Archive for the ‘Exterior DIY’ Category

Ideas for garage projects

Metal garage storage cabinets
When the time comes to organize that garage of yours, (not that you would put it off or anything), keep in mind that it serves many functions at the same time, such as a work room, a storage room, and a place to keep the big stuff you own like a car, boat or motorcycle. You will want to do some careful planning ahead of organizing the garage, then the first step is to measure the amount of room that’s available on your walls and floor for storage. After you assess the amount of floor and wall space you will be prepared to plan out the number of cabinets that will fit, and whether those will be stand alone cabinets, wall mounted cabinets, or both. Wooden cabinets look lovely but they really to function better in the house more than the garage, and for that reason metal cabinets are preferred in the garage for their sturdy, rugged durability. While developing the interior design scheme of your garage is probably not high on the list of priorities, installing the usual dull gun-metal gray cabinets is not your only option. If your regard the interior design of your garage a significant factor you will find a wide choice of cabinets with vivid colors and styles. If you feel the need to match the looks of your garage with the rest of your home’s interior designs, the modular styles of metal garage cabinets fit a more modern look. If you possess both the ability and the tools to install a wall-mounted garage cabinet system, you will find the job fairly simple, or get a professional contractor for the job.

Creating adequate space to keep stuff has been a never-ending problem
Like it or not, it always seem as if there is never adequate space in your garage, no matter how roomy it is? Rephrasing Parkinson’s Law, the amount of junk you have expands to fill the room available to store it in. These next few recommendations will help with the challenge of having too much stuff and the best way to expand the area to stow it.

Utilize the space above as storage, due to the fact that there is normally more than adequate head room in a garage that may allow you lots of space. Some of the best items to hang from the ceiling are sporting goods such as snowboards, skis, kayaks, as well as other light-weight equipment. Putting plywood on top of the ceiling joists can provide you still more area to store those “valuables” you rarely need to access. You can possibly acquire hanging racks or platforms that can be raised and lowered with a lever. These kinds of storage devices allow you to get large and awkward items up to the rafters quickly.

Make good use of the walls by putting in pegboard for hand tools, brackets for your larger yard tools such as rakes and shovels, shelves for bins and larger tools, and support hooks for that bicycle you only rode once and now is merely in the way.

Add cabinets to keep your stuff tidy and out of sight. You could still fit most vehicles in a garage once you add a row of cabinets along the side or rear of the space. You would gain a significant amount of additional storage capacity, even in the event you need to mount cabinets with a shallow depth. They also enhance the overall look of your garage, putting most your stored things out of sight and causing jealousy among your neighbors because your garage is so neat.

If you are one of those who is fortunate enough to have too much money, think about putting in a motor vehicle lift. For people with more autos than garage floor space, an above-ground vehicle lift may be the solution since these machines actually allow you to stack cars on top of each other. While it will be expensive, a lift may be the perfect answer for the classic car you only drive occasionally but would like to preserve in peak condition. By having one vehicle up on the lift, the second one could be parked directly below it, however provisions must be made to keep oil and air-conditioner water from dripping on the bottom vehicle.

Could a garage sale be the answer? This may be the time to eliminate a few of your less precious possessions in the event that you have performed all of the previously mentioned storage solutions and still are unable to find sufficient room. Odds are there will be boxes in your garage which haven’t been looked at in months or even years, and hold items you no longer really need or want. Having a garage sale allows you to clean out your garage and generate a few bucks at the same time. Garage sale advice: as one who has had quite a few garage sales through 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 will have less than a second to read your sign so keep the information short (use arrows, not addresses) and — did I previously mention this? — write the letters BIG.

Whenever you want to continue exploring the category of garages, checking out these few sites might be beneficial. This is where you can read additional details about garage floor tiles. Another website is Order Garage Door Parts which gives you informative articles pertaining to garage door replacement parts.

Buying the most suitable furniture for your backyard

Decorative rain gauges
Decorative rain gauges add character to the exterior of your home and measure rain and snowfall in the bargain. The rain gauge is one simple weathermeasuring instrument that will tell you just how much snow or rain has fallen in your area of the country. Rain gauges come in either analog models or the more modern digital unit which sends the snow or rain measurements to a receiver. One practical benefit of a rain gauge is that it can help you work out a watering program for your garden and lawn. Try to install your gauge up high on a fence post or pole, otherwise you can receive skewed measurements from other water sources when the gauge is lower down. Among the popular looks for a decorative rain gauge are flower, bird, star and sun designs. All of these great designs are constructed from durable material such as pewter, chrome, plastic, copper or iron.

Kick back on an outdoor lounge chair
Exterior lounge chairs are a necessary accessory for any backyard patio, terrace, deck or barbecue area, and you can find them in many styles and colors, and built out of such materials such as wood, plastic, metal, and polyresin. Before you drop a bunch of money on outdoor furnishings you need to figure out how comfortable the pieces are, how cost-effective, how they complement your exterior decor, how long they will hold up outside in the roughest weather. Prior to making any buying decisions you need to establish a budget and then ask yourself how often will the lounge chairs be used, and what do you value the most, looks or comfort. If you are planning to use your new chairs a lot then comfort will be of primary importance, which means you will need some padded cushions. There is such a wide price range for outdoor patio recliners due to the quality fluctuations among the different materials used to make the chairs, as durability and looks are qualities that can be expensive. The most inviting loungers are built out of wood, but wood is less durable as other materials. Aluminum is the only rust-resistant metal, but you can get steel and wrought iron pieces treated with rust-resistant coatings. Plastics are not as attractive as lounge recliners fashioned of the other materials, but plastic is economical and easier to clean. The most popular material for outdoor furniture these days is polyresin, which is almost as inexpensive as plastic, looks almost as good as wood, and is more sturdy than metal chairs. A handy feature you should always consider are cup holders in the arm rests, a appreciable convenience which allows you to have your drink close by.

Outdoor furniture
The presence of quality lawn furniture will have a big impact on your backyard ambiance, whether you set up your furnishings on a deck, patio, lawn, terrace, or out in a garden or barbecue area. Outdoor furniture typically consists of the same types of furniture we use indoors, such as tables, chairs, stools, and recliners, but also items designed specifically for outdoor use, like tree benches or swinging chairs. Appearance, comfort, and durability are the three principal qualities you should look for when selecting outdoor lawn furnishings. Outdoor furnishings are available in a wide range of colors and styles, with the most popular materials being polyresin, plastic, metal, wood, and wicker. Polyresin lawn pieces are becoming more and more popular, and are currently the best-selling outdoor furniture on the market, as they are less expensive than metal or wood furniture, have a better appeal than plastic, and are far more durable than wicker. If your individual tastes find metal attractive, you can pick between aluminum, wrought iron, or steel, although you need to be careful about rust, in which case the most rust-resistant metal is aluminum. Wood furniture looks great but is less durable under rough weather conditions, and is not as reliable given the normal wear and tear such outdoor furnishings are expected to withstand. It pays to do some research when hunting for outdoor lawn furnishings, as there are terrific discounts to be had during the off-season months, and plenty of clearance sales on the Internet and at your local stores.

The subject of patio furniture is quite extensive and there will be a lot of websites which address a specific topic. Here are a few links that might be helpful. Here is a link that will lead you to information pertaining to metal patio chairs. If you have questions about outdoor patio furniture sets, go to New Outdoor Patio Furniture Sets. Or you may have questions concerning outdoor folding chairs and could find Outdoor Folding Chair Store to be helpful. Plus New Folding Chairs is an additional web site that provides suggestions on folding chairs, a topic that may benefit you.