Sunday, October 12, 2008

Picking the Correct Garage Floor Design for a Working Garage



from JNK Products

One of the questions we get asked most often is what type of pattern and what type of product people should use in a garage floor design that is used for more than just parking cars. Our customers want to know everything from what type of pattern they should use to if a garage floor mat or a garage floor tile or even an epoxy will best fit their needs.

We’ve used both garage floor mats and garage floor tiles without issues in workshop type environments. I think the choice between a mat and a tile is a matter of personal preference and I am hard pressed to find an absolute reason why someone should ALWAYS use one over the other.

I do believe picking the proper garage floor pattern when designing a garage floor, and the colors are important. First, the concept of white garage flooring is something that blows me away. Most people would not consider putting white carpet in their kids room yet they consider white garage flooring in the garage –probably not the best idea. Our experience shows that the silver and grey do the best job of hiding dirt and debris.

If you are going to be rolling a toolbox, a chair or sliding underneath a car I recommend the coin pattern as my first choice. You could go with a smooth tile or mat, but that would leave some questions as to traction. The diamond tile looks sharp and when it comes to appearance is by far my favorite. If, however, you are constantly rolling items with a small wheel base, the diamond pattern tends to be a little loud and provide a little more ‘friction’ then the coin pattern garage flooring products.

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Monday, October 6, 2008

Swisstrax, Inc., Gets You in on the Ground Floor of Innovative Garage Flooring Designs




Diamondtrax Flooring Tiles by Swisstrax, Inc. provides a non-slip, affordable, easy to clean flooring solution for your cracked, chipped and stained concrete flooring areas. Perfect for garages, patios, decks, exhibits, displays, showrooms and even aircraft hangars our flooring is the right solution for your flooring needs, new colors, new styles and a new website. Come to the newly designed website and design your custom floor online.

Swisstrax, Inc. offers a practical and modern alternative to standard concrete and epoxy garage flooring. Randy Nelson, President, is pleased to announce the newest developments for the company. First, it has revamped its website, making it more user-friendly, informative and streamlined. The website address is still the same, www.swisstrax.com. We look forward to comments on how we can continue to make the internet service better. Also, this fall, we are moving to a 9200 square foot warehouse. This will enable Swisstrax to offer a faster shipping turnaround time for our customers and partners, by keeping our best selling products like Diamondtrax Interlocking floor tiles constantly in stock.


Garage Floor with Diamondtrax Flooring
Diamondtrax flooring tiles, one of the top sellers for residential and commercial applications, provide a non-slip, affordable, easy to clean flooring surface that is resistant to chemicals, gas, oil and other common automotive liquids. Unlike concrete or epoxy, Diamondtrax tiles do not chip or crack nor do they require noxious floor stripping chemicals or time consuming concrete patching. The Diamondtrax tiles have a compressive strength of 5120 psi, which means it is more than able to stand up to whatever vehicles, motorcycles, or equipment placed on it. Swisstrax Inc. stands behind it's product with a 12 year warranty and the corporate headquarters is staffed with professional, knowledgeable people who are quick to answer any questions. The simple snap together design of these interlocking tiles make the entire installation quick and uncomplicated enough for the do-it-yourselfer, but there are distributors in most major metropolitan areas to assist with installation. The 14 colors offered in the Diamondtrax product line allow consumers to be creative with personalized floor designs, whether matching an automobiles paint scheme or creating a custom design that shows off favorite team colors. For those who are passionate about cars and want to travel with a custom vehicle, this flooring is 100% portable.

For additional information, please contact Randy Nelson, President of Swisstrax, Inc. toll-free at 866-748-7940 or visit us online at www.swisstrax.com and request a sample of Diamondtrax flooring.

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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Residential Garage Floor Design



from Garage Design Plans 101

Cluttered residential garages are not uncommon. However, you can get away from all the stereotypical designs by investing a little time, effort and cash. You will be glad to realize that there is actually more space and beauty in your own garage than you thought possible. Pick the right layout that matches your needs as well as throw in some creativity to eliminate eyesores.

Rules of Organization
Since the garage is one of the biggest areas in the house, it will be wiser not to underestimate the amount of time and effort you’re going to spend fixing it. Provide at least an entire weekend or two to work on the project. To start organizing, do a visual inspection of the entire area and check how much space you’re using up. It will help a lot if you get the dimensions specifically the total area and height so that you will know which furniture and storage fixtures will fit later on. You may want to ask someone you know to help you estimate the space you have.

When organizing, consider the biggest item you’re supposed to store inside the garage. Do you have a car? How many vehicles do you have? Do you own any power tools that occupy space such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, etc? Start making a list of all items you intend to store inside from the biggest to the smallest. Next, start cleaning out the place. Take away all items you no longer need to be sold, given away or stored in other areas in the house such as the basement or attic. Finally, design your layout that will effectively accommodate all items in the list while freeing up as much space as possible.

Planning the Layout
You can hire a professional or plan the layout yourself with the help of a friend who knows a little about layouts. Start writing down all options to make the design as efficient and convenient as possible. The best approach to save as much space as you can would be to keep all things off the floor if possible. This means you have to invest in fixtures like wall-mounted shelves and baskets, hooks and pins, overhead storage lockers, lofts and tool racks. You may also want to put a couple of large cabinets to keep clutter out of sight.

