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I'm Brian - I blog and run social media for Floorguard. If you'd like your garage or anything else featured on this blog, let me know.
You can reach me via the Twitter stream above, on Facebook (also above) or by emailing feedback [at] floorguard.com.
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A New Chapter in Epoxy Flooring Blogs
on August 25th, 2010 by Brian
(I think this is the last pic in the series from that one job I went to go watch – I really went nuts with the photo filters/effects on this one.
I don’t remember taking it, so doubtful I could repeat it. Enjoy.)
You may get the sense reading this blog that I’m personally not exactly the Chicago expert in epoxy flooring and garage floor protection and such.
I’d say this is an accurate statement and often wonder about my place in the larger picture of the industry.
Will I ever be able to talk coherently with others, or am I destined to be shooed away from the proverbial cool table to go write my “silly internet stuff”?
Well, thanks to my new Twitter friend @VeeckAsInWreck, I believe my mission has been established.
@floorguard Thanks for the follow guardian of the floors! Gimme a shout if you ever want to head to a ball game!
about 1 hour ago via web
Guardian of the Floors has such a powerful ring to it, I instantly knew it was meant to be.
I have no idea what it means, though. I’m pretty sure if I go ask everyone at the cool table, I’ll get the same reaction I get now, i.e. the silly internet stuff, etc.
Alas, I’ve at least begun to establish my own little corner.
(By the way, you can follow me – via Floorguard – right here on Twitter.)
Does Anything Rhyme With Garage?
on August 17th, 2010 by Brian
(Here’s another picture of epoxy garage flooring in action.)
Is the well running dry on garage-related blog material?
Am I just trying to get fired?
Do I really wonder if anything rhymes with garage?
These all probably fit to some extent, but the reason for this post is like 75% the third question. I looked at the word “garage” this morning and that was the first thing I thought of.
I checked Write Express, Answers.com, and Encyclopedia.com to find out.
Those were the first three choices in Google, but that’s not laziness. Just good searching. Unless you’re writing in-depth and culturally insightful material like this, you have no room to criticize.
Anyway, the words that allegedly rhyme with garage:
barrage, collage, corsage, dressage, entourage, massage, mirage, montage, parage marage
Now, some of this will depend on how you pronounce garage, that being the choice between “guhrawge” and “grahge”. (I don’t think that’s technical pronunciation lingo, but you surely know what I’m saying here.)
In any case, I’d argue that none of those words cited actually rhyme with garage, unless you’re doing it in a rap song, because in a lot of that stuff, you can get away with rhyming “lamp” and “car” if you want to.
Also, if anyone can tell me what a “parage marage” is, it’d be appreciated.
Epoxy Garage Flooring in the Chicago Suburbs
on August 10th, 2010 by Brian
There’s probably been an unreasonable build-up to this picture of actual work being done, but here it is.
This is Mike, beginning to prep the old garage floor for its big moment.
I’m not going to pretend to understand what’s happening here, being that the keyboard I’m writing this post on is the closest I’ve come to an actual tool in many years.
A good assumption would be that this incision (or whatever) is going to keep that fresh epoxy floor treatment having a nice clean edge and border, i.e. most people don’t need an epoxy coated driveway.
(I need to find out if that’s even possible.)
Anyway, since I’ve been doing this work for Floorguard I’ve basically become obsessed with garages. I’m an avid runner, and as I go about my morning run through various neighborhoods, I make it a point to look at any open garages, searching out possible Floorguard beneficiaries.
This morning…I found one. Less than half a mile away, too.
The obvious question becomes, “is it out of line to take a picture of that garage floor?”
I have no idea – I’m hopeful someone will just be out there one day and I can strike up some casual conversation about their garage, and then pull out a camera and take a picture of it.
In any case, it was kind of a light gray with some specks of something. I was so excited to see it I didn’t totally slow down – in fact, I think I sped up for some reason. It’s on my route now, though.
The lesson here? Epoxy flooring can make you crazy.
Garage Door Sarcasm Running Rampant
on August 3rd, 2010 by Brian
Over on Twitter I do a lot of monitoring for various topics – whether it be people talking about Floorguard itself, or epoxy flooring, or a new garage, or basically anything to do with garages in general.
By far, the highest number of garage-related Tweets are people getting new garage doors or garage door openers.
A rough estimate is that 100% of these Tweets are sarcastic in nature. Yes, that’s all of them.
Some examples, with the identities of the Twitter folk hidden for their own protection.
[redacted] has a new garage door……oh the excitement!
ok so the ridiculous people installing the new garage door woke me up at half 7 today. im not happy
To be fair, that last one isn’t the garage door’s fault – that was the installers that inspired the sarcasm.
