About.com Garages & Storage Spaces

Baby, It's White Outside

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:58:08 +0000

There won't be a white Christmas in central Texas this year. No surprises there. But judging by weather forecasts, in much of the country, any snowblowers given as gifts will probably get put to immediate use.

If the winter solstice has got you to thinking about keeping some of the cold and snow out of your garage, maybe it's time to seal the garage door. Without good seals on all four edges, most garage doors do a poor job of keeping the elements out. I've prepared a short primer on What To Look for in Garage Door Seals. With the right products and no special tools, you can handle the job in just a couple of hours.

Photo � Auto Care Products

Baby, It's White Outside originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 10:58:08.

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Recycling Kitchen Cabinets

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:06:38 +0000

I've written before about finding new uses for old kitchen cabinets. Norm Abram agrees that this is a smart way to add some inexpensive storage in the garage or basement. Writing in This Old House, he adds a cautionary note about taking steps to avoid moisture problems with the recycled cabinets.

When you remove cabinets from the kitchen, the bottom edges of base cabinets are likely unfinished. If you then set these edges on a concrete floor in the garage or basement, they are likely to absorb moisture and swell. Norm suggests that you can limit this problem by sealing the bottom edges with an oil-based paint or primer.

It's also a good idea to put the cabinets on plastic or vinyl spacers, which will resist moisture being absorbed.

Recycling Kitchen Cabinets originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 12:06:38.

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Digital Rights and Garage Door Openers

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:11:18 +0000

Here's a little question to break the ice next time you're in the company of a bunch of lawyers: "What do music downloads, ink jet printer cartridges and garage door opener remotes have in common?"

The answer, it would seem, is the digital rights management (DRM) provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. The DMCA was an effort to extend copyright law to digital technology, making it illegal to disseminate technology that could bypass copy restrictions. DRM refers to the technologies that companies use to limit use of digital devices.

Music downloads, ink jet printer cartridges and garage door opener remotes are all digital items. Companies have relied on DRM to restrict the copying of music and the production of replacement cartridges for printers. It turns out that one manufacturer of garage door openers, Chamberlain, also tried to use it to keep the manufacturer of a universal garage door opener remote, Skylink, from selling its product in the U.S.

Chamberlain sued Skylink, and lost. The case was a bit complicated. Chamberlain tried to maintain that the universal remote control was a security threat, but the courts refused to buy this argument, which would have effectively turned anyone who bought a Skylink remote into a criminal.

Nate Anderson has written an interesting piece on this case, which you can read here. Anderson stumbled upon the story while reading the owner's manual for the garage door opener in his new house. He has some interesting points to make about how companies try to limit competition, and thus restrict our options as consumers.

Digital Rights and Garage Door Openers originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Friday, December 18th, 2009 at 11:11:18.

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Last Minute Christmas Shopping Ideas (For Me, Too)

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:48:18 +0000

When I was a kid, it was not uncommon of me to ask for a Corvette for Christmas. No luck there. Now that I'm no longer a kid, I'm more likely to request a Lexus with a big red ribbon on top, like you see on the TV commercials. Still no luck. Almost enough to make a guy start questioning the existence of Santa Claus. Almost.

It's crunch time for Christmas shopping. If you decided against a new ride for that special someone in your life, here are Nine Great Gift Ideas for the Home Workshop that might help you out.

Though, if you're shopping for me, please note that I already own everything on this list. Still could use a Corvette, or a Lexus, though.

Photo courtesy flickr/Creative Commons

Last Minute Christmas Shopping Ideas (For Me, Too) originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 09:48:18.

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Beware the Hucksters Peddling Cures for Chinese Drywall Problems

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:26:42 +0000

Every problem for one group seems to create a business opportunity for another. Such has been the case with victims of tainted Chinese-made drywall. The Federal Interagency Task Force (which includes the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has concluded that the hydrogen sulfide in the drywall seems to be related to metal corrosion, such as the blackened copper in the photo, and other problems. Suits are being filed right and left, including a class-action suit in Louisiana.

But the Feds are warning people against enterprising souls trying to sell bogus tests and treatments. The Federal Trade Commission has issued an alert that there currently are no approved testing kits or remediation methods. The FTC suggests that homeowners exercise caution when dealing with anyone claiming otherwise.

For more information on the government's investigation, check this Web site, where you can also sign up for regular email updates.

Photo � Consumer Product Safety Commission

Beware the Hucksters Peddling Cures for Chinese Drywall Problems originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 17:26:42.

