Tag Archives: tools

DIY

6 DIY Garage Makeover Ideas

A home makeover includes every room of the house, and the garage is no exception. You may wonder how you can spruce up your garage when you mostly use it for car and tool storage.

Fortunately, you can achieve it with some clever DIY projects. Make your garage look better than ever by streamlining your storage techniques. Build functional yet attractive storage solutions with less money spent and higher returns.

Read on for six DIY projects you can use to upgrade your garage.

1. Foldable Workbench

Maybe you love DIY projects but don’t have space for a separate work station. Build a foldable workbench, and you can create anything without the hassle of clutter.

You’ll need a miter saw, drill, jigsaw and circular saw. Buy some 2x4s, a sheet of plywood, hook-and-eye latches and wood glue. Start your project by connecting the frame railing to the stiles using screws and wood glue and securing the non-moving wood pieces to the stile interiors.

This DIY requires attention to detail, but the finished product is worth it. Swap out the hook-and-eye latches for spring-loaded sash locks to make your workbench more sturdy when its folded up.

Reinforce the middle of the plywood top if you plan to use heavy equipment on your workbench. You can do this by building support rails into the design.

2. Overhead Shelving

Free up your floors and use ceiling space with overhead shelving. This storage idea provides an attractive and out-of-the-way solution for storing large objects like crates and bins. Obtain a circular saw, drill and screws.

Your wood lengths depend on the size of your garage — you’ll need beams long enough for vertical supports and adequate shelving space. Measure the distance between your garage door track and the ceiling to ensure your shelving won’t interfere with it.

What you plan to store on your shelves determines how deep they’ll be, so consider this before doing anything else.

3. Flooring

Update your flooring the inexpensive and easy way by procuring rubber tiles and laying them down yourself. Rubber rolls and tiles come in a range of patterns and colors — choose a style that complements your space.

You may only use your garage for storage, but that doesn’t mean your flooring has to be plain and dull. Many rubber tiles come with interlocking edges to eliminate the need for messy glues, and they’re DIY-friendly.

Invest in skid-free flooring to avoid slips and accidents. Ensure your floor is level before putting anything down — your design won’t appear seamless if it’s not.

4. Carport

Bought a new BMW but you’ve run out of garage space to accommodate it? Protect your new ride from the elements by building a carport. Choose a freestanding or attached style. An attached carport uses the side of your house for support, which makes it more convenient than a freestanding type.

Measure the length you want the posts to be and secure them using concrete or metal anchors. Cut your support beams at the appropriate lengths and attach them to the posts. Attach a ledger to the side of your house and install the rafters using metal hangers.

Once the beams are in place, install plywood, roofing felt, tar paper and shingles to create the roof. The last step involves attaching latticed sides — you can do without them, but they provide extra protection.

5. Tool Holder

Hang up your tools by using a DIY holder made from a wood pallet. Find some at a furniture or hardware store, and obtain two bow rake heads. You’ll also need anchor bolts, a drill, an adjustable wrench and wood stain. Clean your pallet and inspect it for any flaws or hazards — like nails — before using it.

This tip is especially important when picking up pallets from construction yards. Remove one of the slats and reattach it to the bottom of the pallet to create an enclosed space.

Stain or paint your wood the desired color and then secure the anchor bolts. Drill holes into the rake heads and attach them to the pallet to use as hanging hooks for small tools.

6. Bike Storage

Support your hobby of mountain biking — or riding around the neighborhood — by constructing a bike storage solution. You have many options for creating bicycle storage, including wood pallets and ceiling hooks, but you may prefer a more sturdy yet spacious design.

Hang your bikes on the wall by using metal hooks attached to wood plaques. The plaques give your space a refined look while providing function and support. Use a durable glue to attach the hooks, or secure them to the wood using screws.

Put a spin on your bike storing techniques by removing curved handlebars from an old bicycle and mounting them on the wall. Place the frame of your bike onto the handlebars and let them do the heavy lifting.

Upgrade Your Garage

Turn your garage into a brand new space with any of these six DIY projects. You’ll get a new look without turning your wallet inside out, and your neighbors will marvel at your design savvy.

Car Care, DIY, Maintenance

Tools You Need for Working on Your BMW

Making the commitment to work on your BMW rather than sending it to a shop is commendable, but even with the money you save in labor, you’ll need to make an initial investment in tools. We’re not talking about spending thousands of dollars for BMW-specific VANOS adjustment toolkits from Germany, just the basics.

There’s nothing worse than getting halfway into a job and discovering you haven’t got the tool you need to fix your car. With a little bad luck, this could mean undoing all your work so you can drive back to the auto parts store. Rather than have that happen, get these essentials in your garage before you get started.

A Socket Set

Many BMWs come with a small toolkit that folds down from the top of the trunk. In it, you’ll find around 10 basic tools you can use to do basic jobs on your car, including box wrenches. You only need to try removing a battery with a box wrench once to learn the value of a good ratchet and socket set.

A Torque Wrench

The service manual says those head studs should be tightened down to 100 ft. lbs., but, hey, if you guesstimate, what could go wrong? The answer is, quite a bit. Instead of being unsure and putting expensive BMW parts at risk, get yourself a torque wrench so you know when you’ve tightened things to the proper spec.

An Air Compressor

An air compressor is a particularly handy tool for cars that do weekend warrior duty at the track. It’s easy to let air out of your tires, but how do you air up without visiting a gas station? Install a compressor in your garage and you’ll be able to stiffen up those sidewalls before your track session. Just make sure you allow them to cool before letting air out — you could damage tires if you don’t wait.

A Multimeter

Why isn’t that new head unit you installed working? Should you be worried about the life left in your alternator? Is that broken window switch just not getting power, or is something else wrong? These questions and many more can all be answered by the handy electrical multimeter, a tool all car do-it-yourselfers should own.

A Work Light

Is a light a tool? We say yes. When the sun goes down and you’re still knee-deep in a project, a work light lets you get the job done. Besides, if you fail, all the people at cars and coffee are going to give you crap about BMW reliability. Actually, they’ll probably do that anyway — but the point remains, don’t be that Bimmer owner.

An Impact Gun

When you’re working on suspension components, wheels have to come off. When you’re working on other components, sometimes you need to get to suspension components. Impact guns make this easy, and they can remove or install a whole lot more than just wheels. Plus, they make the coolest sound of any car tool, so who wouldn’t want one?

This list will get you off to a good start, and there are many more wise additions to your toolset you can make from here. Equipped with a solid set of tools, your BMW repairs will be cheaper, your bond with your car will be stronger — and, most importantly, your bank account will be fatter.