Thursday, April 1, 2010

Tips on Planning Built-In Storage

Having decided on your home's storage space, here are some tips on planning built-in storage.

A sketch of the area for the built-in storage would be a good starting point and for the whole house, it'd be good to map out the respective rooms. This involves taking detailed measurements and it is important to be as accurate as possible. Fitted storage is particularly intolerant of mistakes, and any anomalies will be all too glaring once the cupboard is built and the shelves have gone up. Get help if you're not confident doing the measurements yourself.

The next step is to use the measurements taken to draw up a plan. I'd suggest using graph paper and work to a reasonable scale. This allows you to assess the impact of what you'd like to propose for the respective rooms.

Once the plan is completed, try out different storage solutions. Take a look at catalogues and furniture showrooms to appreciate the common height and depth of fitted units so you don't commission storage that is too tight or too roomy for what you intend to put into it.

One way to avoid this is to draw up the shapes of fitted elements separately, using the same scale, cut them up and move them about on your drawing to test out suitable locations. At this point, I'd like to remind you to give free access to the storage contents; this means drawers can be pulled out easily and cupboard doors can swing open without hitting other furniture.

It's also important to include the quantity and dimensions of the object you're intending to store. When in doubt, measure the item or items and add in a generous margin for future purchases.

One good example of a popular built-in storage design is to include cubicles to provide useful means of organizing different types of belongings. This can be extended to cover an entire wall so the storage looks neat and well considered.

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Simple Garage Floors - Protection and Beauty

There are many types of garage floors available today. The most popular types are rolled, tile and epoxy paint. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages but for the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the simplest types of flooring for a garage; rolled and tile. Epoxy flooring is quite impressive in appearance but the time and effort involved in installing one is best left to the experts.

The most cost effective and easiest garage floors to install are the rolled variety. In fact, many people are drawn to rolled floors because of their easy installation. The average homeowner can install their own garage flooring in just a couple hours with basic tools. Rolled floors come in a variety of colors and textures that will suit anyone's tastes. The most common textures are ribbed, diamond plate, coin and levant.

Garage floor textures play an important part in the decision process. Aside from the amazing appearance a new floor for your garage can add to your home, they also provide anti-fatigue benefits, sound deadening qualities, and improved safety. Ribbed style floors allow liquids to be channeled away which helps keep your floor safe from spills. In addition all textures, including ribbed, offer some anti-slip properties. However, it is important to keep in mind that manufacturers do not consider their garage flooring to be slip resistant with one stating, "There is no substitute for keeping a clean, well-maintained floor."

Garage tiles are also becoming quite popular. They offer many of the same qualities of rolled garage flooring but with an entirely different look. Garage tile floors are usually mixed and matched to give a checker board pattern. Some homeowners even create boarders and other designs in their floors.

The Peel & Stick Tiles are one of the easiest garage tiles to install. You simply peel the backing and apply the tile to the prepared garage floor. The peel and stick type of floor tiles are better than the rigid types simply because they prevent dead spots under the floor. These dead spots can allow spills to collect which makes cleanup difficult. Peel and Stick Tiles are soft and conform to your floor eliminating dead spots. In addition, these tiles do not allow liquids to collect under the floor making cleanup simple and easy.

Whether installing rolled or tile garage flooring, the low cost and impressive benefits make it a quality home improvement project that will add beauty, safety and value to your home.


Are you thinking of building a garage apartment plans and are looking for a set of plans?

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