Renovate your garage with these easy steps

If you’ve neglected your garage over the years, it’s time to give it the attention it needs. Renovating can give you more storage, give you a workspace, and even increase the value of your home. It can be overwhelming to consider giving your garage a makeover but it helps to know where to begin. Luckily, there are fairly simple remodeling ideas that you can take on yourself to get moving in the right direction. Make sure you keep reading this guide to learn what steps to take to renovate your old garage quickly and easily!

Install cabinets.

Having a lack of storage space is probably the number one problem area in old garages, so you’ll need to focus there first. One of the best ways to add more storage while still keeping the space you need is by installing cabinets.

If you’re going to DIY your cabinets, you’ll need to get an idea of the style and color you want for your garage. It’s also a good idea to consider using built-to-order garage cabinets because they can be custom-built to fit your garage space and personal tastes. You can even create a custom design online, so you’ll know exactly what it will look like in your new garage.

Paint the walls.

Another inexpensive and easy way to renovate your old garage is by painting the walls a new color. Walls are often neglected, and while it’s fairly simple to paint your garage walls, prepping them correctly is crucial. You’ll first need to take everything off the garage walls and ensure you have enough ventilation.

Another important step is cleaning the garage walls. Garage walls are typically unfinished and usually only have drywall and tape. They also accumulate large amounts of dust, first, as well as oil stains. Oil stains tend to show through the paint if they’re left on the surface of the wall. You can use a mixture of water and dish soap to remove the dirt.

You’ll also need to prep the surface by filling in dents, chips, or nail holes with drywall compound. Since drywall is a porous material, it needs a primer first. It’s also best to go to a hardware store and talk to them about the best paint brands for walls. Remember, you don’t need to get the most expensive paint. Just make sure you have quality latex-based paint, and you’ll be ready to go.

Add insulation.

Regardless of whether you have a detached or attached garage, insulation is essential. Keep in mind if you have an attached garage, it will share at least a wall and ceiling with other rooms in your home.

If your garage is not insulated properly, it can affect the temperatures in these rooms. Ultimately, this can impact your heating and cooling costs. A lack of insulation causes cooled and heated air to escape, making your air conditioner or furnace to work harder regulating the temperature in your home.

If you have a detached garage, a lack of insulation won’t affect your bills. However, insulation is still important because it prevents your car from facing temperature extremes, as well as any equipment you’re storing.

Overall, insulating is a great step to take and will help you in the future if you plan to convert your garage to an extra room in your home or another type of liveable space.

Add new garage flooring.

The floor makes a significant difference in the overall appeal of your garage. Most of the time, garages have concrete flooring, but you do have other options. First, if your garage floor is damaged or cracked, you’ll need to get it resurfaced. You can also change the floor entirely, but you’ll need to consider a few things first.

If your garage doesn’t have insulation and experiences regular temperature shifts or is exposed to moisture, you’ll want to choose quality flooring that can resist mildew or mold.

One of the cheapest and easiest solutions is to choose a concrete sealer like epoxy or polyurethane. Polyurethane protects against moisture and extends the life of your floors. It’s also stain resistant and allows for easy cleanup when you have spills like oil on your garage floor.

An epoxy coating consists of two treatments that are applied to your garage floor like you would apply paint. However, epoxy is much stronger since it contains a hardener and resin that form a solid shield for your floors.

You can find epoxy coating in many different colors and designs. You can even find some flooring contractors that will add metallic sparkles or quartz to the epoxy to give it a special sheen once it’s complete. Epoxy is affordable and can cover imperfections and defects, making it a smart choice for your garage remodel.