.Renovations to Make Best Use of Your Unused Garage

Guest Blogger #591, Entry #1378, July 10, 2012

Building an addition to your home is a significant undertaking that will cost you precious time and money. Rather than breaking ground to add square footage of living space to your home, why not utilize what you already have?

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If you have a garage that goes unused, convert this area into a useful, habitable space. A few new rooms that can come from your old garage include:

• Another living room
• An extra bedroom
• Playroom
• Home gym
• Home office

Fix up the floor

Most garages are built directly onto a concrete slab. While this is an ideal surface to park a car on, concrete can be harsh for livable rooms. Start by ensuring there are no major cracks in the surface. If there are a few minor issues, you can easily take care of them with some filler and a vapor barrier to clear up the problem. In addition, clean up any oil and grease that an automobile may have left behind.

Once you have a stable surface, you should consider putting down a floating wood floor or carpeting. These options are relatively affordable and go directly on top of the concrete foundation with minimal effort.

Upgrade the walls

The conventional walls of a garage are enough to keep a car safe from the elements, but they will not provide the same level of warmth as the walls of your main home. This is why it is important to finish the walls. You can finish the interior by framing some simple stud walls, filling them with insulation and adding drywall and paint on top to bring it all together.

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Plug up any openings

While it is relatively simple to add insulation to the walls of your garage, the same is not true for the garage doors. Instead, you should replace them with energy efficient French doors that will not only hold in the heat, but also look great in the process. However, if the garage faces a busy street, you have the option of closing up the door altogether by turning it into a fourth wall.

Warm up the space

Adding insulation to your converted garage will make it warmer to live in, but in areas with colder climates, this will only go so far. It’s important to install a heating system. While work on your heating system is best left to a professional, you do have options.

If your home currently has a forced-air heating system, extending the ductwork into the garage will be the simplest and cheapest path to take. However, if this is not an option, the next cheapest choice is installing electric baseboards. It is important to note that with the latter options, your utility bill will likely go up, but it is the best way to heat a large room, or newly renovated garage.

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About the Author: Specializing in FHA mortgages, VA mortgages, and low interest refinancing rates, Freedom Mortgage has been a leader in the mortgage lending space for more than 20 years. With pride in their customer service, tips for first-time homebuyers, and payment calculators, Freedom Mortgage helps their customers select the right mortgage or refinancing option to meet their needs.

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