How to Keep Your Garage Tidy and in Mint Condition

Feb 4, 2019 | Home Improvement

Keeping everything organised in your garage can be difficult, but with a little imagination and some repurposed household items, you won’t have to think twice about keeping things tidy. Here are some innovative ways to keep your garage organised:

1. Get rid of unpleasant stains on your garage door by washing the surface with warm soapy water. DO NOT use any harsh chemicals since they could dull the brilliant surface or damage the paint.
2. Create an easy hanger using a piece of wood and a bungee cord. You can hang things that would normally be scattered on the floor or in a drawer like sunglasses, electrical cords, and scarves. Mount them to a wall for decorative storage!
3. Keeping nails and screws organized is easy when you simply take empty jars and put your screws in the jars, and then label the jar with the size of the screws that are inside.
4. Ever gone to grab a sticky tape from your cabinet and accidentally knocked everything else over? Solve this problem with a hanging shoe organiser or similar compartmental device.
5. Sometimes the shelf needs extra dividers. Use plastic containers or shoe boxes to organise different types of items and you’ll always know where to look. A similar idea can be used to organise items in drawers.
6. Many of us store large tools like rakes and shovels in our garages. To keep your garage neat and organised, build a rack for these tools. Just take a flat piece of timber, cut slots for the tools to stand in, and attach it to the wall as you would a shelf. You can then slot your tools in and keep them out of the way.
7. Mount a pool noodle to the wall of your garage so that when you open your car door you can prevent damage to both the wall and your vehicle.
8. If you have oil stains, such as on the garage floor, use clay cat litter to absorb it. Simply pour a layer on the spilt area and let it sit for a couple of hours or up to a couple of days, depending on how large the spill is. Then clean up the litter with a broom.

To book a garage door Free Measure & Quote or garage door service, please call us on 1300 767 900 today.

Should you choose a sectional, rolling or tilt door for your garage?

Jan 21, 2019 | Home Improvement

There are three common types of garage doors; sectional, roller and tilt.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages and the one you choose for your garage really depends on your particular situation.

Sectional garage doors are the most common type of garage door installed today and are ideal in the following situations:

• The look of the garage door is critical in your choice
• You require options in terms of the material from which your garage door is made
• You would like to add windows or other decorative features to your door
• There is enough clearance along the ceiling in your garage so the door can open freely
• There is enough clearance at the head of the garage opening so the garage door can be installed and is not impeded by obstacles when it is operated
• You have a reasonable budget

Garage roller doors are common in certain types of situations including:

• Ideal for garages or sheds
• You are not overly concerned with a range of style and design options
• You do not require windows or decorative features added to your garage door
• You are happy with a steel garage door
• Your roller garage door will be installed in a geographical area subject to extremely high winds (e.g. in Darwin or North Qld)
• You wish to maximise storage space in your garage or shed
• There is enough clearance at the head of the garage opening so the garage door can be installed and is not impeded by obstacles when it is operated
• There is not enough clearance along the ceiling in your garage for a sectional garage door to open freely
• Your budget is low

Tilt doors are the least common type of garage door installed today however they are ideal in specific situations including:

• Garages which have extremely limited head height at the opening (for example less than 200mm).  This is common in certain older house styles such as the famous Queenslander
• You require options in terms of the material from which your garage door is made
• You would like to add windows or other decorative features to your door
• Tilt doors commence opening by swinging outward at the bottom so cars parked on the driveway must be done so back a suitable distance from a tilt door.  If you cannot do so safely, then a tilt door may not suit your situation.
• You have a reasonable budget

For your Free Measure & Quote call us on 1300 767 900 today!

How to Secure Your Garage During the Festive Season

Dec 10, 2018 | Home Improvement

The best way to keep your home and garage safe over the festive season and ensure peace of mind is to follow these guidelines and to get a pre-holiday garage door service to ensure your garage door is in full working order.

Here are some garage door security tips on how to prevent break and enters:

• Don’t leave the garage door remote in your vehicle. If an offender breaks into your car and steals the remote he has a way into your home.
• Invest in a keychain remote opener. Stop using that remote you clip to your visor and get a keychain remote that you can leave on your keys.
• Secure your garage door emergency release. It’s easy to throw some zip-ties on your emergency release and still retain it’s intended function.
• Keep it locked. Put a deadbolt on the door between your house and garage.
• Make sure the door from your garage into your house is as secure as your front door. Ensure you have a strong, sturdy door made out of solid-core wood or reinforced steel.
• Don’t leave your garage door open – how many garages do you see slightly open to let the air flow through?
• Install a wide-angle peephole in the door between your house and your garage. You’ll at least be able to see what’s going on if you hear a strange noise rather than opening the door to find out.
• Frost or cover your garage windows.
• Padlock the throw latch on your garage door when you’re out of town. If you don’t have a manual lock on your garage door, you can use a c-clamp to tightened down on each side of the door track to effectively “lock” down the door.
• Don’t neglect maintenance on the mechanical parts of your roll-up garage door and keep an eye out for corrosion. Don’t forget the door from your garage to your house; check the frame, locks, hinges and any replaceable items.

