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Ventura Home & Garden Shows 18th Annual “Spring Show”
By Wong Car Garage | March 16, 2010
Come Visit Garage Envy’s Full Showroom Trailer!
Garage Cabinets, Flooring Options, Wall Storage,
Wall Accessories, Ceiling Storage…
Where: Seaside Park, Ventura County Fairgrounds
When: This weekend - March 19, 20, 21, 2010
Time:
Friday noon-6PM
Saturday 10AM-6PM
Sunday 10AM-6PM
What:
Also find stuff for the Outdoors and Indoors for your home.
Landscaping, Pools, Spas, Furniture,
Remodeling, Cabinetry, Windows & Shutters
Admission: $5 and Kids 12 and under are FREE! ($2 Coupon at http://www.capitalshowcase.com/ventura.html)
Topics: Garage Cabinets, Garage Flooring, Garage Wall Accessories | 1 Comment »
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San Diego’s Messiest Garage Contest - Final Phase!!
By Wong Car Garage | March 1, 2010
You’ve followed us from the beginning! Who in San Diego is going to win the San Diego 6 TV and Garage Envy’s “Messiest Garage” Contest? You watched the big reveal of the winner and now here is the job all finished!
Check out the video!
Meet our winners Patty, Jeff and their 3 girls. See how their garage was renovated and organized to give everyone in the family a space of their own, creating a garage into another internal living space.
Congratulations!
Do you want to transform your garage? If you’re in San Diego, Los Angeles or Central Coast, Garage Envy is waiting to hear from you! Give them a call!
Mention this contest and receive 15% off !! (Offer ends March 31, 2010)
(888) 248-8544
Topics: Contests, Garage Cabinets, Garage Flooring, Garage Wall Accessories | No Comments »
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Ed Begley Jr’s Garage Tour
By Wong Car Garage | February 25, 2010
A Green Garage is the Name of the Game!
Ed Begley Jr. gives us a personal tour of his garage and more specifically his historic RAV-4 plug-in car.
But take a look at that good looking garage!
So guess who renovated Ed’s Eco-Friendly green garage? Yup, yours truly!
So just in case you’re interested in all the green materials we used, check out the following:
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Wood used for ceiling lofts and slatwall system
- Eco Soy Stained floors and Concrete Polishing
- Bamboo Cabinetry
- Recycled Limestone Countertops
- Zero % VOC Paints
- LED Lighting
Give us a call if you would like to see about making your garage green!
(818) 767-9870
Stay Tuned for Garage Mahal’s Season Premier on DIY Network
April 9th 1 hr special Season Premier
Jay Leno’s Garage Makeover (his home garage!)
Over 2000 sq ft remodel
More details to come…
Topics: Cool Car Videos, Green Garage Events | 1 Comment »
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Garage Flooring Options
By Wong Car Garage | February 11, 2010
So many options! Which to choose? What’s the best product for YOUR garage? Should you do it or have someone else do it? And the most important question, how much is it going to cost me??? Well here are the top choices for garage flooring! Hope this is helpful!
Epoxy Floors
(Available at Home Improvement Store-DIY or Store Subcontractor)
Cost: $109 + tax for 2 ½ Car Garage (approximately 500 square feet coverage)
My Review: These floors give “Epoxy” a bad name. But it’s cheap! Yeah, it’s cheap! Almost 75% of the floors I’ve been out to fix were these DIY floors from a can. Most were less than a year old and already the car tires were pulling up the coating, pealing, showing stains and leaving skid marks. The solid color floor always shows more dirt and debris than a speckled one. Could not find warranty information online.
Liquid Granite Floor
(Available through Garage Floor Professional only)
Cost: Starting at $4.50/sq.ft (2 car garage = $1,800) includes labor, material, tax and lifetime warranty
My Review: Also called Hybrid Polymer or Epoxy Flooring, this is the best type of flooring for your garage if you park cars in it, play in it or want a seamless surface impervious to oil, transmission fluids, etc. Liquid beads up and you can wipe it up or hose down your garage. It’s a permanent finish that will raise the value of your property should you ever resell. It’s a 4-5 layer process only done by a professional. And it has to be done right!
