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Tips to Make Your Garage More Functional Year-Round
With the holidays upon us, you may have a lot of company entering your house through the garage and would like to make the space look a little nicer. You may also find yourself wishing you had a better storage system in your garage as you struggle past the lawn care equipment and patio furniture that had to come indoors for the winter, just when you need to get out the holiday decorations and those folding tables and chairs you need to seat everyone for a big family dinner.
Why not start planning for a new custom garage or some well-deserved garage improvements in 2019?
Finished Walls
If your garage is currently uninsulated with an unfinished interior, finishing the interior walls is a great place to start. This is one of the best ways to make the space more attractive and more functional at the same time.
In place of bare studs and siding, a layer of insulation and drywall will help maintain a steadier temperature in the garage year-round, making it more comfortable to work in and creating better conditions for long-term storage. The drywall can also make the space feel brighter, even if you do not paint it.
New Garage Door Openers Make Life Easier and More Secure
If you think the only way to open your garage door is to manually press buttons mounted on a garage wall or on a remote clipped to your car visor, think again. Even the exterior keypad with a 4-digit security code, which was once the height of convenience, has become outmoded. Check out the latest features in "smart" electric garage door openers:
No More Losing the Garage Door Remote
The latest openers from manufacturers like Liftmaster (Blue Sky Builders, Inc.' preferred brand) have built-in Wi-Fi. You can easily and securely connect your garage door opener to your home Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control the door from your smartphone with a simple app.
For those who still want an old-school remote, never fear: you can still get those for your smart door opener. Some brands offer a keyfob-style opener, which is a nice alternative to the visor-clip style.
In many urban areas, a growing number of people have garages but do not own cars, preferring car-sharing services like Uber. Being able to enter their home through the garage using their smartphone or a keyfob just makes sense.
Sizing Up: How Big Should Your Garage Footprint Be?
"I want our next garage to be smaller," said nobody ever. But when you think about pouring concrete for a new garage, how big should you make the footprint? Here are several things to consider:
Sizing an Illinois Garage for Vehicle Parking
New homes built in the North Central U.S. are much more likely to have three-car garages than in other parts of the U.S. Of all new single-family homes completed in 2017 nationwide, 65% had a two-car garage, and 20% had a three-car garage or larger. In the East North Central region that includes Illinois, 33% of new homes had a three-car or larger garage.
Aside from regional trends and resale value, here are a few other factors to consider when sizing up your parking needs:
Is off-street parking available in your neighborhood, particularly for overnight guests? You may want to make the concrete apron outside your garage wide enough to make room for kids' and guests' cars.
What size vehicles do you drive? Full-size trucks or SUVs will need more room than compact cars.
Are you concerned about aging in place or providing access for a relative? Consider setting aside space for a wheelchair or walker-friendly ramp.
Upgrading Your Garage to an Accessory Dwelling Unit
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a top trend in today's real estate market. What, you may ask, is an accessory dwelling unit? An ADU is a second small residence located on the same lot as a typical single-family home. The ADU category includes over-the-garage apartments, basement apartments, in-law apartments, carriage houses, and tiny houses. ADUs may just seem like a new name for an old concept, but there is definitely something new going on, and an ADU may be a great custom garage solution for your home.
What Are the New Reasons for Building ADUs, Including Above-Garage Apartments?
In today's housing market, generational differences, an aging population, and financial issues are some of the factors behind the growing interest in ADUs. Any or all of these could be reasons for you to consider adding a second residence to your existing property.
Boomers Liked Big Houses, While Millennials Are More Minimalist
Why Your Dream Garage Should Have Two Stories
Do you have any childhood memories of playing in an attic? Many of us spent our childhoods playing in and around the second story of a custom-built garage, and we may wish to recreate this type of environment for ourselves or our own children. If you have your own memories of playing in a big attic or the second story of a garage, that nostalgia may be all you need to make the decision in favor of building a two-story garage. However, if you need more practical reasons, consider the following:
Room for Hobbies
Do you have closets overflowing with hobby supplies? Are you tired of having nowhere to practice your hobby or wondering how long it will take to unbury your dining room table before you can even think about hosting a dinner party? Adding a second story to your garage could be the perfect solution.
Rental Income
Would you like to offset those Illinois property taxes with some rental income, even if it is just the occasional Airbnb or VRBO guest? One advantage of building a bed-and-bath or an entire apartment above your garage is that it can be completely separated from your house, protecting your privacy. You could even design it as a tiny house to serve as a launching pad for your 20-something kids, allowing you to keep the rent money in the family.
