Author Archives: Custom Garage Works

If you’re looking at garage remodels for a resale feature, most real estate experts will tell you that while a prospective buyer may be impressed the garage is clean and organized, don’t expect a high ROI. Unless a prospective buyer is a gearhead or has a hobby like woodworking, the value of garage remodels isn’t worth going into major debt. However, there are benefits of garage remodels: 

• Property Value: Okay, yes, we just said most real estate experts say that garage remodels will not give you much ROI, but that doesn’t mean any value at all. If you have a small 2 or 3-bedroom home and no den, office, or playroom, then garage remodels can add some value for resale. After a year of quarantine that had families together under the same roof 24/7, that spare room or an extra bedroom has the value-add that maybe it didn’t 5 years ago.  Whether it is a game room for the whole family, another bedroom to give kids space, or an office for work-from-home aspect, garage remodels were being done, and still are today. 

• Access and Enjoyment: Remodeling garages has been done simply to give homeowners a better space to enjoy or utilize. Maybe you didn’t realize you needed some space until 12 months of mandated quarantine. Then you realized just how crowded the house was inside, so yes, by adding more storage space and updating with sealed flooring, you can make your garage more useful and enjoyable.

• Income Booster: Again, a year of mandated quarantine caused businesses to downsize or close. Perhaps you lost an income during this time, and you could use an extra avenue of money coming into your home. Garage remodels can give you that extra income by converting yours into a garage apartment. There are others that experienced a job loss or reduced employment too. They’re looking to get back on their feet that could use cheaper rent for a while. Garage remodels have proven to be a win-win for homeowners and those looking to get back out on their own again.

• Mother-n-Law Suite: Maybe you have a parent that doesn’t need to be living alone in a full house, and they aren’t ready for a ‘home’ either. Garage remodels are popular for creating a small apartment as a mother-in-law suite too. Mom is close by for mutual helping, but she has her own space too. Garage remodels have been excellent for that young adult child that lost their own place and needs temporary living arrangements. 

Do houses with garages sell better?

What if your home doesn’t have a garage, never did, is it worth building one?  Absolutely!  Nationwide, a house with a garage will sell for as much as $25,000 more than a house without one. That is over 10% ROI for a basic property upgrade. Maybe garage remodels aren’t always a high ROI, but having a garage is something home buyers are looking for, and preferably a 2-car garage. 

Does enclosing a garage add value?

Garage remodels that include closing in a one-car garage of a small home can boost the home value by at least $5,000. However, you want to make sure that any type of garage conversion you consider that includes enclosing the garage for that den or extra bedroom doesn’t take away from having off-the-street parking. Make sure there is still room for at least one vehicle to be parked off the streets. 

What is the average cost of garage remodels? 

Well, this is going to be based on the size of the garage and how detailed and fancy you plan to remodel and upgrade the space.  Here we provide three different levels of garage remodels or updates and what each can provide: 

Partial Garage Remodels

Partial garage remodels can start at around $500 and reach upwards of $5,000. There are different forms for partial garage remodels, like updating with a new garage door, or resurfacing the floors. If you have an older home and garage, a partial remodel will improve your chance of selling the house at a higher dollar. 

Full Garage Remodels

Full garage remodels can start at $7,000 and reach upward of $15,000 on average. Full garage remodels are most common among homeowners that need to store an antique, classic car. They want the best for their car and will have high-quality floor coating installed and finish the walls. They have custom cabinets built and add storage units and install new garage doors. Full garage remodels can take on many looks in many styles to meet a wide range of needs.

Garage Conversion Costs

A garage conversion is a financial commitment that can start at $20,000 and go up to $75,000 or more. A garage conversion is usually done to convert a car storage area into a living space, perhaps a bedroom, playroom, office, or a full but small apartment. Word of caution with a full garage conversion: If you’re planning on selling the house in the future, you need to add a garage after you’ve completed the conversion, or you could lose the resale value of a home with the remodeled garage because most homebuyers want to off-the-street parking, especially in an area where the weather can cause a lot of damage to the car, such as hailstorms. 

You may be asking, “Is it worth coating your garage floor?”, and the answer is yes, consider the following benefits a garage floor coating can provide:

1. Extremely Durable – Polyurea/polyaspartic garage floor coating is exceptionally durable and resilient, holding up to heavy equipment and machinery. A polyurea/polyaspartic coating will give your garage floor the ability to hold up to hard impacts and surface abrasions, and chemical or oily spills common in a garage. 

2. Moisture and Stain Resistance – A polyurea/polyaspartic garage floor coating is moisture resistant. This gives you the ideal garage floor where leaks and spills are frequent. With a high resistance to melting frozen water, petrochemical spills, and other contaminants that can be wiped up easily or cleaned with basic soap and water. 

3. Resurfaced Quality – For a commercial garage floor that is already cracked, damaged, and stained, a polyurea/polyaspartic garage floor coating can repair the floor, giving it a new self-leveling surface that will hide the previous damages, marks, and stains. 

4. Limitless Designs – Polyurea/polyaspartic garage floor coatings are available in an unlimited number of colors and designs. This is ideal for a showroom or converting a garage to a live-in quarter. You can even customize your business garage floor with your company logo! 

