Did you know half of Americans spend just 1-2 hours weekly using their garage? With 64% of American homes having a garage, it’s a vastly underutilized space.
You can transform your underused space into a garage hangout without doing major remodeling work. Here are five simple garage upgrades for achieving your dream garage.
1. Lighting
Lighting is a common garage design issue. With a dim and shadowy garage, you might as well be hanging out in a basement or attic.
Experts recommend anywhere between 80-500 lumens per square foot, depending on the garage. Not every garage has natural light or built-in lighting.
Adding LED light strips to your garage accessories will create a whole new layer of lighting. You can use them for:
- Backlights
- Area lighting
- Lining the ceiling and/or floor
- Outdoor lighting
- Decoration
- Display cases
- Cabinets and shelves
- Under/around furniture
You can even buy LED light strip safety kits for hazardous areas.
2. Storage and Orginzation
Like a kitchen junk drawer, many garages end up as a catch-all storage space. If you want a garage hangout space, the garage storage should be under control.
You can DIY your own shelves, but if you want a dream garage to show off to your friends and neighbors, there are deluxe garage storage systems available. Some can even be installed by pros.
3. Floor
Garage floors have to stand up to chemical spills, oil and grease, heavy objects, and other intense wear and tear. Installing a nice garage floor seems like a waste.
But there are garage floor finishes that look amazing still take a beating. Popular garage upgrades for floors include:
- Polished concrete
- Epoxy
- Polyurethane
- Polyurea
Not every coating will work best, depending on your garage use, your climate, and your dream garage design.
Polished concrete is highly glossy and used in fancy hotels, but it’s vulnerable to road salts and chemical spills. Epoxy is more resistant to chemicals, but is vulnerable to heat, moisture, and UV rays.
Polyurethane is more durable, and some brands can even be used in welding garages. But like epoxy, it’s vulnerable to moisture and cold. Polyurea is also durable, but moisture and UV-resistant.
Like polyurethane, some brands add extra durability. For example, Garage Force is stronger than epoxy.
4. Climate Control
No dream garage has stuffy and stale air. And garage hangout shouldn’t be too hot, too cold, or moist and damp.
If you live in a climate with temperature extremes like long hot summers and/or harsh cold winters, garage upgrades like an HVAC system might work best.
For more mild climates, there are other strategies:
- Industrial fans
- Space heaters
- Portable air conditioners
- Wood-burning stoves (with proper ventilation)
- Dehumidifiers
You’ll also want to insulate your garage against energy loss, so it doesn’t hurt your electric bill.
5. Paint
Paint is the simplest of garage upgrades, but it can go a long way. The garage floor, wall, and ceilings can all be painted. You can spruce up shelves and cabinets with paint too.
Your overall garage design will include a color scheme, so the paint will be necessary to make everything match. Paint brands include paints designed for tougher garage use.
Garage Upgrades Made Simple
These garage upgrades will help you transform your dream garage without paying thousands in remodeling costs. Many of these upgrades and garage accessories you can even install yourself.
For more tips and tricks on how to upgrade your home, browse our articles in the house section.
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