Considering Adding a Garage to Your Home? Here’s Why You Should

Have you been contemplating for some time now about adding a garage to your home? Maybe you need extra storage space or you feel safer leaving your car in a garage. Whatever your specific needs, adding a garage is a great solution to many problems. If you own a home without a garage, you may not know just how much value a garage can add. Here’s why a garage will prove very useful:

Increased Home Value

Although adding a garage to a home can be fairly expensive, when you consider that a garage will bump property value, it makes financial sense. More buyers are looking for homes with garages, and a house with no garage will certainly sell for less than one with a garage.

Extra Storage Space

One main advantage to having a garage is the additional storage space. Many homeowners don’t have the room to store all of their possessions. You can use the space in your garage to store the extra items. Not only can it house vehicles, cars, motorcycles and boats, but other items such as bicycles, tools, gym equipment, home decorations, and so much more.

A Work Office

Have you always wanted your own private work area? You can turn your garage into a functional workspace. You can add insulation and heat to keep comfortable and enjoy peace and quiet while you work.  

A Hangout Zone

If you purchase a large garage, you can turn it into a hangout area. You can use it to watch television, play games, listen to music, and more. 

A Guest Room

Do you wish your house came with an extra bedroom? You can turn the garage into just that. It’s perfect for when family or friends come to visit.

A Personal Gym

It’s important to invest in your personal health. Turn your garage into your own personal workout room and reap both physical and financial rewards.

Considering all these benefits and more, a garage offers the next step is choosing the garage that's right for you. Colorbond steel garages are highly popular because they are secure, strong, and beautiful. Colorbond doesn’t rust or fade, and you can choose from an array of colors so the garage complements your home.

Steel Prices Are Rising: What This Means for Consumers

While steel prices vary from country to country, rising input costs are generally driving prices of steel upwards.

Rising input costs means it is more expensive to produce steel than in previous years due to global increases in prices of iron ore and hard coking coal. This leads to higher prices on steel products.

In fact, according to MetalMiner, base prices for stainless steel increased by 300% between January and July 2016. Just a few days ago, Livemint reported that in India, steel output has seen double-digit growth rates throughout the fall of this year. Because of rising consumption in the area, domestic steel prices in India have been increasing.

“Higher output and higher prices are two factors that should benefit Indian steel companies considerably,” wrote Livemint’s Ravi Ananthanarayanan in the article.

Also this fall, Australia and China have been debating about the issue of China dumping steel in Australia. Many businesses in Australia have argued that China’s undercutting of steel prices violate international agreements established by the World Trade Organization. Anti-dumping tariffs are designed to alleviate this situation, which is detrimental to local markets, but these tariffs also mean higher prices for consumers.

As Tim Harcourt wrote for Australia’s The Conversation last month, “While consumers may enjoy cheaper products, local industry may argue that the imports are being used to drive them out of business, and get monopoly power.”

For consumers, these increases in price mean that it’s a good idea to purchase goods that utilize steel sooner rather than later. Consumer goods that commonly use steel include:

·         Stainless steel refrigerators, stoves, ovens and other appliances

·         Steel garages and sheds

·         Automotive parts like exhaust pipes and grilles

·         Surgical tools like forceps and scalpels

Construction parts like air ducts, elevators and roof cladding

Storage 101: Making your Home Clutter Free

You wouldn’t exactly say to anyone in your family you are in need of anything, and if someone were to take a look at your house they’d agree.  The pantry is stuffed full of boxed and canned goods, and the fridge and freezer have enough food for a few small parties.  Your closets are packed with clothes and shoes, so much so you’re considering getting rid of some things to make room.  There are chests and containers full of toys in the playroom and family room, and the toolshed is full of lawn care equipment.

You’re ready for anything since you have so much stuff, but if you’re being honest with yourself, you do feel a bit cramped.  You don’t want to get rid of anything; you know everything in your house has a use.  You’re happy with everything you have, you just want a better way to store it all.  You may think you need a new house to store all of your things, but you probably have a lot of room at home.  The truth is most people aren’t as good at organizing and storing things as they think they are.  If you’re running out of space at home and want to get organized, follow these tips.

Look to the walls

You may not have room for another storage container or single item, but your walls most likely do.  When space starts to run out on the floor, you need to start looking into wall shelving.  Wall shelves don’t take up nearly as much room as their floor-stationed counter parts, and you can get very creative with them.  Try adding a few simple wall shelves to your kitchen or bedroom, and you’ll see the difference they can make storage-wise.

Think about containers

If you have a lot of items stored in your freezer, it’s safe to assume you’ve probably accumulated a lot of storage containers over the years.  Your Tupperware most likely isn’t all from one set anymore, and that can cause issues with storage.  Tupperware and other containers are designed to fit together, and when they don’t you can run into a tricky storage situation.  Consider getting rid of storage containers that don’t fit in with others for the sake of organization uniformity.  It’ll make storage much easier.

