If you garage has rafter one easy and cheap solution for some overhead storage is to place some plywood across rafters to create a crude floor. You can then store larger items there or purchase some plastic containers at the hardware store to store smaller items. Be careful when storing items this way to insure that you do not fall. Use a sturdy ladder and have someone steady it for you when storing or retrieving items from the rafters.

Another great overhead option is to hang items from the rafters. Things such as bikes and gardening tools can be easily hung by installing hooks overhead. Again care should be taken to keep thing high enough so that when you walk through the area you do not hit your head. Also be sure the they are secure so that things won’t fall down.

Just use your imagination, I’ll be that you can come up with a few more overhead garage storage ideas on your own. Each space is unique and will have it’s own solutions. Just take a pen and a pad of paper to that space and start writing down you ideas.

There are many garage door solutions. You can typically choose from a screw drive, a chain drive or a computer controller systems. When looking a cheap garage door solutions the most inexpensive seems to be the chain drive. The chain moves along a pair of tracks to do the heavy lifting. This biggest disadvantage to the chain type system is it can be the noisiest solution.

Even the least expensive garage doors are built with consumer safety in mind. All doors will have sensors to prevent the door from closing when there is something blocking the path. Also the doors will reverse direction it the hit an object on the way down. This is important as it will protect you children who may not know any better to stay out of the way.

1. Polyvinyl: This type of floor covering conceals cracks and will protect your garage floor from being stained. You will no longer have to worry about typical garage spills. Protect your floor from grease, oil and other dirty substances that always seem to find their way onto you garage floor.
2. Rubber: Most garage floor covering take into consideration the dirt and grim that accumulates from a typical garage that stores a car. If you want to use your garage as an exercise room or home theater for example then a softer floor covering is preferred. Rubber floor tiles are a great option for this.
3. Paint: A great option if all you care about is aesthetics could be just painting the garage floor with concrete paint. This is not a very functional floor covering but is a great choice if you do not use your garage constantly. The price is certainly the lowest of all the options that you can choose from.

The most important part of choosing the right flooring for your garage is to first know how you want to use the space. Once you know the main uses of the space you will have an easier time deciding on what type of floor covering you should be looking for.

Rubber garage floor tiles are a great option if you plan to use your garage as a workshop, an exercise room or even as a children’s play area.  Of course with the last option you need to take extra steps to remove any objects from the room that could be dangerous for children to play around.  The rubber tiles are the perfect protection against many would be bumps and bruises.

Another advantage to using floor tiles is that they can make remodeling your garage very easy.  The installation is very easy, not much harder than just clearing the floor of debris and giving it a quick cleaning.  Depending on the type of floor tiles you may just lay the tiles down or there may be a type of adhesive you can use for a more permanent install.  just be sure to read and instructions that come with the materials that you purchase.

The garage door opener that was in my garage was my first renovation (or, as my wife likes to put it, victim). The unit that I had (an antiquated Stanley model from the mid-90s) was noisy, and it generally annoyed me for some reason. Every time I opened the garage door I couldn’t help but focus my attention on the motor. It needed to go.

A friend recommended me to Craftsman, and here I am with a brand new Craftsman 53914 garage door opener in my hands.

Features

The big difference between this opener and other motors is that this one is belt driven, which is supposed to be a lot quieter than the usual chain driven garage door openers. I’ve yet to see it for myself, but I figured to try it out. The store I bought it from has a great return policy in the event that everything goes south.

• 1/2hp motor
• Belt-driven
• External keypad for “lockout” access.
• Included remotes (of course)
• Lifetime warranty on the motor and drive belt (important)

Having a bit of control over the process will ensure that no corners are cut when they shouldn’t be and that everything is being done like it’s supposed to be. If you are building a garage, here are four ways to make it stronger, more resilient, and better looking:

1. Reinforce it – Make sure that there are plenty of studs throughout the walls. Your garage won’t have the benefit of interior walls and rooms to add to the strength of it, so it will be relying entirely on its frame. Make sure that there are plenty of beams, and that everything is connected securely.Adding crossbars as reinforcement will add to the rigidity of the garage, causing it to flex less over time. It will also help keep things square.
2. Use a metal garage door – While there is nothing wrong with wooden garage doors, metal garage doors are a bit more heavy duty and secure. They can also be ordered insulated, helping lower heat requirements (and costs) during the cooler periods of the year (this makes a big deal if you live in areas that experience cold winters).As well, metal garage doors require almost no long term maintenance and tend to retain their finish better and longer than wooden doors.
3. Make sure that it’s braced properly – If you are buying a pre-built garage, this is especially important. A building will flex substantially if it isn’t connected to the ground in a way that is safe and secure. A few high tensile wires won’t cut it here- you want either posts, or another form of bracing that is just as strong. If it is not braced properly it will flex and shift over time, changing alignments and possibly making doors difficult to open or close.Posts that are dug into the ground are the best way to do this, so it is recommended that you simply do it that way and avoid any problems in the future.
4. Get a proper floor – While you may be able to get away with a dirt or gravel floor for a little while, eventually you will want to get a proper concrete one. Having one put in at the same time as the garage will save on hassles when it is being put in, though it certainly isn’t a requirement.Have your floor epoxy coated- this will make it resilient to spills and stains, easier to clean, and likely to repel water (which is important in keeping your vehicles rust free). However, if you don’t want to go with epoxy, a concrete floor with a smooth finish will provide many of the same attributes.

