It's that time again, folks. The kids are going back to school and summer is coming to an end...

It goes by so fast doesn't it? It seems like just yesterday we were giving you "Spring Cleaning Tips" and now it's time to clean out your garage from those summertime activities. We're sure you have pool toys, bikes, luggage, and various other summer items laying around your garage...but not to worry! We're giving you some tips for a summer garage clean out!

Tips For A Summer Garage Clean Out:

Utilize wall space-Any hardware or storage supply store will carry specific racks meant for certain "toys" (i.e. bikes, scooters, skateboards, golf clubs) that can be hung on your garage wall. This gets those toys off the floor and out of your way!

Bins & buckets-Invest in several clear bins to store all that summer fun. Some of those summer toys, however, won't fit in a bin. If that's the case, purchase a plastic bucket with rope handles. This stores the item and makes it easy to find, too!

Tip: Consider color coding your bins/buckets according to season (green for spring, yellow for summer, orange for fall, blue for winter) to easily organize toys, equipment, decorations, etc.

Garage sale-Now is a great time to do an "end of summer" garage sale. If you need some tips, we've got ya covered! Take a look at our Garage Sale Tips.

Decor-Keep in mind as you put those summer toys away that you will soon be getting out Fall/Winter holiday decorations (yep, that will be here before we know it, too)! You may want to bring those decorations towards the front of you attic or storage space to keep you from having to search and drag them around.

Good luck with your summer garage clean out!

For all your garage and overhead door needs, remember your local Overhead Door! We are always here for our customers. You can contact us or request service here!

If you want to do more than just park your vehicle or store junk in your garage, then we have the solution for you! With Father’s Day just around the corner, moms and kids are thinking about what to get that special man in their lives. What better gift than a MAN CAVE? So many men out there dream about their man cave and having “the boys” over for some football parties, or even just to hang out and have a few drinks to relax from a long hard week. Some of you may have already started the process, but got stuck on a thing called “life” and just haven’t got around to finishing the man cave. Some haven’t even started at all, but have every vision in their head of what they want the man cave to look like. Well, we are here to help you and want that invitation to that awesome football party this season!

Cleaning

First off, you will need to get the entire garage organized and cleaned out. Maybe this is the perfect time for that spring cleaning you were supposed to do a few weeks ago, or even that garage sale that you’ve been talking about for a year now. Whatever it may be, you need to be able use as much garage space as you can. Turning your garage into a man cave will keep mom happy along the way with a clean garage. So, put those bikes on a hook, those tools in the toolbox, and those boxes to the garage sale pile and get that garage cleaned.

Insulation

Next would be insulation. Now, you want the man cave to be a place where you can enjoy sports all year around, right? Having insulation helps keep you warm in the winter and cooler in the summer! One way to save money is by installing the garage door insulation yourself. You will need the walls, floors, ceilings, and garage door insulated. Garage insulation is expected to be on the lighter side of things, which is great! So, don’t worry about all your money going to that.

Lighting

The next helpful tip to turn your garage into a man cave would have to be the lights. You wouldn’t want to spend all this time and money on your man cave and not be able to show ALL of it off. You want to make sure your lights go with your style. Another little tip: If you have an attached garage it might be a bit easier to install your lights yourself. If you have a detached garage, it might get a little bit tricky, and calling the electrician might be the best choice.

Flooring

Let’s face it, garage floors were not meant to be comfortable. In fact, they are very cold/hot at times. Adding wood floors to your garage could give you “that look” that your man cave is missing. Plus, it gives off a more welcoming vibe, which will make your guests want to return and you holding the title for best man cave on the block!

We have just touched base on the fundamentals of turning your garage into a man cave, so subscribe to our blog and stay tuned next week when we put the icing on the cake with painting and decorating. You are on your way to having your dream man cave!