Call us today on 1300 767 900 or and book a FREE measure and quote.

How to Prevent Pests from Entering Your Garage

Nov 23, 2018 | Home Improvement

10 Ways to Get Your Garage Organised for Good

Oct 8, 2018 | Home Improvement

A lot of us struggle with keeping our garages free of clutter. In fact, it’s even gotten to the point where it feels like garages are no longer meant for cars. Why is that? Simply because too many of us use it for all the other stuff we need to be stored away from the home. But with a few organisational strategies in mind you can use your garage for storage, and fit your car in there too. You’ll find that you’ll be much more productive when you’re not tripping over lawn tools and other random items in your garage.

So set aside a day, or at least half a day, when you’ll have no other commitments and can devote time towards clearing and cleaning your garage. Here are ten of our best organisational tips and tricks to get things rolling.

1. Create a plan

Sometimes the biggest challenge with cleaning out a space is just knowing where to start. To help you with this, you can plan ahead of time what your intention is and what you’d like to do with the garage space. Do you want to use it for car storage, as a home office, or just to store all your other ‘stuff’ that doesn’t fit at home? Once you have your answer, plot out where you’d like everything in the garage to be stored. If you want to use your garage as a home office, always make sure it’s a safe and healthy environment. A Louvre garage door or sectional garage doors with windows can give a high level of airflow combined with natural light to any home office.

2. Clear the space

It’s always best to start with a clean slate than try to rearrange things in a messy area. Make sure it’s a nice day, lay out some tarps on the lawn or driveway and take every single thing out of your garage. Create three separate piles outside, one for ‘keeping’, one for ‘donating’, and a third for ‘selling’. Be ruthless and only hold onto the things you will actually use. You’ll be surprised by how many things you’ll find in your garage that you’ve forgotten about or no longer need. So why not make a few extra dollars while clearing out the garage? Once you’ve sorted everything you can assign each pile a place in the garage and take in the following organisation and storage tips to keep them neat in the garage.

3. Use wall brackets as hanging storage

A key to keeping a space organised and looking neat is to work vertically. This will help conserve floor space. Install wall brackets to create more floor space so you can hang up lawn chairs, large garden tools, and other garage essentials. Along with the wall brackets, a wall mounted pegboard is great for smaller tools.

4. Overhead rack

Speaking of floor space, wouldn’t it be nice if the kayak leaning against the wall was well and truly out of the way? A great place for long, large items like that is up above in the ceiling! Install some racks above your garage door to keep things hidden and out of the way. This is especially great for seasonal items that you won’t even look at during certain times of the year.

5. Magnetic tool holder

A lot of people use magnets in the kitchen for easy access to knives and utensils. WHy not use them in your garage as well? Fasten a strip magnet along a board on your wall and stick to it tools like hammers and screwdrivers. This way you don’t have to dig around in a box or drawer to find what you need.

6. Bungee cord ball holder

This is a great idea for sporty families or those with lots of kids. Attach 3 or 4 bungee cords vertically to some boards attached to your wall. Now you have a makeshift ‘basket’ in which to place all your rugby, basket, or bouncy balls. The bungee cords will hold them in place while also allowing for easy access to any ball, even if it’s at the bottom of the pile.

7. Old lockers

This is a neat idea to give everyone in the family their own spot. Find a site where people sell used goods, such as Gumtree, and you could be likely to find some old school lockers. Find a spot in your garage and assign a locker to each family member. You can then place all your bike helmets, sports equipment, tools, and even seasonal jackets in them.

8. Fold-up worktable

A worktable can take up a lot of space, but it doesn’t need to. Create a handy table that stays folded up against the wall until it’s time to be used. All you’ll need is a few pieces of wood, some hinges, and you’re done.

9. Pallet for sporting equipment

It’s so easy to find pallets lying around most warehouses and large stores. They’re usually free to take if left outside. You can paint over or varnish a pallet and place it on its side to create a great space for storing sports items such as field hockey and cricket sticks. For the stylish designers, you can also decorate pallets quite easily.

10. Label, label, label

When organising any space, it’s very important to label. This is especially true in the garage. Make sure that all boxes and drawers are clearly marked and that you’re always putting things back where they belong. It can be extremely frustrating trying to navigate a garage while searching for that certain type of nail or screw and having no idea where they may be.

Organising and cleaning a cluttered garage can be a daunting and intimidating task. Follow the tips in this article to make it easier to not only clean up but to maintain an organised system that stays clean for years to come.

Call Steel-Line Garage Doors on 1300 767 900 today and book a FREE measure and quote or garage door service.

Why You Shouldn’t Mount A Basketball Hoop Over Your Garage Door

Oct 2, 2018 | Home Improvement