Have more onsite storage

If you’re being honest, you’d love nothing more than to rent a storage locker to store your extra items.  They’re usually overpriced, and you’d have to travel every time you’d want to get something.  If you need more storage space, steel garages are just what you need.  They’re simple to set up on your property, they won’t take up much space, and they’ll give you plenty of space to store your extra things.

Select Sheds That Best Fit Your Needs with Customization

If you’re adding shedss to your home or business, it’s important to customize your space with the options and accessories that are right for you. This will maximize the functionality of your shed as well as your satisfaction with the space. 

Shed customization options include:

Mezzanine Floors

Adding a mezzanine floor to your shed is a great way to take advantage of vertical space and expand storage capabilities. Mezzanine floors are cost-effective, and add extra dimension and utility to your shed space.

Insulation

Insulation is a particularly important option if you plan to spend a good deal of time in your shed during summer or winter months, when temperatures could become extreme and uncomfortable.

Insulation also offers the added benefit of reducing energy costs by reducing the need for space heaters or air conditioners.

Sliding Doors

As an alternative to traditional swinging hinge doors, sliding doors offer a number of benefits. Sliding doors:

• ·         Boost natural light in your shed.

• ·         Offer better natural views.

• ·         Increase the amount of usable space in your shed by eliminating the need for clearance to swing open and closed.

• ·         Provide energy savings (increased natural light means you’ll need less electricity for lighting!).

Security Screens

Security screens reinforce vulnerable areas like windows in order to deter issues like vandalism, theft and disturbances from wildlife. Improving the security of your shed will provide you with peace of mind, especially if you’re using your shed to store valuable items like vehicles or industrial equipment.

Skylights

Another excellent option for increasing natural light in your shed space, skylights can transform your space with sky views. Opaque skylights offer bright light, while UV blocking polycarbonate skylights provide natural light without introducing UV rays into your shed space.

Partition Walls

Ideal for multi-use sheds, partition walls allow you to segment your shed into multiple sections. Adding doors and windows to partition walls allows for both ideal functionality and aesthetics.

Roof Ventilation

Ventilating your shed removes excess heat and moisture, making it both more comfortable as well as a safer place to store valuable items.  

Ventilation may also be legally required if you’re working with chemicals or storing certain commercial items.

When buying a new shed, make sure that you choose a company that offers customization options like these. If you’re in Australia, make sure that your shed company is also ShedSafe certified, as this ensures that your shed space is up to the standards of the Building Code of Australia.

4 Essential Fall Maintenance Jobs

Fall is finally here! The average person is probably looking forward to cooler weather and the opportunity to spend some time outdoors comfortably. The average home owner is thinking about the maintenance they want to get done while it's nice out.

Maintenance is just another part of home ownership, but it usually isn't a task that people look forward to. Keeping up your lawn, garden, and home can take a lot of time, and some people are going to inadvertently overdo it. However, you don't have to go through an exhaustive maintenance checklist every time fall comes around. As long as you perform these tasks, your house will be around for many years to come.

Check your roof

If you had a stormy summer, it wouldn't be unusual for your roof to have a few issues. Missing shingles, leaks, and signs of decay seem small, but they could also be warning you of a larger impending issue. If you have a sturdy ladder, check out your roof (and gutters) now. It's also important to remember that some repairs and problems are best handled by professionals. You can replace a missing shingle or two, but shouldn't attempt to replace an entire section of roof.

Clear away dead branches and leaves

Having a tree in your yard can be aesthetically pleasing, but it can also be a bit of a hassle maintenance-wise. Clearing away yard waste is a good way to prepare your lawn for winter, and ensure that everything is clean and ready for spring. Dead branches can present hazards, and a thick layer of dead leaves can blow around and make a mess during winter. Also, be sure to inspect any large hanging branches that haven't completely broken off yet. It may be better to cut them down now than to let a strong fall storm blow them away. Removing these materials can make your lawn look neat and tidy no matter the time of year.

Replace your HVAC filters

HVAC may not seem like a big part of your maintenance, but simply replacing your filters can drastically improve the air quality of your home. Can you remember the last time you replaced any air filters in your home? Dirty filters are full of dust, allergens, and debris, and you should clean or replace them every six months. Make this five-minute task a part of your seasonal maintenance and it could significantly improve your health.

Clean out your storage spaces

How many broken tools and half-used bags of fertilizer are taking up space in garages and sheds around the country? You won't be able to do much maintenance if you can't find any tools or equipment. Take the time to not just clean out your outdoor storage areas, but to also take stock of what you may need to pick up for future tasks. 

These are just the essentials of home and yard maintenance. What else is part of your fall routine?