According to the Home Safety Council, 65 million US garages are in cluttered disarray.  That explains why many of the 21 million preventable household injuries Americans suffer each year happen in the garage. Here are some quick and easy things you can do to make your garage a safer place for you and your family.

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Some of our clients every spring and fall enact the same ritual: the changing of the tires. There’s no way around it. And when you change your tires, you have to store the old ones somewhere. For those of us who use the service offered by the garage, storage isn’t a problem. But those of us who store our tires at home need a solution. So what do we do with the four, eight, sometimes up to 12 tires that need to be kept out of the way till next season? Pile them up in the corner? Hide them under the back balcony? In the shed? There never seems to be a perfect place to store them and wherever they end up, it always seems that space could be better used for something else.

With its highly versatile design, our wall support system for tires accommodates a variety of tire types, with or without rims, both in depth and width, with adjustable telescoping support bars. Made entirely of strong, durable steel with a scratch-resistant, black finish, it’s anchored directly into your wall studs providing safe, convenient storage. Its heavy-duty construction has been load-tested to a capacity of 400 lbs; and even when they’re fitted on rims and fully inflated, your tires will never reach that limit.

1. Will your new Cabinets withstand a harsh Garage Environment?

Using heavy duty cabinet material is a must when considering storage units in your garage. Garage cabinets are subject to heavy, wet, and harsh items that can beat up your investment over time. Using thin pressboard material will only result in the homeowner having to reinvest in the garage again and again. Your cabinets should be made of ¾” inch sides and 1” inchshelves and bottoms and tops.

2. Longevity has much to do with the cabinet backing. Don’t be misled!
One common way companies save money and keep costs low is by using no backing board or a thin lightweight backing. However as any skilled craftsman would attest the majority of the weight in a cabinet is supported by the backing. We use ¼” inch backing that is dado-grooved into the sides, and we also use nailer supports that cut weight capacity by more than 50%. (more…)

Garage floor coating has become one of the most popular home improvements over the last five years.  Transforming you garage floor from dull, cracked and dirty concrete into a showroom floor is a hot new trend.  The most widely applied system still remains a epoxy base coat covered with a blend of vinyl chips to create a surface that looks like terrazzo or granite. (more…)

Recently our Trax garage flooring tiles by SwissTrax were used to cover the surface of an airplane hangar.  They were used as an alternative to a typical epoxy polymer coating systems, which typically would have been applied in the past.  While epoxy coating systems are excellent for this type of installation, sometimes a client is looking for a different, unique look. (more…)

Being part of the garage enhancement industry we understand we’re not going to land every estimate we give. It’s part of the sales process in any field I suppose. All we can do is provide our potential customers as much information to make them feel comfortable with making the proper decision they feel is best. Sometimes people might think the quote is a little more than they wanted to spend and that is understandable. Some people look at what we do and think “Hey I’ve seen that stuff at the store and I’ll just do it myself.” Again, we can understand the thought process but it’s a story we’ve seen and heard unfortunately way too many times. We tell this story not to scare anyone into getting us a job but to ultimately just provide the information we’ve gained from years of experience. Here is one such story.

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We appreciate your business very much here at Ohio Garage Interiors.  We have built our business and reputation on referrals.

We would like to reward you through our newly announced “Refer-A-Friend” Program and provide you with a $150 Dollar Cash Back Reward for any referral that leads to a installation.

All cash back rewards are issued after the job is complete and paid in full. All records are kept confidential.

Please click on the link below and send us an email with the following information:

• Friend’s first & last name
• Friends email address
• Friend’s phone number
• Cash Reward Recipient (First, Last and Mailing address)

We will contact your friend with special offers to help make their garage the Envy of the neighborhood. If there are any special requests for the person you are referring us to please just note it in the email and we will comply to the best of our ability.  Your cash reward will be sent promptly after the final payment of your friends project.  Thank you for your support.

So you’ve done your due diligence and chosen a Garage enhancement company to come out and give you a free estimate.

Here’s a few things you can do in preparation:

• The more the designer can see in your garage, the less chance for redesign or mistakes during installation. So try and clear items away from outlets and exposed pipes.

• Make sure there’s room to walk and properly measure the areas you want to create more storage.

• Have an idea what you want the end result to be. (Don’t be afraid to be specific!!)
• I need garage cabinetsfor suitcases, tools, cleaning supplies and camping gear
• I want ceiling storage for old files, holiday decorations
• More electrical outlets for electric tools and a 2nd refrigerator
• I want to make the garage a play area for my kids
• I want to create cabinet storage and park both cars in the garage.
• I need a workbench to do my arts and crafts and fold laundry
• I need to hang my kayak

• Have a reasonable idea of what your budget is and a good designer will be able to help you design within your budget.

