Remodeling Garages

Many people consider remodeling garages a better alternative than remodeling basements. You usually have better light and better access. Depending on the layout of the house, there are some remodeling projects that would be better located in the garage than in the basement.

These might include: guest apartment (or housing for an elderly relative); home office; laundry room; mud room; or music studio (keeping the noise far away).

1- A new garage addition (expensive, but you get to keep a place for your cars).

2- A new use for an existing garage space.

3- A reorganization of the space, increasing storage capacity while maintaining current use.

Transforming your garage doesn't mean sacrificing storage area. Today, remodeling garages means making them multifunctional. You often see garages housing cars, accommodating storage needs, and including a workshop or studio.

An interesting hybrid is to raise the roof over the garage in order to create a livable space above, while keeping the existing space substantially in tact.

Cabinetry will probably be an important element in any of these choices. Therefore, you should give some consideration to having garage cabinet plans that are specific for the intended use. Click on this link to see more about storage cabinets in the garage.

Installing paneling (such as "Slatwall") or pegboard on the walls will minimize future maintenance while providing a handy system for hanging tools and other items.

You might also consider painting the floor with a cement paint. This will minimize dust in your garage. If you want to get some information about painting your concrete garage floor, click here.

Because the garage usually is where your lawn and garden tools are stored, you have some added flexibility. In the event that your plan means losing existing storage space, you can always add an outdoor shed for these items. Even a small shed can house lawn tools, sporting equipment and seasonal items.

You can use a garage in many ways that you can't use a shed. If you decide to go this way, get a good shed, and make it with an exterior that matches your home's exterior. Those flimsy, metal sheds look shabby and don't do anything for the value of the house.

How To Proceed

If the purpose for remodeling garages is to get better organized, think about the project this way. Everything should have a designated place, and you need easy access to all of it. I have found that the best way to do this is first to empty the entire garage. Then clean it.

Now start sorting everything by categories - lawn tools; household tools; sporting equipment; cleaning stuff; auto-related stuff; etc. Anything that you don't think belongs in your garage should be put where it belongs.

The cabinetry is the key when remodeling garages. Think about where you'll be placing everything (before actually doing it) and determine if you have to add any shelving or cabinets. Now's the time. Another option (if you're a frustrated handyman) might be to add a workbench or table, possibly with some pegboard on the wall.

Using Rolling Carts

My favorite idea when it comes to remodeling garages is to have rolling shelving units. If you make them double-sided and sturdy, they can help with categorizing your stuff, help make the most use of your storage space, and can even double as work surfaces if they're made to the right height.

But you should have very good wheels that can lock. If you want to see a plan of what I'm talking about, you can go to WorkBenchMagazine.com for plans and diagrams showing how to build these rolling units.

The Garage Door

A quick word about garage doors - they are available in wood or metal. The wood door is normally stained and varnished while the metal door is painted.

Here's a page about garage storage.

If you are seeking advice concerning how to build a garage, you are invited to visit www.garagetips-101.com, where you will find detailed and illustrated information concerning the building process.

Here are pages about garage flooring, garage door insulation, and garage door openers that you might find helpful.

About Your Trash

The last issue I want to cover is your trash (pun intended). I don't think having your trash outside is a good idea. Nocturnal animals always find a way to get into it. The least of the problem is cleaning up after them.

The biggest problem is attracting raccoons and bears and other hungry beasts to your neighborhood. So keep the trash in the garage.

Section off an area near the entrance to your home for trash and recycling bins. This location will make it easier to deposit refuge into these containers every day.

You can contact me about remodeling garages here.

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