5. Fast Installation – A polyurea/polyaspartic garage floor coating is fast to install, minimizing the amount of downtime for your business. 

What makes a garage floor crack?

Here are four common reasons for cracked garage flooring. 

Shrinkage: Cracks caused by shrinkage are common and not anything to cause concern. It is part of the natural curing process.  

Settlement: The soil under any structure will move, shift, and sink. Over time, this settling process is normal, but it does put pressure on the garage flooring and results in cracking.  These cracks are more serious because they will usually continue to grow, leaving the equivalent of open buckets collecting water., and that creates more problems. 

Among the problems created are the garage flooring sinking in areas and an increased risk for flooding. Some areas of a garage floor will develop more pressure from weight, like parked vehicles. That weight causes more cracks and settlements. The wider the crack, the more serious of a problem it can create. The sooner you identify the issues and have a professionally installed garage floor coating the better.

Poor Installation: The original construction is a frequent cause of cracking garage floors. It can be from no rebar reinforcement being used, the slab is too thin, an improper base, the soil being disturbed or uneven, or an insufficient amount of gravel.  

This allows any water built- up in the garage floor to seep into or under the house. This needs to be addressed sooner than later, with either a garage floor coating or adding another layer to the original garage floor slab. 

Flooding or Underground Water Source: Water can be the enemy to your garage and home. It plays a huge role in crack formations of garage floors and house foundations. This is especially so when water can’t drain away. If there is heavy clay or other types of dense soil present, it will cling to any excess moisture, freeze in the winter, and expand, cracking the slab as it expands. This is common near garage doors because this is where the most exposure to cold and frost occurs.  A professional garage floor coating can repair the crack and an inspection around the perimeter to find where water is getting in and fixing it is recommended. 

Are cracks in a garage floor serious?

Not all cracks in a garage floor need to cause concern, but if you have seen any of the following, it may be worthwhile having them inspected: 

• A lot of cracks
• Deep and wide cracks 
• A crack running up from the floor to the garage wall
• Cracks that are becoming considerably worse rapidly
• Your home and garage are on a hillside
• Your garage has space under it
• If the flooring is unlevel on either side of the crack 
• Water is pooling in areas of the garage

Can you put polyurea/polyaspartic over cracked concrete?

Depending on deep and wide the cracks are in your garage floor, and where they are located, it is best to have a professional that knows how to fix cracks in a garage floor.  The initial answer to this question when you google it is no because poly aspartic does not adhere to the concrete. 

However, there are newer versions of this product and newer methods where it will adhere and result in a beautiful garage floor.  The polyaspartic garage floor coatings today are more flexible than the epoxy material that comes with the DIY garage floor repair kits and methods. 

What is the best garage floor coating?

Today, the new kid on the block is taking the garage floor coating market by storm – Polyaspartic. The appearance is indistinguishable from an epoxy garage floor coating, but there are some significant differences, starting with durability. This gives you a longer-lasting floor regardless of dropped tools and heavy equipment! 

The mixture has a lower odor and dries within two hours. This makes the installation process less obnoxious. Even with exposure to all-day sunshine, polyaspartic flowing won’t fade or yellow like epoxy garage floor coating.

A downside to polyaspartic garage floor coating, it can be slippery. This can be offset by adding a traction material in the last coating. And it is vulnerable to battery acid whereas epoxy can withstand that chemical interaction better. 

Is a garage floor coating slippery?

Yes, most materials used for garage floor coatings are non-porous which means they’ll be slick, just as we mentioned about polyaspartic. You can upgrade your installation with a traction material added to the final layer of coating to eliminate this problem. 

The Cost of Garage Organization

Well, how much garage organization systems cost will depend. Are you going to do this yourself or have it professionally done? Another factor that will determine the cost is the size of your garage. Like anything with your home, size will be a determining factor for almost anything you have done. 

The next factor in pricing is the complexity of the garage organization system you’re looking for. How detailed are your garage organization ideas? Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a professional, your garage organization ideas are an important factor in what is needed. So yeah, your budget will come into play at this point. Nationally, the average cost for hiring a professional can start as low as $500 and go upward to $1,500 or more. This will be for their service and garage organization ideas. The materials needed will typically add to that cost.

What if you want to do your own garage organization? Well, it will take more time than if a professional does it, but it can be done more cheaply with some of the garage organization hacks we have found to share with you! 

Nobody will argue with you that by implementing some great garage organization ideas and setting up a good storage system will ensure that everything has a place. And when everything is put in its place, it is easier to get jobs done around the house. 

There are options where you can buy an entire garage organization system and make it work with what you have. This saves the worry of producing your own garage organization ideas, which is the biggest part of the battle for many. So, what is the best garage organization system and where to get garage organization? Keep reading to see what we have found for you: 

• Best Overall: The Husky Steel Garage Cabinet Set

This versatile six-piece system is available at Home Depot and includes cabinets, pegboards, shelves, trays, and a workbench.

• Best Budget: The Imillet Wall Mounted Organizer 

This wall-mounted design is available at Amazon at an affordable price, doesn’t take up a lot of space (ideal for those one-car garages), and helps keep things organized. 

