One of the ways to make your house feel more welcoming and inviting is to have a space that’s specifically meant to be warm and inviting! If you’ve been hoping to have a recreational space for you and your loved ones, it might be time to turn your garage into a bar.
When you think of a garage, you might only think that it’s a small part of your house that’s used for storage or to house your car, but that’s where you’re wrong. Your garage has more potential than you think, and you can renovate it in whatever way you choose so that it can become your dream space. If your goal is a room for relaxation or entertaining, your garage can become a space for either or both things!
Not to mention that it’s loads of fun to transform your garage! Since the garage is already attached to your space, you don’t have to build a whole new part for your house, and you also don’t have to live in a mess since the garage isn’t currently a living space. Renovating your space can be a fun DIY project you experience with your family and friends, too.
If this sounds interesting to you, you should check out our 3-step process to help you build the home bar of your dreams. We’ll help you make sure that you consider all essential details to make your project a success!
This low-light ambiance and billiards table experience can be yours if you want. You just have to plan for it and transform your garage. (This image is sourced from Unsplash).
Step 1 – Create an Ideal Design And Plan
One of the most important things you figure out is what your project goal is and how much money you want to spend on the project?
So long as you have an idea for what you want to do for your project, you’ll be able to soon understand how much and how extensively you’ll be able to renovate your garage. No matter if your plan is simple or complex, making a budget will help you figure out what’s possible for your situation.
If you’re planning to go all-in with a whole new makeover, it will require more time and preparation than you might expect, so make sure you plan for that! Not to mention that if you’re going to be spending loads of time in your new space, you’re going to want to install a heating or air conditioning system and, also, proper insulation.
If you make your budget but then find that you can’t complete your dream project just with your current funds, don’t worry! There are other ways to spruce up your garage that won’t break the bank – in fact, one of the easiest things you can do is to paint your walls another color. You’ll notice a significant difference in this room’s ambiance.
Another way you can try to save money is to do all the work yourself. If you consider yourself a handyperson, you can DIY the whole space – just make sure you’re aware of how much time, patience, and determination it’ll take to do all the work on your own.
Your project will go so much faster and be more streamlined if you have a plan and if you know your budget. Image from Unsplash.
*IMPORTANT: Unless you are 100% confident in your ability to handle the electrical and plumbing tasks during your renovation project, you should default to using professionals for these tasks. Electrical and plumbing tasks are much more likely to end up with mistakes which means you’ll ultimately pay more money to fix the mistakes than if you had a professional work on these tasks in the first place.
Some Tricks to Help
One of the best things you can do to plan your project is to figure out how much space you have to play with in the first place. Once you know the space you have, you can start daydreaming ideas. If you don’t think you have any ideas, you can try and ask your friends, family, or even your neighbors.
Pinterest is a great source of inspiration if you want to do your own research, but we also found an interesting link with 50 other existing man caves. Check out these projects and see if any of them tickles your fancy!
Step 2 – It’s Clean O’clock
Cleaning
When it comes to your garage, you’ve likely noticed that it’s become a dumping ground for all old things and hold hobbies. If you glanced into your garage, you’d likely see old paint cans, baby clothes, old sports equipment, and the like.
Because of how easy it is to have your garage become a sort of no-man’s-land for stuff, you have to clean it before you can start renovating. Once you empty the garage, not only will it be easier to clean, but you might also find things that you can throw away some things!
It’s a win-win situation.
Once you’ve emptied the space, you can grab your cleaning supplies and start evicting the dust and mold from your space. Don’t leave a section untouched – do the floor, the shelves, the walls, and everything else!
If you have rust, paint, or oil stains in your garage, please read this article from Gilmour (a watering, gardening, and cleaning company) that shows you how to properly clean your concrete floor.
With these tips and some elbow grease, you can make sure that your garage looks brand new. This will make it perfect for your renovation project, and you’ll be one step closer to starting the work!
