Turn Your Garage Into A Comfortable Living Space
The garage can be used for a lot of things. Some people do crafts and hobbies in their garages. Some work on their cars. Some people make a man cave, granny flat, or extra room in their garage. If you have a growing family and you need to find some extra square footage, this is a great idea. If you do want to convert your garage into a more livable and comfortable space, you need to make a few simple changes. This article explains a few things you need to do if you are going to convert your garage, or just part of it, into a room.
Update Your Garage Doors
Garage doors, especially if they are old, will need to be updated if you want to make the inside of your garage more comfortable. The fact of the matter is, garages usually don't have great insulation. Of course, some garage panels have more insulation than others, but it is all relative. Even a door with insulated fiberglass panels is going to have very poor insulation compared to normal walls. That is, while it might add some insulation and make your garage a little more comfortable, it is not going to be enough to make the room comfortable. So, if you actually want to live in part of your garage, you need to buy panels with extra insulation. Also, try to avoid panels that have glass windows or peep holes. You will want more privacy if the inside is going to be a private room.
Temperature Control
Controlling the temperature in your room is definitely the biggest issue. Even when you beef up your panels with extra insulation, you will still need to rely on some system in order to keep the space livable throughout the entire year. Space heaters can be sufficient in mild climates. However, they can be expensive to run since they are only powered by electricity. You only want to use a space heater to add a little extra warmth to your garage on the coldest days. If possible, the best solution is to retrofit your existing central HVAC system so it can reach your garage. This will require installation of extra ducts and at least one air register. This usually isn't that hard because an HVAC contractor can access the ducts within the ceiling and drop a register through the roof for easy access to airflow.
As you can, see temperature control is the first thing you want to figure out before you start to convert your garage into a living space.
If you have more questions about converting your garage into a living space, visit websites like NextDoorGarageApartments.com.