• Best Cabinet: The Seville Classics UltraHD Steel Heavy-Duty Storage Cabinet 

This is another heavy-duty product from Amazon. This stainless steel cabinet on wheels will hold as much as 600 pounds while still remaining easy to maneuver.

• Best Pegboard: The  Everbilt Interconnecting Plastic Pegboard 

From Home Depot, this is a customizable and space-efficient choice for storing hand tools. Ideal for the gardener, hobbyist, or homeowner that has small DIY projects around the house. 

• Best Overhead: The  Fleximounts Overhead Garage Storage Rack 

From Amazon, this overhead storage rack will give you maximum space in the garage by keeping the holiday or seldom-used things up above. Great for seasonal garage organization for toys from summer or winter. It’s also a great choice for organizing sports equipment of all kinds, from baseball to basketball to football or hockey! 

• Best Tool Chest: The  Craftsman 10-Drawer Steel Rolling Tool 

You can get this beauty at Lowe’s and help your garage organization ideas come to life. This system offers great storage that is both convenient and portable. 

For many homeowners with kids, garage organization is challenging, as there is a need to keep items such as bikes and helmets from becoming a hazard in the driveway or garage. If biking is an everyday activity, you want to keep them where they are easy to reach for everyone. Fortunately, you can find floor racks that hold multiple bikes and storage for helmets, gloves, water bottles, and everything else bike-related. 

For the household where biking is primarily a weekend activity, you can put them on wall-mounted hooks for horizontal or vertical positions, including the helmets. The hooks fold so they are out of the way when the bikes are on the road! These hooks can bring a whole new level to your ideal garage organization ideas. 

The next big issue for homeowners is garage organization for lawn tools and Home Depot has the answers for you! Their Slatwall System will put the empty walls in your garage to work, leaving floor space for the cars! Made from recycled PVC, this system fits flush to the wall and has grooves where brackets, hooks, even wire baskets fit in to hold the rakes, shovels, gloves, and more. 

One of the first things you’ll want to do is determine what you need, want, and why storage is important to your home and family. What will you put in your garage storage? Are there things in there that could go in the attic or perhaps things you could post for sale on Facebook Marketplace? Once that’s done, you need to put some paper and pencil together and sketch out a general idea of what can be done for garage storage and counter space. This is because no matter how small your garage is, storage and counter space are going to be needed. 

Smart Garage Storage Solutions

Here, we’ve listed a handful of storage solutions ideal for small spaces. These have been found to be some of the best storage solutions today, and some of them may be ‘old school’, but hey – if it works, there’s no reason not to use these garage storage solutions. 

Build Garage Storage Cabinets

If you’re storing items in boxes and keeping those boxes stacked on the floor, it is time to build some garage storage cabinetry. Whether you build it yourself from lumber or purchase metal or plastic shelve or cabinets, you’ll be surprised how much space you’ll have when you get things out of those boxes and those boxes off the floor. Among garage storage solutions this is one of the simplest space savers and you can do it with one, or maybe two, cabinets.

Wall Organizers

Other than garage storage cabinetry, the walls are a blank canvas that can be used as space savers too. Purchase some big hooks to get your yard equipment up off the floor and leaning against the wall. Not only will you realize how much floor space you have been hiding, but everything you need will be visible.

Add Overhead Storage

The ceiling can be a useful storage space too, so when the wall space is used up, look up. Purchase some ceiling-mounted racks and create overhead garage storage for things like seasonal items that are on hiatus, and you’ll have a better eye-level view of your garage. 

A Foldable Workbench

What garage doesn’t need a workbench? Whether you’re into crafts, woodworking, or automotive stuff, a workbench is a must for many homeowners. But that doesn’t mean your garage has the space for one. If that’s a problem, a folding workbench will do the job and when you’re done with your project at hand, it can be put out of the way.  

Magnetic Boards

For automotive hobbyists that have a collection of bolts, nuts, and other small parts, a magnetic board is a must-have for your garage storage organization. 

Go Mobile

When the garage is small and garage storage is an issue, often a workspace is limited too. Create one that rolls around! A DIY mobile cart for your crafts or wood projects can be put away when you’re done, keeping that small garage space clear. 

Adjustable Shelving

Adjustable shelving is ideal garage storage for things like out-of-season clothing and holiday decorations. You’re able to rearrange the storage boxes and cartons as best suited at the moment, and next season you can move it around again as needed. Open wall shelving is ideal for those plastic containers you have color-coded for the holiday or season. 

Pegboards and Hooks

Some call this old school, but we like to call it the cheapest storage solution available for garage storage issues and it will maximize the space you have without taking up extra floor space. You can use these for holding yard tools like rakes and shovels. 

Safe Power Tool Storage

These aren’t used every day, so there’s no need to have them out in the open. Because these often take up the most space, you can find garage storage that keeps them out of the way and hidden for safety too. 

In Conclusion – Do It Yourself!

