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Archive for February, 2010

Homeowners with garages should make sure that this particular part of their house is well maintained. Many people ignore their garage but keep on improving and renovating other areas of their properties. This is actually bad practice. The garage is an official part your home. If you don’t maintain it, you’ll realize too late that your garage can actually pull down the market value of your house. The bottom line, make sure that you keep your garage as appealing as the rest of your house. At least use garage floor sealers to provide some level of protection to the floor.


Garage floor sealers are functional enough if you’re not planning to use other types of floor covering for your garage. While it is possible to use floor tiles and mats on your garage applying the sealer, you won’t be able to use latex or epoxy paint to it any longer. Garage floor sealers keep moisture and liquids from penetrating into the floor. As such, paints won’t be able to stick to it at all. Even if you try, the paint would simply just peel off in a matter of days.


Garage floor sealers are used for bare concrete garage floors. Get the one that is especially created for horizontal surfaces. Sealers can be used on walls too. The ones created for floors are stronger as they can withstand traffic, weight, and impact better.


If you go to a hardware shop and buy garage floor sealer, you will find out that there are a lot of choices before you. There are some advertised to be fast-drying. Some are priced ridiculously while others are dirt cheap. There are also special floor sealers for special types of floors. If you are at a loss as to which sealer to get, check out the label of the product. Scan through its features and salient points. If you recognize a trustworthy brand, you can purchase that one.


Else, focus on the product’s components or contents list. The best performance garage floor sealers are the ones made from synthetic epoxy resins. This substance can keep water and moisture away from the surface of the floor. Sealers out of epoxy resin can last for years. And that would give you peace of mind really – because you don’t have to worry about leakage or spills for a long time.


Keep your garage looking new and in the best shape at all times. Use garage floor sealers to preserve its appeal. While it may not add anything to the attractiveness of the garage, it can add the necessary resilience to it for sure.

If you want to learn more about garage floor sealers, garage floor protectors, finishes and epoxy paints, then be sure to check out garage floor paint basics for more detailed information.

The Most Affordable Way To Heat Your Garage

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

If you’re looking for the most inexpensive and effective way to heat your garage or shop this coming heating season, a vent free infrared garage heater may be the best solution. Why? Compared to other types of garage heaters, a gas fired vent free infrared heater is easy to install, economical to operate and extremely quiet.

What is a vent free heater and how does it work?

“Vent free” simply means “unvented”. Unlike a vented gas heater or furnace, which requires a flue to rid the atmosphere of combustion by-products, a vent free heater emits those elements (primarily water vapor and carbon dioxide) directly into the space. Therefore, a vent free heater is virtually 99.9% efficient.

Are vent free heaters safe?

Yes. Vent free heaters have been used for over 30 years to heat the dwelling spaces of homes in addition to residential garages and shops. Like all heating appliances, vent free heaters must be properly sized for the space. A typical 2 car garage requires somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 BTU’s, depending on insulation, ceiling height and other factors.

It is important to buy a vent free heater designated and approved as such. Most vent free heaters have refractory (often called catalytic) heating elements, which are able to burn fuel so efficiently that only traces of combustion by-products (mainly humidity) are left behind. For most people, a little extra humidity is beneficial, especially during the winter months when relative indoor humidity is low.

A word of caution: Heaters that are not approved for vent free operation should never be left unvented. Forced air gas unit heaters, furnaces and radiant tube heaters fall into this category. They must be properly vented as per manufacturer’s requirements to prevent bodily harm or even death.

Do vent free infrared heaters require blower fans?

No. Hence they are whisper quiet. By contrast, forced air furnaces move air via large motors and prop fans, which can cause annoying reverberation through the walls and ceiling of the garage and home.

Are vent free heaters expensive to operate?

No. Vent free heaters cost less to run than virtually any other type of gas heater. That’s because all the heat energy goes into the space. Nothing is wasted through an outside flue. In a well-insulated garage, the cost to operate a vent free infrared heater is just pennies a day.

Are vent free infrared heaters suitable for all garages?

Yes and no. You need to determine if vent free infrared is right for you. Your choice may include an electric forced air heater, gas forced air heater, gas infrared tube heater, portable propane heater, kerosene heater, direct vent wall heater and of course a vent free infrared heater. Some heaters are better in dusty areas. Some are better for freeze control. Some are quiet. Some are noisy. Determine your needs and do some internet research to find just the right product for your needs.

How easy is it to install a vent free heater?

