Are you looking for a way to impress your friends and neighbours? How about a way to store your sweet ride the way it deserves?
What you need is a custom garage, built to your specific needs in a stylish and functional design. The possibilities are endless; depending on how awesome you make it, you’ll never want to leave!
Building your new garage is the missing piece to complete your home. Here are 10 things to consider before you start:
1. The Size
You need to decide how big you want the garage based on how you’ll be using it. For a single car, 14 by 20 feet is a decent size.
But, since this is going to be a custom garage, make it as big as you want! You could store multiple vehicles, a workbench, even a couch to make it a real man cave.
The size is up to you as long as it adheres to building codes and you have the right building permits.
2. Style of the Roof
If you’re building your garage detached from your home, it looks best to use the same roofline and materials as the main house.
Most people choose to have their garage attached to their house for easy access. In this case, you could build a flat roof that doubles as a second-story patio. This is a great idea if you lost outdoor space by building a new garage.
3. Style of the Door
The choice of material you use for your garage door can change the aesthetic and style of your garage. You should make sure it looks streamlined and cohesive to the rest of your house.
Some materials are easier to maintain, like steel or aluminum. Wooden garage doors look rustic and are environmentally-friendly but require some upkeep.
Windows
Car aficionados will usually opt not to build windows in their custom garage because the UV rays from the sun can damage their vehicles’ paint. However, adding windows can bring in natural light and make your space feel homier and less industrial. Consider adding skylight windows that come with motorized control. Flip the switch, and the shade comes out to cover the window.
4. Heating and Cooling
How much time do you plan on spending in your garage? You may want to consider installing a heating and cooling system to make it more comfortable.
To keep the garage warm in the winter, installing radiant heating in the floor will make spending time in there more bearable. You can also insulate the walls to keep in the heat. For a cooler space to spend time during the summer, you could install a portable AC unit, or ceiling fans to circulate the air.
5. Type of Workbenches
If you’re a handyman who enjoys using their tools, you can’t have a custom garage without a custom workbench.
This is an awesome opportunity to take inventory of all your tools and equipment and design a space that fits each one perfectly. No more tripping over hand saws or spilling nails everywhere!
Consider building a workbench station with under-the-table storage shelved, wall cabinets, and even hanging shelved to store tools you don’t use as often. This is also safer if you have children because you can ensure dangerous objects are out of reach.
6. Storage Space
Most garages function as extra storage space for things you don’t use year-round. The most common items stored in the garage are:
- Snow blowers and shovels
- Lawnmowers and weed whackers
- Kids lawn toys
- Bikes
- Christmas trees and decorations
Chances are your current garage has way more than just those items. When designing your custom space, make a home for everything. There doesn’t need to be any piles of seldom used objects anywhere if everything has a home.
Some custom garages include a second-story loft for extra storage, or for a space to hang out.
7. Adequate Lighting
If you’re someone who likes to work on your cars or build things in the garage, you know how important good lighting is. It’s the difference between losing a finger and building a perfect birdhouse.
For over the workbench, task lighting is most effective. You can get hanging light fixtures to offer targeted light exposure. This is a good time to consider how many electrical outlets you need to create so you can plug in all your lights and tools.
8. Sealing the Concrete
Your new garage is going to take a lot of wear and tear, especially if you plan on changing your car’s oil or filling it with gasoline at home.
Ensuring the concrete is adequately sealed is the key to protecting it. You could use a sealant or a high-quality epoxy paint; both will do the trick. You should also consider installing a vapour barrier below the concrete to ensure no liquids move up through the concrete’s pours and damage your belongings. It’s an extra cost, but it’s worth preventing potential damage.
9. Proper Ventilation
Some homeowners don’t mind keeping the garage door open a foot to allow ventilation when they’re warming their cars up in the winter. However, this puts you at risk for rodents getting in and building a home or theft. Also, the fumes from paint cans and gasses that are often stored in the garage aren’t healthy to inhale.
Consider installing proper ventilation, like an exhaust fan, which solves both problems by providing ventilation without having to open the door.
10. Entertainment
This is the really fun part: making your custom garage an enjoyable space to be in.
Many upscale home garages will install a surround-sound speaker system for listening to music and wall TVs to watch sports games. You could even build a mini-bar!
The more space you have, the more entertaining features you can include.
Ready to Build Your Custom Garage?
We handle all types of renovations from custom-built houses to commercial buildings.
Our team is ready to help design and build the garage of your dreams, so start by getting a free quote and consultation today!