Maybe you can’t find the right garage storage to hang from the ceiling, or it could be out of your budget, they are pretty pricy. Steps on how to build garage storage from the ceiling are here: 

Step 1

Measure between the garage door track and the ceiling to determine how much space you have to work with. We recommend leaving at least a 4” space between the bottom of the shelf and the track. 

after that, determine what you’re storing there and what the size of it will be. For example, plastic totes will usually be about  30″ deep. Make the shelf stretch as far across your garage as you want it – most people work in 10-foot sections. Then you can cut the plywood as needed using a circular saw before you pre-nail the nails partly to make assembling easier when you’re on the ladder 

 Step 2

Locate the ceiling beams and attach your vertical support, going 30” out with 1-1/4” screws.  

Step 3

Measure 30” down from the ceiling for the bottom of the shelf and raise the shelf you’ve assembled into place with 3-1/4″ nails so they are secure and tight to the wall, making sure to nail into the wall studs. 

Place the front 10-foot board on the shelf assembly, nailing it to the supports. The bottom vertical supports need to be flush to the shelf bottom. 

Step 4

Place your cut plywood on top, which should be lined up in the middle of the supports you installed. Using 2-1/2” nails, tack the plywood into place. Now paint and start storing!

You can find multitudes of DIY shelf building for garage storage online; most will give you a list of what you need to complete the project they’re demonstrating. Or you can take a little bit of info from several and create the garage storage you need. If all that still sounds a bit difficult, or if you’d like a helping hand, you can reach out to us at 214-494-9068. 

Steps in Building New Garage Storage

Well, the ceiling is the limit my friend! We are going to tell you how to build garage storage shelves using the ceiling space and a little bit of the wall space that meets the ceiling. 

• Step One: Clean and clear the garage out. If you can’t get the family to help, call over a couple of friends and offer them cold beverages and hot pizza for supper that day. 
• Step Two: Sketch what you’d like to see built. A garage with 10-foot ceilings is ideal, but you can work with what you have. A goal is to create garage storage that can hold two plastic storage totes stacked side by side all the way across one wall. 

• Step Three: Determine the lumber you’ll need and if most of the shelving will be the same size, uniformly spaced across the wall. If so, you can cut same-size pieces in batches. 

• Step Four: Find the wall stud and nail or screw in 2×2 boards horizontally across the wall. Make sure they are level and the same distance from the ceiling. 

• Step Five: Next, nail 2×2 board across the ceiling the same length across as the ones on the wall. You’ll need help holding the board while you put screws in. 

• Step Six: Now install 2×4 uprights boards into the ceiling 2×2 boards. You can pre-drill the holes first, making it easier than drilling while standing on a ladder. Again, keep checking that everything is level. 

• Step Seven: Now attach 2×2 boards across the bottom of the uprights all the way across. 

• Step Eight: Cut ½” thick plywood to fit this frame you’ve built and screw them into the bottom 2×2 boards. Use flat head screws so they go into the wood and make sliding things in and out of the shelves easier.

With a little bit of elbow grease, lumber, and screws, you now have garage storage and shelving hanging from the ceiling and fastened to the wall. 

What is the best garage storage system?

The garage has become the place where we store things out of the way. Then we can’t find them, so we realize we need amore organized garage storage system so that all this stuff can have a place. Once we have that garage storage system in place, we can actually park our vehicles in the garage! Garage storage with doors is even better so everyone can’t see what we have when the garage doors are open. If you’re not interested in a DIY garage, can storage be purchased and used? Absolutely! Here are a few suggestions: 

• Best Overall Garage Storage: Husky Steel Garage Cabinet Set offers several different storage options with a built-in workspace and has both open storage and closed storage.
• Best Budget Minded Garage Storage: Imillet Wall Mounted Organizer is a budget-friendly and ideal for small spaces where you can hang those larger items. 
• Best Garage Storage Cabinet: Seville Classics UltraHD Steel Heavy-Duty provides awesome weight capacity with the heavy-duty steel that is garage-friendly. It completely closes up and has locking wheels built-in.
• Best Pegboard: Everbilt Interconnecting Plastic Pegboard, ideal for apartment living where only a few tools are needed. It is customizable, can be added on to and is easy to clean

Another option to maximize the space in your garage is with overhead garage storage that can be lowered. A garage storage lift will let you declutter and organize your garage of all the “non-garage” stuff and leave you room to park your car. This comes with several components that will utilize the space above your car, aka the ceiling. There are some factors that you’ll need to consider before buying a garage storage lift, like: 

• Size and Capacity: What are you planning on storing in this garage storage lift? You need it big enough for your plans, but it also needs to fit in your garage. Check the weight capacity of the garage ceiling too, how heavy is the lift and add the weight of what you’ll be storing. 

• Materials and Installation: What type of material do you want the garage storage lift made from, plastic or stainless steel? Pricing will be affected by this decision and the lifespan of the lift as well. Steel is the most popular because of its given strength. 

What are some garage storage and workbench ideas? 

In less than half a day, you can build a workbench for cheap that is sturdy enough for your hobbies or woodworking projects. Add a pegboard above it, mount a bench vise, you’re ready to go! Get the following materials and then follow the steps we’ve provided: 

• 1-5/8 inch Drywall screws
• Boards – 2x4s 
• 3 inch Drywall screws 
• 4 x 8 plywood half inch thick
• The Workbench Frame

Build the frame for your workbench to have a top surface and lower shelf.

