Things You'll Need
Ladder
Scissors
Coat hanger or stiff wire, 6 inches
Pliers
Chalk, pencil or sticker
Large cup hook
Bright twine, 10 feet long
Soft rubber or foam ball, 3 inches diameter
Foam noodle with center hole
Pulling a car or van into a garage is easy. Knowing where to stop is not so easy. With a bumper stop, you will park the car exactly where you want it. When the car hood nudges the marker, you will be in just the right parking spot. Today's garages are packed with water heaters, tool boxes, toys, storage cabinets and other stuff. You can slide your car right in between all the garage gear and stop before you run into the laundry room.
Step 1
Park your car in the garage. Use the chalk or removable sticker to mark the pavement below the front center of the hood. A good location is on the cement underneath the hood ornament. Back the car out of the garage.
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Step 2
Use a stiff wire such as an unbent coat hanger to push a hole through the center of the ball. Bend a small hook in the end of the hanger or wire. Knot one end of the twine over the hook. Pull the wire back through the ball, pulling the twine through the ball with the hook. Use the pliers if needed to grip the wire and pull it out with the twine.
Step 3
With the twine threaded through the ball, tie a knot in the end of the twine so it cannot slip back out through the ball. This is the anchor on your bumper stop. It will bump your car, so be sure to use a soft and clean ball.
Step 4
Set your ladder near the mark on the floor. Put the ball over the mark. Climb up the ladder with your chalk or pencil and the loose end of twine. Have a helper guide the ball over the pavement mark. Take up the slack in the twine. Move your twine along the ceiling until it suspends the ball over the pavement mark. Put a small X on the ceiling to mark the spot.
Step 5
Screw the large cup hook into the ceiling at your X mark. Put a loose loop about midway in the twine and hang it over the cup hook. If you have an 8-foot garage ceiling, the ball will hang down about 6 feet from the ceiling and about 2 feet above the floor. Pull your car in to see if the ball hits the hood at the right spot. Back the car out.
Step 6
When the ball is at the right height to just touch the car hood, go back up the ladder and make a tight knot at the end of the loop. You should have about a 2-inch loop to hang over the cup hook. Do not tie the twine to the cup hook. If you use a loop, you can take it on and off the cup hook easily whenever you want to take down the bumper stop. Cut off excess twine.
Step 7
Cut 3- to 4-inch lengths off the foam noodle. If you have noodles in more than one color, mix them for visibility. Slit one side open so that you can slide the noodle chunks on the twine above the ball.
Step 8
Slide two or three noodles on the twine above the ball. Add more as needed for driver visibility. Minivans or cars with sloping hoods may need more noodle sections. Bring in your car and make any final adjustments.
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