I am so thrilled with our new garage. I no longer have to put down the garage door to hide it. It had been a disaster since we moved in 18 years ago. Every year it seemed that something else came up that took precedence over organizing the garage.
Early this year, The Daily Herald and Garage Store teamed up to offer a Garage Makeover Contest, About 80 readers entered to win the $5,000 makeover. The Prospect Heights couple who won were delighted. While their home is always clean and tidy, their garage had become a dumping ground. The clutter, including painting supplies, sports equipment, gardening tools and hand-me-downs, prevented the homeowner from parking his car in his garage. In fact, only his wife’s car fit in the garage – barely. His automobile had not seen the inside of the garage for more than 10 years. The 65-year-old concrete floor was also cracked and pitted, which only added to the shabbiness of the space. Even when the area was thoroughly swept, the dust and dirt were impossible to remove. That all changed when the Garage Store entered the scene to give the couple a “new” garage. The new space is functional and attractive. It includes new flooring. After filling the cracks with a flexible material, the entire floor was resurfaced, including a four-inch lip that acts like a baseboard and keeps water and melting snow from wicking up the walls, and makes cleaning the garage a breeze. Storage solutions were added, including the cabinets, shelving, racks and hooks that hold everything from drop cloths and painting supplies to children’s sports equipment, gardening tools, and more. There is now even room for the couple’s two cars!