If you’re not using your garage to keep a vehicle in, and it isn’t crammed full of other items that you don’t have room for in your home, why not convert it into more usable space? Whether it’s a room for the adults in the household to escape to when the kids are running riot, or a space for bored children to play games or carry out hobbies in, provided you have your garage professionally converted, it could not only add space to a crowded home, but add to its value, too.

Below is some basic guidance for converting your garage into living space; for more detailed advice and inspiration, reach out to a local remodeling firm:

Be sure to create ample natural light

There’s nothing worse than a dark, dingy space in which you always have to switch on a light to use. Be sure to add enough window space to your garage conversion plan for both natural light and air, and this could be 5 ½ square feet or a percentage of the total garage space.

For lighting when it’s dark or gloomy outside, add at least one wall-controlled light switch; as per electrical code, all garages will have at least one in place.

Raise the floor height

In most cases, garages are built lower than the house, and while it’s not essential that your home matches the flooring height of your garage, it can be beneficial, and this can be achieved by adding sleepers or elevating the floor covering above the concrete floor of the garage.

If you do choose to add sleepers to raise the height of the floor, you’ll still need to add a floor covering, and some options include laminate flooring, engineered wood, tile and luxury vinyl plank flooring.

Maintain a minimal ceiling height

If you are raising the floor height of your garage, maintaining at least 7 ½ feet between the ceiling and the floor could be tricky, but if you can achieve it, so much the better.

Keep it warm

Nobody will want to use a space that’s always cold and draughty, so talk to a local remodeling company about retrofit heating options such as extending the existing central heating ductwork and/or installing electric baseboard or fan-driven wall heaters.

Insulating the walls is also a good idea to help keep heat in during the colder months, and prevent the cool air from leaking out in the warmer, summer months. Most garage walls and ceilings aren’t insulated as standard, and drywall, if already installed, needs to be removed and replaced with insulation. Your chosen remodeling firm will use conventional fiberglass roll insulation, rockwool or sprayed foam to insulate the walls and fiberglass batts for the ceiling.

Replace or insulate the garage door

There’s little point insulating the garage space if the door isn’t also insulated, and you might want to think about whether you even need to keep the door, or have it replaced it with a wall. Your remodeling firm can guide you better on this issue.

A garage conversion can be an extremely useful and relatively quick project to complete when carried out professionally, often costing significantly less than a full remodeling or home addition. To begin your garage conversion project, start thinking about what you want to achieve from the space and then reach out for ideas and guidance from a local remodeling firm.

Novak Remodeling is your construction company for alll your home remodeling needs. Whether you look to convert your garage into a beautiful ADU or are looking for bathroom remodeling contractors, contact us today.