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

Making Yard Work a Breeze: Adding a New Addition for Functionality

Springtime is the time to focus on your yard. New landscaping, mulching, cutting grass, weeding, and planting are on the agenda. As you begin your yard work, you find that you need all sorts of equipment and materials. There are a few things you can do to prepare for your spring and summer tasks around the house and save some money. The larger the yard, the more expensive the landscaping costs. You can track down sales as you go, and purchase all you need to get you through the year’s work. When it comes to the larger purchases, such as equipment like mowers and mulchers, you will definitely want to purchase ahead in order to benefit from the sales.

Once you have accumulated everything you need to make your yard look great, you are faced with a common problem amongst most homeowners…where do you put everything? You need to think about protecting all of your purchases from the elements, especially if you were purchasing during the winter months. Many people resort to putting everything in their garage to keep things dry and organized. This might be a possible solution for some, but ideally you should be able to park your cars in the garage without trying to share the space with all sorts of other yard equipment. If this is your situation, then you need to consider a shed as the solution to your storage needs. Here are some reasons why a shed is the perfect addition to your home and yard:

1. Additional storage capabilities. The number one reason for most people to add a shed is for the additional room it provides. The best way to stay organized is to keep everything in its place. If it is a yard tool or landscaping item, then they belong together. Having things everywhere only leads to confusion and lost items. We end up purchasing things over because we couldn’t find the original items. This becomes not only frustrating, but also very expensive. A shed allows all like items to be stored together, and leaves your cars in the garage where they belong.

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2. Easy access. Keep your yard tools not only organized, but also handy. When we try to cram everything into small spaces, everything becomes difficult to reach. This becomes frustrating, especially if you have a limited time to do the work and you don’t want to spend it looking for your garden shears. A shed keeps all of your items in their place. Sheds are laid out so that you can see everything quickly and easily. It is up to you to keep it organized, but if you know where to begin looking and you can make it easy to get to, you are much more likely to find it. Also, as we begin to pile things on top of each other because of our limited space, we tend to damage and break things. Reduce the risk of this damage by hanging and organizing in the open space of a shed.

3. Add an attractive addition to your home. A shed is an attractive and useful addition to your property. With a number of styles, designs, and sizes to choose from, you can select the one that fits you best. Choose your colors, special features, size, and layout, and create a garden shed that meets all of your storage needs. A shed looks great on any property, giving you functionality in storage and an attractive appearance. Work with a company that has a vast selection of in-stock sheds, shed kits, and garden sheds. They will be best suited to help you select the perfect match for your property and home.

This summer is the perfect time to organize your life and add a functional shed. No matter which style you choose, decide on a size that you can grow into. You will find that there are a number of options that may seem like a good fit. You will find that the extra storage capabilities and the ease of access to all of your garden tools and equipment will make your summer more productive. You will be so glad for the extra space that you will be excited to do yard work!

 

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 

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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!