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A Better Garage Door Opener Light Bulb

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:23:14 +0000

Garage door openers generate a lot of vibration, and that can cause the light bulbs in them to fail much sooner than you'd like. If you have that problem, replace the bulb with a "rough service" model. Though they cost a bit more than standard incandescents, rough service bulbs have a beefed up filament that will hold up better to all the shaking it receives. And if the bulb lasts longer, you'll make up the price difference over time. I've seen rough service bulbs from both GE and Sylvania.

For other problems with your garage door opener, take a look at Troubleshooting the Most Common Garage Door Opener Problems.

Photo � Jeff Beneke

A Better Garage Door Opener Light Bulb originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 14:23:14.

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Jay Leno and My Garage Envy

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:06 +0000

Late night TV more or less ended for me when Johnny Carson retired. So I was never much good in those "Letterman vs. Leno" arguments. But I'm pretty sure I'd rather hang out with Leno. Specifically, hang out with him in his garage.

Jay Leno collects cars. Lots and lots of cars (and motorcycles). Beyond that, he really loves cars, and he knows a lot about them. He writes a regular column for Popular Mechanics, which is something you aren't likely to get from Letterman. I'd trust Jay with any engine in any car I owned.

I just came across a gallery of photos of Leno's Big Dog Garage taken on a recent tour. It's pretty impressive.

You can also keep up with Jay's garage activities at JayLenosGarage.com. Just be prepared to experience a little garage envy.

Jay Leno and My Garage Envy originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 12:00:06.

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New Rules and Safe Practices with Lead Paint

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:59:57 +0000

Lead is a toxic substance that was used in paint and other products for many years before the long list of health problems it caused became hard to ignore. Like asbestos, lead has proven to be another case where consumers were used as guinea pigs. Rather than testing the metal for health and environmental effects, it was mixed with paint and gasoline and plumbing materials and allowed to cause serious behavioral problems, seizures and even death before steps were taken to limit exposure.

Lead has taken a particularly serious toll on young children. And one of the prime ways children have been exposed is by inhaling lead dust or swallowing lead-based paint chips.

Lead-based paint was banned from use in residential construction in 1978, but many homes built before that still cause problems. That's why the EPA has taken steps to limit the dangers posed to people living in those old houses and people renovating them. Beginning in April 2010, contractors will be required to follow new regulations when working on homes built prior to 1978. The EPA recommends that contractors follow three steps:

1. Contain the work area
2. Minimize dust
3. Clean up thoroughly

These are also good steps to take if you are a DIYer. If you live in a house built before 1978, you should educate yourself about the potential dangers posed by lead. It's nothing to panic about, but taking the right steps when working on remodeling projects can pay big dividends for yourself and your family. A good place to start is with the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet.

New Rules and Safe Practices with Lead Paint originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 11:59:57.

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Using a Car as a Storage Unit

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:56:18 +0000

This morning I read a funny article about a guy who uses his car as a storage unit . . . parked on the streets of New York City, no less.

I had a brief experience along those lines about 30 years ago. I was moving from Houston to upstate New York, and stopped to see some friends in Manhattan. Within hours of arriving, the entire contents of my car--including most of my clothes and all of my tools--had been stolen.

So count me out as an advocate of the car-as-storage idea, at least in NYC. I am not planning to include it on my list of Top Ten Overlooked Storage Spaces.

But, for the fellow profiled in the article, the Lincoln Town Car storage unit was actually working out pretty well. He moved the car just enough to avoid a parking ticket. And he also used it to taxi himself from New York to his other home, in Tennessee. The car is usually stacked to the gills with clothes and other items, but not so high as to block the rear window.

According to the owner, Kerry McDonald, "It's just a convenient way to keep things that we don't have room for in the apartment." He and his wife also rent a couple of storage units. The car might be a cheaper option. I wonder if this could start a trend.

Photo courtesy flickr/Creative Commons

Using a Car as a Storage Unit originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 11:56:18.

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Tax Credits and Energy-Efficient Homes

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:14:23 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Obama administration is looking to use federal funds to reward homeowners who take steps to make their homes more energy efficient. The hope is that this step might generate new jobs in insulation services, window replacement and other projects. Homeowners would likely receive their reward in the form of a tax credit.

The article fails to mention that there are already tax credits available for some energy-efficient home improvements. You can, for example, earn a credit if you install a new insulated garage door. For more information on this, see How To Earn a Tax Credit with New Insulated Garage Doors. You can also receive a credit for adding insulation to your attic, which I plan to do in the next couple of weeks. One nice aspect of this latter program is that you can receive a 30 percent tax credit on insulation expenses even if you do the work yourself.

For more information on these existing credits, see the Energy Star Web site. To claim the credit on 2009 taxes, you will need to finish the work by the end of the year. As it currently stands, though, this credit will be available for 2010 taxes.

Tax Credits and Energy-Efficient Homes originally appeared on About.com Garages & Storage Spaces on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 17:14:23.

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