Remodeling A Garage To A Room

Remodeling a garage to a room is often a cost-effective way to add living space to your home.

1. Because the foundation, roof and exterior walls are already built, you will not incur these costs.

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2. You will be able to remodel the area with little disruption to the rest of your home.

3. You may already have the electrical wiring in place (most garages have lights and at least one electrical outlet) as well as plumbing.

4. Depending upon local building codes, you may not need a building permit for your project.

Why would you need a building permit? This can vary from one location to another, but the primary issues are:

* Structural soundness

* Exits

* Heating and cooling

* Windows

* Ventilation

* Insulation

* Plumbing

* Electrical

In some areas, failure to build to local code can require that you restore the space to its original condition before you sell the house.

The best place to start remodeling a garage to a room is to determine what you have to work with in terms of floor, walls, access, etc. You will likely have a cement slab floor and an adequate roof. If there are no windows, you will need to decide whether to install them, how many to install, and where you will place them. If your garage has finished walls you will need to determine whether the walls are insulated. If they are not insulated, you will need to make decisions about how you will insulate. You will need to plan for heating and cooling and adequate lighting and electrical outlets. Do you need plumbing in the room? If so, you will need to determine whether there is or is not plumbing in the area and what changes are required.

Your next decision will be whether to use the entire garage for your new room or only part of it. If you have a two-car garage, you might decide to finish only half of it into living space. In this case, you might want to pay extra attention to soundproofing.

Converted garages can serve a variety of functions. Garages can be converted into everything from a kitchen to a living room or a family room, den, home theater, home office or an extra bedroom. You might discover enough "attic" space to finish two rooms (one above the other) or to open the ceiling and design your new room with a vaulted ceiling.

The next decisions will determine the appearance of the finished room.

1. What kind of flooring will you use? You will find that a slab is conducive to almost any kind of flooring you choose to install. Be sure to seal the slab before you begin installation of any flooring materials. And, if you install carpet, you might want to invest in double padding to make the room more comfortable. You can also build a traditional joist floor over the garage slab to match the floor level in the rest of your home.

2. What kind of ceiling do you want? Depending upon the planned use of the space, you might choose a vaulted, exposed beam ceiling, a pitched ceiling, a tray ceiling, a drywall ceiling, or a drop ceiling.

3. Finally, you will need to decide on the walls. You can choose paneling or sheetrock, or you might want to consider constructing the walls of insulated board. If the room will be used as a playroom or a home office, this might be just the solution you need.

Finally, you will need to decide whether to do the work yourself or hire a contractor. You might decide to hire a contractor for some of the work, like electrical, plumbing, etc. and do the rest yourself. Either way, you'll find that the cost of converting your garage to living space is far less than adding a room to your home.

To get a quick estimate of the cost for this project check out http://www.remodelestimates.com, and to help you organize your project invest in an organizer like the one at http://www.remodelingorganizer.com.

A garage conversion is a great remodeling project. It's the perfect way to get the space you need at the lowest possible cost. Enjoy!

Remodeling A Garage To A Room

Dan Fritschen, the author of this article, is the founder of the websites http://www.remodelormove.com http://www.remodelestimates.com and http://www.remodelingorganizer.com He is the author of three books on home remodeling.

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Insulating the Garage For Function and Savings

No matter what sort of function the garage plays in your life, it is always a prudent decision to insulate this portion of your home. In fact, insulating the garage can be one of the best investments you make on lowering utility bills and to protect the objects you store inside your garage, plus, reducing the clamor of various tools and equipment used in the garage. Extreme changes in temperature throughout the year can cause more damage to the things you might typically keep inside the space than you would think. If you are using your garage for extra livable square footage in your home, you will certainly want to take extra steps to make the room inviting without incurring a lot of added costs for cooling and healing.

