Stamped Concrete Garage Floors

Every garage floor starts with a concrete slab. Stamped concrete is a process in which a design is “stamped” onto the existing floor to make the concrete appear to have a certain characteristic — whether it’s to mimic wood flooring, tiles, or a creative design. You’ve probably seen this around pools or patios, and the effect can be beautiful.

There are some drawbacks to this type of garage flooring. Stamped concrete is known to crack. To help keep its integrity, color, and pattern, the stamped concrete will need to be resealed every two to three years.

Epoxy Garage Floors

Epoxy floors mimic the look of terrazzo. They are a resin product that is applied to the concrete slab and come in a wide variety of colors and allow for many design and aesthetic options. These floors are very durable and are both chemical and stain resistant. Fluids such as oil, antifreeze, gasoline, and other caustic car chemicals can easily be wiped up without worry.

An epoxy floor installation can be tricky. Weather conditions must be ideal in order to get a great result. For example, if there is too much moisture in the air during installation. The final result will create bubbles in the floor and also cause it to age more quickly.

Roll Out Flooring

Roll-out flooring is a vinyl product. It is one of the most inexpensive ways to cover a garage floor. Just unroll it on your garage floor, cut off the excess, and you are done. Although easy to install, it isn’t easy to repair or replace damaged sections. It also doesn’t lend itself to the creation of a custom pattern. The seams are not watertight, so liquid could seep underneath, creating a potential mold and mildew issue.

Interlocking Floor Tiles

Another option is interlocking floor tiles. These are high-impact polypropylene polymer tiles that fit together like puzzle pieces. They are engineered to last and resist breaking and corrosion. These tiles come in a variety of colors that you can mix and match to suit your preference. You can choose a solid color pattern or have fun by putting down the colors of your favorite sports team, or matching colors to accent your favorite car. The pattern options and colors are plentiful.

As part of our garage organization makeovers, Closets by Design offers interlocking tiles as a design option. Our DesignFloor™ tile systems include Flextile, which is available in three patterns and is a solid surface that can be broom swept and washed easily. Traxtile has slits within the tile, which allows for debris to fall beneath the surface and out from under your feet. A quick blast from a leaf blower is all it takes to remove the debris. Both options are easy to install and durable. DesignFloor™ tile can withstand everyday spills and heavy weight. The tiles help prevent slips and falls while the patterns add a little something extra to your space. If you’re looking for both design and functionality, DesignFloor™ tiles are for you.  In the event a tile does get damaged, it’s a simple fix; just pop out the old tile and replace it with a new one.

Get Started With a Free Garage Floor Design Consultation

For more than 40 years, Closets by Design has been elevating homes in both design and functionality. We offer the highest quality products we want in our own homes. No one knows design, quality, and service like us. Contact us today to set up your free design consultation and make your garage a place you really want to be.

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If you’re ready to tame the clutter and tackle garage organization once and for all, follow these simple suggestions.

Make a Plan

Before you start dragging stuff out of your garage, think about how you want it to look after it’s clean and organized. Do you have sports equipment that you’d like to access quickly? Would you like to incorporate a workbench or gardening table into your garage? Do you need cabinets for storing cleaning and automotive supplies? If you can’t quite visualize where everything should go, the experts at Closets by Design can help you come up with a plan to get your garage organization off to a proper start. We’ll send a professional designer to your home for a free consultation. After measuring your garage and assessing your storage needs, we’ll create a custom design specifically for you.

Sort Your Stuff

Once you have a plan, it’s time to empty the garage. Depending on how much stuff you’ve accumulated, you may need to set aside a full weekend to complete your garage organization project. Check your local weather forecast and make sure it’s not expected to rain. You’ll need to leave things in your driveway as you sort and organize.

Begin by creating four piles: Keep, sell or donate, recycle, and toss. Then start going through everything. Keep only the items you need and use regularly. If you haven’t used something in the last two years, chances are you won’t use it again. If it’s something that can be sold easily at a garage sale or an online marketplace, put it in the sell pile. Tools, planters, and outgrown bikes are only a few of the items that get snapped up quickly. If, however, you prefer not to hassle with selling your belongings, donate them to your favorite charity. Check with your local government to see where to dispose of hard-to-recycle items, such as old paint, batteries, and LED light bulbs. Throw out anything that’s broken, expired, or obsolete (like that box of cassette tapes in the back corner).

