An Organized Garage: 3 Simple Steps

Your garage gets cluttered sometimes. With the warm weather coming, here's an easy guide for a quick clean to increase the space and decrease the clutter!

First things, first...set aside 2 hours (this may take more or less time depending on how much clutter you have). It generally won't take any longer than that, but in case you are a slow mover we didn't want you to be disappointed! Second: back your car/cars out, so we can get started!

1. Get Seasonal Items Outside

If you store any large seasonal items like a grill, deck furniture, umbrellas or lawn gnomes, etc. in your garage get them out where they belong. It is getting warm and you're going to want to have easy access when you're wife wants you to fire up the grill! 

*PRO-TIP: Be sure to take a hose and clean these items off before you use them. They can gather up a good deal of dirt over the winter months. 

2. Shape Up or Ship Out

Once you have the seasonal stuff out of the way, take a look to see if there are any other items you have that may have seen better days. For instance, get rid of rusty yard tools that don't work, sports gear that hasn't been used in years or even broken pots. The long and short of it: clean out junk!  If it's still useful place it in the back for your truck for donation and if not... you know what to do!

3. Clean House... Or Garage

Now that everything is out of the way we can get to the easy part. If you're in colder climates salt from the winter gathers along with pine needles and other various kinds of floor debris. So, take a broom and sweep up that floor! You are going to be amazed at how much of a difference a clean garage floor makes. Plus, you have so much more space to work with! 

Warning: Only do this once a year. Your wife might get the wrong impression!

Don't have a garage to clean out? We can help you with that and you can skip these three steps. Check out our latest garages!

28x24 2 Story Carriage Style Garage

You Won't Ever Believe What "Amish Built" Really Means!

It means we build great sheds that last... and we get up early to get them out.  

We use a variety of time-honored methods in constructing new buildings. For example, use a timber-frame technique in which beams are assembled using wooden pegs, or mortise and tenon joints, which have been used successfully by woodworkers for centuries. These methods result in very durable, long-lasting structures that are designed to last for decades.

Another advantage to using more traditional methods of building is the elimination of planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence involves the development of products in such a way that they deteriorate or become obsolete over time. This process ensures consumers purchase new goods much sooner than they would have otherwise. 

We don't think creating a product only to become obsolete is a good way to do business. So, we make sure to only use the highest quality products and knowledgeable craftsmen to build your shed, garage, or chicken coop to last. 

We have had customers that have had a shed they built with us for over 20 years! We have even had structures withhold hurricanes! That's the kind of quality we like to stand by. 

We Get Up Early

We are up early to get to work. You can come by our office at 7:30 and the guys will already be working on the structures we are building for the next shipment. We've been constructing structures for 40 years, now! We wan to be sure that our structures stay intact for future generations. Rest assured, your structure has been constructed to the highest possible standards.

As you can see, there are plenty of advantages to Amish built sheds. To see some of the latest styles we have available, contact us.

Pavilions Versus Pergolas

Your property can be absolutely beautiful with the right landscaping and care. Shaping the terrain and the plant life into something comfortable, attractive, and healthy takes time and effort, but it is not without its benefits. Of course, truly enjoying the nature that you have surrounded your home with can be difficult from the windows and sunroom of your home. That’s why so many homes that invest in their landscaping inevitably turn to adding a pergola or pavilion to their property – all the better to enjoy their hard work and the bounty of nature from!

What Pavilions Offer 

A pavilion is the most common structure that you will see on well cared for properties. Offering both style and sound structural integrity, a pavilion can not only match your home in terms of materials, decoration, and roofing, but it can also be a beautiful addition that perfectly accents the architecture and look of your home and property. Pavilions are especially ideal when you are in a particular warm or rainy area, yet still wish to take the time to truly enjoy your back yard. With a pavilion, you get the shade and cover that you would expect from a sound structure, but without the excess sunlight and heat, as well as getting plenty of protection from the rain and other inclement weather.

 

Pavilions see most of their use either alongside a pool or as a great location for entertaining guests and family. As far as a pool is concerned, you don’t always want to lie out on your towel in between dips; sometimes you want to relax on a nice chair or bench, in the shade and out of the sun, comfortably chatting away or just taking a brief nap. A pavilion is perfect for exactly that – an escape from the pool and the sun, a nice in-between spot for you and your guests!

Speaking of guests, if you are planning to host a party, a barbecue, or just a picnic of sorts, a pavilion is a great place to do so! With its own tables, chairs, and decorations, the pavilion is the perfect place to host such events. With the considerable space that a pavilion offers, you can also fit a grill and other cooking supplies and apparatuses! Indeed, pavilions are the go-to location for barbecue aficionados!