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First, understand that your garage will need to be insulated on all three walls, the door, plus the ceiling and floor (yes, the floor). Choosing which type of insulation to use starts with an examination of your walls - are they masonry? Stud construction? Are the studs visible from the interior the garage? If you have masonry walls in your garage, you're in the minority - and you're also out of luck; masonry walls are very labor-intensive to insulate and perhaps not worth the expense to do so. If your walls have stud construction, the most favorable scenario is if the studs are, indeed, exposed. If not, it might still be worthwhile to insulate, but it could be very time and knowledge intensive, and you'll most likely have to hire a tradesman to spray foam insulation.

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If you are one of the many homeowners with the ideal exposed-stud construction in the garage, you now need to make a decision on which category of insulation you want to use. R-value (quality), size, and material are all variables. Higher R-value insulation is more valuable, but also more costly. You'll probably be going with blanket-type insulation, as it's the most popular, and though it's usually constructed of fiberglass, you can also find cotton-made blanket insulation. Determining the size of insulation is simply a matter of measuring between the studs in your garage, as well as the depth from the outer edge of the stud to the wall. It's up to you what you want to cover the insulation with after installation. Drywall is a popular choice, as is pegboard. You can install either of these choices yourself if your handy.

If you're using fiberglass insulation, be sure to cover all areas of your skin, use gloves, and invest in a pair of safety goggles. Next, measure out the amount of insulation you need between each stud, cutting it off the roll with a utility knife. With the paper facing you, use a staple gun to attach the edges of the paper to the studs on either side. It'll be a little tougher on the muscles, but you'll want to go over these same steps in order to insulate the ceiling.

Every form of insulation must be covered with some sort of structured material like pegboard or drywall. Once the chief portions of your ceiling and walls are complete, make sure to take the additional measures to properly insulate the floors and garage door. Get a garage door that has a high R-Value to coincide with the climate fluctuations you might experience in your area. Invest in some quality sealant as well to stop rain water and drafts from entering underneath the door and to protect the surface of your garage flooring.

Insulating the Garage For Function and Savings

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Slatwall Garage Storage Rack Systems

Slatwall garage storage rack systems can make your garage look like a showroom. Older systems came in steel, aluminum or pressed wood. While they looked professional, they were heavy, expensive and hard to handle. Several manufacturers now make systems in lightweight PVC or resin, which make them affordable and easy to install.

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Slatwall garage storage rack systems can be used for large or small tools, equipment and supplies depending on the types of accessories you mount on the slatwall. Cabinets come in full 72" height or 26" upper or lower cabinets and are great for storing chemicals and smaller items that should be concealed or kept away from dust. You can also get a variety of sizes and styles of bins, hooks, strap hooks, shelves, and racks specifically designed to hold sporting equipment like tennis racquets and balls, golf equipment, baseball gloves and bats, and bicycles. Some brands of accessories can mount directly on the wall or on a slat system so, for example, if you hang your bike in an area separate from the slatwall system, you can still get a bike hook that matches the look of the system.

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Slats come in six- or eight-foot lengths and can be used on a whole wall or just a small part. They can mount to drywall or directly to studs. The panels are customizable in many configurations and the high density cellulose PVC or resin materials are durable and easy to clean. They come in a variety of colors, the most popular being silver, white or maple. The PVC version will hold up to 400 pounds per wall panel.

If you've never done this before, a starter set is definitely the way to go. They come in 24 square foot or 48 square foot sets and include panels, hooks, shelves and the mounting hardware necessary for installing and finishing the system. Prices of starter sets range from 0 to 0. Free planning guides and online videos are available from some manufacturers and are useful in helping you design your system.

Tips for installation

Here are a few tips to remember as you install your slatwall garage storage racks. The highest you'll want to go is 85 to 90 inches from the floor. Beyond that you won't be able to reach tools and other things that you are storing. You'll want to leave at least six inches from the floor as well. No need to waste slats in a space that won't be useable. Also, leave yourself six to 24 inches from the corners. For holding sporting equipment and lawn and garden tools you don't need to go all the way to the top of your garage so will only need two to three panels. Before installing you'll need a stud finder, a drill with a number two bit, a tape measure, industrial construction adhesive and a contractor level. Slatwalls are not only good for garages. They can also be useful in laundry rooms, hobby rooms or workshops.