• The Legs

Screw four 2×4 boards to the surface frame for the legs.

• The Lower Frame

Flip the workbench upside down and attach the lower frame for the shelf.

• The Work Surfaces

Screw the 4×8 plywood into the work surface frames.

• The Top Shelf Frame & Top

Assemble the top shelf frame and add the top shelf plywood board.

• The Top Shelf Legs

While the unit is upside down, attach the legs for the top shelf.

• Put it Together

Connect the top shelf legs with screws to the workshop bench and add the backer board.

Why garage floor coating?

When you have a professional with experience and knowledge of how to apply garage floor coating, you will benefit from the garage floor coating in 10 different ways:

1. Appearance 

Epoxy garage floor coating will transform your garage space into sleek area that is excellent for a garage or any room in your home. With its shiny surface, it will complement any decorative lighting as the light reflects, adding a new dimension to the garage or room. Epoxy garage floor coating also covers existing defects on a garage floor with various colors and designs. Imperfections are hidden while a durable surface is created.  

2. Cost Effective

Epoxy garage floor coating is an affordable option when compared to removal of current flooring and installing a new material. The garage floor coating can be applied over the current flooring material, a money and time saver.  When any imperfection arises, the quick treatment is affordable.  Garage floor coating that is professionally installed is a worthwhile investment because the flooring stays intact longer, giving you the most ROI possible. 

3. The Resistance

Fortify your basement, garage, or laundry room with an epoxy garage floor coating and block any harmful elements found in high-traffic area. The features of an epoxy garage floor coating includes the reputation of resistance and hardiness. Shock resistant, heat resistant, chemical resistant, and water resistant, the ideal flooring for any garage.  

4. Long Lasting

After a garage floor coating installation is complete, the epoxy doesn’t need reapplying for longer period of time than other floor covering like carpet, tile, or wood. The longevity of an epoxy garage floor coating is cost effective thanks to the longevity it provides. 

5. Protection

Epoxy garage floor coating is a sealant that protects flooring such as concrete and others. It is an impressive shield installed directly over the current surface and the membrane-like coating  bonds even to a rough flooring. It keeps concrete from cracking, crumbling, and wearing down and doesn’t retain stains.  Installing several coats over a period of a few days will result in a rubbery, thick sheet.

6. Strength

Epoxy garage floor coating withstands  impacts, shocks, and substantial weight. A tensile strength sets it apart adhesives and is a sturdy covering. When added to concrete, the weight limit increases the concrete surface to 10,000 pounds per square inch.

7. Maintenance

Another advantage of epoxy garage floor coating is the upkeep is easy and simple. Because it covers concrete, cement particles and dust are reduced and can be swept easily. Winter road salt doesn’t affect an epoxy garage floor coating, and is cleaned up simply with a broom, mop, or vacuum. Bacteria, germs, grime or other contaminants can’t adhere to epoxy garage floor coating, making it a sanitary garage floor coating.

8. Safety and Visibility

Installing an epoxy garage floor coating increases the visibility and adds a safety measure by reflecting light that illuminates the entire space. An epoxy garage floor coating provide traction and anti-slip with additives like aluminum oxide, gravel, polymer grit, mortar, or sand. The fumes during installation  are not harmful when proper precautions are followed. 

9. Vehicle Compatible

Garage floor coating with epoxy will fit any vehicle needs, keeping the tires in good condition on a uniform surface. Unlike how concrete wears tires down, the smooth epoxy garage floor coating has little reaction with tires.  

10. Eco-Friendly

An epoxy garage floor coating is a chemical compound that is eco-friendly because of the few materials required to make the substance. Because it is long lasting, the lack of having to replace it frequently, saves the landfills. 

What is a good garage floor coating?

The most popular and recommended garage floor coating and epoxy is a two-part epoxy. The two part is the most durable because it has a hardener catalyst in the base material. With proper and thorough preparation, applying it with ample ventilation to help the drying process, you’ll have a beautiful garage floor coating. 

• Best Epoxy Kit: Colored Epoxies 1002 –  Clear Epoxy Resin Garage Floor Coating 

This garage floor coating is 100% solid epoxy and will retains its shape and thickness after curing. Available in different colors, this 15 gallons of garage floor coating is mildew-resistant, mold-resistant, and water-resistant. 

• Best Concrete Sealer: Siloxa-Tek – Penetrating Concrete Sealer

This industrial-grade garage floor coating from Siloxa-Tek will protect your concrete surfaces from moisture damage with its water resistant nature. The one gallon bottle of this clear product can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed on basement floors, driveways, garage floors, or patios. 

• Best Concrete Paint: Rust-Oleum  – Epoxy Shield Concrete Garage Floor Coating Paint

This one-gallon can of paint will provide your basement floor, garage floor, or patio with a smooth gray satin finish that is formulated with an advanced acrylic technology. A durable, fade-resistant, and stain-resistant that is easy to use and easy to clean up. 

Which is better, epoxy floor coating vs polished concrete?  For busy garages, epoxy garage floor coating would be your better choice. It can withstand more activity with various types of traffic. The car parts, tools, and  can leave significant damage to a painted concrete floor finish. Call 214-494-9068 today for your garage floor coating in Haslet and Fort Worth, TX.

