The Garage Plan Shop Blog

Are you planning to decorate your home, yard and garage with those old strings of incandescent lights this holiday season? According to the St. Louis County Health Department, it is time to make the switch to LED lights. Most strings of incandescent lights are wrapped with a hard plastic PVC coating, which protects the wire inside. This coating is a problem for our landfills taking up to 500 years to breakdown. In addition, PVC is heat resistant and sometimes contains metals such as lead, cadmium and tin that are harmful once they make it into the ground.

 

So what are the benefits of using LED lights for your holiday decorating and light displays? Consider the following facts about LED lighting as reported by the St. Louis County Health Department:   

 

• LED lights use one tenth of the energy when compared to a traditional strand of holiday mini-lights. Using less energy means a lower electric bill.
• They last two times longer than incandescent lights – that’s up to 20 years!
• LEDs can withstand, heat, cold and moisture making them ideal for outdoor displays.
• These energy efficient lights are cool to the touch reducing the risk of fire.
• The brightness of LED lights does not fade over time.
• They are durable and harder to break than traditional holiday lights.
• LEDs can be found at most home improvement centers and hardware stores.

 

Before you throw those old light strands in the trash, check locally for a recycling/collection program. Many hardware stores and home improvement stores offer collection programs, and some even give a discount on the purchase of new LED holiday lights for every strand of old lights you recycle.

 

So, be earth-friendly this holiday season and decorate your house, garage and yard with LED lights.

Tags: Christmas, Christmas lights, holiday decorating, holiday lights, LED lights, recycle

If your motorcycle is your prized possession, chances are you don’t want to store it in your garage where there is a lot of activity. Face it. Typical garages might be a good place to protect your cars from the elements or store lawn and garden tools, outdoor games for the kids, bikes and other items, but do you really want to take the chance or getting a scratch or a ding on your motorcycle? This motorcycle garage plan is the perfect solution. Because it is designed for a bike, you’ll be less likely to store anything else inside, therefore having a place to protect your motorcycle from Mother Nature’s fury and ensure it doesn’t take any other “abuse” from everyday family activities in the car garage. A service entry allows easy access inside and a pair of double doors works well for pulling your motorcycle in and out of the garage. Small in size, this motorcycle storage garage fits neatly into most backyards.

 

Now, if you’re not a motorcycle enthusiast, chances are you don’t own one. In that case, this motorcycle garage would work well as a backyard storage shed or garden shed giving you plenty of room to store lawn and garden equipment, fertilizer, potting supplies, etc. Its flexible design allows for other uses besides cycle storage, and its traditional charm allows it to blend nicely with a variety of homes.

 

If you are looking for flexibility, this motorcycle garage plan or storage shed plan is ready to accommodate your needs.

 

Browse all of garage plans and shed plans to find the one that is right for you.

Tags: garage plans, motorcycle garage, motorcycle storage, Shed plans, storage shed

Did you know the Thursday before Thanksgiving is Use Less Stuff Day? It is a day for us to commit or pledge to reduce our resource consumption during the holiday season. It is time for all of us to start a new holiday tradition. Get your kids, family and friends involved and make the commitment to work toward an earth-friendly holiday season.

 

These ideas should help you get started:

 

• Plan to recycle. Set up bins to collect gift boxes, wrapping paper, holiday greeting cards and envelopes, beverage cans and bottles. Tell your guests what to recycle and where to place the items so they don’t end up in the trash can.
• Use fewer disposable paper products and eating utensils. Rent dinnerware, glassware and silverware for a large holiday party or ask guests to bring their own for a smaller gathering. This will eliminate paper plates and plastic cups, forks, knives, etc. from going in the trash.
• Use less energy. A large crowd will warm your home. Turn the thermostat down a few degrees before guests arrive.

• Don’t buy too many groceries or prepare too much food for a holiday gathering. If you do prepare too much, send leftovers home with guests or reheat them the following day for yourself. Try your best not to throw away usable food.

 

The commitment is easy. Tell your friends and family about Use Less Stuff Day and make a pledge to participate in an earth-friendly holiday season without sacrificing the fun and joys all of us look forward to each year.

 

For more ideas about Use Less Stuff Day, please visit www.use-less-stuff.com.

Tags: energy efficient, go green, holidays, recycle, use less stuff day

Just like home plans, detached garage plans are available in a wide range of architectural styles. This diverse selection of styles ensures you’ll find a garage plan, carport or shed plan to blend with the architectural style of your home. Below is a list of many of the architectural styles represented in The Garage Plan Shop’s collection of detached garage plans and other structures.

 

• Barn
• Cape Cod
• Contemporary
• Country
• Craftsman
• European
• Mediterranean
• Modern
• Traditional
• Unique

 

When you are choosing a detached garage plan, keep in mind the architectural style of your home and its surroundings to ensure your new garage will complement your home.

Tags: architectural styles, detached garage, Detached Garage Plans, garage plan, garage plans

While a 3-car garage would be a nice addition to your home, a 3-car garage with carport might be even nicer. Take a look at this practical and efficient garage floor plan. Two overhead doors open to 816 square feet of sheltered parking protecting your cars from the wrath of Mother Nature. With three parking bays there is plenty of room to store multiple cars inside the garage. Or maybe you only need to store one automobile. Use the other bays for storage of other motorized items such as the riding lawn mower, a golf cart or motorcycle. Now take a look at the attached carport. This space works well for sheltering another vehicle. Or it could be used for a covered porch or patio for outdoor cookouts or just visiting with neighbors on pleasant evenings. Form and function go hand in hand with this 3-car garage plan with carport. Learn more about this design.

Tags: 3-Car Garage Plans, garage plans, Garage Plans with Carports, three-car garage plans