Slatwall Garage Storage Rack Systems

An organization fanatic, Julie loves finding creative ways to set her home (and yours!) to rights with practical products and efficient problem-solving. Tackle your closet with closet organizers and visit Space Savers for other great products sure to help with your clutter problem.

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Building a Garage Addition on to Your Home

One of the most rewarding home improvements I made to my house was to build a garage addition. For years I contemplated building a garage addition while I scraped the ice and snow from my cars and waited for them to warm up during the winter months. About 5 years ago I finally made the decision to build a garage onto my home.

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The first big decision I had to make after deciding to build the garage addition was to determine how large to make it. I wanted a large enough garage to fit two cars comfortably and that would be of proper proportion with the rest of the house. I also wanted space to include a work bench and to allow room for the lawnmowers or snow blowers. I decided on a 26 foot wide, by 24 foot deep garage. Since my house was 36 feet in width, this gave me a garage that was about 2/5ths of the entire home frontage.

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I also needed to make sure that the roof pitch and the elevation of the garage would be consistent with the rest of the home.

After taking these issues into account, I created some drawings of the garage including: the foundation size, the location of the garage doors, the maintenance door and windows, and the height profile of the roof. From these drawings I was able to discuss with a number of general contractors my garage and home plans.

After selecting my general contractor, I generated some additional drawings that provided all of the framing details necessary to pull a building permit. Because of the specific contour of my property, my garage plans also included a bonus room that would reside above the garage. Thus, I needed to include additional drawings of the bonus room, e.g. interior walls, doors, windows, closet, and entrance way and stairwell to/from the main house.

After excavation and installation of the foundation, the framing crew had the garage frame up in about a week. Three weeks later I had a completely enclosed garage, with all the outside doors and windows installed and the shingles installed on the roof.

From this point forward, I took over the electrical and insulation work, after filing for these specific permits.

Once the insulation was installed and approved, I called in the drywall contractor to install the drywall, and to tape and mud. I also had them apply a coat of primer and one coat of builders grade paint. It is well worth the money to have them do this.

I then finished the electric, installed the stair railing, interior doors and baseboard trim and the garage was nearly ready to move in.

The finishing touch was the installation of two garage door openers and a final application of paint in the bonus room.

The total cost of my garage addition was about ,000. I had been quoted as high as ,000, however with a little negotiation and sweat equity I was able to get a lot of garage for a reasonable price.

A few years have gone by since I completed my garage addition and every winter when I see people standing by their cars in the driveways scraping, I am reminded of one of the best decisions I ever made.

Building a Garage Addition on to Your Home

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more information about Home Improvement and Home Additions, and Home Remodeling and Repair visit homeadditionplus.com and homeaddition.blogspot.com

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Finding the Best Garage Door Prices

Buying a new garage door isn't something most of us look forward to as it can seem like an expense that doesn't give a lot of return. When you think about how much you use your garage door though, and how much stress and strain it is constantly under, it is definitely worth making an effort to do proper research and get a garage door that will last you a long time.

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Generally, wooden doors are more expensive than steel so if you are looking for the cheapest option you will want to go for the metal door. Of course this does depend on various factors such as the quality of wood, how big it is and which types of door you are getting (i.e. what style of door).

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You also need to take into account the cost of the extras you'll need to get when fitting the door. If your new door doesn't come with springs and other pieces of hardware required to fit it then you need to budget for these.

The range in price of garage doors is huge, so before you even start looking you should decide on a fixed budget and work to that. You can spend thousands on a new door if you can afford it, but there are also cheaper deals available. Beware thought that in general you do get what you pay for so buying the least expensive door probably isn't a good idea unless you absolutely have to and have no choice.

Finding the Best Garage Door Prices

To find about more about finding the best garage door prices please visit http://garagedoorsprices.net

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4 Options For Garage Floor Coatings

There are 4 garage floor coverings that just about anyone can apply in 1-3 days. Each solves various concrete flooring problems. Pricing ranges from $.50 to .50 per square foot with unlimited decorative results from basic gray to custom checkerboard patterns.