Of course, as a homeowner, you’re looking around in your garage asking yourself, “Can I fit a car lift in my garage?”, and we’re here to answer that question and a few more.  The answer to that question is, yes, you can have an auto lift in your garage! There are different  auto lift types available today that fit and work in a home garage if it can meet certain requirements like a concrete floor with a minimum thickness and has a ceiling minimum ceiling clearance. 

So yes, if you’ve been wonder all those YouTube videos of folks working on their dream car on an auto lift were really at home in their own garage, yes, it is possible.  Even your garage may be eligible for a car lift. Keep reading, we have more answers to common and key questions. 

How thick should concrete be for car lift?

Make all your grease monkey friend envious, bring your garage up a big step and get an auto lift installed! In addition to making them jealous, you’ll also make your garage more efficient and keep your dream car safer too. Not to mention, how much easier it will be to turn a wrench standing under the car instead scooting around under it! 

Isn’t that just a dream and wishful thinking though, having an auto lift in your garage at home? No, not anymore, and it isn’t all that difficult either. No, you don’t need area underneath like the oil and lube place does where your wife gets her oil changed.  What you do need is a minimum 6” think concrete floor, 4” thick will work. Cause like everything in Texas, bigger is better, so a thicker concrete floor is better for a 2-post or 4-post auto lift.  

What if your concrete flooring isn’t that thick or it cracked and worn? You can modify and add to your existing concrete flooring to make it work for an auto lift install.  Don’t pour your own concrete unless that’s your paying job of course.   Here are the specs that auto lift manufacturers recommend for the concrete flooring to maintain an auto lift: 

• Minimum  Strength: 3,500 psi
• Minimum Aging: 28 Days
• Minimum Thickness:

• 8,500 pound – 10,000 pound lifts: 4 inch Minimum Thickness
• 12,000 pound – 18,000 pound lifts: 6 inch Minimum Thickness

• Along with those specifications, they recommend the following safety reminders too: 
• Only install an auto lift on concrete that conforms to the specifications listed above.
• An auto lift should never be installed on cracked, defective concrete. 
• An auto lift should never be installed on expansion seams. 
• All three-fourth inch diameter anchors must be eight inch from control joints, expansion seams, or other inconsistencies. 

NEVER install an auto  lift on hand mixed concrete. Professionally mixed and poured concrete only that meets the specifications listed above. An auto lift is a valuable tool to any garage. It is also equipment that needs the utmost respect to safety.  Other specifications may be required when your garage is inspected for an auto lift installation.

How much clearance do I need for a car lift?

An auto lift isn’t just for making working on your hot rod easier, they can increase your garage’s storage space too. With a lift, you can keep your hot rod suspended in the air during the weekdays and park the wife’s car underneath. Even if you aren’t a grease monkey at heart, an auto lift will give you a way to store the dirt bike up above and the ski-jets underneath, so the garage isn’t cramped. 

An auto  lift  optimizes any size of space you have already, from the roomiest garage to the smallest garage. All you need is a minimum of 11 feel height clearance. What about the auto garage doors opening and closing? No worries!  A professional auto lift installation will include modifying the garage doors to accommodate your new auto lift by extending the tracks for the  garage door to the ceiling. Then the ceiling-mount motor is replaced with a side-mounted shaft operator.

Is there an auto lift for low ceiling garages? 

What if your garage only a 9-foot ceiling? No problem, there are 2-post auto lifts that will fit your garage too!  BendPak is a manufacturer that offers three unique auto lifts, one is a 2-post that fits inside a nine foot ceiling garage giving you fifty-eight inches of workspace! 

What is the safest car lift?

If your passion is working on cars, an auto lift will take your home garage to another level! It will also provide you proper and safer way to work on your vehicles at home, comfortably.  Here are three options that is recommended by the experts for comfort, ease, and most of all safety: 

• The Tuxedo TP9KAC-TUX: Offers asymmetric two post vehicle lift with  low profile 4-inch lifting pads and saddle pad adapters. Dual lock release with stackable height adapters will give you everything you dreamed of in your garage and keep you, your friends, and more important, your family, safe. 
• The QuickJack BL-7000SLX: A portable auto lift that  features 14-gauge steel welded frames with quick-connect hoses.
• The Tuxedo FP8K-DX-XLT: This four post auto lift is  deluxe in the lift/storage service it offer any home garage while staying within your budget. 

Even if your interest wains in auto repair, an auto lift will be an investment that you’ll enjoy for years to come. Call 214-494-9068 today for your custom garage needs in Haslet and Fort Worth, TX.

Garage storage and a tight budget. Makes you want to crawl into a storage tub and hide doesn’t it? Yes, if you think about all the containers and shelving that magazines and website use for garage storage and organization, it can be expensive. It doesn’t have to be though. Here are a few tips on organizing and creating garage storage on the cheap: 

Organize First 

Before you go out and buy a bunch of garage storage tups and shelving, you need to declutter the garage first. Nothing can be more frustrating to buy a lot of stuff and then can’t figure out how or where to use them.  Organize by categories: 

• Sports Equipment
• Gardening Equipment
• Car Tools

Whatever other categories your family may have, sort to organize accordingly. If you don’t use it, or haven’t used it in a year, it goes in the donation pile.

