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For the past several years, I have been speaking to potential clients about the benefits of Polyurea floors over epoxy floors. After all, Custom Garage of Minnesota features only 100% Polyurea floors. Well, the more I look around at my competitors, the more it seems I was, and still am, ahead of the curve on this.
A few years ago, the number of garage floor coating companies that featured Polyurea floors were very few and very far between. However, some coatings installers have come around to putting a Polyurea topcoat on top of their epoxy base coat. In my humble opinion, that's still not enough.
Custom Garage of Minnesota STILL installs only 100% Polyurea floor coatings - including the base coat and top coat. Give it a few more years, and maybe some more "epoxy guys" will come around to this. But for now, it still seems that I'm ahead of the curve. That being said, I'm still keeping my eyes open and my ear to the ground for the next breakthrough in coatings technology.
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Any investor knows that investments grow best, over time, when you make incremental deposits into it. The same holds true with homes and other property. To a point, by putting money into home and/or property improvements, the more it will be worth when you go to sell it.
It blows my mind some homeowners live with dirty carpeting, dingy cabinets, peeling paint, filthy garages or even mold problems until they decide to sell their home. At that point, they stick anywhere from $5000-$20,000 into their home, only to get their house up to a decent selling price. The worst part? They never get to enjoy their new digs and they just spent thousands!
By keeping your home in fine condition by small investments year after year, not only will your house be in great shape and look modern when it comes time to sell, but you will get to enjoy all of that upkeep as well. Now, I'm not talking about getting a new kitchen every other year, but smaller things, like a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting or tile, cabinet refacing, and of course, garage flooring and organization - that is my bread and butter, after all.
Look, when it comes time to sell, it seems that every homeowner that is serious about selling has a beautiful kitchen and master bed/bath. The rest of the house seems to be left alone. Do a little bit each year and set your home apart. And enjoy it while you got it!
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Thinking of building an addition on your home for that desperately-needed extra room, but the cost is a bit more than you can afford right now? Consider this: rather than building an addition on to your existing home, have Custom Garage of Minnesota's designers help you get organized and build you a work/storage/activity space in your current garage.
According to www.CostHelper.com, hiring a contractor to build an extra bedroom or activity room can cost anywhere from $7500-$22,500! In comparison, Custom Garage of Minnesota can clear out your clutter, design a new work and storage area, and complete the project with paint, finish and even have your floor coated much less than that.
In addition to making your project affordable, we can do it in a fraction of the time - typically 3-5 days. You won't believe what a difference our installers can make in your home. To recap:
Custom Garage of MN makeover Construction of new addition
- $3000-$8000 - $7500-$22,500
- completed in 3-5 days - weeks or months of construction
- your garage is now the envy of the neighborhood - you STILL have a cluttered garage
Still not convinced? Check out our photos page for examples of our work, then call me at 612-741-3550 for your FREE, no-obligation quote. Thanks for your time and have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.
-Joe
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I liberally borrowed the vast majority of this posting from Oprah.com. It is all about purging - from your kitchen to your office to your garage. That's right, Oprah knows those in the know when it comes to organizing. Read the following and get inspired. Then call us to come up with a design for an organization system to keep your garage clean!
(Oprah.com) --
Stuff starting to pile up? The first step towards organization is PURGING! Here are some purging tips from the experts. The following was posted on CNN.com and taken originally from Oprah.com. Yes, Oprah even paid attention to the garage...
Get the urge to purge
Every time you look around and feel anxious that the mess is getting out of hand, your body releases cortisol, one of the classic stress hormones, says Steven Maier, PhD, a neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Arianne Cohen, the author of "Help, It's Broken! A Fix-It Bible for the Repair-Impaired," asked top organizing experts to help us get a grip.
Kitchen -- Clear off some counter space
Purging: Even Emeril doesn't need six spatulas and four whisks; two of each will do, so start by tossing extras. While you're at it, check expiration dates on foodstuffs and pitch anything that's past its prime.
Next, tackle seldom-used appliances like cappuccino and bread makers. "Those things don't need to live in the kitchen," says Ellen Kosloff, senior professional organizer at TaskMasters New York. "Put up a rack in the garage, or store them on a hallway closet shelf."
Prevention: The number one rule: Keep the counters clear.
"Counter space is only for items you use daily," says Barry Izsak, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers. "Everything else can be stored in a cabinet or pantry."