The most difficult part is getting gas (natural or propane) to the heater. Most vent free garage heaters don’t even require electrical power. Instead, a millivolt control mechanism turns the heater on when the thermostat calls for heat.

Vent free heaters are an excellent choice for the DIY homeowner. Just hang the heater, run the gas line and you’ve turned your garage into a year-round space for recreation, mechanics, exercise, animal comfort or to simply keep your vehicles warm on cold winter days.

Scott Workman owns and operates Infra-Red Products Supply, Inc. of Draper, Utah. In business since 1986, Infra-Red Products has become recognized as one of the foremost leaders in energy saving infrared heating system design and sales for residential, commercial and industrial consumers. Want to learn more about garage heaters, patio heaters, vent free heaters, gas heaters, electric garage heaters, radiant tube heaters, infrared heaters and more? Email us at getheat@msn.com or visit our web site at: =>

http://www.heatersunlimited.com

Scott Workman is president of Infra-Red Products Supply, Inc., located in Draper, Utah. Infra-red Products supplies energy-saving heating solutions for garages, shops, warehouses, room additions, etc. Infra-Red also operates an online store (www.heatersunlimited.com) where customers can be carious heaters at wholesale prices.

Garage Doors and the Various Types

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Each apartment possesses an exit for fire. There isn’t a building that does not have a staircase. The housing societies must have all the security measures and devices properly installed because it is very important and essential to protect the societies from unwanted threats. Most people would opt to buy the very basics in their homes – appliances, room safety features and the like. But a call sometimes disregarded is the barn – and how to accumulate it safe and convenient See, that’s why they invented garage doors.

Reputable barn aperture manufacturers and distributors plan harder to accomplish abiding that humans accept admission these barn doors, such that if you are a homeowner, you charge and can apparently allow to accept one installed. Different models of garage doors have different costs and this article will tell you all about them. This post if for information only.  Please consult a professional when it comes to actually purchasing and/or installing your new garage door.

First, what is the garage door made of? This is a relatively basic idea – garage doors are made up of different stuff to make sure it suits a type of need or want from any homeowner. Stainless steel is probably the best choice for the homeowner that is trying to save money while not cutting back on safety or convenience.   It is widely manufactured and distributed, that too easily to acquire and install, and sturdy with little maintenance required. For people looking for aesthetic value, the wooden garage door made out of timber is available. This material is cheaper than the expensive wood used in wooden garage doors and moreover it also contributes in stopping the deforestation because it is grown in a controlled environment without cutting down the trees unnecessarily.  

Another category of garage doors where the garage itself is automatically operated. Arguably the a lot of accepted apparatus that appears is the chiral up & over type, that a being calmly lifts up from the foreground and alfresco in adjustment to accessible it. A good number of homeowners find this quite tiring, and thus they opt to install an automatic garage door opener which can be activated via a secure remote control even from inside the vehicle. This is also an advantage during rain and snow, so that the driver won’t need to unlock the door from the outside in order to open the car. Roller type, and each section is also a bit expensive remote control, durable and provide many features such as insulation options.

It is absolutely simple to browse through barn aperture prices and acquisition one that apparel you well. With the variety offered, practically anyone nowadays can own their own garage doors.  If you are looking for the right product, then you should try the various information and services that are available from different companies. Don’t forget that all requirements have to be covered from all of the various kinds offered, nobody has a reason not to get a garage door.

For more tips and information about garage door sizes, please check out garage door opener.

Clean Your Garage Once and For All

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Spring and summer is the perfect time to haul out the patio furniture from its storage space in the garage to get ready for all of those summer BBQ’s and gatherings with friends and family. That is when it hits you: your garage looks like a disaster area! You probably have been meaning to clean it up and get it organized for years, but you never seem to find the time to get this massive job done.

Garages are usually not the most enjoyable places to spend your time, especially in the spring after a very cold and damp winter. It is completely natural that you procrastinate and put off cleaning the garage until the warmer, summer months. Unfortunately, when summer finally does roll around, it either seems too hot to even think about cleaning out your garage, or you are out having too much fun with summer-time activities, leaving you with no time.

Over the years, your garage items and mess seem to accumulate. With items being stored in random places, and with spills and messes contributing, you can often get overwhelmed with the feeling of chaos. By the time your garage gets to this stage, the thought of cleaning it up begins to feel intimidating because there is so much that needs to be done.

If you find yourself in this situation, or heading towards it, your first step is to try not to worry.  It may seem like cleaning up your garage and keeping it in good shape is an impossible dream, but with the right attitude, the right tools, and plenty of motivation, it will be easy as one, two, three, and four!