It’s that time again- your favorite time! Oh boy, it’s comparison time! Today we are going to compare the Clopay Gallery garage door against the Wayne Dalton 9700 series. Now, these doors are worlds apart in terms of design- one is simple, with just a touch of pizzazz, while the other has a bit more visuals and is a bit more obvious. We’re going to compare everything so that you can make an informed purchase- I know, we’re saints.

• Aesthetic Appeal – In our opinion, the Gallery simply looks better. It’s cleaner, not quite as busy, and is a bit more understated. However, it’s options are rather limited- you have the choice between short and long panels. The 9700 has much more selection, so you will probably have better luck finding something that suits your tastes.As far as steel doors go, both have pretty good designs. While the Gallery looks better, we feel that the greater selection offered by the 9700 makes it the winner of this category. While we may like the Gallery better, we know that more people will appreciate the selection of the 9700.Winner: Wayne Dalton 9700.
• Functionality – The Gallery is available with manual hardware and the optional roof-mounted opener, which makes it practical for everyday use and useable in the event of a power outage or emergency. It has decent weight to it, but it is surprisingly easy to open manually. The 9700, however, takes the cake here as it offers better selection: either roof mounted or wall mounted openers, as well as manual operation.People love choice, and once again the 9700 has more of it.Winner: Wayne Dalton 9700.
• Value – The Gallery is very affordable, looks great, and is loaded with technology. The optional insulation also helps cut down heat costs in the winter. The 9700 is a bit more expensive (at least, it was when we talked to local contractors) and comes insulated.As much as we’d like to give this one to the 9700, we’re going to have to say that the Gallery is the better value. Not all homes need insulation, as if you’re in a warm climate why would you need to insulate your garage? This choice, combined with the good looks and ease of use, makes the Gallery a better value.

Overall

The 9700 won more of the categories, but the winner here is clearly the Gallery. While the 9700 is technically the “better door”, the Gallery looks better from the get go, is light enough to be lifted easily, can be insulated or not (your choice), and has a variety of window styles and finishes.

For a single garage door, this one is our favorite.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the king of reviews is upon us, and be warned that you will never find an article as exciting as this one. Alright, so perhaps there’s some (slight) exaggeration there, but I think you get the point. Some big things are about to go down.

The Reviews:

These reviews were submitted by friends of mine and edited by me. As you can see, they all got pretty positive things said about them, so the quality is certainly there. What we’re going to focus on today are other, equally important factors: noise, speed, reliability, and finally, value.

So, without further delay, let’s begin.

• Noise – They were all much quieter than most motors, and after hearing them all in person, I will have to say that the Chamberlain was the quietest. That being said, the margin wasn’t very significant. The Craftsman was almost as quiet, and the Genie, though still quiet, was the loudest.Now, please keep in mind that none of these were loud by any means. In fact, they were quiet enough that working in the garage when the doors were being used didn’t even become a distraction- the doors opened and closed without causing too much fuss.
• Speed – The Genie came out on top here, being nearly 8 seconds quicker than the Chamberlain and 9 seconds quicker than the Craftsman. Though the times weren’t unbearable for any of them, the difference was quite noticeable when comparing the other two to the Genie.I should point out that a lot of factors are going to affect the speed of the door- the weight of the door being the most noticeable. Since it was impossible for me to determine the weight of the doors that each unit was attached to I am unable to actually determine whether or not the Genie is actually faster.All three motors are 1/2hp, so I’m going to assume that they would open the door at similar speeds. However, the Genie did open the door the fastest, so I’m going to give it a point for that.
• Reliability – All of the motors are still working, and it’s been over two months since they were all installed. Not one of my friends has reported any problems either, so all is well.The Chamberlain has a lifetime warranty, so I don’t expect any problems to come from that particular motor any time soon.
• Value – Of the three tested, the Genie was the least expensive. For the price, it absolutely cannot be beat. The Genie is the best value in the bunch, as it is quiet, fast, and reliable. It does its job, gets really bright at night, and generally works hassle free.

Conclusion:

While all three of the motors are great units and would be perfect for just about anyone’s home, we feel that the Genie Excelerator is the best purchase for your money. It is the least expensive, available through Home Depot, has a great warranty, and with animated installation instructions available on the website, perfect for the do-it-yourselfer.

However, the Chamberlain was the most quiet, and the Craftsman is still a great unit. While we feel that the Genie is a better value, either of the motors will be more than happy to find a home in your garage.