‘““A New MakeoverMission: Garage Organization” (NAPSA)—Americans make over kitchens, bathrooms andliv- ing rooms. Now disorganized, chaotic, oil-stained garages are about to have a makeoverof their own. Forlots of people, it couldn’t happen fast enough. Fortunately, you may get a chance to win a complete $10,000 garage makeover and getlots of easy suggestions on how you can turn your garage from shoddy to showplace with just a dashofeffort. “Some people still think garages are just big sheds for cars and lawnmowers,” says Jim Stinner, senior brand manager at RustOleum, “but more and more people today are looking at their garages with renewed interest.” In fact, a recent survey con- ducted by the company showsthat morethan half of all homeowners— 55 percent—are doing more than just storing their cars in their garages. They’re using them as a place to work on hobbies and even to conduct business, with 45 percent of all homeowners spending one to two hours per week in their garages. For many of these people, however, the experience of spending time in their garage can’t be too pleasant: 44 percent of them say their garage “looks like a junkyard.” Like many dreaming of a makeover today, those thinking about garage overhauls are feeling pretty creative. The survey found that nearly half—48 percent—of respondents would want home oe 2 3 = \G ~ improvement pro Bob Vila as the celebrity to help with a makeover of their garages, followed by the team from TLC’s “Trading Spaces” and the Fab Five from “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Only four percent chose Martha Stewart to help with a garage makeover. Naturally, the first place any garage makeover usually starts is the floor. More than a third of the survey respondents—36 percent— had taken the time to clean the floor of their garage in the past month. It’s for the floor, in fact, that Rust-Oleum’s products are most useful for DIY makeovers. For those looking for a way to create the ultimate garagefloor, Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield Garage Floor Coating is the answer. A high performance coating that creates a professional, showroom-quality finish for garage floors, EPOXYShield is a water-based epoxy that’s low odor and environmentally friendly. Just one easy-to-apply coat creates a great-looking, long-lasting surface. It can cost up to $1,200 to hire a professional to finish a concrete garage floor, but you can achieve the same professional results for under $70. If you really want to do up your garage in grand style, enter “America’s Ultimate Garage” contest sponsored by Rust-Oleum and The Home Depot. Just snap a photo of your garage and describe what needs to be done to makeit ideal. The winner will receive a $10,000 garage makeover, the second prize winner will receive a $5,000 garage makeover and 25 runners-up will receive free EPOXYShield prize packages, which include a kit of EPOXYShield Garage Floor Coating. For more information on the contest, official rules, or to enter online, visit epoxyshield.com and click on the “America’s Ultimate Garage Contest” link or visit the paint section within The Home Depot site at homedepot.com. To enter by mail, include yourfirst and last name, date of birth, address (including zip code), telephone number, color photograph of your garage and a description, in 300 words or less, of what your garage means to you, why you deserve a garage makeover and what makes for an ideal garage. Mail entry in a stamped envelope to: America’s Ultimate Garage Contest, P.O. Box 39101, Chicago, IL 60639. Entries must be postmarked by Monday, August 2, 2004.