Step One: Make a Start

Step one is usually the hardest part of the entire process. Making a start on cleaning out the cave that is your garage is the only way to get the job done at all. When your motivation is at an all time low, this can be a very tricky task. The ideal way to approach this situation is to schedule a weekend, or another time when you know you are going to have at least two consecutive days free, to work in the garage. The night before, gather together all of the things you need to start in the garage, such as trash bags, old clothes to wear, gloves, and comfortable shoes. Wake up the next morning and, after enjoying a healthy breakfast that will give you energy and motivation, get in the garage and make a start. After you start it is smooth sailing from there!

Step Two: Tame Your Messy Garage

If your garage is particularly large and unruly, step two will probably be completed over the course of several sessions. Once you have completed the worst of the mess, and are somewhat cleaned up, you might find yourself actually enjoying this process. It is definitely a satisfying feeling to see a clean and orderly garage emerge from the clutter that you once had to deal with.

During your first cleaning sessions, it is a good idea to simply sift through all of the items stored in your garage and decide what you want to keep and what you no longer need. Once you have removed all the unwanted items and have either donated them to charities or disposed of them, organizing what is left is much easier. Devote your next session to cleaning up the space, including walls, floors, and the ceiling if possible. If your garage is prone to dampness, use an anti-mold treatment on the walls.

Step Three: Organize Your Garage

Step three is what is considered the fun part. With your garage de-cluttered, stripped, and cleaned, now you are finally ready to start to think about ways to organize everything you need to store in there. Below are a few great options for garage storage including helpful ways to keep all of your tools, sports equipment, and other items in good condition, and to keep your garage free from mess and clutter.

Wall-mounted Tool Holders:

Perfect for brooms, brushes, rakes, hoes, and other garden tools.

Free-standing Garage Shelves:

Can help you use up the vertical space in your garage where most of the floor space is usually taken up by the car.

Hose Organizer:

The garden hose is one item that typically sits in a messy pile in the corner of your garage. Using the hose organize will help it remain in a neat coil to make sure it does not get any punctures.

Sports Equipment Organizers:

You can keep your sports equipment looking great with items such as a movable fishing rod rack or a ceiling-mounted fishing rod holder. Grab yourself a sports garage EZNET to hold balls, mitts, bats, and other items.

Step Four: Maintenance

Your garage is now finally clean and looks fantastic. The most important part now, is to not let it slowly descend back into chaos over the next few years. Keeping your garage looking good is an ongoing process, but it is important to remember that you have got the hard part out of the way. After the initial cleaning and organizing process, maintenance is definitely much easier. Return items to their proper place when you use them, clean up spills and messes as soon as they occur, and give your garage a good airing to keep it smelling fresh.

Shannon McCoy is a freelance writer who writes about home organization often focusing on a specific kind of item such as garage organizers

How to Organize a Small Garage

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Turning a garage into an efficient, organized part of your home can be a daunting task. Organizing your garage may sometimes feel impossible. However, there are ways to work around your cozy confines, and turn your cluttered garage into the kind of room you want it to be. The key, when organizing your garage, is to make use of all available space. This may mean making space in your budget for a few organizational tools, but the results should be well worth it. By considering these tips, you should be on your to a cleaner garage.

There are a few areas in the garage that are not often used for storage. It is extremely important to locate these areas because maximizing your storage space is important if you want to achieve an organized garage. For example, the ceiling, and the space above door are a few of these under used areas. You can also purchase a rack, which attaches to door’s rails. With shelving that uses the empty area near the ceiling, one can easily store gardening tools, sporting equipment, skis, fishing rods, large boxes and other such items. The garage is a useful place to store seasonal items that are easy to retrieve when they are needed.

While your gardening tools are taking up space along the walls, your snow shovels, sleds and other wintry devices can be kept out of the way above the door. Ceiling storage racks are also available. One of the best uses for this space is for storing fishing rods. Simple rod racks can be attached high up along the wall, and your rods can be kept out of harms way along the uppermost parts of your garage. Accompany this rack with a couple of shelves, and you can keep all of your tackle right there next to the rods. This same practice can be used for golf clubs, or other related equipment on shelves. You can even store baseball bats, gloves and other sports gear on these shelves.

The uppermost regions of a garage are often underused, and while a stepladder may be necessary to reach those items, it is worth the extra effort. With a small garage, using the ceiling for storage can be a powerful solution.

