The garage really can be a mans best friend, but now that you are getting on, or maybe have downsized your vehicle, you find a garage with space and potential. A new addition to the house, a game room, a man cave or maybe a gym, the possibilities are only as limited as you allow them to be. Keep reading to learn how to finish your garage, and get some great ideas and inspiration for what can be done.
How To Finish Your Garage And Get The Most Out Of This Awesome Space
With cobwebs and old broken hammers lying around it is hard to see where to begin how to finish your garage. So the best way to go about this, is to dive straight on in and transform into your Throw-Out mode. Here’s a good rule you can go by: if you haven’t used it in 6 months, then you probably don’t need it! Throw out the paint cans and old brushes from 1987. You know why? Because new ones are pretty dang cheap, and they definitely don’t cost enough to justify wasting storage space to hang on to these old useless items.
However, I know some of you out there are a bit of a pack rat. I know a few of them myself. If you are not big on throwing things away, then maybe you can just find another use for them. Hammer handles could be used as knife holders and you could use the hammerheads as coat hooks. Those old paint cans could be cleaned out and used a storage containers for screws, nails, doo-dads, and gizma jigs. Or lets say you’ve got a hankering to add on to your house, which I cover in more detail in my post on adding a room to your house. Take a look around your tired old garage and you can probably find material or design ideas for your new space you’ll be adding. Maybe you can take that old pile of scrap wood and use it frame in the new window in your addition, or use it to build some matching picture frames.
Okay, I Have Thrown Out The Junk Whats Next?
Now that the bats are out of the cave, it’s time to decide on just what you want to do with the new found space. If you have an old house and you want to maybe turn it into a family room/game room, then do yourself a favor and have the wiring checked before you hang new sheetrock or paint the new room. If you want the new space to be cozy make sure you invest in underlay, insulation and AC/heat. Make your new space an extension of your home that is warm, friendly and inviting.
Or perhaps you still want a functional garage to store tools and work on your custom bike. So what you really need are some awesome looking ceiling tiles and a nice wood wall. I prefer using wood siding for shop-style of garages, just because it makes it super-easy to hang stuff on. And don’t forget the flooring. If you don’t want a basic concrete floor, do a search for different garage floor options. Here’s an article on garage flooring ideas.
How To Finish Your Garage Once You’ve Decided What You Want
Your next trip is to the DIY store to pick up the goods, the material, the wiring, and anything else needed for this awesome and exciting project. Maybe you’re going to add some shelving, so make sure you pick up some lumber a good miter saw, or get you a good one online, one that’s made for DIYers like yourself.
>> Check out this review on a fantastic basic miter saw
Make sure you buy quality goods that are designed for the climate you live in such as treated wood, weather seals for the doors, insulation for the exterior walls, etc. You’ll probably need to visit multiple stores, plus some online shopping. So lay out your entire plan on paper, then go thru each item and list out all the tools and materials you’ll need. Doing this prior to shopping will make sure you think of everything, and minimize your time spent out shopping and picking up everything you need.
Once you get all your material, lumber, tools, and supplies, it is time to head back home and start on your new project. Research and make sure you know what you’re doing. This should be a fun project, but at the same time you should end up with something fully functional, safe, and a room that you can be proud of. If it’s cool enough to escape to, then you know you did a good job!
How To Finish Your Gargage With Re-purposed Old Stuff
Decorating the new space can be fun, and if you are one who likes to re-purpose things why not make a table out of the old cabinet doors or take the old nails and melt them down into interesting sculptures, paperweights or door stoppers. Make the room look inviting and maybe even go get the paint you threw in the dumpster and see if the hardware store can loosen it up for use. DIY doesn’t have to be expensive.
If you’re looking to create a wood working shop in your garage, you can take some of the old scraps and wood you have and build some basic shelving for hand tools. Then hit up your local antique stores and garage sales for starting your collection of handy wood working tools.
Some Things To Note About DIY
DIY is fun but if you really don’t know what you’re doing, then you should recruit a friend who knows more about how to finish your garage. Home improvements are always a great thing, but if you do not know what you are doing you could end up damaging your home, building something that isn’t safe, or finding out that there were critical details you may have missed (like installing enough electrical outlets, or getting appropriate permits). The internet is full of step by step guides and how to videos you can check out, or you could always take a short course at a community college for safety’s sake. Also if in doubt check with your local council to see if you need to have planning permission before going forward with your projects.
We hope you enjoyed these DIY tips. Do you have any of your own to share, or maybe some pictures of you new awesome garage space? If you do leave us a comment, we would love to hear from you.