Spring is finally here and you've been in and out of your garage a little more than usual lately! You may have noticed your garage isn't quite as tidy as you remembered last spring…well, you aren't alone! Most people wish their garages were a little more organized, especially this time of year. Get your garage spring/summer ready with these brilliant (and easy!) garage organization tips.

Garage Organization Tips:

• Before you begin your garage organization project, make sure you set aside an appropriate amount of time. Depending on how big your space is, (or how big your project is), you may need just a Saturday. However, give yourself more time than you think is necessary. Designate a weekend solely for your garage organization project.
• Begin by sorting the items in your garage into three piles: keep, trash, sell, or donate. Mark areas of your garage/driveway with a piece of tarp or chalk. What to get rid of: broken items (trash), outgrown toys (sell/donate), expired chemicals (dispose properly-trash) or anything you haven't used in two years or more (sell//donate). If you have a hard time getting rid of things, take a picture for a keepsake!
• For the things you keep, purchase large stackable clear-plastic bins. With plastic bins, you can see what is in them so you don't have to shuffle through the bins to find something you're looking for! As soon as possible, donate the items you put in the "donate" section. Don't let it set around or it will turn into things you have to organize next spring! You can sell the things you designate in the "sell" pile, either online (eBay, Craigslist, social media, etc.) or in a yard/garage sale (stay tuned for our blog on how to prep for a garage sale!)
• For items that must be in your garage (scooters/bikes, tools etc.) consider wall storage. By putting things on the wall, you free up floor space (and reduce tripping hazard). There is a wide variety of wall storage devices available at hardware or home improvement stores. You can hang everything from your bike to your tool set, all in an easy-to-see, organized space. Designate a bin for specific activities. For example, for baseball equipment, have a "baseball" bin. For craft supplies, designate a "craft" bin. This way, not only do things stay organized, but everything has a place. That means no more wasting time looking for something!

Ahhh, spring is finally here! After a pretty harsh winter, most of us are ready to get outside and clean up…but where do you begin? No worries, we're here to help in our outdoor spring cleaning guide!

Outdoor Spring Cleaning: Step 1

Start by pruning away dead or damaged branches back to their live stems. For stems larger than 1/2 inch in diameter, use a hand saw. Use electric shears to shape hedges, rather than hand pruners that prevent growth by prohibiting sunlight and air into the center of the hedge.

Outdoor Spring Cleaning: Step 2

Next, rake out dead foliage and fallen leaves from flower beds. After the threat of frost has passed, you can remove existing mulch to create a new layer for spring planting. Additionally, you can lay down a pelletized fertilizer for spring rains to carry it down to the roots of existing plantings.

Outdoor Spring Cleaning: Step 3

Compost yard waste for future use by dumping collected organic yard waste (leaves, cuttings, spent foliage, last season's mulch) into a 3ft x 3ft x 3ft bin. Shred leaves and chip branches to accelerate decomposition. Keep the pile moist and aerate it with a pitchfork every couple of weeks.

Outdoor Spring Cleaning: Step 4

Clean up yard paths and patios by raking escaped gravel back into walkways and crevices. Refill these crevices by sweeping in new sand or stone dust, water to set, and repeat if necessary. If pavers are out of place, remove them and reset the base material before placing the pavers back in.

Outdoor Spring Cleaning: Step 5

Patch worn wood by scraping old paint and sanding wood all over to prep for a new finish coat. This new coat can go on once temperatures go above 50 degrees. Rotten wood sections can be patched with wood epoxy.

There you have it, 5 steps to kickoff your outdoor spring cleaning! Keeping your home in good shape and adding to the aesthetic appeal when you can will only benefit your investment in your home. Happy spring from Overhead Door!