Go Vertical.

Your garage is like a small house, kind of … so use the ceiling and tall shelves or storages. When the floor space in minimal, go vertical! Any items that aren’t used frequently, like holiday or other seasonal items, they go up the highest.

Bulk.

Shop the discount club stores for your bins, shelving, garage storage tubs, etc. he You may have one or two you don’t use right now, but you’ll need it eventually. 

Pegboards.

Fasten 2×4 boards to ¼  inch-thick pegboards and fasten them to the walls with two inch deck or drywall screws. There are multitudes of different hooks for pegboards that hold a variety of things from tools to shoes and more. Fasten the hooks with zip ties to make sure they stay put. 

Old furniture.

Got a few pieces of old furniture stacked in the attic, basement, or garage? These unused items can be repurposed into a workbench or garage storage bin. Use your imagination! 

Hanging Hooks.

Yup, get those bikes out of the way when the kids aren’t riding them, and you don’t need to buy the specified garage ceiling mounts either. Those get pretty pricey.  Just get some heavy-duty hooks with plywood and get those bikes hanging for cheap. 

Can I use kitchen cabinets in garage?

It depends on what they are made from. Melamine or metal kitchen cabinets are excellent for the garage. Wood cabinetry will only work well if the garage is climate controlled.  Both the upper and base kitchen cabinets make great garage storage with the base cabinets being the best! With the base cabinets, you get deep inner storage, and the drawers can be used for fasteners, hardware, and small tools, not to mention the work surface they provide. 

How deep should garage cabinets be?

The average depth for garage storage cabinets are either 16” or 24” deep. The recommended height for garage storage cabinets are 36” and 4” up from the floor. Well, why are garage cabinets off the floor? There are a couple of reasons why experts in garage storage advise not to place your cabinets on the floor. 

1. If your garage with a concrete floor, it will wick water and ruin the cabinets. 
2. Garages have spills, especially if it is used for working on vehicles. You don’t want those spills getting into the wood cabinets either. 

How do you attach cabinets to a garage wall?

As you plan your garage storage cabinet and shelving, make sure you have room for vehicle parking and the gardening, bike, yard toys, etc. are easy to get in and out. If you’ve hung kitchen cabinets, then you already know how garage cabinets should be hung.  Here are the basic steps for installing upper and lower garage storage cabinets: 

1. Locate the highest point from the floor and mark it. 
2. Draw a line along the wall where the cabinets are going using a level as a guide..
3. Draw lines for the upper cabinets as a reference.
4. Locate the wall studs with a stud finder.
5. Attach support ledgers to wall.
6. Using drywall screws (2-1/2” long), attach the first cabinet.
7. With panhead screws, connect the wall cabinets.
8. Directly below the first wall cabinet, place a base cabinet, using drywall screws to fasten to the wall. 
9. Install the other base cabinets in the same manner as you did the top cabinets.
10. Attach the cabinet doors and insert the drawers. 
11. Attach the work surface.

How can I hide my garage storage?

Remember, we’re doing this garage storage project on the cheap, so we’re going to take an economical approach for hiding the garage storage too: 

• Hang Old Curtains: Nothing can hide messy better than an old curtain. Hang them from the ceiling in front of the open shelving. This keeps it out of immediate sight, but you can still have easy access to them too. 
• Hang Cheap or Old Shower Curtains: A plastic shower curtain can be bought for $2 at a local thrift store or go to a resale shop that sells old curtain, you may have some already. These are great for covering up the sporting goods and gardening tools. What if it gets dirty? Wash and rehang! 
• Waterproof Sheets: If your garage storage is on the outside, a great way to hide the items from sight is with a heavy-duty waterproof  all-purpose sheeting. These can be found at your  local big box home improvement store. 

Can furniture be stored in a garage?

If the furniture is wood, garage storage is not recommended due to its closeness to the weather elements. When cars are kept in the garage, no matter how new and how well they are running, they will emit odors that the furniture absorbs. The best place to keep furniture is in a climate controlled environment. 

What can I store in my garage?

No doubt about it, the garage is an excellent storage area for anyone. However, garage storage isn’t always best for everything. So, what can you keep in garage storage? 

• Car supplies, tools, and the car
• Gardening tools
• Yard equipment
• Bikes and outdoor toys
• Holiday and infrequently used stuff

What is the Best Flooring for a Garage?

Are you wondering what the best flooring is for a garage? If so, it’s essential to understand that there are many options available on the market. To understand more, please review the following list.

• Polished concrete flooring.
• Stone flooring.
• Rubber Tile flooring.
• Vinyl flooring.
• Epoxy flooring.

Each of these flooring options comes with a different budget, and different advantages. Please be certain to review what purpose your garage will serve and plan accordingly. Your budget will also be important as well. A skilled professional will be the best person to seek in such circumstances.

Is It Worth Sealing Garage Floor?

