Do you like the current state of your garage and the way it’s being used? If the answer is no, then it’s time to make some changes to your garage. Renovating a garage is easy, you just need to do some homework and find out how you want to use your garage. Nowadays garages are not only about cars but can be useful in a lot of other novel ways.
Most homeowners forget to include their garages in their cleaning schedules. This makes the garage vulnerable to many unwanted incidences like fires and break-ins. You can adopt a cleaning routine to make sure that your garage is maintained. A good routine involves cleaning your garage twice or thrice a month. By practicing this, you can get rid of unwanted stuff that keeps the garage stuffy.
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There are a few things you need to consider when renovating your garage. These include the state of the walls, the floor, and the garage door, and what you need the garage for.
Let’s dive in and find out how you can renovate your garage.
1, Do some research before renovation.
By doing research, you need to find out the main reason why you need to renovate your garage. Depending on the reason, you can identify all the resources and help that you need to accomplish the task. People mainly renovate their garages to create more space, protect their automobiles, increase the value of the property, prevent deterioration, and for cleanliness. Find out what more you need and renovate the garage accordingly.
2, Garage door inspection.
We’ve started with this idea because safety comes first. You don’t want to lose anything from your garage, even if it’s untidy. Making sure that your garage door is secure will not only prevent accidents but also help you save a lot of money. You can lose stuff due to theft and you’ll have to spend money replacing it. Maintain your garage door by:
- Tightening the nuts and bolts.
- Lubricating the moving parts.
- Checking the condition of the cables.
- Inspecting rollers and replacing where necessary.
- Looking out for any issues that may develop over time.
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3, Clear out the junk.
There are always excess unwanted items in the garage. You can get rid of these items and make your garage a more efficient place. Accumulation of junk is common because there’s no cleaning routine for the garage. However, cleaning the garage is an easy task. Take out your stuff and arrange all the items in order of their usage. Identify items to keep, throw away, and recycle. Toss the unwanted stuff and clean the items you want to keep. While the stuff is out of the garage, clean the floor and walls to remove any dust. After cleaning, return the stuff inside and organize the items in an orderly way. You can build some shelves and cabinets to keep related stuff in one place. Remember to return stuff after use properly to maintain tidiness and order in the garage. Follow this routine, and you can always get rid of unwanted stuff and create more space in your garage.
4, Pick a floor that will suit the purpose of the garage.
Most people ignore this point. It’s important to use a floor that’ll suit the purpose of the garage. Many people prefer concrete floors, but there are some situations where concrete may not be the best option for your garage. One disadvantage of concrete is that it stains, if you often use greasy material and liquids in the garage, you need to change your flooring option. Epoxy flooring is a good option if you deal with such situations as oil and grease won’t stick to the epoxy floor. This is a recommended option for people who use the garage for repairing cars.
However, polished concrete flooring is the most recommended as it’s durable and can work for long without wear and tear. There are different floor coatings and coverings that’ll help you manage your garage more efficiently. Some good options are rubber tile flooring, vinyl flooring, and stone flooring.
5, Get a clear diagram and location of your garage.
Base your decisions on the shape and location of your garage. Considering the shape of your garage, draw diagrams on how you’ll manage items in the garage. Put the items that go out regularly near the door. Stuff that’s mostly in the garage should be placed in one section at a point far away from the door. Measure the length and width of the space when buying new stuff and ensure that it’ll fit in the garage. Proper planning is the key to avoid any inconvenience later.
6, Designate different areas for different purposes.
You don’t need to use the garage for one purpose only. Design your garage to be a multi-purpose space. Divide the garage into different sections all under one roof.
How can we arrange our garage into different divisions?
Garden and yard tools. Designate a section that’ll accommodate garden and yard tools. Keep these items near the garage’s door because they come in and go out of the garage frequently.
Sports equipment section. If you’re a sports person, create a section where you’ll put all your sporting equipment. This section should be at a point that makes it easier for you to take the equipment out of the garage often.
Workshop section. Keep your DIY tools together in one place. This makes it easier to locate any tool you need when you want to fix anything.
Household section. Keep your household tools like the vacuum cleaner, lawnmower, and other supplies in a different section closer to the garage door because these tools are mostly moving in and out of the garage.
Depending on what you do and what you like, the garage can have more or fewer sections. Regardless of the sections, always keep the garage organized.
