Overhead Garage Storage
Since my basement is finished, I don’t have much room to store bulk items. Closets can help to de-clutter. Basement and garage shelving can go a long way towards solving the storage problem. However, one often overlooked option is the garage ceiling. Depending on the ceiling height, you may have one or more storage options. In this article, I want to highlight the overhead storage platform.
I recently installed a 45” x 45” platform over each garage bay. The platform supports up to 250 pounds and adjusts in depth from the ceiling from 18” to 28”. So far these have proven to be extremely useful. Not only have they enabled me to make use of otherwise wasted space in my garage, but the platform is great for storing very large boxes that will not fit on wall shelving.
I purchased the Craftsman HighAWAY Storage System. I was pretty happy with it except for the lag bolts that shipped in the box. They almost all stripped. I ended up throwing them all away and purchasing some better quality ones from Home Depot. Amazon sell the very similar HyLoft Overhead Storage System which receives excellent reviews.
Essentially, you find two ceiling joists and secure the platform into the joists with lag bolts. And although they boast a 250 pound weight limit, I am hesitant to test it since I park my car underneath the platform each night. I’ve been storing Christmas decorations- so I’ve packed the platform and probably haven’t exceeded 100 pounds. Installation took about an hour and a half- much of it on a ladder drilling into the ceiling. Pretty straightforward stuff. Take your time with the measuring.
Good luck!
-Jon
How to Assemble a Swing Set
A couple of months ago, we purchased a Rainbow swing set from Costco. The set was pretty large- seven boxes and a slide that, in total, weighed about a thousand pounds. Getting it home was a chore, but we managed to do it in two trips with a Ford Explorer. We solicited a couple of quotes from people that were willing to assemble the set- both quotes were between $500 and $1,000. So, I decided to assemble the swing set myself.
The instructions recommend that you inventory the parts prior to assembly. Well, I started to do just that. Thirty minutes later, my garage bay was filled with wood and I still had quite a bit left to unpack. I never really completed taking inventory (as it turned out, the set was complete). The swing set included an instruction manual, an instructional DVD (with 30+ chapters!), and a laminated sheet that laid out every piece of wood, screw, and bolt that is required for each step. The sheet was very helpful- it also had actual size drawings of each screw, bolt, nut, and washer to make it easier to identify the correct hardware for each step.
Prior to assembly, I needed to find a 17 foot by 17 foot level section of my backyard. I also needed an additional 5 to 10 feet of clearance on all sides. Done.
In terms of tools, you will absolutely need a drill. An impact wrench is also very useful for tightening the hundreds of lag bolts that hold the swing set together. I recommend using two drills- one for drilling and another for screwing. Otherwise, you will constantly be switching out drill bits. The only other tools that I really needed were a tape measure, a pencil, and a level.
As far as assembly goes- it is not to difficult, but very time consuming. I estimate that, from start to finish, it took about 30 man hours. The lag bolt holes are pre-drilled, but you will need to drill all the holes for all the screws. I’m not sure why all holes are not pre-drilled, I my guess is that drilling holes during assembly provides you with a tight, accurate assembly. I can imagine that things like temperature and ground topography may cause pre-drilled holes to line up slightly offset. There are a couple of steps that are difficult to complete without a second person (e.g. installing the swing beam), but most steps can be done alone. Once assembly is complete, you may want to sand any areas that have splintered during shipping or installation.
Here are a couple of pictures of the final product. This set has a three swing beam, a two-tiered fort, a rock climbing wall, a picnic bench, and a sandbox. The toddler swing in the pictures was an after market purchase, but this swing set did include a trapeze. All in all, assembly took me a full weekend and a few additional hours the following Monday and Tuesday. I had a second person helping for one weekend day.
Good luck!
-Jon
How to Build a Media Room – Part 3
In Part 1 and Part 2 of the series of how to build a media room, we provided ideas for planning, constructing, and decorating a home theater. As a follow-up, here are a few pictures of our finished product.
Here is the entrance. We chose double doors because we wanted more of a grand entrance than a single door provides. The doors are painted with a semi-gloss finish on the outside, but a flat finish (to minimize glare) on the inside.
The wall of the media room are decorated with movie posters. Sconces (operated by a remotely controlled dimmer) provide soft lighting, while recessed lights provide optional additional lighting. The popcorn machine was a nice addition. I recommend premeasured ingredient packs for convenience.
This is a 103 inch fixed screen. The center channel and two front speakers are flush mounted directly below the screen. To the right is a built-in equipment rack and to the left are built-in shelves for media.
The rear four chairs are elevated on a 12 inch raised platform. There are two steps on the left.
Good luck!
Jon
How to Build a Media Room – Part 2
In Part 1 of this article, I discussed reasons why you may want to build a media room, choosing a location in your home, pre-wiring, and adding lighting, flooring, and sound insulation. In this post, we’ll discuss the remaining steps.
Painting the Room
The ideal paint for a media room is a dark color in a flat finish. Why? Because it does not reflect as much light. So I recommend that you target one or more dark colors (in a flat finish, of course) that fit nicely with the décor of your room. For example, if you have black, blues and grays as your primary colors, then you may want to go with a charcoal gray or midnight blue wall color. It is very important that you also paint the ceiling dark and flat. If you have baseboards, crown molding, or chair rail, you can also paint the molding in a flat color.