If you have a garage floor, you may want to think carefully about whether or not you want to seal it. Due to the fact that garage floors are protected from outdoor elements, you won’t need to seal your garage floors as frequently as you will your driveway or your outdoor areas. Furthermore, most garage doors are composed of concrete. This makes them especially susceptible to oil spills, antifreeze leakage, and chemicals. If you want to keep your garage floor relatively clean and well-ordered, sealing your garage floor is a good idea.

Can You Just Paint a Garage Floor?

If you want to paint your garage floor, it is important for you to use the right paint. When you want to paint your garage floors, there are generally two types of paint that will be recommended to you. These two kinds of paint are latex acrylic paint or epoxy paint. The latex paint is typically the cheaper option but epoxy paint has the added benefit of being more resilient and will bond better to the concrete. It’s also more resistant to chipping and scratches.

What Are the Disadvantages of Epoxy Flooring?

While it is true that epoxy flooring is chip-resistant and bonds well to concrete, there are disadvantages to be aware of. For example, when you apply epoxy flooring there are strong toxic fumes. This means that you will want to use the proper safety equipment and goggles to protect your airways and lungs. In addition, it’s important to remember that epoxy takes a while to harden completely. Epoxy can be very slippery when wet and it is a tedious installation process. With these in mind, review all of your flooring options before you settle on your final choice.

Is Garage Flooring Worth It

When you are renovating your home, you will want to examine your budget closely to discern whether or not garage flooring is indeed available and worth it in the long run. Many homeowners do consider garage flooring a worthy choice. New garage flooring will improve the look and function of a space that has significant benefits. For instance, if you want to create a space for your partner to work on their automobile, having new flooring will be a great move forward.

Garage Flooring for Gym

One of the best ways you can renovate your garage area is to include a small home gym. Prominently featured as a way forward is garage gym flooring. This flooring could be made out of cushioned PVC tiles, foam tiles, heavy duty rubber tiles or mats. 

Garage Flooring for Cars

There are lots of different options on the market with regard to garage flooring. If you have newly coated your floor, you may want to protect it with rubber rolls for underneath your car. These rubber rolls should be made from resilient rubber and be both waterproof and fire retardant.

When you need a consultation for garage flooring in Haslet and Fort Worth, TX, you can rely on us to assist. Please reach out to us at 214-494-9068 today.

What is the Best Car Lift for Home Garage?

When you are considering a custom garage car lift, it is important for you to review your options on the market. If you would like to discover more recommended car lifts for a home garage, please review the following list.

• The TRIUMPH NT-9 Two Post Floor Plate Lift
• The QuickJack Car Lift
• The BendPak Portable Mid-Rise Scissor Lift
• The TRIUMPH NSS-8 8,000 Lbs 4 Post Service Lift

For more options, please be sure to contact your local garage car lift installation experts. A good company will have great recommendations to offer based on budget, car considerations, space dimensions, and more. 

Which is Better 2 Post or 4 Post Lift?

There is a distinct difference between 2 post lifts and 4 post lifts. One of these differences relates to the size of these lifts. A four-post lift will take up a lot more room than a two-post lift. It is also true that a two-post lift will raise a car “higher” in a garage that has a low ceiling. Two post lifts will be able to lift most vehicles about six feet off the ground, particularly in the setting where the garage has a ten-foot ceiling.

Are 2 Post Car Lifts Safe?

If you are pondering a new garage installation such as a two-post car lift, it is essential for you to think about whether or not they are safe. Thankfully, two-post car lifts are quite popular because they are safe when they are used in the appropriate ways. They are also quite reliable. Two post car lifts also have high lift capabilities. Each brand is slightly different, which is why it is advisable to review the warranty for each model that you are contemplating on buying.

How Thick Should Concrete Be for a 2 Post?

If you are thinking about an installation pertaining to a 2 post lift, you might be interested in some engineering facts. If you have a two-post car lift that is under 12,000-pound capacity, you will need four inches of concrete at 3,000 PSI. Alternatively, if you have 12,000-pound two-post lifts at a higher capacity, you will want six inches of concrete at the same PSI, 3,000.

Car Lift for Garage

There are many considerations to keep into account when it comes to purchasing a car lift for your garage. Several of these factors include power requirements, minimum height, lifting height, overall length, overall width, and capacity. A good garage car installation experts will be able to go over the current dimensions and space in your garage, and make a recommendation based upon your car needs, and your current budget.

Car Lift for Garage Storage

One of the most interesting things about a car lift is that you have the ability to lift storage, and not just your vehicle. Some brands of car lifts advertise this unique service, marketing it as the ability to not only lift six thousand pounds of car, but also six thousand pounds of storage. One of the features that car lift manufacturers enforce are automatic locks for these engineering marvels. Automatic locks will ensure that proper safety precautions are met.

Car Lift for Garage Dimensions

Are you wondering how much space is necessary for a car lift to operate properly? According to a leading car lift distributor, there are some great guidelines available. These guidelines include counting six feet of space underneath the apparatus. You will also need to measure five to six feet for vehicle height and one foot of clearance. Overall, this entails that you will need, at minimum, a height of twelve feet in order to install and work with your auto lift in a comfy setting.

If you have a need for a car lift for garage in Haslet and Fort Worth, TX, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 214-494-9068. We are here to provide exemplary support when you have any garage conundrums.