VAUGHAN, ONTARIO, MEDIA RELEASE–(Marketwire – Dec. 1, 2008) – In the current economic climate, consumers are constantly looking for ways to make their dollars go further – when it comes to home improvement and getting the best return on your investment, look no further than the garage.

After many years of increased housing values, the trend has begun to reverse – making improvements to your garage is one way to minimize the negative effects of an economic downturn.

“The impact of an organized garage on the value of a home is quite amazing,” says Frank Spano, Vice President of Marketing, Garage Living, Canada’s leading garage specialists. “It makes space more useable and appealing to look at, both in the home and in the garage, thus enhancing its value.”

Getting the clutter out of a home and storing it in the garage in an organized fashion increases living space, which is at a premium in many homes these days. Inside the home, with things less busy and space more abundant, it helps to give the home a roomy, designer appearance and makes life that much easier.

“After the renovation, I realized that there are so many benefits to organizing a garage – not only were we able to get all the clutter off the floor, but we were able to find a place for everything. Now it’s easy to find gardening tools, sports equipment, and pretty much anything we store, but only use periodically – we even have room to park our car,” says Bruce Mann, a client of Garage Living. “And what a difference to the inside of our home; getting things off the floor that were just taking up room, and storing them in the garage, created more space.”

With Garage Living, as little as $1,000 can turn a cluttered garage into a multi-functional room that is organized and clean. It’s almost like putting on a new addition to the home – and it can even increase its value.

“What I didn’t count on was the street appeal,” says Mann. “People today looking to buy a home appreciate the attractiveness and benefits of an organized, functional garage, and are even willing to pay a little bit more. So, should we decide to sell our home, it’ll be one of the more saleable homes in our subdivision.”

Easy Installation of Roll-Out Garage Flooring – 30 to 60 minutes – Minimal tools!—No adhesives required!

1) For best result, unpack and install product as soon as possible after delivery. The sooner product is removed from packaging, the sooner it will lay flat on garage floor after installation.

2) Sweep and clean garage floor. Wipe up any oil and chemicals from floor before rolling out product.

3) Unroll product on garage floor. Edges may be butted together or overlapped (see Overlap Note below) for seamless appearance and floor protection. Initially, the Garage Floor Protector will have curl marks due to being rolled on a core or folded in a box for shipment (this is normal).

Unroll option 1: For lay flat results, unroll Garage Floor Protector in the sunlight on a clean driveway. The warmer the conditions the quicker curls will straighten out and lay flat. Use wide push broom, push air out from center and work your way out (side to side and length to length) Repeat if necessary. Place on garage floor when desired and repeat broom out.

Unroll option 2: If you wish to unroll product directly on the garage floor, sweep garage floor clean of debris and unroll Garage Floor Protector. For best results, start unrolling process at the garage entrance; finishing at the back of the garage. Note: In cool to cold conditions it may take 72+ hours for most curl marks to lay flat depending on the temperature. Be sure to push out air with broom (It is OK to park your car on it during this time).

Overlap note: G-Floor® Flooring that is 10′ wide, has an “overlap flap” (approximately 1.5″ to 2″ wide) of unpatterned material running down one side. Flooring that is 9′ wide or less,has no “overlap flap”.

4) Allow mat to relax and lay flat. For custom fit, allow product to relax in place before trimming around edges and corners.

Note: If product is used under extreme temperature conditions, such as direct sunlight or unheated garages, the product may expand or contract as much as 2% after laying flat. For custom fit, always allow product to relax before trimming around edges and corners.

5) Trim edges with sharp scissors or utility knife.

6) Taping around edges is not necessary. This product can expand or contract up to 2% with temperature changes. It is best if the product is allowed to ‘float’ freely on the floor. If you choose to tape the seam between two floor protectors, we recommend using indoor-outdoor carpet tape.

Note: Due to the manufacturing process, patterns of two pieces of flooring may not match or align exactly along the seam when two mats are laid side by side.