• Make sure you have a clear idea of what is needed and wanted! (scope of work, colors, materials)

• For best results, all decision makers should be present during the appointment so all questions can be answered at once.

Here are some things you should expect during your design session:

• Your designer should arrive promptly or call if late or lost
• The design session can take up to an hour depending on how many questions you have.
• A professional designer should ask you what you want and what you need in order to create an appropriate design. You’re a team!
• Ask them as many questions as you like. They ought to be knowledgeable on product, installation process, company, pricing, timing and competition.
• You should see samples of all the products.
• A design and an estimate are often available during the appointment.
• And if not the same day make sure you find out when it will be delivered
• These are all good indications of whether the company is trustworthy or not!

When making your decision consider the following 3 questions:

1. Do you trust the designer / company?
2. Do you like the product and design that you’ve worked out?
3. Is it affordable?

Tripping over mountains of garage clutter? Well, you’re definitely not alone. Most garages have become catch-all storage zones, housing home improvement supplies like tools and paint, yard and garden necessities, recreational gear, and trash and recycling bins. Add bulky seasonal items like holiday lights and yard decorations to the mix and it’s no wonder the family car no longer fits!

The good news is you probably do have room for all that stuff; it’s just a matter of corralling each item according to type. Need help? Here are the five most common garage storage conundrums — plus space-saving solutions. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without these must-have products!

Problem 1: Too many tools, not enough shelves.

Solution: Wall-mounted, closed storage cabinets.

Your collection of home improvement supplies has expanded, but chances are your garage’s shelving capacity has not kept pace. You know what I mean: a jumble of hand tools and power tools all vying for space with other essentials — painting and caulking supplies, lubricants, engine oils and light bulbs.

Consider upgrading to wall mounted tall storage cabinets. The beauty of these systems is that they are super-durable yet also adjustable. Best of all, you can add on to them and customize as your needs change.

Problem 2: One too many rakes and brooms.

Solution: ORGwall or silver track rail system

Does reaching for a broom mean fighting off an avalanche of other long-handled cleaning and garden implements? If so, get yourself organized with wall mounted hooks designed to hang those odd shaped gardening tools such as mops, brooms, shovels and rakes.

Problem 3: Bicycles constantly underfoot.

Solution: Ceiling-mounted bike lift or wall mounted bike racks.

If struggling to keep your family’s bicycles in an upright position is routine for you then a bike mount on the wall or a ceiling lift may be an easy solution. These systems let you reclaim precious floor space, yet still allows easy access to your wheels when needed.
A freestanding bike rack is worth considering, too, especially for kids’ bikes where easy access is essential. Nope, it won’t get bikes up off the floor, but at least they’ll be kept organized and stable.

Problem 4: Seasonal items gobbling up space.

Solution: Ceiling storage unit.

Odds are some of the bulkiest items in your garage are only used seasonally. I’m talking holiday home and yard decorations (like that 5-foot Santa yard ornament and reel-upon-reel of holiday lights), camping gear and certain sporting items like skiing and snowboarding equipment.
The secret for containing such rarely-used stuff is to stash it as high as possible, taking advantage of unused ceiling space (yes, ceiling space!). For maximum stability, install a steel storage platform designed for exactly this purpose. Overhead Ceiling Storage Units are adjustable and simply screw into your garage’s ceiling joists. Each 4’ x 8’ section installs separately, but you can add as many as you like depending on your budget and the space available.

Problem 5: Bulky trash and recycling carts.

Solution: Stackable plastic bins.

With everything else your garage is expected to contain, do you really have room for those huge rolling trash and recycling carts from your city’s utilities department? I’m betting the answer is “No!” Okay, so stow those big bulky wheelie bins outside where they belong, in a spot that’s convenient for curb-side collection. Next, shop around for some stackable plastic bins and use these for keeping recycling contained and sorted.
No matter what storage problems you may be facing you can be sure that a garage storage system from Ohio Garage Interiors can solve any and every problem you may have. We can provide storage solutions ranging from small cabinets to full lengths of tall cabinets and shelving and overhead storage racks. Don’t hesitate and call Ohio Garage Interiors today and let us solve all of your storage problems and turn your garage from a cluttered mess to a sanctuary of neatness!

Typical garages over the years have been built with a few standard light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.  This was the extent of lighting for the space because the space was always thought of a raw utility area.  With the popularity of garage enhancement in the past several years, the garage is now being treated more like interior space, and lighting has become much more important to the overall feel of the space.

In all of our garage makeover projects we address lighting just as we would garage floor coating and cabinetry.  It’s amazing what a difference adding a few stylish can lights or fluorescent boxes can do.