Still, definitely a trend, and one that I’ve yet to see infect the world of garage flooring and organizational type activities such as the ones we offer at Floorguard.
Carry on – included here of course is some more of my expert photography for your enjoyment. And yes, that’s actual work being done this time!
An Inside Look at the Garage Flooring Process
on July 27th, 2010 by Brian
I know I might be bleeding this one trip out into the field a bit far, but these pictures are just too well done.
My photography is that raw and powerful.
I didn’t even set the phone to widescreen.
Still, I understand that everyone – including, but not limited to the boss – is asking for pictures of an actual garage floor getting worked on.
Otherwise people might think I just took the truck home, parked it in the driveway, and took a bunch of pictures of it.
(I’ve done that before, but those images are for me, not for the public.)
As such, what you see above is the garage that is getting worked on, if not the garage floor actually being worked on.
I think Matt is back there somewhere doing something – you can see him clearly back in those jet-black shadows.
Again, the sign of a good photographer is how deep the colors are in his or her images, and isn’t the point of this entire blog to validate my artistic self-worth?
By the way, the call is now out for you to leave a review over on Google should you be a former or current customer – we’d really appreciate it.
Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter, also!
More Garage Pictures From the Field in Chicago
on July 20th, 2010 by Brian
Last week I posted some of the finest photography you’ve probably ever seen of a Floorguard truck sitting in a driveway.
Going through the rest of the shots I took while I was there, it dawned on me I had an even better one, which you see here.
Not only is this framed against a classic red fire hydrant, but the background is all washed out. You can barely tell it’s the scene of some real, actual epoxy flooring work.
In fact, you can barely even see a garage or anything else going on.
As my boss here at Floorguard might say, “this seems completely useless”.
My response is simple, and eloquent, and slightly defensive, because I’d like to keep working on this stuff.
“This is art, sir.”
Follow me (as @Floorguard) on Twitter over here – I have more dramatic and moody shots yet to share, including one that even shows actual work being accomplished on the garage you can’t see in this picture.
Pics From the World of Garage Floor Coating
on July 13th, 2010 by Brian
I went out to watch a recent residential job getting done the other day as I noted in my last post.
It was a nice house in a suburban Chicago neighborhood. I was ready to move in, although I didn’t ask, since that might be awkward.
Some time was spent talking to Matt, one of our installers, and he explained the process to me.
Most of it was over my head, but it’s actually a three day procedure, which I didn’t know. It was also like 90 degrees out and I was sweating right through my shirt.
A bunch of pictures were taken, which I’ll share here in my upcoming posts. A lot of them are artsy pictures of the truck, like what you see here.
How cool would this truck look in your driveway for a few days? If nothing else, this seems like a good reason to have some garage floor coating put down, right?
I’ll even come out and take pictures of the truck in your driveway, which I can then use here to convince other people to have their garage worked on.
It’s like the circle of Chicago’s garage flooring life can start right in your driveway.
(In unrelated news, I’m really impressed with the picture quality here – this was taken on an 8 megapixel camera in my phone with an App called Vignette.
I don’t remember my eyes seeing the truck and sky as quite that colorful. If you click it you can see it full size.)
Epoxy Garage Flooring Live
on July 6th, 2010 by Brian
Tomorrow I’m heading out into the field to see some epoxy flooring happen in a real, live garage.
Personally, I’m completely inept at all such industrial things, but like most people am interested to no end.
I’ll be taking my Android-powered camera, so enough pics for months of blog posts are imminent. Possibly some video, also – depends where in the process they are when I get there.
Anyway, as I’ve written about before, I’m somewhat of a novice in the epoxy flooring game, not even knowing it existed until my life collided into Floorguard.
I was curious, so I asked some people on Twitter the following:
Do any of you know what epoxy flooring is without looking it up.
4 minutes ago via web
Here’s the power of social networking – within a minute, I got three definitive answers of “yes”, two definitive “no” replies, one hardcore definition which was spot-on, an X-Files reference, as well as this:
its when u spill the mix in regular floor and give it a name
This Twitter person wins the prize, if I had a prize to give. I have no idea what that means, but I would buy it.
(The picture in this post was taken with the same camera I’ll be taking tomorrow. The camera is also my phone, but it shoots 720HD video – it’s a nice device.
I used the “action movie” filter. I don’t know how great of a filter that is – it still just looks like a tile floor to me.)
How To Organize Your Garage
on June 28th, 2010 by Brian
When I was a kid, I knew all about how to organize garages instantly.