Look Up! Use the Ceiling to Maximize Your Garage Storage
Most of us would love to have a bigger garage, but our property simply has no room to expand the garage footprint. This means that even when we have the opportunity to build a new garage, we still have to use our space as efficiently as we can.
However, few of us are trained garage designers. Once we get our cars parked, we often struggle to find enough remaining space to store our collection of tools, sports gear, and household overflow. With the risk of theft, most people who live in the city or suburbs want to keep large items like ladders, bicycles, and kayaks safely locked in the garage.
One solution is to look up; you probably have several feet of open space in the rafters. Here are three easy ways to make better use of that space. To shop online for these items, just use the bold-faced titles below as your Google or Amazon search terms.
1. Ceiling-Mounted Extension Cord Reels
If you use a lot of power tools in your garage, out on the driveway, or in the yard, you may find yourself tangled in extension cords. Mounting a heavy-duty extension cord reel on your ceiling can be a great solution. If you have ever enjoyed the convenience of a self-serve car wash with the hose mounted on the ceiling, you can easily see the beauty of a ceiling-mounted extension cord. For example, think how much easier it will be to vacuum out your car with a ceiling-mounted power cord.
Using the KonMari Method to Declutter Your Garage
Millions of people have embraced the KonMari method of decluttering their homes. However, KonMari was developed in Japan, where people live in much smaller spaces than we Americans do, and it has been most praised for helping people reduce their wardrobes. So we decided to explore the question: Can you use the KonMari method in your garage?
Declutter by Category, Not Location
One of the first principles of KonMari is that you should not declutter room by room. Rather, you need to work by category. For example, you could gather all of your shoes from all parts of the house: your bedroom closet, coat closet, basement, and anywhere else they might be. Then, work through the items one by one, deciding what you can discard.
How can this work for your garage? To make KonMari work, you need to focus on one category of items at a time, such as gardening supplies. (Other categories might be painting supplies, fasteners, general-use hand tools, and power tools and their accessories.) These items may be scattered around your garage, workbench, garden shed, basement, hall closet, a kitchen drawer, and even your vehicle. Just getting all of your gardening items together in one place is a useful exercise.
Tips on Choosing the Right Custom Garage Roof
When you begin dreaming of your custom garage, you will likely start with the inside features and make decisions about the intended use of the space. You may have agreed on cabinetry, whether you will need windows, and even the style of garage door. However, it is also important to consider the exterior of your garage. Often, the garage roof is overlooked in the initial planning process. The roof style of your garage should match or complement your existing home, otherwise what you think is a wise investment may become a regret. Here are some comparisons for choosing the right roof for your needs:
Hip vs. Gable: Design Differences
The gable style roof is easily identifiable and used by many homeowners. Gable roofs have a distinct triangle shape on two of the four sides of a garage, with the garage door typically being on the gable, or triangle, side. These sloping roofs allow for water, snow, and other precipitation to quickly run off of the roof, preventing excessive buildup.
Garage Versus Carport: Which Structure Is Right for Your Home?
If you compare garages to carports, there are noticeable differences. One is open; the other enclosed. One has a locking door; the other is less secure. One has a higher price tag; the other is budget-friendly. Both are a better option than having nothing at all to protect your belongings. Choosing which structure is right for your family depends on the purpose of the structure. Let us take a look at a few of the most noticeable features:
Option 1: Carport
A carport is a structure which offers limited protection to vehicles parked underneath. Typically, carports are open on at least two sides but provide shelter to vehicles from rain, snow, and extreme heat. A carport is also useful as a permanent canopy for entertaining visitors outside of the home. Due to the openness of the structure, homeowners need not worry about garage door openers or their associated hazards. However, carports fail to protect from potential thieves or vandals and risk catastrophic damage in high winds.
Tips For Keeping Your Garage Dry During the Rainy Season
Although we see steady rainfall throughout the year, the residents of the Chicago area typically receive more precipitation in August and September than the other months of the year. Aside from the inconvenience of muddy shoes and wet hair, rain can wreak havoc on a home. Rain damage costs homeowners across the United States millions of dollars each year.
The garage is often a prime target for water entry. Moisture from umbrellas, shoes, and cars lingers in the garage, along with any rain pouring in while the garage door is open. Keep your investments dry and your family safe with these helpful tips:
Seal Exterior Cracks
Buildings are subject to various stressors, ranging from the wear and tear of the elements to the settling of a foundation. These stressors can eventually damage the exterior of your home. Although seemingly minor, even hairline cracks allow for water seepage, which can not only make the gaps more substantial, but can also let moisture into the garage. Once water accumulates inside, toxic mold may begin to form, endangering the health of everyone in the home.
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