Household desk -- put your desk on a zone diet
Purging: Begin by throwing away the no-brainers, including junk mail, expired coupons, brochures, and catalogs.
Next, create desk zones. "Have a bill-paying zone, a stationery zone, a mail zone, and a reading zone," says Kosloff. "Keep everything you need for each activity in neat containers."
Prevention: Tackle your zones weekly, particularly bills and mail. For incoming papers such as children's art or tax information, keep one folder or container for each category, and at the end of the year (or month, if things really pile up fast), choose the keepers and purge the rest.
The Garage -- make room in your garage
Purging: The garage is not a warehouse! Begin by attacking one shelf or corner at a time, and tossing or donating all items you no longer use. Sports equipment your kids have outgrown, the gardening tools for the yard you no longer use -- out! Then arrange items by category. "Your garage should be zoned," says McKenry. "You might have a zone for car equipment and a sports zone."Prevention: Never pile items on the floor; buy new shelves or wall hooks as needed. Kosloff suggests keeping a large donation bin so that family members always have a place to put unused belongings.
Bookcase --liberate your library
Purging: Some people would consider it a sacrilege to ever get rid of a book, but if you've decided it's time to winnow, donate all books that don't meet any of these three criteria: books you love, books you read regularly, books whose content can't be found on the Internet.
Prevention: Librarian's rules: No stacking or double shelving allowed. "Group your books into categories like fiction, nonfiction, and travel, so you can see what you have," says Chris McKenry of Get It Together LA. And good news: "Regifting is perfectly acceptable with books."
Tchotchkes -- they call them dust catchers for a reason
Purging: "You should own nothing that is not useful, beautiful, or loved," says Izsak. If a tchotchke can't pass this test, out it goes.
Prevention: When a new tchotchke comes in, Kosloff suggests immediately rejecting it if you already own something similar. Keep only the little objects you'll use (a vase, a pretty bowl) or that are uniquely meaningful (a handmade gift or travel memento).
Photos -- a picture perfect system
Purging: Keep the gems, toss the rest. "Throw away or delete all the blurry, unflattering, redundant, or bad shots," says Julie Morgenstern, author of "Never Check E-mail in the Morning." This strategy is especially effective if you or your partner is a lousy photographer.
Prevention: Don't feel compelled to label every photo. Instead, organize them into broad categories such as "Venice vacation" or "work events," and store them in a labeled photo box or digital folder. Weed out new shots as you take them or as soon as you receive prints.
The Clothes -- cleanse your closet
Purging: "Remember that 80 percent of the time, we wear only 20 percent of our clothes," says McKenry.
So go through your wardrobe and jettison anything that's one of the four S's: stretched, small, smelly (ew!), or stained (sure, you could clean the stained and smelly pieces, but the idea is to let things go).
Another great tip: Turn all your hangers in one direction, and for the next six months, flip the hanger (and leave it flipped) when you wear something. Donate the untouched clothes.
Prevention: "The rule of thumb," says Izsak, "is that when something new comes in, at least one thing -- preferably two -- must go. And be realistic. Ladies, if you're a size 10, hold on to the 8s but not the 6s."
Don't the following on MissOprah.com:
Nate Berkus's innovative solutions for small spaces
Peter Walsh's 10 tips to declutter your home
How to help a pack rat let go
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Hello and welcome to the Garage Organization blog. My name is Joe Lauer, President of Custom Garage of Minnesota.
Customizing and organizing garages is my career, my hobby and my focus. It all started about 10 years ago when, upon cleaning up our garage over a weekend with a little elbow grease and some experimentation, we were surprised how much more enjoyment we got out of our garage. Also, we found that coming home after a long day's work into a spotless and organized garage did wonders in reducing our stress level.
There are plenty of things you can do to organize your garage; from do-it-yourself enhancements to complete professional makeovers. Some of you have already started your garage projects, while others have expressed interest in getting it done. Please visit this blog at your leisure to view topics on organization, beautification, finishing, heating, floor treatment and repair and many other topics that may help you.
I have borrowed a term from another pastime of mine and adapted it to my garage philosophy. The term now reads "Free your garage, free your mind". I firmly believe that because the garage is typically the last thing you see when you leave your home for work or play, and the first thing you see upon your return, having it cleaned and organized will truly reduce the stress in your lives and give you a better overall feeling about your living space. I also believe that most of you will feel the same way.
I hope that you find this blog useful. Please feel free to post any and all comments as well. Have a great day.
Joe
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