Use racks and hooks to mount bicycles and power tools. Small items such as nails, screws, bolts and other accessories should be placed in labeled boxes, crates or baskets to be stored in shelves or cabinets for easy access. Larger items can be positioned on lofts and overhead storage shelves if they fit. The rest can remain on the floor but make sure that you still arrange them well out of anyone’s working space and path. Drawers are very useful in storing items which you need to protect against external elements.

As for aesthetic purposes, think of one or two colors to use for the whole room. You may decorate with a few wall-mounted items like a clock, picture frames or framed posters. Be more creative and find the style that best interests you like placing a die-cast miniature Ferrari on one of the shelves or pinning a NASCAR flag on one wall. Lights and garage doors should also carefully be chosen to keep everything safe and easy to locate. A single fluorescent lamp is usually adequate for most residential garage designs but you may also use lamps if you have a certain working corner.

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Garage Flooring - Flooring Fundamentals

from FlooringFundamentals

New Trends in Garage Floors
When it comes to garage floors, style and design are typically the last words that come to mind. Although these spaces in your home are critical for storing cars and often serving other needs that you or your family may have, they are often one of the most unattractive spaces in your home. For this reason, consider these new trends in garage floor design to make this necessary part of your home turn out to be a fantastic addition that will foster creativity and enjoyment for the entire family. One way to create this atmosphere is to look to different element of garage floors.
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Garage Rubber Flooring Options
Years ago, only the inside of the house got new flooring but we now see a wide range of options for garage rubber flooring. In addition to creating a nicer space to look at, this type of garage flooring is more comfortable to walk on and it provides a protective cover so dropped objects, spills, or just parking the car does not damage the concrete underneath, which would be expensive to fix or replace.
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Garage Floor Mat Eliminates Stains
If you are tired of your garage floor looking stained and ugly, consider installing a garage floor mat today. These great mats are available in many outlets and allow you to simply roll them out and cut them to size in order to fit the dimensions of your garage. Furthermore, a garage mat allows you to simply wipe up spills and stains so that your garage floor can look as good as new. If your garage is an embarrassment and you are looking for a way to keep it looking great, consider purchasing an easy to install garage floor mat immediately.
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Epoxy Paint for the Garage Floor: Protection and Beauty
Although having a painted garage floor was unheard of years ago, today we see many people turning to various solutions of protection to include epoxy paint for the garage floor. Considering that the garage receives the brunt of dirt, chemicals, cleaners, oil, and other substances, it only makes sense that it should be protected. After all, the cost of redoing a garage floor is high. By using something such as epoxy paint for the garage floor, you can protect your floor while enhancing the overall appearance.
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Garage Flooring Paint Overview
Are you tired of having an unsightly garage floor, one with stains and discoloration – if so, then perhaps garage flooring paint would help with a transformation? While you could purchase any number of flooring materials for your garage, you need to remember that most of these are expensive. For instance, garage tile made from rubber or vinyl works well but you pay for it. Instead, garage flooring paint is a great solution that can make the floor look better without costing a fortune.
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Sunday, September 7, 2008

Garage Design Ideas

Dream It! Just Do It!

from Garage Design Plans 101

Most people hire the services of contractors to make a garage plan for them. But if you prefer to build your own, coming up with a garage design idea is really not difficult. While technical expertise is important, there are basic factors which should make things easy for you. When you are thinking of a good garage design idea, consider the following:

Location.
Where do you plan to build your garage? Most homes either have front or side garage. Either way, garage should be constructed where house and the driveway are most accessible. Location also plays an important role on the overall design of your garage. The space available determines how the garage interior should be constructed in respect on the functions you want your garage to have. Once you have determined the “where”, everything is easy.

Budget.
How much? The amount of money you should pour on the garage design is the next factor you need to be aware of. The cost of constructing a garage per square feet depends on where you live but it roughly goes from $40-$100. The materials you will use for the garage design also play a bit factor. But no matter how large or small you want your garage to be, coming up with a good and precise garage design idea will significantly reduce the amount you have to spend.

Function.
How will the garage be used? Before, the garage is used solely to keep the vehicle secured. But garage nowadays serves multiple purposes from storing house and gardening tools to working space for do-it-yourselfers. Come up with a garage design idea that includes how the garage will be used. Lay out your garage floor plan. Identify the areas where you will install storage cabinets, workstation, bench, wall storage, and car park. The garage design should not only have to look good in paper, it also has to look good and usable when built.

Utilize the spaces available on your floor, wall, and ceiling.
Your garage walls can accommodate most of your home tools and gardening equipment including your brooms, extension cords, hoses, garden tools, ladders, bicycles, balls and bats, golf bags and accessories, food coolers, coats, shoes, hats, and other workshop and general house tools and accessories. Install vertical storage on the wall for additional storage space.

Garage cabinets can store your insect, lawn, and garden chemicals, paint, other small tools used for car maintenance, and the rest of the items you want to keep hidden for safety reasons.

Overhead storage can be installed to maximize the unused space of your ceiling. Here, you can securely keep seasonal items such as sports equipment, holiday decorations, and other things that cannot be kept at the floor.

The key here is not to focus your attention so much on the floor; you have lots of spaces above it.

Aesthetics.
Functionality is your main concern when thinking of a garage design idea, should you be worried with the aesthetics? Yes. How your garage will look like is important. Colors of the wall, design of the cabinets, types of materials used, and even the theme of the garage should be carefully planned.

If you want to get garage design ideas, browse on some online sites that offer free template and downloadable garage designs.

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