Insulation
No matter what your renovation project is, you should strongly consider insulating the space – you’re going to want to be comfortable, and you’re not going to want to freeze (or overheat)! You also want to avoid any air infiltration coming from your doors, windows, or any places where there could be a leak.
If you have an attached or detached garage, the level of insulation you need will vary. The R-value measures the thermal resistance, so pay attention to this rating when choosing insulation materials. The higher the value, the better insulation you have.
You can choose different types of insulation: fiberglass, blown-in cellulose, rigid or sprayed foam, and more. Visit this website to learn more about the pros and cons of each of them. You’ll keep the desired temperature in your garage and save energy!
Garage door
You and your best friends might want to kick back and relax on the couches, sipping some red wine, and looking out onto your beautiful veranda and backyard. If this is something you want in your future, consider choosing this all-glass California garage door design with a Black aluminum frame.
Your garage door is your garage's fourth wall. The R-value will help you find the right garage door for your needs, but besides insulation and maintenance, every aspect of its design - style, color, windows - should be considered.
Design and windows
Since your garage door will be the part that anyone can see – even from the street – you must make sure to choose carefully. Also, depending on which garage door you get, you’ll likely have to play with different thermal resistances, so make sure to pay attention.
One of the styles that’s taking the world by storm right now is that of the all-glass garage doors. If you’ve been to a modern restaurant recently, you might have seen this. They’re a lovely option because they allow for more natural light to enter your garage and, if you still want privacy, you can choose to get the glass tempered.
However, if keeping your house cold in summer and hot in winter is something you must consider, you should try to choose garage doors that have fewer windows – the fewer windows you have, the more natural light you’ll still get without losing out on insulation and thus, heat.
Also, if your garage suffers from a large increase in condensation, a dehumidifier can fix that problem right on up!
If you think you’ll spend a majority of your time in the garage after your renovation project, you might be in the market for this Princeton P-13 Design with clear panoramic windows at the top panel. And if you want it to have warm and inviting visuals, you can choose to paint the doors and overlays in the lovely shade of Desert Sand.
Maintenance
Don’t fall into a false sense of security – even though your garage door will be used less often, you still need to do constant maintenance on it! Don’t skip steps when it comes to maintenance and make sure that you check over each component of your garage door from the opener to the springs, to the tracks, etc.
Damaged weatherstripping can leave some gaps, allowing water, leaves, and dirt to get in your garage. This problem needs to be fixed as soon as possible because moisture can start to develop. Also, rodents may sneak in as well, so you want to avoid that!
If you’re not sure where to start with keeping your garage door maintained, you should reach out to any local companies in your area that specialize in maintenance services. These professionals will make sure that everything about your garage is in working order so that you can hang out in your garage without worrying about it breaking on you.
Keep It Well-Lit!
You may not be aware of it, but lighting is one of the most important things you can select for your newly renovated space. Lighting can change how open or muted your space feels to you and your guests. If you want your room to feel a certain way, take care when choosing your lighting!
If you’re clueless when it comes to lighting, we have an informational article from Juniper (a design and manufacturing studio in the US) that will help you figure out which lighting will be best for your project.
If you want, you could use:
● Warmer, indirect light for a relaxing space or home theatre
● Brighter and direct light for a better visibility
While you’re thinking about your lighting choices, make sure to also consider how many outlets you’ll need in your new room. You don’t want to host your first party and find out that you don’t have enough outlets for all your friends to charge their phones!
Avoid that disaster by making sure that you have more outlets than you think you’ll need.
*IMPORTANT: If your house is in a place that experiences extreme temperature changes, you’re going to want to make sure that you have an air conditioner or heater (depending on which temperatures plague you) for your new space. Not only will these make your space more livable, but they will also prevent your room from getting super humid.
Floor
Garages tend to come with concrete floors, and that can be extremely boring. So, if you want to spice up your garage/bar from the literal ground up, consider adding a paint coating or even a covering to give it a great and vibrant finish.
Here is a list of flooring possibilities from Family Handyman:
● Concrete floor paint, stain, or sealer
● Epoxy
● Rollout mats
● Rigid or flexible tiles
Look into what flooring might be best for you and then make the best decision for your flooring.