What Pergolas Offer 

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Pergolas offer a different experience. Substantially smaller and without the solid roof that pavilions offer, pergolas offer some shade and a small space to sit at, drink, eat, and relax, without being a large, shaded structure of the sort that a pavilion often is. The Pergola is great for any outdoor space, and often makes a great location for romantic dates and dinners, especially alongside a pond or pool while surrounded by trees and shrubberies.

Pergolas come in a variety of styles, from artisan-style pergolas to more rustic-looking pergolas. They come in many different materials, from wood to vinyl to more, all depending on your particular aesthetic, as well as whether or not you plan to build it yourself using a pergola kit! Regardless of the style that you want to have your pergola use, there is surely a kit for you. Many pergola owners choose to grow plants very near the structure, with vines slowly – or more often, quickly! – climbing their way up the wood and entwining themselves into the latticework and intersections of the pergola. This creates an even more “ivied” look that makes the pergola a great private location for small, intimate gatherings.

Making the Choice 

When choosing between the pergola and the pavilion, the main thing to consider is what kind of use you are going to get out of it. If you want to host large gatherings of friends or family, then a pavilion is almost certainly for you. It has the space and shade for nice, long, big gatherings that amount to parties and dinners and lunches and generally just lazing around with friends. On the other hand, a pergola is perfect for private use by individuals who value their privacy and “alone time.” Give how classically romantic they appear, it is no wonder that so many couples enjoy pergolas on their properties – nothing is quite so romantic as an evening surrounded by nature and fine craftsmanship, after all!

Reclaiming Your Garage

When you bought – or even built! – your home, you had plans. You were going to keep your entire home clutter free, with everything having a place and all other unnecessary junk tossed, donated, sold, or given to friends and family. Better yet, you weren’t going to let your garage become just another storage shed, one where you can’t park your car or do much more than walk inside, consider cleaning and organizing everything, and then give up because the job has simply gone beyond you.

Yet inevitably, your garage has become exactly that. The thought of trying to find something in that mess fills you with dread, but you aren’t quite willing to let anyone else clean it for you. After all, your garage is your man cave, your private space, and you don’t like anyone messing with your stuff – even if it could use some messing-with. As such, the job of clearing out your garage to make it suitable for leisure and privacy is up to you. Fortunately, it isn’t nearly as difficult as you might think – so long as you take the time to plan ahead, and set goals for yourself!

A Plan of Attack 

First, plan to set aside a whole weekend for the project. Tell your friends you aren’t available, make sure you don’t make any engagements with your partner, and if you have kids, get them out of the house! If you have a television show you like to watch, set up the DVR, because this weekend is all about you and your garage. Yes, trying to do everything at once can be intimidating, but the truth is that you aren’t going to spend the next 48 hours on the garage; it’s really only a few hours, spaced out over two days. You’ll take frequent breaks, and in the end you’ll be happier for it.

Next, purchase some solid-shelving units. Whatever you decide to keep from your garage, you will want to be able to organize and store it quickly and easily. No more piles! Get plastic containers for the shelving unit so that things can easily be stored there.

Finally, you’ll need three large containers for the actual cleaning process. One container is for trash – anything that can be thrown away. The next container is for donating; everything that ends up in that container goes to a charitable organization, and everyone will be better off for it. Finally, the last container is for “action items.” Action items are things you borrowed and need to return, things that need repairing, and things that should go elsewhere in your home beyond your garage.

The Real Work Begins 

Now it’s time to actually clean the garage. The first thing you have to do is empty the garage – entirely. Everything from the tiniest nail to the largest equipment should be taken out of the garage and put onto the driveway. (Obviously, you want to do this on a weekend when good weather is forecasted.) Sort your belongings into their designated containers; it is important to stay as organized as possible at this stage of the garage cleaning.

With your garage emptied out, you can begin to clean the garage itself. You may be surprised at just how dirty the garage has gotten over the years; grim, dust, dirt, and other detritus can build up under all of your stuff, making it an allergenic nightmare. Use a broom, then use a vacuum, then use a mop, then let it dry and start the process all over again! The floors, the windows, the walls, the ceiling – everything needs a good workover.

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

With the garage hygienically clean, you can make it organizationally neat and tidy by installing your storage units. Shelves, drawers, whatever you may need. This is a good time to make changes to your garage to make it more amenable to your purposes; maybe you want a man cave for yourself, or a workshop. At this point, you’re free to do as you please to the garage’s layout and design.

Once you’ve rearranged your garage, you can begin filtering everything back inside. Whatever didn’t end up in a donation/trash/actionable item container can go back to the garage. Make certain, however, that you were very strict in what actually goes back in and what doesn’t need to be donated, moved elsewhere, or thrown away! Weakness now will only lead to more garage-cleaning later, which means more lost weekends. With your garage clean and organized, you can start to use it as the haven and private space you always meant it to be!