The Process
1. Homeowner must clear all personal belongings off the floors. Some companies will do this at an extra cost. Flooring specialist can work around existing cabinet but if you want the flooring under refrigerators, laundry units, tell your designer. Please note that if it’s too windy or rainy, the job may be postponed.
2. Your floor pro MUST PREP the floor! First off, if you already have paint or rustoleum on your floor, it has to be removed. Then the contractor has to diamond grind your concrete. This is done with a machine that looks like a big floor buffer with a bag attached to collect the dust. It roughens the floor up and opens the pores so that the liquid layers seep in, harden and bite down so you don’t have that peeling problem. WARNING! Beware anyone that offers to ACID ETCH your floor! It is illegal to hose this off into our California storm drains because of the environmental damage. Contractors caught doing this can be fined $10,000!! Plus the floor remains smooth and you know what happens when you glue something onto a smooth surface…no stick!
3. Garage floor crack repair. Your garage designer should be able to assess floor damage as minor or major and if there are additional costs involved.
4. The first layer should be an alkali moisture barrier. This keeps the moisture from the earth from coming up into the garage.
5. A layer of epoxy (if not mixed with the moisture barrier) is added.
6. Piles of vinyl chips are hand distributed to fully cover your entire garage.
7. Next day the excess is scraped off and sanded vertically and horizontally. What’s left is a textured “no skid” surface.
8. Impervious, UV clear coat is applied and left to dry. Garage door needs to be kept open for 6 hours to allow drying (depending on weather). Sometimes a smell is added so that when it dissipates, you know it’s dry.
9. Process takes 2-3 days and approximately 48 hours to dry. Some companies say 24 hours to dry that means the material dries faster during application and they may have less control.
10. Keep cars out of the garage until the drying process is over.
Stained Concrete
(Available through Garage or Concrete Specialist only)
Cost: Slightly less than the Liquid Granite Floor costs.
Stained and polished concrete can be absolutely beautiful! But staining concrete is like staining wood. You never know quite what it’s going to look like until it’s done. It depends on several things: grade of concrete, was it poured in parts or all at once, are there existing cracks, how many layers of stain do you want applied?? Have your floor specialist apply a little stain on a corner of your garage floor to get an idea before you start. Upside to this process is that it takes less time in application and drying.
Interlocking Rubber Mats
(Available through Garage Floor Professional , Stores and Online)
Cost: Starting at $3.50/sq.ft (2 car garage = $1,400) includes material, tax and manufacturer’s warranty
My Review: These floors are great in warehouses, play rooms or work areas. They are heavy duty, impervious to oil and car fluids. They add thicker cushioning than the liquid granite floors. They are interlocking 20×20 square puzzle-like pieces that come in several colors. You can create patterns and use your alma mater’s colors. You can install yourself if you have a mallet, some time and enough material. You need the squares, tapered edges and corner pieces. Installation is quicker and no chemicals like the liquid granite. The only drawback is the seams. You cannot hose down the garage without lifting up some tiles to dry out the floor underneath. Just make sure you get the industrial grade, not the ones you can get at Costco!
Paint (DIY)
If you are thinking of doing this, I have one word for you….DON’T!! The only way it’s slightly acceptable is if you never park cars in it and are not planning on selling it ever. Paint lowers the value of the garage. Hot tires will peal up paint like no one’s business!
Pressure Wash and Polish
(DIY or Handyman)
Cost: Simply the cost of renting a pressure washer and a polish kit.
This is a temporary finish that lasts a year or so depending on how you use your garage. Just remember you have to clean the garage every time, rent the pressure washer, etc etc. The downside will depend on how much oil damage and staining have already occurred. If the damage is too great, the pressure wash will be ineffective.
