If you use your garage as nothing more than a dumping ground, the chances are that you are missing out on a livable area of your home. While you might not be looking to utilize your garage as an extra sitting room, you can give it more of a purpose than how you are currently using it. Garages can often be dingy, spider ridden, damp and musty. To combat the stereotypical garage vibe, you need to turn your garage into a bonus space that will give you extra storage or somewhere to enjoy a home office environment. Take a look at these three simple ways to get the most out of your garage.
Insulate and floor it
Your garage probably has a concrete and unlevel floor meaning that it can be difficult to do anything in it other than park your set of wheels. If you want to spend a little more time in your garage, insulate the walls. By providing insulation, you are combating any potential damp that may creep in through rain and atmospheric conditions. It will also help you to create a habitable space in the winter.
For the flooring, you need to get it level with some quick-drying cement and a spirit level. Once you have done this, you can then lay laminate or tiles. Lino is cheaper but won’t provide the resilience that you need in a garage. With insulated walls and sound flooring, you can then consider how you will utilize your garage space.
Storage
If you want to create a more organized storage system, consider reusing and recycling items that can create achingly cool shelving. Pallets laid on top of one another provide nifty small storage compartments to store fishing tackle, screws, nuts and other small paraphernalia. If you have larger items, think about creating some vertical shelving and attach these to your walls. Metal shelves can give your garage a more industrial vibe.
You cannot store whatever you want in your garage. Items not to store in your garage include propane tanks as they can become a hazard during summer. You should also refrain from storing your treasured photographs as they can spoil in heat or damp conditions. And forget about storing any soft furnishings or beddings as you might find they become infested with pests.
Paint
If you want to create a more room-like vibe, you will need to paint your insulated walls. With a habitable space, you need to consider the hue that you will choose. As you are painting a moisture-rich environment, go for a moisture blocking paint. You’ll pay a premium, but this will protect your garage from mold and spore growth. The moisture blocking paint will need some airing as it can have a distinct odor. The paint comes in lots of different colors so you can be as creative as you like.
Follow this guide, and you can enjoy a more usable garage space to add to the decor of your home.