The way I did it was infallible, and it involved having Mom do it without my involvement. My brother and sister also bowed out from participation, and the system was really perfect.
I know from talking to everyone at Floorguard that there are better ways, now. I’ve been doing my research, and About.com has this list I’ve cribbed from a bit.
Most of these are self-explanatory – let’s run through them – my comments (are in parentheses).
1. Clear the ground (Check.)
2. Stack it up (Check.)
3. Take the high ground (This sounds like #2 a different way.)
4. Get with the grid (I think this is like slatwall?)
5. Go for the pegs (These go in the slatwall?)
6. Fill the cavities (Um… I need to quote from the article.)
If the walls of your garage have exposed studs, build shelves to fit in the cavities. Cut 1×4s to serve as shelf supports, attaching them to studs with screws or nails. Then cut 1×4s to span the cavity and set them on the supports. Long items such as brooms and skis can be stored safely between studs by attaching 1×2s horizontally across studs to hold them in place.
See, this is why I personally – were I a home owner with a garage – would totally leave this up to my Mom and/or Floorguard.
Honestly, from there the list gets more confusing from there. Not only that, but there are people who actually try and do floor coating and all of that. I would not know garage floor epoxy from paste, let alone how to apply it correctly.
My ideal solution is much more in the area of “find pictures of garages I like and have someone else make it look like that”.
That said, if you’re into do-it-yourself, by all means do it up. That’s all for now – I’m going to do some checking and see if I actually know what slatwall is or not. I think it’s the stuff in this picture.
Oh, and you can follow me on Twitter here.
Renovate your Garage and Give Your Car a Good Home
on June 25th, 2010 by adminYou love your car – the way it looks, the way it handles, even the way you feel just sitting in it. Why wouldn’t you give it the care that it deserves? Investing in premium garage flooring and storage can help you keep your car in the best possible condition for a longer period of time. Floorguard’s warranted top rate flooring systems provide high-end car owners the reassurance that they won’t have to worry about tiles coming loose or paint peeling. This in turn will ensure that your car remains on both a trustworthy and quality surface. For those who love designing color schemes, Floorguard also offers a variety of colors and designs to complement your ride.
Proper garage storage is also imperative to ensure that you maintain the best possible care for your car. Having adequate storage allows your garage to be organized and with the tools and equipment in easy to find places, so that you can perform appropriate maintenance when necessary. A well-designed garage storage system can also safeguard your car from the effects of falling objects when you may be reaching for a tool or moving things around. Floorguard’s custom storage units are easily adjustable in case you need to make room for new purchases. Aesthetically speaking, Floorguard’s storage systems are second to none, and will help protect your tools and equipment from weather-related damage.
You’ve bought your dream car, with Floorguard’s storage and flooring you have the chance to take care of it!
People in Vermont Don’t Have Garages
on June 8th, 2010 by Brian
(Picture courtesy of @its_me_aj on Twitter. This is his new garage…still a work in progress.)
I realize the title of this post sounds like a massive stereotype, but after some conversations on Twitter, this is the conclusion I’ve been forced to arrive at.
I was talking with @Gyandevi, who had written about how it was difficult to get a permit to build a garage up (over?) there.
Eventually it got to this:
Most folks don’t hava garage in Vermon’, ‘cludin’ me. S’pose I could putta tarp up, but they’re kinda hard ta shovel in winter.
I have no idea why Vermont in particular would be without garages – as far as I know, the rest of New England uses them.
Is it some kind of statewide architectural mandate? Also, she noted this when I asked if I could write about this whole thing:
Ayup, but be shor you spell in propah Vermon’ speak. Ya heah?
I’m left to wonder if Vermont isn’t a completely different place than I imagined it to be.
Admittedly, this is maybe the first time I’ve thought about Vermont in ten years or so, but still. If you have any knowledge about this, please let me know.
Meeting Strangers and Their Clean Garages
on May 29th, 2010 by Brian
I’m admittedly not a garage expert of any kind yet, but doing this social media work with Floorguard is pushing me into new and different garage-based thinking.
For example, before when I drove down the street, I was just talking on the phone.
Now I’m talking on the phone and looking into people’s garages. It’s like great multi-tasking.
Anyway, last post I was telling you how to stalk people on Twitter about their garages, and I’ve done it again.
This woman named Sharon, who has a blog named Girl Reupholstered (and is @sharcieb on Twitter) did a big garage clean-up over this past weekend, gaining these results.
Now, as a rep of Floorguard am I sitting here wishing that garage was all maxed out with epoxy flooring and cabinets and the rest?