Topics: Advice, Do It Yourself, Garage Flooring | 5 Comments »
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Welcome Hildebrandt and AC Lifts to the Garage Envy Family!
By Wong Car Garage | February 2, 2010
Garage Envy is happy to welcome Hildebrandt Garage Door Company!
Along with being a full service general contractor, Garage Envy is adding a garage doors to our menu.
Hildebrandt has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing and distributing sectional garage doors. They carry warrantied panel, flush, carriage, aluminum, copper and California Wood doors. Check out there site at http://www.TheBetterDoor.com.
American Custom Lifts Joins Garage Envy
About American Lift Systems, Inc…
American Lift Systems, Inc. (DBA American Custom Lifts) offers the widest variety of hydraulic and mechanical lifts in the world. American Custom Lifts began in 1998 with a prior relationship to Advantage Lifts Systems, Inc., specializing in parallelogram lifts and mobile column lifts. Since then we have diversified to designing and marketing custom design lifts, parking lifts, car lifts, truck lifts, four-post lifts, and two post lifts and motorcycle lifts, motorcycle trailerstrailer lifts and .
Our primary business today is material handling equipment providing a wide source of material handling lifts such as scissor lifts, freight lifts, dock lifts, truck levelers, portable stacker lifts, auto transport lifts, vertical reciprocating conveyors and Automated Parking Systems.
We offer technical assistance and Engineering designs for specialty applications and can produce custom material handling equipment for virtually any industry. Our associates, distributors and representatives have experience in providing custom lift solutions, service and installation for Government agencies, major automobile manufacturers, and other industries such as aerospace, food & drug stores, museums, paper mills, steel mills, department stores and much more.
American Custom Lifts also specializes in the parking lift industry both for commercial and residential applications. We offer the widest selection of American made parking systems, including the only American made Automated Parking System. We’re also the only company in the United States that offers an American made scissors subterranean parking lift that is code compliant in every city in U.S.
We offer parallelogram lifts, mobile column lifts, four post, two post vehicle lifts and truck lifts for public-work garages, motor-home lines, railroad transit facilities, airport and ground support vehicle garages, utility fleets, school buses, construction, fire departments, mechanic shops and towing yards. We even offer a subterranean parking lift for a space-saving way to park your car beneath your home. American Custom Lifts offers every type of automotive lift needed for any of the above industries.
The staff and experience of American Custom Lifts are a testament to a company that is continuing its growth and development of new products. Because of the talented people who motorize and drive American Custom Lifts beyond the standard, American Custom Lifts now occupies the leadership in development of both hydraulic and mechanical lifting systems.
Topics: Garage Partners | No Comments »
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How to Prepare for Your Garage Design-Estimate Appointment
By Wong Car Garage | January 26, 2010
So you’ve done your due diligence and chosen 3 Garage renovation companies (or any contractor) for that matter to come and give you a FREE ESTIMATE.
Here’s a few things you can do in preparation:
- The more the designer can see in your garage, the less chance for redesign or mistakes during installation. So clear out what you can or expect possible changes in design and/or pricing once production starts.
- Make sure there’s room to walk and properly measure the areas you want to create more storage.
- Have an idea what you want the end result to be. (Don’t be afraid to be specific!!)
- I need garage cabinets for suitcases, tools, cleaning supplies and camping gear
- I want ceiling storage for old files, holiday decorations
- More electrical outlets for electric tools and a 2nd refrigerator
- I want to make the garage a play area for my kids
- I want to create cabinet storage and park both cars in the garage.
- I need a workbench to do my arts and crafts and fold laundry
- I need to hang my surfboards
- Have a reasonable idea of what your budget is and add 10% cushion just in case. A good designer will be able to help you design within your budget.
- Best to make sure all homeowners have a clear idea of what is needed and wanted! (scope of work, colors, materials)
- For best results, all decision makers should be present during the appointment so all questions can be answered at once.
Here are some things you should expect during your design session:
- The company should confirm your appointment the day before
- Your designer should arrive promptly or call if late or lost
- The Design Session takes up to an hour depending on how many questions you have.
