Top Garage Makeovers You Can Use To Improve Your Standard Of Living

Lifestyle Screen installed by Garageworks

The idea that the garage is strictly limited to a safe shelter for your cars or household equipment is becoming out of date. With a bit of ingenuity and creativity, you can transform your garage doors and space to suit an array of personal home needs. Many homeowners spend thousands of dollars building additional home space to cater to their home needs. But why look elsewhere when you have your garage? 

First understand the most pressing household need and decide how your garage can contribute to raising your standard of living. Do you have a passion for gardening and require an indoor garden to provide a safe zone for seedlings? Or do you wish to become more physically active, but can’t muster the energy and commitment to drive to your gym and back every morning? You may even be lacking a proper children’s playground area in your neighborhood and may wish to provide your children a safe zone to play and energize.

Whatever is most urgent for your home needs, the durability, aesthetic appeal, and good maintenance will hold the key to making efficient utilization of your garage space.

Indoor Gym

When was the last time you promised to make use of your monthly gym membership and lacked the time or energy to do so? For many of us, exercising in the comfort of our homes is more convenient. You not only save a substantial amount of gym fees every month, but also find the convenience of just changing into your exercise clothes and start lifting weights. 

More importantly, even if you do manage to get to the gym, the disadvantage of waiting for long periods of time to be able to use a specific weight machine or equipment or to find yourself wasting time watching everyone exercise can ruin your fitness motivation and progress. This is unlike in the case of a well-equipped indoor gym where you have full and immediate access to all gym equipment. Not to forget, it is easier to stick to a workout regimen for longer periods.

However, the luxury of being able to do this requires space. Building a good indoor gym is a dream for many, who fail to put it turn into reality simply because they lack additional space.

Your garage doors and space, on the other hand, offer a viable alternative. If done right, you can ensure all of your fitness needs are just a few steps away from your bed or living room. Sounds good doesn’t it? There are hundreds of examples you can find online to draw inspiration from individuals who have made excellent use of their garage gym space.

To begin with your own garage gym project, you will first need to clear as much room as possible to get a general idea of where you will put your gym equipments and tools and how much space you can utilize.

The second step will involve deciding what particular gym equipment you will need. If you are into heavy weight lifting, you will need to decide if you have adequate space for various cable machines and free weights, such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Alternatively, you may decide to go for aerobics or circuit training and only invest in minimal equipment such as pull-up bar, parallel bar, dumbbells, medicine ball, and skipping rope.

Regardless, your garage can provide enough space to engage all muscle groups and help you achieve your fitness goals. You don’t necessarily have to buy every equipment; items, such as basketballs and truck tires can be put to good use in the gym and serve as a crucial part of your workout routine.

Children’s Play Area

Not everyone has the benefit of having a park in the neighborhood where your children you enjoy riding bicycles or go on slopes to amuse themselves. Even if that were the case, many would rather choose to have a children’s play area in the confines of their property to avoid risks of kidnapping and mugging. 

While turning your garage space into a children’s play area may seem unconventional, it can nevertheless offer a sufficient amount of space for families to get together and enjoy on weekends. There is nothing more reassuring to know that your children are safe playing and spending time in the garage as opposed to staying outside unsupervised and alone.

What you choose to include in your play area is entirely up to you. It can include a range of toys and slides and also have a blackboard where they can choose to do school and other art work. You can also put a few chairs and a coffee or tea area to spend evenings having tea with your spouse whilst watching the children play.

To make your very own children’s play area, clear all space and decide on a suitable paint color and wallpaper or color theme to reflect warmth and excitement for children. Make sure that the toys or slides are located away from the garage doors to avoid any injuries should they open when operated via the remote control and cause accidents.

Furthermore, the garage door needs to installed and maintained properly so that it does open or close unexpectedly due to an electrical fault. Either way, your garage door can provide ample space for your children’s entertainment. You can also organize it to use it both as a garage and a children’s play area. For this, you will have to ensure there is enough space for your children to play after taking your car space into account.

Garage Sale

Been feeling a little entrepreneurial lately? Out of all money making ideas you can come up with, a weekly or bi-weekly garage sale of your old clothes and household items can be a great way to put it to good use and earn cash. It is said that a good garage sale can be equivalent to a week’s worth of monthly earnings, so why not put it to the ultimate test? 

In addition to earning good cash, you will be pleased to become acquainted with other members in your neighborhood and establish good community relations. This can be extremely useful if you have just moved into a neighborhood and are keen to meet and interact with new faces and make friends and good contacts.

Be warned that garage sales need to conform to local laws and regulations. This is because some states have certain rules on what kind of items can be sold in garage sales. It is best to check what the legal regulations are so that you can avoid the trouble of paying any fines or penalties.

The next step is to gather all items you wish to sell and decorate them in your garage on desks or tables and attach a price tag for each item. For better organization, you can arrange different displays into several categories to make it easier for visitors to identify items that may be interested in buying. For instance, you can decide to organize into clothing, household furniture, electronic equipments, and so on.

