Outdoor Archives - Page 3 of 4

Your Garage: Vehicles vs. Storage

by Michele Weaver | Mar 30, 2020 | HER Home

You probably wouldn’t put your king-size bed in a loft space overlooking the great room. Yet we accept leaving our vehicles parked outside because there’s just no room for them in the garage! Storage has always been a challenge to be addressed in our homes, and even as our homes grew larger, we’ve increasingly come to depend on our garages for storage, particularly as restrictions and prohibitions against backyard sheds became popular. In fact, the 2019 National Association of Home Builders' What Home Buyers Really Want report found 85% of new home buyers are looking for storage in the garage!

At 24 feet in depth, storage opportunities exist along the back of the garage as well as the recess along the side of the Hickory Cottage’s (plan #42235) garage.

Garage size dictates what you can store in your garage. Toyota’s RAV4, the best-selling SUV in America, measures over 15 feet long. Providing a couple feet behind the vehicle for closing the garage door and 3 feet in front for a path into your home means dedicating 20 feet of garage depth for your vehicle(s). So, at Design Basics, we suggest storage possibilities exist when the garage is at least 22 feet deep. Similarly, we consider storage opportunities exist when the (2-car) garage is at least 22-feet wide, allotting room for two vehicles, including space to open those car doors. Still, garage storage possibilities aren’t necessarily limited to length and width, as garages with tall ceilings can provide overhead storage opportunities as well.

Think of sectioning off garage storage in “zones.” Outdoor equipment (lawn mower, snow blower); ladders and tools; sports gear; automotive supplies; and, kids’ outdoor toys and activities are good examples of such zones. To get the most out of your garage storage space, look into shelving and organization systems. There is a tremendous variety of DIY garage storage systems and numerous contractors who specialize in garage storage solutions. But it all starts with a plan that meets your specific needs and wants. Also, if garbage and recycling bins will be stored in the garage, what’s the shortest/easiest path for transferring them out of the garage and to the curb?

Storage accessed from the outside is rapidly gaining popularity. Ever find yourself peering into other people’s garages when those garage doors are left open? That actually reveals a lot about what your neighbors value! If you would rather not have everything stashed in your garage visible to passersby, look for home designs with built-in storage that’s accessed from the outside. That’s especially useful for outdoor items such as mowers, lawn games, camping gear, patio furniture, etc.

A pair of 36-inch wide doors access the 14-foot storage area alongside the kitchen in the Neeson (plan #50011). From lawn mowers and garden tools to winter storage for your patio furniture, storage accessed from the outside frees space in your garage for other items.

Example of outdoor storage (Zinnia plan #42041 - as built by Fox Builders, Ontario, OH).

Coming next week: kitchen storage can be beautiful!

Livability at a Glance™ is our proprietary color-coded floor plan system that highlights four different lenses especially important to women: Entertaining, De-stressing, Storing, and Flexible Living. Discover your Lifestyle Profile by taking our Livability at a Glance Quiz.

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An Icy Reception

by Michele Weaver | Jan 10, 2020 | HER Home

Depending on the design of your home and its roof, water run-off can be a major problem for your driveway. Take for instance this home: no gutters on the front side over the garage. Yet two dormers over the garage form a “V”-shaped area directing rainwater off the roof and onto the driveway. No problem until winter. During the day, snow melt from the roof drips onto the drive. At night it would freeze. For most of the winter there will be icy driveways.

The Clarinda (#43020) as built by Fox Builders - downspouts on each side of the garage to divert water flow.

Another configuration that could present a hazard as well as concrete damage: a gutter downspout that empties between the garage doors. This directs water off the roof nicely, but again in the winter, creates ice problems on the driveway. And, the year-‘round diversion of water onto that portion of the driveway causes lots of concrete settling problems resulting in a very uneven driveway.

The solution in both instances is to place gutters and downspouts that direct the water to the side yard instead of the driveway. Thus, keeping your driveway from building up with ice in the winter, and maintaining the integrity of the concrete all year.

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Cover Photo: <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/winter">Winter photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com</a>

Thoughtful Outdoor Lighting & Electrical

by Michele Weaver | Dec 5, 2019 | HER Home

Are you plugged in? Whether it's outdoor entertaining, yard work, or a project you do in the driveway, it seems there's never an exterior electrical box where you need to plug things in. So, when that sunroom is being added or your dream home is being built, adding a couple more electrical boxes when the electrician is already at your home is a minimal expense you'll often be glad you opted for.

And, with the holidays approaching, few things warm the heart as much as attractive holiday light displays. But stringing extension cords all over can be daunting - and hazardous. Adding electric outlets in the eaves under the roof overhangs as well as an outlet strategically located in the yard makes holiday lighting a pleasure. Be sure to have the electrician wire a switch inside the home to turn those lights on and off.

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Cover Image: Peony Grove - #42285

A Better Way for Outdoor Storage

by Michele Weaver | Sep 6, 2019 | HER Home

In cold weather markets, where does the patio furniture go when the snow flies? Usually, the garage. But some new homes are built without a garage, and some garages just don’t have the room necessary to accommodate your patio items. Other folks use a shed, but such outbuildings are prohibited by many neighborhood covenants.

An emerging new home amenity is storage accessed directly from the outside. So whether it’s patio furniture, sports equipment, bikes and big wheels or lawn and garden tools, thinking through such seasonal storage needs is essential.

These two plans offer a convenient storage space tucked behind the garage with access to the garage and the back yard. Let us help you customize a plan to include outdoor storage where you need it.

Dewalt - #50001

(As built by Fox Builders, LLC, Ontario, OH)

Zinnia - #42041

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Pool Bath

by Michele Weaver | Jun 4, 2019 | Great Design, HER Home

The Corbett - #42104

If your backyard is the gathering spot for the neighbor kids, you’ll appreciate they can go potty without traipsing through the home. And, if that bathroom has a shower, it’s an ideal “pool bath.”

Spent the afternoon planting and gardening? That’s a welcome clean-up spot. Similarly, if you have pets who just dug up that garden, the shower can turn in to a pet wash station.

The Corbette (#42104) and the Reeves (#42085) both feature a convenient bath off the covered porch. And, both lead to the laundry room--easy access to getting dirty clothes and towels in the laundry after cleaning off!

The Reeves - #42085

Search our plans for more design amenities to help make everyday living a bit easier. See something you like, but want to make changes--our plan specialists are here to assist!

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