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1. Interlocking garage floor tiles - Classic auto auctions like Russo and Steele seen on TV have popularized modular interlocking garage floor tiles. RaceDeck is the clear leader and pioneer of this product. A few advantages are

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Ease of install - most 2 car garages are 450-500 square feet. Install is a few hours

Custom - 8-10 colors that can be mixed and matched

Durable - probably the most durable garage floor solution, long term warranties

Pricing - pricing about .50 per square foot, ,600.00 for 450 square foot garage

2. Acid stained concrete - Acid stains come in various browns and greens. Garage floors need to be clean and free of any blemishes. Blemishes like paint, oil, drywall compound will show. Concrete needs to be porous enough to accept stain. Stains react with lime in concrete and create unique marblized results. If the floor is tight and power troweled the floor will need an acid etching to open up the pores of the concrete.

Install - stain can be applied in a few hours and then rinsed with water to clean off residue and neutralize reaction of stain. Critical to let floor dry overnight. Urethanes can be applied topically to seal and protect the floor.

Pricing - Stains, urethane, tools cost about 50 - .00 cents per square foot or approximately 5.00

3. Concrete overlays - when the concrete floor has blemishes, which is most of the time, overlays are a great simple solution. Unlimited colors, overlays can be stained and dyed and sealed with urethanes which will resist hot tires and chemicals.

Install - basic applications are 2 days depending on dry time. Overlays are 2 coat systems after priming the floor 1-2 times. If floor is stained and dyed add a day to project. Seal with urethane top coat. Not all urethanes work so make sure you purchase product that's part of a proven system. If floor is clean no special prep is required

Custom - depending on your creativity floors can be basic colors or highly decorative. Durable - there are a few overlays that bond like iron to concrete surfaces and cure like rock

Pricing - Including all tools and product about .50 - .00 per square foot or 0.00 for a 2 car 450 square foot garage

4. Epoxy garage floors coatings - The best systems have a few coats of primer with urethane top coat. Typically about 6-8 colors. Epoxy is an industrial finish and has been used in warehouses for years. The basic epoxy paint in home improvement stores typically is not strong enough to endure the hot tires caused by road friction. It is critical to profile the concrete floor to give some "tooth" for the epoxy to bite onto. There are a few acid etching solutions for profiling the floor. One of the best is a gelled acid which is rolled onto the concrete and removed after 15 minutes. Provides results similar to shotblasting.

Epoxy systems - for garage floors a water or solvent based primer coat topped with a urethane. the strongest system is a primer coat with a second coat of 100% solids epoxy topped with a urethane. With this system colored quartz or color chips can be applied to the wet epoxy when on the floor. A second epoxy can be applied the next day with another layer of quartz or chips followed by a urethane top coat.

Install - 1 day for surface prep then 2 more days for basic urethane system. For advanced install with 100% solids epoxy allow at least an additional day for 1 coat or 2 days for 2 coats.

Custom - can be basic gray or for those who are experienced unlimited custom decorative results can be achieved. Metallic finishes are available but require professional installation

Durable - very durable. Resists hot tires and chemicals. Surface prep is critical for bonding to concrete

Pricing - Basic Urethane systems are approximately 75 cents per square foot or 0.00 for 450 square foot 2 car garage. 100% solids system about .00 per square foot or 0.00 for 450 square foot 2 car garage. High build quartz and chip systems run about .00 per square foot or 0.00 for a 450 square foot 2 car garage.

4 Options For Garage Floor Coatings

View photos of garage floor coatings at http://www.madstonefloors.com/

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A New Garage Door Could Be A Great Asset

If you have older garage doors you might want to think of doing some door replacement as your next home repair project. Garage doors will just wear out over time, so you can upgrade to newer doors that have way more bells and whistles than when you bought your doors to begin with. You can buy them that are sound proofed, for your teenage son's band practice. You can also get them insulated so they keep the warmth in during the cold winter months. You can also get ones that are more secure to keep out burglars and keep your bikes, tools, and car safer. You can get some that are very low maintenance and will give you more time for other things in your home and life.

