Remodeling Advice for Your Garage This Summer

Guest blog by Todd Gillman, Content Director for the Innovative Building Materials blog

Remodeling a garage is one of the most exciting yet time-intensive projects someone can take on. With summer here and most of us paying more attention to the exterior of our homes, garages have become a hot topic again.
 
If you're considering this space and aren't sure what to do with it, there are countless options. Here are the top seven!

1. Installing a Bike Rack 
We all take up biking for various reasons! Whether it's the urge to do something more green-minded, or we're interested in working on our physical health, there's nothing quite like a bike to make it better. Installing a bike rack means that everyone in your family can enjoy going biking while still getting to keep your storage under control and not worrying about loose bikes taking up large swaths of the garage.

2. Creating Loft Storage Space 
Loft storage can feel like a lot to take on, but anyone can build a loft with good supplies and enough research. The best part of this type of space is you have as much vertical space as you need for storage without sacrificing any room for your car or the items you need on hand at most times. From this vantage point, you may realize you need Spartacote resinous flooring to replace your cracked garage floors, and you're not alone!

3. Reinventing the Garage Flooring 

Photo Credit: Evan Beckerman

Whether you're interested in heated flooring in your garage so you can have more comfortable mornings in the workshop, or you're more interested in a beautiful pattern, you don't have to stick with the same stained flooring you've always had. Instead, SPARTACOTE® garage floor coating products by LATICRETE® can make your garage look like a showroom, perfect if you're interested in storing your classic cars in there!  

An ice-cold garage can kill a car's battery overnight. An overheating garage could make getting in and out of your car feel like you're entering and exiting an oven. However, the right insulation can keep your garage space at a mild general temperature for most of the year. Insulation can work by keeping out noise, moisture, and temperature fluctuations, allowing for your garage to be an oasis away from the rest of the world.

What type of hobbies do you have? Do you ever think about what you could do if that hobby were given more room to spread and become something more?  Hobbies aren't just for kids; they allow us to stretch our creativity and design and build things that we can proudly be proud of.
 
The most popular garage hobbies are wood carving, stained glass window creation, and classic carpentry. If you want to learn how to do any of these things, there are tons of references and videos online to help you learn!

This is the most drastic idea on this list, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. Turning garages into finished rooms that flow into the home's interior has been something people have been doing since the first garages were built. This isn't as much of a leap as you may think; with a polished concrete floor, you can make a room with cozy rugs and a sleek concrete design at the same time.

Consider what space your home needs, from a home office to a spare bedroom, and then think about airflow and availability to get to electricity. A complete garage remodel like this is pricey, but most can complete it within a summer!

If you live in an area where it’s too cold in the winter to enjoy your hot tub, or your home is sorely lacking a space to unwind in: consider using your garage to fill this gap! Research how to insulate a garage, so the temperatures stay comfortable, and ensure that your water hook-ups are capable of running through your garage! The most important step is to dress up the area to make it fun and inviting, instead of looking like a large room for your car. Then, with a keen eye for detail and a little fancy, you can make your garage into whatever you want it to be.

There's a reason a garage's space is referred to as a two-car or four-car garage. Still, there's a lot of hope that goes towards trying to create more out of this space. Although it's nice to keep your car out of the elements, it can't be the reason that so much room is wasted instead of being put to better use. Consider a couple of these projects this summer, and make your garage into space you'll want to show off to your neighbors!

Todd Gillman is the content director for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.