Your garage space should be more than simply a place where you park your car and store your tools. As an attachment to your home, it can be anything you want it to be. Your garage space can be decorated, reorganized, and repurposed for many of the same uses as a room can have inside of your home.
However, 50% of homeowners say their garage was the most disorganized area of their house according to a survey done by the National Association of Professional Organizers. Here are some strategies for upgrading your garage space into a more functional and appealing addition to your home.
Decluttering and Organizing
It is not uncommon for garage spaces to also be used as storage spaces. Before making any upgrades, it may be beneficial to go through the items in your garage and decide where they should be, if you still need them, or if a space for those items should also be taken into account when coming up with upgrade plans. Some installations that can be used to help with the organization include:
- Slatwall Panels
Slatwall panels allow you to keep items in your garage in a more organized way, off of the floor space. The slatted surface of the slat walls allows for easy installation of items such as hooks and additional shelving to store and organize tools and other items in your garage. This is a great choice for storing items such as power cords, tools, gardening tools, bikes, ladders, and more.
- Cabinets
Since not all items may be designed to hang from the walls, another easy storage idea is installing cabinets. These are perfect for small and bulk items. You can choose from custom-fitted cabinets for better visual appeal and stability, or free-standing cabinets, which allow you to easily move them later in case of any design changes.
- Overhead Storage Racks
For larger, heavier items that should be stored overhead, storage racks can be a great option. By placing heavy-duty racks in higher areas that are capable of carrying heavier and space-consuming objects, you can store heavier and more awkward items such as large bins, tires items not frequently used, and more, off of the floor and out of the way.
Vehicle Overhead Space
To further maximize the functional space in your garage, you may want to consider a car lift. Car lifts may allow you to park two vehicles in the same area without the need for any big renovations. It is also a great solution for storing hobby cars, boats, snowmobiles, or other large seasonal vehicle items that may not fit on the shelves without the expense of renting storage space.
Garage Doors
When looking at a homes garage, one of the most noticeable features are the doors. When upgrading your garage, it is important to also remember the garage stores. There are many different types and styles to choose from. Additionally, if your garage door is stool manually, you may want to make the upgrade to a garage door with an opener that can either be accessed by a remote or another button, such as on the wall or inside of your vehicle. Even if you already have a garage door opener, there may be newer models that are quieter and more reliable.
Remember, the doors for your car may not be the only doors attached to your garage. While updating your garage, you may also want to consider upgrading any interior doors between your garage and home. It could be changed to better match the design of the room or to improve its overall functionality.
Repurposing the Space
As mentioned earlier, garage spaces do not have to be just for storing vehicles and tools. When upgrading your garage space, you may want to consider upgrading a portion of it to function as something else entirely, such as a gym or workshop. Slatwall storage also often comes in handy for repurposing parts of the garage too, or you may want to add other amenities more similar to the interior of the home. You also may want to consider insulating your garage for the colder months so it is a more appealing space year-round. This may also help you save on energy bills.
Repainting
Now that you have come up with new upgrade plans for the rest of the garage and may be ready to install some new items for better functionality, it is time to think about colors. Fresh coats of paint can help refresh the space and make newer items better match the old ones so that nothing looks out of place. Depending on how deep of an upgrade you want, you can also give your garage space a new color scheme entirely. Don’t forget the walls, shelves, doors, cabinets, ceilings, and all other visible areas of the garage that may benefit from a fresh coat of paint.
Garage Flooring
After making a plan to organize all of your items that will need to be stored in the garage, it is time to think about flooring. Garage flooring is crucial to keep the space both safe and visually appealing. Garage floorings can make the space appear larger, cleaner, and depending on the materials, more resistant to wear and tear. Many garage floors are also designed with slip-resistant qualities, making it a safer space to use and store liquids and sharp tools. Many garage floors are upgraded by applying floor coatings directly over the concrete to create a safer, cleaner, and more appealing look. Epoxy floor coatings, for example, are often abrasion, heat, and chemical-resistant. They also often are designed to cure quickly and are easy to maintain. With proper care, these types of flooring can last many years. These flooring are also highly durable and can be customized to different colors and textures.
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