Wood used to be the main material that garage doors were made out of, but these days you can get doors made out of steel, synthetics, or fiberglass. This gives you many more options to choose from. You can get a classic look, but also get really solid doors. Many of these are much easier to care for than wood doors and you can keep out the elements from your garage much easier with one of these materials. These doors will create a better seal with the frame and keep the cold out better too. You can also get them with more safety standards that will help to keep young children safe and adults too. You will be less likely to lose a bike if the sensors on the new doors stop. You can also get some that have all different safety features depending on your home. If you want more natural light in your garage then you can get doors that have plastic windows. These windows appear to be glass, but are even safer and you can get some garage door openers that change up the codes so thieves with the technical know-how wont' be able to steal your garage door code.

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If you choose to buy a new fancy garage door then you'll need to know that you can't fix them yourself. These doors are very big and weight a lot. It could make it difficult to lift the door and it could also be hard for someone who doesn't know what they are doing to fix. One could easily get stuck or trapped under a door if they didn't have the proper skills to fix this type of door. You can do basic maintenance on your drywall and garage doors such as oiling and cleaning the exterior and interior panels, but when it comes to a real problem you'll need to call in an expert to fix it for you, it is worth your while.

A New Garage Door Could Be A Great Asset

Being particularly interested in drywall repair and baseboard installation, Kurt Schefken has been publishing large numbers of detailed reports on this particular subject. You can learn about his articles on drywall installation at http://www.insidewoodworking.com and other sources for drywall installation tips.

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Build Your Home With Larger Garage Door Sizes

When designing a new home or garage it is very important take the time to consider what garage door sizes will work best. It is important not to assume that you will only need a standard size door. Once you have made the decision it is more or less irrevocable. In addition you also should consider increasing the size of your garage and that includes the height of the garage walls as well. It really is hard to beat an oversize garage.

Even if you presently own only a single medium size car you should seriously consider spending the extra money to make your garage larger and that includes the garage doors. Standard garage door sizes include 8'x7' and 8'x16' sizes. These sizes will accommodate a medium size care comfortably but not a large SUV or ordinary pickup truck. In many cases an 8 foot high just will not give a pickup enough clearance vertical clearance and many times the trucks mirrors will not make through the 7 foot width.

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If you work with your builder and architect you will find that it will not cost that much more to increase the garage wall height. Doing so will give you a lot more options in terms of the capability. A garage with 10 high side walls will easily accommodate a 9 foot garage door. So why do you need a 9 foot garage door? If you own a pickup truck you will sooner or later have it loaded with a high load and that load will easily make it into the garage and out of the weather. If you load up the roof rack of your SUV with a luggage box in most cases it will not clear a standard 7 foot high garage door.

When it comes to garage door sizes width is also a critical consideration. If you own a boat or utility trailer you will find that they are frequently close to 9 foot wide. This means your toys are going to be sitting out in the weather because they are too wide to fit through the standard 7 foot wide door. Even a person who handles a vehicle and trailer well will appreciate the extra width of a 10 or 12 foot wide door when back up the load into the garage. The extra width may also keep people from banging your truck mirrors.

In many cases people will opt for the standard 16 foot double garage doors. These doors do give you the width you need to back in your pontoon boat and other wide loads. Again having a 9 or 10 foot high door will allow you to back it in without taking down the bimini or hard top.

Designing and building a home with an oversize garage is a good investment in the value of your home. Even if you never use the garage to its full potential it will appeal to a larger market when it comes time to sell your home. Using large garage door sizes will allow the next owner to store all his or her toys in the garage. This is especially true if your oversize garage is enclosed with the best garage doors as well. In terms of garage doors pricing spending a small additional amount of money to oversize your garage may increase the value of your property substantially.

Build Your Home With Larger Garage Door Sizes

James Kesel, MS, is the publisher of the Garage Doors Pricing Website located at http://www.garagedoorspricing.com - Providing information on garage door sizes and the purchasing, installing and operation of a garage door.

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