Your garage is the sanctuary of your car. It’s the home of all the projects you’ve ever worked on. It’s the place in your house you might feel most at home in. Your garage is your space. And whether you use it to hang out with your buddies or to work on your wheels, your garage is much more than just the four walls that contain your vehicles.
That’s why designing, building, and renovating your garage are tasks that should be done with utmost care and preparation. And if you’re thinking about building a garage or revamping the one you already have, these six tips will help you design the garage of your dreams.
Weigh the pros and cons of attached and detached garages
Your decision should depend on the availability of space, the frequency of your usage, and how you define convenience.
Attached garages are easily accessible, especially during bad weather. It can make your house appear bigger and save on yard space at the same time. And most importantly, it is cost-efficient since building one attached to your home will save you a lot of money on the structural needs of the garage, and the electrical and heating systems will also be connected to your main house.
With detached garages, you would have one less thing to worry about since it won’t provide another entry to your house. And since it’s not directly connected to your house, it will be less of a fire risk. Detached garages also offer more room for both cars and the workspace. It makes it unlikely for any harmful gas emissions to slip into your home. And it makes it more flexible for you to expand and renovate easily.
Maximize vertical space
The use of vertical space is crucial in designing a great garage. Vertical space is usually an underutilized storage area. Make use of your bare walls and attach shelves to avoid clutter. You can also consider building a loft-type garage with a small office or your workbench built on the area above your car’s level. But if you’re into restoring and repairing vintage cars and bikes, then designing a garage with an overhead platform for repairs would surely look cooler.
PS. Remember to make your garage door tall. The trick is to make it as tall as trucks that local or professional movers use. Doing this will lessen the chance of accidentally damaging your garage doors whenever you strap something on the roof of your car. It also makes your garage more flexible in sheltering vehicles in all shapes and sizes. And most importantly, it looks grand!
Optimize lighting
Lighting is often an overlooked aspect when building a garage. But we’re changing that now.
If you’re planning on making the garage your crafts space or even an office close to home but entirely independent and private, then making sure there’s more than enough lighting to help you do your tasks more efficiently is important. Not only does good lighting help in, well, lighting up your place, it also makes your space appear bigger. With proper lighting, you can turn your simple garage into a showroom.
And while neon signage can create a rustic mood, it would still be better to maximize natural lighting since you don’t have to pay for it. Invest in adding big windows or glass ceilings.
Consider the temperature
Make sure the ventilation is good to prevent your tools from accumulating rust, especially when humidity is on an extreme level. Installing air conditioning units and heaters can also be beneficial. A garage without proper heating and insulation might prove to be dangerous for your car during long winters. And one without an ac unit might be a hellish place to work at during summers.
Don’t forget about the plumbing
Installing a toilet and shower in your garage can easily turn it into a man cave. But even a simple plumbing system can be enough, too. Remember that electricity isn’t the only thing important. It would make your life a lot easier if you could wash your car inside your garage.
And if there’s any fire-related problem in your workshop, having water ready at your disposal can be what saves your life. Having floor drains can also be a good emergency measure in case of a flood. And having utility sinks in your garage is important if you don’t want your garage to be just car storage.
Make a drive-through garage if possible
If it is within the possibility, you should consider having two doors and two entry points in your garage. It can be modified into an outdoor entertainment area if the need arises. It will give you more mobility, helping you save more time when navigating in and out of the garage.
It can also be good for ventilation since having two exits mean increased air circulation. And more importantly, it improves your storage capacity, especially if your garage is within a closed-off home compound. You can easily open one side and make the surrounding area an extension.
The bottom line
Designing and building the perfect garage is a dream come true for most car enthusiasts. But whatever you plan to do with your garage, remember these two important things:
1. You’re probably not the only one who will use it, so considering them might be detrimental to avoid future hassles.
2. What matters most is you enjoy the process.