One would think, but with my newfound garage-curiosities, I’m just happy to look at garages, period. I may have problems.
Anyway, I’m going to go out and watch a job get done soon, so the day is coming when I’ll actually have an informed opinion on our services!
Why Such Unhappy Garage Doors?
on May 22nd, 2010 by Brian
Part of writing blog posts and doing social media work is searching out information and chatter about the industry you’re “being social” in.
With Floorguard, I search around and about Twitter for different things related to the garage flooring, epoxy coating, etc.
Frankly, there not a ton of information to find on those specifics, as the average consumer that needs their garage redone doesn’t really know what they need done to it.
Before I started working for Floorguard, I would’ve assume “epoxy coating” was some kind of facial treatment or make-up remover.
As such, I end up doing searches more related to garages in general, and sometimes will add in phrases that may indicate someone is either cleaning up or unhappy with their garage in some way.
This isn’t to do a hard sell or anything – it’s just to reach out and have a conversation. Somewhere in there maybe they become aware of how we can help.
By far the biggest complaint the people of Chicago in particular seem to have is that their garage door openers don’t work. It’s astounding the numbers of people complaining about this.
On the other hand, I don’t know why anyone would go out of their way to point out how happy they are with their garage door opener. It’s not like a new TV, where it makes a huge different.
Conclusion – a good garage just works and stays in the background of your life.
How To Fix Your Garage Flooring In One Simple Step
on May 16th, 2010 by Brian
I’m finding the solution – slowly but surely – behind how this blog is going to flow.
There was a fantastic thread on a message board I found about luxury garages – I can’t link to the particular thread because of unsavory language, but the gist of the thread was that this guy had an old garage that needed rehabbing.
The floor was some combination of busted concrete and dirt/grass. He posted a picture, and frankly the thing looked like an old shack that needed to be torn down.
Nature had started to grow up and engulf it – the whole the was a loss, but he was determined to fix it based on what was there.
Anyway, he posted to the forum asking everyone how much it would cost to get fixed, and this was the first answer.
There is a thing called a telephone with which you can call businesses such as those who work with concrete, perhaps you might try that.
Genius in its simplicity – I like it. I should have some before/after pictures for you of some of our recent jobs soon – stay tuned.
About Our A+ Better Business Bureau Rating
on May 12th, 2010 by Brian
I was sitting here waiting to see if the new Floorguard site had launched yet, and noticed that the button to your right is on the current site.
(Irony – when you read this, it’ll be on the new site. The blog isn’t up on the old site.)
Anyway, I’m certainly familiar with the Better Business Bureau, but not so much on what the ratings actually mean. I figured others in this world must have similar failings, and decided to look it up.
I started at the BBB website, and found it to be super confusing. Five minutes on the site, and I couldn’t find this info.
After that, I Googled “what does a bbb rating mean” and found the page explaining it on the San Diego BBB site.
There’s a lot of info to take in, but the thrust of it is this:
In most cases, complaint history drives a business’s letter-grade rating.
Nearly 85 percent of the scoring is determined by consumer-reported complaints that have been verified and evaluated by BBB, such as the number of complaints, the severity of complaints and how a business resolves complaints.
So basically, it’s a vague system/algorithm that is probably even more confusing than their website.
In the end, do a good job, and you should be A+ like Floorguard.
By the way, none of this has anything to do with epoxy flooring or organization or garage floor coatings. It remains to be seen if this is the post that gets me fired or not.
The Ultimate In Garage Blogs
on May 4th, 2010 by Brian
I must admit, the prospect of writing an ongoing blog about garage flooring and organization is a daunting task.
Not that the work isn’t cool – it definitely is. This is interesting stuff, especially when Floorguard is really able to cut loose on a customer’s space.
Still, what to do as far as content?
Informational content with regard to epoxy flooring, coating, protection, organization, storage systems, etc?
Before and after pictures of jobs?
Semi-quirky garage-based posts?
The possibilities are endless, and the goal is to find the balance between “good for SEO, interesting to read, informational, and also putting a good face on the company”.
A challenge, to be sure. There are certainly plenty of amazing garages to link to and point out, like this one, for example.
I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to be linking to the competition, however.
So…all that said, I am determined to find a way to make this an interesting and informative blog. Somehow, someway, it is now my mission.
My name is Brian, and you can also follow me on the Floorguard Twitter.
Floorguard Blog Phase Two
on May 1st, 2010 by Brian
I finally have the full keys to the Floorguard blog and social media presences.
I met with Floorguard founder/owner Gus Schuberth yesterday and asked if I could just go crazy with this stuff now that the new site was just about completed.