7, Proper storage.
After designating different areas, we need to arrange the items well.
- You can opt for magnetic tool holders, mount them on the wall to store magnetic tools, and create more space in the garage. Place some wooden bars and drive in some nails where you can hang some tools.
- Store items in plastic bins rather than wooden bins to keep away moisture and pests (termites, wasps, and beetles) that damage wood.
- Use the ceiling to store extra items that you don’t use regularly. Prevent unnecessary stuffing by donating or selling the items that you no longer need.
8, Paint your garage walls with a new color.
Repainting your garage highlights the improvements and creates a more desirable environment. Before painting, you need to clean the walls to remove dust, dirt, and stains. If the wall was painted before, determine whether the paint used was oil-based or latex paint. Wash a section of the wall with a detergent, dip cotton in alcohol, and rub the wall. If the paint comes off, the paint is latex, else the paint is oil-based. Latex paint is recommended because it dries faster.
Consider these tips when painting:
- Protect the floor by moving all other stuff away and cover the floor to prevent the paint from spilling on the floor.
- Choose colors that complement each other.
- Choose the right color for the garage door.
Some recommended colors are tan, beige, and grey. Pick a color that’ll match with the garage floor to make the garage more appealing. Always remember to read instructions carefully before painting.
9, Improve the lighting
Regardless of what you use the garage for, proper lighting is essential. If the garage is multipurpose, it’ll need good lighting to accommodate all activities. Follow some of these tips to achieve better lighting:
- Measure your garage to determine what type of lighting you need. Depending on the size, decide on what types of bulbs to buy.
- Switch to LED bulbs which are long-lasting and energy savers as compared to incandescent bulbs. LEDs can deliver the same brightness with lower wattage.
- Install motion sensors that’ll automatically turn off the lights if no movement is detected. They’ll also boost your security in case of break-ins by sounding alarms.
- Install windows to offer more natural light during the day and for ventilation.
These steps can help in managing your garage efficiently.
10, Loft your garage.
Garage lofting means creating more space in the garage. If you need more space, you need to consider lofting. Lofting is more effective when you’ve got a lot of ceiling space. You can add more artificial sections that’ll increase space. The most common way to create more space is by building a staircase to connect an upper floor, mostly made of timber, that lies above the original floor.
You can use lofting to:
- Add a new room to the house (a small office or a bedroom).
- Create a private place to avoid distractions.
- Create more space for parking your cars.
- Give your garage a unique look.
11, Convert your garage into a different new room.
If you don’t need the garage to park your cars or keep other household stuff, you can consider converting the garage area into something else. Before considering this option, make sure you won’t need the garage for any other purposes because it’ll be stressful and costly if you need to make changes later.
If you’ve made your decision, there are many ways in which you can make your garage space cool.
In what ways you can use your garage?
- A room for hobbies. You can convert the garage to a place for perfecting your talents. A few examples are, using the garage as a studio to record songs, building a small home gym, using it as a workshop for building any stuff you like, etc.
- A gallery collection room where you can display some of your artwork and pieces of art that you may have collected.
- Build your dreams with a new workspace. You’ve heard of many successful people claiming to have started their journeys from garages to become great names in the world. You can be the next person on the list. Use the space to start your dream project.
- Work from home made easy. You can create a workstation for use as a small office where you can do most of your work.
- Build a home inside a home. There are many creative ways to change your garage, you can modify it to become a home theatre, a gaming lounge, or even a home spa.
Remember to always consider all options first before deciding to go for this option. However, if you decide on this, you won’t be disappointed.
12, Know when to get a new garage.
In the end, all things are bound to get old and wear out. If your garage has reached the point of no return, it’s time you consider building a new garage. You can use this rebuilding opportunity to bring in more creative ideas to create a better garage.
You’ll need to build a bigger garage if you want it to accommodate more stuff. If you’ve more cars, you must increase the garage size. Big garages also increase the value of the home when selling. People tend to go for houses with large garages.
When building a new garage, you can loft the garage to add more room, install insulation, ensure that safety measures are in place, choose a style that matches your home architecture, and install a garage door that suits your lifestyle.
Find some ideas that’ll work for you and follow the above-mentioned tips. Make your garage a more decent and effective place to use.
For more ideas on renovating and decorating your homes, visit thespruce.com and check out various articles on how to make your home the best.