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GARAGE LIVING BLOG

Warmer temperatures are settling in. That means it’s a good time to start your spring cleaning regimen. Your garage is an excellent place to start.

Your garage is your workshop, as well as your storage area for tools, sports equipment, and everything you need for your car. While the space is essential to your home, many of the items found here can be dangerous if used incorrectly or if they fall into the hands of small children. That’s why you need a safety plan for the garage. Employ these safety tips and everyone will have a safe, enjoyable time in your garage. Say no to “leaners”. After a long day of chores, it can be tempting to just lean that ladder, rake, or shovel against the garage wall and head inside. Don’t do it. Leaning items like these against the wall creates the potential that they could fall over on a child. Instead, take a few extra moments to store them properly on slatwall and eliminate the risk. Mark the stairs. A third of all garage injuries are caused by slips and falls, and many of these accidents involve the stairs. Mark your stairs with white reflective tape, keep them clutter-free, and install a hand rail. Keep chemicals contained. The garage is the perfect place to store chemicals like pesticides, antifreeze, and paint, but these chemicals can be dangerous and even fatal if consumed by small children. Keep your extra chemicals locked up in a storage cabinet or stored up high where they will remain out of reach of small hands.

Who says a garage can’t be stylish?

One of the things you love most about your garage is the opportunity to find safe, alternative storage for the items that don’t need to be kept inside your home. But if you don’t keep up with the storage, it’s also very easy for your space to resemble a permanent garage sale. Keeping your garage organized is easy with the many options Garage Living offers. For the walls, slatwall panels with hanging accessories helps you organize a lot the clutter. What about for the rest of your things that aren’t ideal for hanging? And how can you utilize your storage to also give your garage a little more style? Custom garage cabinetry is the solution if you value the following four things: 1. Design flexibility Modular and custom cabinetry allows you to fit the cabinetry to your space, not the other way around. Build the perfect cabinetry system based on your room, needs, and budget. 2. Durability If they’re going to live in the garage, your cabinets need to be durable. Custom cabinetry delivers on this front. Aluminum or steel custom cabinets are especially popular with garage owners who want the functionality of traditional cabinets and the sustainability provided by these heavier-grade materials. 3. Functionality Garage Living’s line of cabinets can be chosen to fit your functionality needs. If you want lockable tool drawers and large sports equipment lockers, we can accommodate your needs. If you’re looking to set up a garage workspace that will get heavy use, one of our heavier-duty cabinet lines like the GL Rally model can be tailored for your garage space. Our cabinets offer full extension glides and all components are powder coated and feature welded steel construction with magnetic door latches. 4. Sleek appearance If you want to update your garage’s appearance with a modern, stylish aesthetic, custom cabinets offer the kind of professional look your garage deserves. Outfit your garage with high-quality cabinetry and you’ll enjoy the refined look and functionality they provide for years! To learn more about the custom cabinet options that Garage Living has available, schedule a free design consultation with us or visit your local Garage Living showroom.

Whether you’re looking to increase the storage space in your garage or store a summer vehicle during those long winter days, a car lift provides a great way to reimagine your garage space. To determine if installing a car lift is right for you, here are answers to some common car lift questions. How much space do I need? A car lift will optimize any space, so don’t fret if you’re concerned that your garage is too small. The car lift itself will fit into one bay space and it is optimal to have 11-12 feet clearance height. Garage Living can also modify how your garage doors open to accommodate a car lift. The door is modified by extending the garage door tracks to the ceiling and replacing the ceiling-mounted motor with a side-mounted jack shaft operator. How much weight can a car lift hold? The 8,000 lbs. standard car lift supports sedans, small vehicles, and sports cars, while the 8,000 lbs. long car lift also supports mid-size SUVs and pickup trucks. The 9000 lbs. standard car lift is the perfect choice for large SUVs and pickup trucks. How does Garage Living install the car lift? The process generally takes half a day. Our team of 2-4 installers will arrive on-site to install the lift. The car lift does not have to be anchored to function effectively, but it can be anchored if you prefer. Once the lift is installed, we’ll test it to make sure everything is working correctly and safely. It runs on a 110v outlet, raises electrically, and lowers hydraulically. After the car lift is installed, our team will teach you how to use the lift, make sure you feel comfortable with it, and answer any of your questions. Is a car lift safe? Lifts installed by Garage Living use locking pins in each post with a secondary locking mechanism. Unlike many other car lift installers, all Garage Living installers are ANSI certified to ensure customer safety. Where can I learn more? Our team can help you determine if a car lift is the right solution for your space. A team member at your local Garage Living location can tell you over the phone whether or not your garage can fit a car lift. We’ll only need to know a few measurements of your space to give you an answer. If your garage can fit a car lift and you’re looking to move forward with adding one or having any other garage upgrades done, schedule a free design consultation with us.

When homeowners John and Holly moved into their newly built lakeshore home, the garage’s functionality was not at its best.