Focus on the Floor

With everything out of the garage, now’s the time to clean the room. Clear away any cobwebs, sweep or vacuum the floor, and scrub away any oil or chemical spots left by your car or lawn equipment. If you want to make your garage truly exceptional, consider adding DesignFloor™.  DesignFloor is a interlocking sturdy tile system offered by Closets by Design and comes in a wide array of colors and patterns that will make your garage the envy of anyone who sees it.  And the best thing about our garage flooring is you can walk and drive onto it right away, no waiting for paint to cure and harden.  Use it the day it gets installed.

Utilize Vertical Space

When you begin putting your items back in the garage, don’t pile everything on that beautiful new floor. Remember that you have an abundance of storage space available on the walls and even the ceiling. With a wall storage system from Closets by Design, you can mount skis, golf clubs, bicycles, and other sports equipment to give your garage organization a tidy touch. Wire shelf accessories and bins provide an ideal space for storing lawn care products. Hooks are perfect for keeping rakes, mops, and hoses out of the way but still within easy reach. If you want to keep some items behind closed doors, consider adding a custom garage cabinet or a built-in closet. With the right combination of cabinets, shelving, and wall accessories, you can turn your garage into a well-organized storage area, and bring that car back inside where it belongs

Schedule Your Garage Organization Consultation

The professionals at Closets by Design are passionate about finding the right garage organization system for your needs. For more than 40 years, we’ve offered the highest quality products and services for excellent value. Contact us to learn how we can help you organize your cluttered garage.

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According to a study done in 2016 by Cornell University, the stress caused by clutter may trigger coping and avoidance strategies such as oversleeping, eating junk food, and binge-watching media. But getting rid of clutter and the stress it causes does not have to be difficult. As organizational expert Barbara Hemphill points out, “Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” If you have decided it is time to clear out the clutter in your home, here are some decluttering tips to help you begin the process.

Decluttering Tips – Focus on One Area at a Time

The thought of decluttering and organizing an entire home can feel overwhelming. That is why our top decluttering tip starts in one area, even if it is just a junk drawer in the kitchen. After you have thrown away all the used twist ties and rubber bands, the broken can opener, and the pens with no ink, then you can start clearing out the kitchen in earnest. Old sponges and scratched or broken plastic containers harbor bacteria, so toss them out. Gather up all the plastic grocery bags that are lurking in cabinets and take them back to the store for recycling. If you have appliances, gadgets, or dishes that you no longer use, give them to a local thrift store or your favorite charity. Get rid of old condiments in the refrigerator and expired food in the pantry. Once you have cleaned out the things you no longer need or use, it is time to reorganize and find a place for everything that is left. To keep clutter under control for the long run, onsider adding a custom pantry system. Closets by Design can help you create the perfect pantry for your space, incorporating shelves, drawers, baskets, and other design elements that will make organizing your kitchen easy.

Use the OHIO Rule 

OHIO stands for “only handle it once.” Once you pick up an item, decide what to do with it right then, rather than shuffling it from one pile to another. This decluttering tip works particularly well where mail and paperwork are concerned. Toss junk mail and promotional items into the recycling bin or trash can as soon as you receive them. When possible, pay bills as soon as they arrive, rather than leaving them piled on a desk or countertop until the due date. If you are unable to pay them right away, have a system to put your bills in order by the due date so you know where they all are, and they are easy to find. For paperwork that you need to keep (such as receipts for work or taxes), create file folders, and use them. If you don’t already have a home office or if your current one isn’t working well, it may be time for an upgrade. Closets by Design offers custom desks designed with efficiency and taste in mind, and the desks can be combined with wall shelving and cabinets to create the ultimate home office. Once you have a place to organize all the paperwork that flows into your home, it is much simpler to follow the OHIO Rule.

Decluttering Tips – Out With the Old 

While this decluttering tip can be applied to everything from outdated electronics to toys, it is especially applicable to shoes and clothing. Most of us have clothes in our closets that we never wear because they don’t fit, they’re damaged, or we simply don’t like or need them. If you have items in your wardrobe that you have not worn in the last year, it is time to get rid of them. You will be amazed at the space you free up, and you can then begin to organize the clothes you regularly wear. Not ready to donate these items? Put them in a box with the date on it. If, after six months, you have not been tempted to get something out of the box, you can feel confident you will not miss it when it is permanently gone. Another great way to manage the clutter in your closet is to have a dedicated space for everything in it. Closets by Design can customize your walk-in closet with adjustable shelves, cubbies, tie or jewelry drawers, and more. If you don’t have a walk-in, don’t worry — even a small closet can be carefully organized and customized with hanging bars, shoe racks, and adjustable shelving.