Alternatively, if you have a business idea or some sort, you can use the garage sale as a means of testing its feasibility. If you are passionate about food items, such as bakery and sandwiches, or want to market your own brand of clothing items, such as leather jackets and women’s clothing, your garage sales can provide an excellent means of checking the feasibility of your business idea. When you notice there is ample demand for your products or items, you can use your garage for storing stock and venture into an established firm.

Once you have decided what items you want to promote, the next big step is promoting your garage sale to get as many visitors as possible. Firstly, Facebook groups and pages are good mediums of informing others of events, and this is no different to your garage sale event. You can also decide to promote it on different bargain websites or partner with small charity organizations and events to get the word across to as many people as you can.

Safety First

There’s no use having a garage workshop where you trip and fall every single time. It should be your top priority. Get the stuff that’s lying in the way, off to the side and prevent falls and accidents. Not only will this help prevent these workplace accidents but will also allow you better access to the equipment and tools. 

Also, keeping the worktable clear of clutter is very important because then you’ll have adequate space to undertake your projects. You won’t go misplacing different nuts and bolts under the debris and tools. You’ll be able to visualize every new project in your garage workshop when you clean up the debris from the old one, making it clearer. This beats having to throw out old and unfinished projects before you decide on starting a new one. Clean spaces keep your motivation up so you don’t give up in the middle of a project or DIY altogether.

Additionally you should hire a professional to service your garage door every year to ensure optimal functionality and safety.

Indoor Garden

Another idea that you may consider is having an indoor garden. This may be a good idea if you lack adequate space in your backyard or want to grow a specific set of crops. Having an indoor greenhouse can require a considerable amount of space and shelter, and your garage can be a good, inexpensive way of meeting these requirements. 

When the winter season approaches, it is best to leave you car inside and keep your garage free for starting your very own greenhouse project. If you are keen to grow and ready crops by spring, the winter season is the best time to sow and grow your seedlings.

To turn your garage into a good greenhouse, make sure there are windows through which sunlight and heat can easily pass through. Your seedlings will need a healthy supply of both to be able to survive and grow healthily. Be sure to allocate a portion for seedlings close to the window as possible. It will enable you to closely monitor its growth and identify growth problems far more easily. For your starter kit, be ready to invest in small pots, a good and fertile potting soil, a spray bottle, thermometer for checking heat levels, and markers for distinguishing different plant and crop types.

Proper lighting will also be crucial. Make sure to opt for fluorescent lighting or halogen bulbs. LED lights can also be useful; although they are slightly more expensive, they have longer lifetime value and provide better source of lighting.

If you want to use your garage as a greenhouse, you need to make sure your garage door is effective and durable enough to withstand harsh outside temperatures. More importantly, if the garage doors have any leaks or holes as a result of damage, dust and other bacteria can get inside and harm the growth of your crops and seedlings.

Choose the Right Garage Door

Irrespective of what you use your garage for, your garage door needs to be well maintained to provide as a strong source of shelter and protection against pollutants and weather conditions. Any accidents or unexpected surprises with your garage door can leave you vulnerable to theft, property damage, and other risks. 

Make sure you check the garage door is strong enough and able to open and close multiple times. Typically, a garage door should be able to open and close thousands of times, and if you notice it is posing problems then it could be a reminder you need to get it repaired or serviced. If you happen to live in an area where strong winds are expected, then it is even more crucial to ensure your garage door is able to withstand its effects and keep the garage protected from any kind of damage.

Similarly, any visible signs of mold growth on your garage door can increase the risks of various illnesses or diseases. The thought of children inhaling mold for countless hours or crops become infected by it can be highly discomforting. Additionally, if you are planning to sell your home in the near future, traces of mold in your garage door can put off potential buyers.

It is crucial that you make use of proper maintenance and repairs to ensure your garage door functions smoothly and clear of bacteria and tough stains. Insulting your garage doors is a prerequisite for extending its lifetime value. Doing so can prevent cold from seeping into your home and help keep your energy consumption in order and regulate utility bills. More importantly, insulated garage doors also protect you from the release of carbon monoxide. This often is the case whenever you start your car accidentally whilst it is inside your garage.

Your garage can be turned into a range of different areas to help spruce up your life. However, without a strong, durable, and well maintained and insulated garage door, you will only invite illnesses and unnecessary repair and maintenance expenses to your life.

Lifestyle Screens

Installing a lifestyle screen is a great way to open your garage up to the outdoors without leaving it open to the bugs and other undesirable elements. This can be especially helpful for the children’s play area or indoor garden. Lifestyle Screens are fully retractable garage door screens which work with your existing garage door. The Lifestyle features an industry first, fully retractable passage door for ease of entry and exit without having to retract the entire system. The Lifestyle garage screen is fully spring loaded, making opening and closing quick and easy. There are several options for garage screens. Some hang by hook and loop, some are Velcro® mounted with a zippered opening, others are panel and track systems (sliders), you can even find garage screens that go up and down by the simple push of a button. One thing is for certain about all of these systems, none is as practical, simple, easy to use, and durable as the Lifestyle garage screen system. 

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