The walls in your garage are another space which is often wasted. A well-used wall can help keep your garage organized very well. Peg boards help keep your walls organized because they are capable of holding additional items. A peg board allows you to easily hang a wide variety of items. Many shovels, tools, rakes and other items come with holes at the ends in order to make it easier to hang them on these pegs. Hanging a net from the pegs can solve the problems of various balls, Frisbees and other assorted items that are not easily stored anywhere else. Furthermore, adding shelving to peg boards is a breeze. Shelves can store any other item that does not dangle from the pegs, and it keeps the floor space clear.

Another way to make your walls useful is to add compartments to them. Stacking wooden boxes along a wall can provide you with an easy shelving solution, and the boxes can be stored along the walls. Compartments of this sort are sold with doors, small shelves within the box, many other varieties. By stacking items at various heights, you can adjust for different items that hang on the wall, and it can make your wall space that much more efficient.

At this point, if your garage is still not organized, it may be time to put some serious thought into throwing away unnecessary items. If you cannot find a practical way to store these unnecessary items, there are solutions to consider. One of the most trying elements of garage maintenance is dealing with the storage of garbage and recycling containers. These items can take up a great deal of space, and make for tricky maneuvering when they have to be moved. Buying a caddy for garbage can alleviate this problem greatly. If space is too much of an issue, try putting the garbage cans underneath a table that can double as a workbench or a shelf. In all, even the most challenging problems can be solved.

Getting a small garage organized can be quite an ordeal. However, with a good system, you can alleviate your space related woes, and make your garage a space that is used effectively. In order to achieve this level of success, you need to properly use all areas of your garage. These include the ceiling, along the walls, and the corners. Efficient use of these area, can lead to an organized garage. When organizing your garage, there are many important storage solutions to consider and they all help you achieve the organization that you want.

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer who writes about organization of the home, often discussing specific helpful products such as garage organizers.

Chipola College news

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Chipola College news
MARIANNA—The top 16 community college basketball teams in Florida will begin arriving in Marianna Tuesday for the Florida Junior College Men’s and Women’s State Basketball Tournament set for March 3-6 in Chipola’s Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

Read more on Chipley Bugle

Replace Garage Door Springs

Posted by admin On February - 27 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Replacing Garage Door Springs is a pretty simple process with the proper information.  We have replaced garage door springs and garage door parts successfully for homeowners since 1980 and now since the net have been educating homeowners and service repairmen as well.  We offer a great line of garage door springs and garage door parts to the end-user so you can properly replace your broken garage door springs and parts without a hitch.

 

DIYGarageRepair – Buy Garage Door Springs and Garage Door Parts

 

Replace Garage Door Springs – Free Shipping on all Garage Door Parts

 

First identify the problem:  Do you have Torsion Springs or Extension Springs?  Torsion Springs are mounted above the garage door opening, while Extension Springs are mounted above the garage door track.  Torsion Springs twist while Extension Springs stretch under pressure.

 

Like Extension Springs, Torsion Springs are usually installed in matched pairs.  Single Torsion Spring applications are usually fine with single or one-car garage door applications.  After identifying the broken spring(s), now we can move on to measuring.

 

Measuring your broken or unwound Garage Door Torsion Springs or Extension Springs is simple as 1-2-3!  First, you need to measure the length of 20 coils starting at the break of the spring.  Measuring at the break of the spring will assure you that your coils are at their tightest point.  Make sure to measure to the nearest 1/16th of an inch for accuracy.

 

Secondly, measure the Inside Diameter of the Garage Door Spring.  Torsion Springs come in many different sizes but typically found in 1 3/4″ – 2″ and 2 1/4″ Inside Diameters.  Extension Springs are much smaller.  Measuring the inside diameter of Extension Springs can be difficult due to small size so measuring the outside diameter is fine.  If measuring Extension Springs, you may need to call or email us for further assistance.

 

Last, measure the length of your Garage Door Spring(s).  Torsion Springs and Extension Springs are measured from end to end less end connecting pieces.  Basically just measure the spring coils, not the cones on Torsion Springs, or Loops, clips on Extension Springs.  Measure to the nearest 1/2″ and you’ll be fine.

Installing your Garage Door Springs

 

My name is Michael Foster, I live in Southern California and operate a few Garage Door Parts, Garage Door Spring websites since the beginning of the net. We have more than 30 years experience in the trades and enjoy helping people repair their Garage Doors with our Garage Door Parts.

DIYGarageRepair – Buy Garage Door Springs and Garage Door Parts
Replace Garage Door Springs – Free Shipping on all Garage Door Parts