Utilize Your Garage

Once you have gotten rid of things that you no longer need or want, move on to the next decluttering tips: designate places for frequently used items (such as your yoga mat or chargers for electronic devices). Store any overflow items (like camping gear or beach toys) in see-through bins in your garage. To make the most of the storage space in your garage, let Closets by Design create a unique garage organizer to meet your specific needs. It is much easier to store your belongings with our combination of cabinets, shelving, countertops, and more.

Contact Closets by Design for a Free In-Home Consultation

Since 1982, Closets by Design has been helping people organize their homes. We offer the highest quality, value, and service in the industry. Contact us today to schedule your free in-home consultation. It’s the best decluttering tip of all!

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Even people with adequate physical storage space — including closets, pantries, and garages — may find that these spaces themselves can become the source of chaos. This is especially true if they are ill-designed. Are your closets stuffed to the max? Can’t find anything in your packed pantry? Then you might need a little professional help!

Closets by Design provides custom solutions for organization — including reach-in and walk-in closets, pantries, laundry spaces, home offices, and garage storage. We also provide all the accessories necessary to furnish a functional space — including cabinetry, shelving, cubbies, drawers, racks, jewelry trays, tilt-out hampers, and wall organizers. If you can imagine what your perfect space would be, we can build it. And if you cannot imagine what it needs to be? That is why we have professionals who can help you personally evaluate your comprehensive needs and what designs will best serve you.

If you are truly stuck, you might even want to make a call to us your first step in canceling the clutter in your home. Meanwhile, here are some tips to get you started.

Closets

If you have not done a thorough purge of your bedroom closet lately, it will make your decluttering project a little longer but more productive in the end. You will be able to really assess your space and what it lacks.

• Get rid of whatever you do not wear. To help you truly determine what you do not wear, try this trick. Face hangers in one direction and turn them around when you wear what is on them. After six months, clothes on hangers facing the original direction can be put in the donation pile.
• Hang tops and skirts over built-in shelves or drawers and hang long dresses and pants on higher rods where there is nothing underneath.
• Consider installing a system with slanted shoe shelves. A hanging shoe storage system is a temporary option, but shelves will help shoes last longer and keep them out of the way (yet on display).
• It is easy to make a mess if you do not have designated spots for smaller items, like ties, belts, and jewelry. Pros can install a tie drawer, jewelry drawer, and a sliding belt rack to help keep such items organized.
• Look for unnecessary items that may have intruded on the space, like unused sporting gear or electronics. Move these to garage or living room storage areas.

Pantry

You may turn your pantry inventory over quickly, but most of us have those jars and cans that seem to remain untouched.

• Remove everything from the pantry and purge! Check the expiration dates and toss everything that is past its prime. If you have food items that are still good, but you know you will never use them — consider donating to a local food pantry.
• After a quick wipe down, begin to put things back in an organized way. Clear containers and bins are helpful for corralling things by type, such as a bin for snack bars, one for chips, etcetera.
• Consider decanting pasta, rice, and cereal and baking items like flour and sugar for a more streamlined look.
• One of the benefits of having a custom pantry installed from Closets by Design is NOT dealing with wire shelving. It is so much easier to organize items on flat shelving.
• Some of the trends we are installing in home pantries include drawers with acrylic fronts so you can easily see what’s inside and wire baskets that pull out. These are great for storing vegetables.

Garage

If your car is in the driveway all the time because it will not fit in the garage, you are going to need a lot more than a broom and dustpan. Make a plan and pace yourself!

• Dedicate a full day or weekend to decluttering and organizing the garage. You can even make it a family project.
• Sort items into piles — Keep, Donate, Sell or Toss — with those “toss” items, be sure to identify the items that can be recycled.
• Keep items that you use frequently, such as pet leashes, within easy reach — perhaps on hooks by the door.
• Create zones for groups of things such as auto care, gardening, and sports equipment, so that like items are stored together.
• Place rarely used items, such as holiday decorations, on shelves or in cabinets. We install a line of extremely study cabinetry and shelving units specifically designed for garages.
• Tools like shovels and rakes as well as bicycles are best stored by hanging on the wall. Our slatwall system is perfect for these items. You can move the hooks around and even pop on baskets and bins to hold smaller items.

Imagine having a garage where there is also room for your car. Closets by Design can not only provide garage organizational solutions but also help you outfit custom work areas for carpentry or other hobbies.

Let Us Help!

Decluttering would be less of a chore for many people if they did not feel like they were just moving “stuff” from one place to another. Having a custom home organization system might seem like too much of a luxury, but quality, affordable options are available to you. Contact our professionals today for a free consultation.

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