- A professional designer should ask you what you want and what you need in order to create an appropriate design. You’re a team!
- Ask them as many questions as you like. They ought to be knowledgeable on product, installation process, company, pricing, timing and competition.
- If they’re really good, they’ll offer up that info whether you ask or not!
- You should see samples of all the products.
- A design and an estimate are often available during the appointment. Don’t panic! But don’t be surprised if they ask for the sale that day!
- And if not the same day make sure you find out when it will be delivered to you and see if they’re good on their word!
- These are all good indications of whether the company is trustworthy or not!
When making your decision consider the following 3 questions:
- Do you trust the designer / company?
- Do you like the product and design that you’ve worked out?
- Is it affordable?
Feel free to ask me any questions you may have.
Good Luck!
Let me know how it goes! 
Topics: Advice, Do It Yourself, Helpful Tips | 1 Comment »
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Should I DIY or Hire a Pro and How?
By Wong Car Garage | January 19, 2010
Hi, I’m Jenn and I’ve been designing garages and kitchens for years now.
Here’s some advice I have given my friends and clients when they are debating on whether to DIY (Do it Yourself) or hire a professional. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Advice, Do It Yourself, Helpful Tips | 3 Comments »
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(Video) And The Winner Is…
By Wong Car Garage | December 30, 2009
Thanks to everyone for entering our San Diego Messiest Garage Contest!! After several late nights sifting through all your entries, looking at your photos, reading your stories (over 175) we finally chose a winner!
Congratulations Patti and Jeff of San Marco, CA! (Watch the video to check out some of the “Before” photos and hear a little bit of their garage makeover story.) And stay tuned for garage organizing tips and ongoing progress all the way to a $10,000 finished product.
And for all of you who entered…Thank You! And remember the following garage tips:
- Use your ceiling space if you have it
- Use your walls to get all that stuff off the ground
- Call us for a FREE Design Estimate if you get stuck and need a helping hand!
Garage Envy San Diego
(888) 248-8544
sdco@garageenvy.com
Topics: Contests | 1 Comment »
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Thank You San Diego!
By Wong Car Garage | December 15, 2009
Thank You San Diego Residents!!
In partnership with San Diego 6 TV our Messiest Garage Contest has been a great success…so far!
Over 175 entries have thrown their names into the hat and await the judges decision.
Our tentative date to announce the winner will be December 24th, 2009.
We look forward to naming the lucky winner on San Diego 6 and start designing the winners new garage!
To stay updated on our Garage Renovation progress you can:
- Subscribe to our RSS Feed
- Follow us on Twitter @GarageEnvy
- Become a Fan of the Garage Handyman on FaceBook
- Watch San Diego 6!
If you are interested in Garage Envy’s Remodeling Services and would like a FREE ESTIMATE, please contact us at:
(888) 248-8544
info@garageenvy.com
Topics: Contests | No Comments »
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San Diego’s Garage Makeover Contest Part 2 (Video)
By Wong Car Garage | December 3, 2009
Thanks San Diego! Keep entering our contest!
With the efforts of San Diego6 TV and our own Brooke Dahlgren in the San Diego Garage Envy office, our Messiest Garage Contest is off to a great start! In the past couple weeks we’ve already received over 25 entries!
Watch our video to learn about the quality of product we carry from heavy duty garage cabinets to garage flooring that is warrantied for as long as you own your house!
If you’d like a chance to win, please submit the following information to:
-Name of the Homeowner(s)
-Address
-Daytime and Evening Phone Numbers (To be contacted if you are selected)
-3 Photos of Your Garage
-A brief story telling us why you deserve to win a Garage Makeover from Garage Envy
Contest ends December 13th.
Three (3) finalists will be notified by phone between December 14th - 18th.
Stay tuned to SanDiego6 for more updates as we get closer to choosing a winner!
Topics: Contests, Garage Cabinets, Garage Flooring, Garage Wall Accessories | 1 Comment »
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