He didn’t seem so sure about that, but then I told him I’d be putting pictures of roller skates up on the blog.
Frankly, I think I confused him so much with that statement he just wanted me out of the office. So I left.
Truth be told, the whole reason I love working with Floorguard on this blog (and on Twitter) is because the work they do is amazing, and before I was connected with the company, I had no idea such a thing existed.
I’m not sure how I thought places like the United Center got such spiffy flooring – I guess I just never thought about it. (More on the United Center another day.)
Anyway, I sent my mom a link to the main Floorguard site, and she all but declared she would’ve been our number one customer when I was a kid. She too was ignorant of such a business.
My house was a neighborhood hotspot for the youth, and our garage was equipped with endless toys, balls, and “stuff” of all kinds. A Floorguard garage would’ve been a dream back then.
Plus, who doesn’t like chemicals and pouring those chemicals on concrete and such? It’s the best – I’ll have plenty to say about it and lots to show you.
(By the way, that picture of the roller-skates is high in Google search for “Floorguard”, thus my reason for posting it. Something else I aim to fix while I’m here.)
Organizing Your Garage to Create a Nice Work Space for the Summer
on April 30th, 2010 by adminWhether you’re working on the car, fixing your bike, or working on household projects, you’ll be more productive in a nice work space. Floorguard offers premium garage storage and flooring options to help you design your ideal garage.
It’s common knowledge that it’s easier to get things done in an area that’s not cluttered or messy. Floorguard’s garage storage systems enable you to optimize your garage space for whatever projects you may have. With new storage, you’ll also be able to organize, and find and use your tools more effectively. Using Floorguard’s storage systems, you will create more space in your garage with more efficient storage. By using Floorguard’s Mighty Wall Storage system and its accessories your system is easily adaptable to fit whatever storage needs you may have. Floorguard’s systems are also tremendously weather resistant and can fend off the heat and humidity that damage most cabinets during the summer.
Revamping your garage floor is another step you can take to transform you garage into an active work space. Floorguard’s garage flooring systems offer a fresh look and can really take your garage to the next level. Other than being easy on the eyes, Floorguard’s floors offer a weather resistant system with a surface that is extremely easy to clean. By adding a new floor, you can really turn a room where you dreaded to work into a garage with a modern look that you’ll have trouble leaving. Summer is here, so check out Floorguard’s new storage and flooring options, and get the most out your garage this year.
Organize Your Garage and Improve Your Efficiency with Floorguard Garage Organizers
on April 29th, 2010 by adminYour garage is the center of many household tasks, so it is only logical that having a garage storage system that helps you keep your tools organized would improve your efficiency at various chores.
For instance, every spring you probably spend time searching for your gardening equipment, which has likely been lying around your garage all winter, and when it first snows you probably go searching for your shovel. However, a proper garage organizer can make all the difference. All your tools and supplies will be easy to locate and you will save valuable time – instead of searching around for what you need, you can focus on actually performing the work you need to do.
Of course, a good garage storage system will also help preserve the life and quality of your tools and supplies by protecting them from the elements – after all, if they are correctly organized instead of just laying around on your garage floor, they will stay in good condition for a much longer period of time.
With Floorguard garage organizers, there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
Garage Storage Systems: Avoid the “Clean out the garage!” weekend for years to come.
on April 25th, 2010 by adminYou never knew when it was coming — but, you hoped you’d be busy with sleepovers, a baseball game, or, even a severe case of the stomach flu to stop your parents from enlisting your (involuntary) help in the cleaning of the garage.
Remembering the agony of seeing friends ride by on their bikes while you stood, half-heartedly sweeping up cob webs? You refuse to put your own kids through the same misery. Instead, you call Floorguard to install an expertly developed garage storage system.
When you contact Floorguard about your garage storage needs, you find that we understand the unique conditions and requirements of garage storage – this is what we do, after all. We introduce you to the Mighty Wall® panel, which holds our attractive and strong Platinum Cabinetry™; their off-the-floor design keeps water damage at bay, lessons floor cleaning and stops rodents from making a nest in a cozy hiding place.
Durable and stylish, boasting a refined maple finish, our Platinum Cabinetry™ is built of thermo-fused melamine that resists stains, spills, pests, and extreme weather. All steel connecting hardware is used for rigid structural integrity, and the adjustable shelves are steel reinforced to hold up under heavy loads. Full width doors without a center post allow for easy access to large items.
A garage storage system from Floorguard transforms your cluttered garage into another organized, thoughtfully designed space in your home. And whether your kids appreciate it yet or not, you can be sure that a “clean out the garage” weekend will be a thing of the past.