Can you have the perfect garage? Yes, you can if you get a bit creative and stop thinking of this area of your home as a large shed.
The garage shouldn’t be a dumping ground for boxes and debris, it shouldn’t be a place where all the junk ends up, it should be a great place for you to have the functions you want in your home. Make your garage into the space that adds more to how you live your life and not a place where all you do is park your car at the end of the day.
Go Vertical for the Right Storage Solutions
You can find a variety of amazing videos online that show you various ways to put storage up in the air above where you walk in the garage. If your home doesn’t have an attic area, you’ll want to build shelves or hoists that are attached to the ceiling joists where you can secure your seasonal items. This is the perfect place for your winter clothes or holiday decorations that only need to come down form there once a year.
Clean Away the Debris
One of the most important parts of creating the perfect garage is having a place that’s neat and clean where you can work on your next project. You’ll have this if you get a leaf blower and a dust mask. With these two items, you can blow out the loose debris that collects around the boxes and tools in your garage. This is the fastest way to clean away the debris and enjoy a place that’s ideal for whatever creative solution you have in mind for your next home project.
Make Sure the Door is Safe for Kids
You don’t want the garage door to accidentally come down on one of your kids or pets and trap them under it. This could happen if the automatic reverse isn’t working or the sensors aren’t functioning correctly. Periodically, you should test these functions of your garage door with a bucket. Simply place the bucket in the way of the sensors or the path of the door. If the door doesn’t automatically open back up, you need to replace these items in your garage door opener.
Do You Have Dedicated Circuits?
Is your garage a workshop where you spend a lot of time? If so, you’ll want to have a set of dedicated circuits to ensure you can operate the various tools you’ll use in the garage. If you need something stronger than the regular 15-amp circuit, you need to contact an electrician and install an outlet for your heavy-duty shop tools. This is part of making the perfect garage where you’ll spend a lot of time tinkering and working on your stuff.
Cover Up the Drafts That Might Enter Your Garage
When the extreme temperatures arrive, you need to make sure outside air can’t get in to ruin your time in the garage. This means installing insulation in the walls and plugging in a space heater or room air conditioner to help you have the environment you want to experience inside your garage. Put a new rubber gasket on the bottom of the garage door and weather stripping around other doors to make sure your garage is sealed from the outside drafts that might come in.
Set Up Various Zones to Get Organized
One of the most important functions of the perfect garage is to create separate spaces where different types of items are stored. If you have a lot of bikes, hang them on hooks. If you’ve got several tools, you’ll want to put them away in boxes or bins. Keep different items in different places around the garage and make thee the zones where they belong. This helps you avoid the troubles of a messy and unorganized garage area.
An Exhaust Fan Can be a Big Improvement
When you use chemicals in your garage, the fumes can be harmful to you. Install an exhaust fan that will help get rid of dust and fumes that happen while you’re working in your garage area. These fans are usually installed in the exterior wall and can be switched on to send the toxic fumes and dust out of the air. This is one way for you to have a clean area as a handy homeowner. If you don’t have an exhaust fan, you’ll have to work with a portion of your garage door open.
Fix, Fill, and Finish the Concrete Floor
The floor of most garages is simply a concrete slap that’s part of your home. Over time, these areas tend to get cracked. Even if your garage floor isn’t cracked, one of the best ways to create the perfect garage is to fill the gaps between slabs and then finish the floor. This finish can be done with sealers, paint, and cool grip items to make it more enjoyable for you to be in the garage when you want to spend time working in this area.
Install a Parking Guide to Avoid Damaging Your Car and the Garage
If you’re not sure how far into your garage you need to pull your car to avoid damaging your car, there are some things you can do. Many people will hang a tennis ball on a string that hits the windshield when the car is parked in all the way. Another way to protect your car and the garage is to put pool noodles in areas where doors might hit or right where the bumper may touch the wall.
Use a Rolling Tool Cart for Your Tools
Your hand tool collection might be extensive, which means you need a place to keep everything. A rolling tool car is a great place for all your stuff. This is a place where you’ll have the items you need organized and ready for when you want to use your tools to work on stuff in your perfect garage. This place is only right when you know where all your tools are and one of these carts is the right place for your stuff.
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