Step 3 – IT’S TIME TO DECORATE!
This is the part you’ve been waiting for, don’t lie! Although decorating has the potential to be stressful when it comes to actualizing your vision, it can still be so much fun!
You can go nuts in your space by adding liquor dispensers, dart boards, televisions, and other recreational items – whatever you want your space to be, you can watch it transform through your efforts.
● Beverage bar
If you’re turning your garage into the traditional bar, don’t worry about spending your life savings on an expensive bar or having a bar constructed for you. In fact, you can make a bar all for yourself – we even have a guide to help you out. This guide will also give you a list of supplies you’ll need to get your bar construction project some help.
Once you’ve got your bar, install a liquor cabinet or mini-fridge so that your guests can stay hydrated and so that they’ll also have their pick of alcohol!
● Flat-Screen Television – Large, Of Course
If you’re renovating your space to turn it into a recreational room rather than a bar, you’ll probably want to choose one of the best televisions you can find on the market! A video projector can work in a pinch, too. Also, you’re going to want to make sure that you have a boss sound system so that your whole entertainment system makes all your friends jealous.
*IMPORTANT: If you think you’ll be making a lot of noise in your renovated garage, you should consider adding another layer of drywall or other material to add a soundproofing element to your garage.
The next bit of importance is to make sure that you have comfortable seating. You may be spending hours in your room – you’ll want your butt to thank you for your couch choice rather than be mad at you! Save yourself some aches and pains by choosing comfortable furniture.
● Games
If you want to go the extra mile, consider adding an arcade cabinet, dartboard, billiards table, or other sets of fun recreational activities that you can do with your loved ones.
The more entertainment you have, the more entertained your guests will be. And the more entertaining you are, the more they’ll want to come back and check out your super awesome garage-turned-recreation room.
If you’re not sure where to get your games, check out any major retailer and get to shopping. You could also try and buy local if you’re willing to do the legwork.
Choose A Specialized Garage Door That’ll Blend into Your Renovated Space
If you’re hoping that you can find a way to turn your garage door into something that doesn’t look like a garage door, you’re in luck! Although you may still want your garage to open and close, you might not want your guests to look at that fourth wall and be like, “Oh, yeah. We’re in a garage.”
If you want to add some illusory elements to your renovated space so that people forget it’s a garage, why don’t you contact a garage specialist to see if they have any ideas on how to achieve your vision?
To be honest, there are thousands of options to choose from (when it comes to designs, colors, and decorative hardware), and even if you have a specific idea for how you want to renovate your space, slogging through all the options can be difficult.
That’s why you should reach out to our specialists at Champlain Door Systems! We’re very knowledgeable and we can help you make your decisions. To make it even easier, we’ve divided our image gallery of garage door types into 3 main styles:
● Traditional for a simple look that never goes out of fashion
● Contemporary for a modern and clean appearance
● Carriage House for a charming and rustic design
This is so sleek and modern – you know you want to have it. If this is your dream image, just note that it’s a California all-glass garage door in a 12' x 7' size, with a Black aluminum frame and clear glass.
Get some help (and a free quote) to figure out your budget
If you still feel like you have no idea where to even begin, you can check out our phenomenal Design Centre program. With it, you can use a smart device to go through our catalog of products. Then, once you select a product, you’ll be able to see a mock-up of your choice on your actual house.
Once you make a choice, we can also provide you with a free quotation via e-mail for convenience. With our help, you’ll easily be able to figure out your budget and all the options for your newly renovated space!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from the experts (us)!
If you have any questions about any stage of the project, we, at Champlain Door Systems, are here to help you find those answers. Don’t hesitate to contact us at 802-524-7595!
No matter what your concern or confusion is, we’re knowledgeable about all subjects related to garage doors (e.g., garage door dimensions, insulation, maintenance, etc.), so our specialized staff will be more than able to help you out while you work on your project.
Add new comment