1. Add magnets: Magnets are a great idea to keep your garage tool area organized. Place magnet strips along the side of your tool cabinet to keep up with look screws.
2. Repurpose your towel holder: A towel holder is great way to hold up your unused garbage can bags. Simply take the roll out of the box and place it through the paper towel holder. We suggest using a paper towel roll that screws into the wall.
3. Tin Can: repurpose old tin cans by screwing them into the walls of your garage to hold the little things such as paint brushes.
4. Bungee Cord: Bunge cord storage is a great way to use wall space rather than floor space. Place all your basketballs and footballs within this bungee storage for easy usage.
5. Lattice Rack: If you have a lot of poles or rakes sitting around, insert a lattice rack to keep those household items organized.
6. PVC Pipe: if you are not a fan of the lattice rack you can try bolting 4 inch cut PVC pipe to your walls. Insert household items such as rakes and shovels through the piping and you are officially organized!
7. Hooks: Use of hooks around the garage are a great way of keeping track with the little things. This incudes to do lists, keys, etc.
8. Baskets: use baskets placed along the walls to store extra groceries, paint cans, etc.
9. Ladder hanger: make a ladder system to store your ladder away from heavy foot areas. The ladder can be a huge hazard for little kids playing around in the garage.
10. Large hooks: This is a great way to keep your cords untangled and out of the way.

With spring right around the corner, it's time for some spring cleaning around the home!

Here are 21 things you should consider throwing away right now!

1. Your dish sponge – did you know this is the dirtiest part of your kitchen?! We suggest throwing away and replacing your sponge every month. An easy cleaning method is to place them in the microwave or dishwasher.

2. Your old shoes- We know we always have those old pair of sneaker hanging around to do the dirty jobs around the house, but how much are you actually wearing them? Toss.

3. Those clothes you have had for years but never wear- these are great “space users”. If you don't wear them, get rid of them. Feel good about yourself by giving them away to Goodwill, or if they are nice, try selling them on Ebay!

4. Expired makeup- toss.

5. Hangers you've gotten from the dry cleaners- They may come in handy one day but for now just get rid of them. You will have another run to the dry cleaners later.

6. Stacks of magazines- have you heard of Evernote? Download it now on your smartphone. Take pictures of the photos and ideas you wanted from the magazines and save them to the Evernote database.

7. The half finished project- lets be real, it's not happening. Toss.

8. Socks with holes- duh. Toss.

9. Old paint- try using a little organization and save the old paint in tuber wear for easy touch up.

10. Old spices- spices get old, so toss the old and in with the new! Check out Pinterest for motivation on new recipes.

The holidays are right around the corner, and looks like you need some more garage space! With the extra food and guests coming in town, we know it is important to have everything prepared ahead of time.

Here are a few pointers to make sure your holiday season is nice and orderly.

Declutter

Minimalism is key here. Keeping clutter to a minimum can make your life less stressful and make your home much easier to organize.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

• If you are keeping things because you can’t bear to part with them. Unpack them and find them a place within your home. If they must remain packed, the attic is always better storage then the garage.
• Go through your memory boxes. Try and create a pile to give away, sell and keep. Keeping the “keep” pile to a minimum.
• Have one box per child for special things. This will allow you to sort through what really is important.
• Think about how long something has been in storage. If it is too long, it probably means it needs to go.
• Ask yourself if you could replace it. If you can, or it wouldn’t break the bank to purchase another it is worth getting rid of.

Cleaning

Once you have minimalized, it’s time to clean. Once you do this deep clean it will only be small maintenance from here on out.

• Clean everything. Dust corners, wipe down walls, and vacuum.
• Wipe down shelves.
• Group boxes and minimal clutter by categories.
• Don’t forget to label boxes for easy location.

Maintaining

Find a great time for you to clean. Weather this is right before bed or while the little ones are napping, having a set time to pick up can really make a difference.

• Make sure to think twice before putting something away, do you really need it?
• Put everything in the boxes they are supposed to be stored.

Make an easy checklist to make sure you don’t forget a thing!

And last but not least, if your garage door isn’t working properly in time for the holidays give us a call. Well make sure to be there to lend a hand. http://www.overheaddoorpermianbasin.com/contact/