters is the use of natural sunshine instead of pollutant energy supplies like propane gas.
You should be able to find quite a few other websites that address swimming pool accessories subjects. Do you need to know more about above ground swimming pool liners? If that is the case, following the link to Buy Above Ground Pool Liners will be helpful. If you are curious about electric swimming pool heaters then try Buy Electric Pool Heaters. Similar articles concerning swimming pool accessories and winter inground pool covers will be available at Winter Inground Pool Covers.