In my media room, I have red carpet and dark brown chairs. The walls are painted in a chocolate brown with a slight red tint. The ceiling is done in a similar, but slightly lighter color. The molding is done in a lighter (flat) accent color. I also painted the inside of the entrance doors using the wall color.
Furnishing the Room
You should furnish the room however you like, but I do have a couple of tips.
1) Use the right seating based on the attributes of the room
- Don’t overcrowd the room
- Arrange the seating such that no view is obstructed
- Consider the ideal viewing distance based on your screen size
2) Make it comfortable
- Does the seating recline?
- Do you have cup holders or side tables for drinks?
- Are the seats comfortable enough for a two hour movie?
3) Think of the little things
- Pillows and throws
- DVD storage
- A clock
- Snacks
Finishing Touches
Wall Art
You can get pretty creative with home theater wall art. Here are a few ideas:
- Stencil film-themed art
- Hang old film reels or clapper boards
- Framed photos of classic theaters
I chose to hang framed movie posters. Now, I could write an entire article about movie posters- but here are a couple of thoughts. You can get 24” x 36” standard poster sized reproductions from most online art stores such as art.com and posters.com. The benefit of these is that they fit into a standard 24” x 36” frame. This is a common size, so there will be many frame style to choose from and you can find lots of pre-framed art in the same size. Instead of the 24” x 36” reproductions, you can purchase 27” x 40” original movie posters. I believe that the best place to find these is on eBay. Oddly enough, they originals seem to be less expensive than the reproductions- especially if you purchase more than one from the same vendor at the same time to save on shipping costs. Most are in mint or excellent condition. The downside is that are is a limited selection of 27” x 40” frames. I purchased the black vinyl frame style. The framed posters will introduce some glare into the room, but the anti-glare plastic in the product above will help.
Equipment
The actual theater equipment is outside the scope of this article. However, there are many comprehensive home theater sites on the Web, such as:
I will make one general recommendation pertaining to you equipment purchase. Start with a budget and choose a complete system that fits within that budget. Take a look at www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/. This site gives recommendations for complete systems based on price points.
Good luck!
Jon
How to Hide a Spare House Key
For many people, having a spare key for emergency situations is a must. Whatever the reason- as a backup in the event you lose you primary key, so that your children don't need to keep a key with them, or for emergency entrance by others, the important things to consider are location, disguise, and protection.
Location
The first thing to consider is WHERE you want to keep the spare key. Some of the more common ideas I've heard or read are:
- Under a doormat- Please don't do this, even if it is just for five minutes. It is probably the first place that comes to mind when someone thinks of hiding a key and the first place that a burglar will look. Choose a place that isn't obvious to potential thieves.
- In the dog house (where the pitbull hangs out)
- In a flower pot
- Inside the zipper of patio furniture cushions (my patio furniture cushions do not have zippers)
- Somewhere hidden in your landscaping (inside a plastic bag buried in the mulch, taped to the base of a bush, etc.)
- Nailed to a tree
The bottom line is that you want to choose a place that will be difficult for others to find. This hiding place should not be highly visible to others. The last thing you want is reach into your secret bush and have a dozen people watching you. For areas near a metal structure, a magnetic key case can provide storage and some protection from the elements. This particular one is made of plastic, so it won't rust like the ones you can find at the local hardware store.
Disguise
Disguising the location of the key decreases the chances that a burglar will find it. Most disguises involve buring the key in something or taping the key behind or underneath something. Examples of burying include hiding the key in the soil in a flower pot and under mulch in flower beds. Examples of taping include securing the key under the barbeque grill, inside the gutter downspout, and behind/underneath a part of a deck. In addition to the methods above, there are a couple of "hiding places" that can be purchased online.
- Pretend Sprinkler Head - This particular product also includes a window sticker that reads, "WARNING: THIS PROPERTY PROTECTED BY SDC SECURITY SYSTEMS". A visual deterrent is one of the most valuable aspects of a security system. In fact, the largest traffic source to this article on wireless security systems is from Google searches for ADT yard signs.
Personally, I think the pretend rock is old news. However, if you have lots of rocks on your property, then a fake rock may be a great choice. The sprinkler head is a great idea, but only if you have an in-ground sprinkler system. If not, it may look odd to have only one sprinkler head for your entire lawn.
Protection
Finally, consider restricing access to the key with some sort of a combination lock, either in a lockbox, in the garage, or both.
Lockbox
In the Garage
- Wireless keypad garage door opener (Make sure that your purchase a model that is compatible with your garage door opener)
An alternative to a garage can be a tool shed that is secured by a combination padlock.
In the Garage in a Lockbox
Now you have got two layers of protection, the keypad combination to open the garage door and the lockbox.
One additional way that you can protect your spare key is to keep it at a trusted neighbor's house. This the the best choice for many people. Your spare key is locked inside someone else's home (hopefully not labeled with your address). If you ever need the key, a cell phone call is all you need to access the spare- provided your nieghbor is at home. The downside is that you must find a neighbor that you trust and who will usually be home during the times that you may need to drop by and pick up the spare key.
Conclusion
My choice would be to keep the spare key in the garage in a lockbox. However, I would take the extra step of mounting the lockbox in a non-obvious location. If your garage contains lots of clutter, use that as concealment. Now you have multiple safeguards in place- a combination keypad for garage entry and a hidden box with combination access in the garage. If you also have a home security system that must be disarmed upon entry, you can feel pretty good about keeping a spare key around.
Jon
