Renovating Your Garage For Work: 5 Easy Steps
Homes are a place for relaxing, spending quality time with the family, and shutting out the outside world. Which is great if you work a normal job. But if you currently work from home without an office, this can mean distractions and lost productivity.
If you’re experiencing this phenomenon, it’s time to find space in your home for an office. A space that’s dedicated to you, designed and fitted for optimum comfort and productivity. In which case, it’s time to start thinking about renovating your garage.
1. Check For Permits in Your City
While a permit is not always required, some cities have laws that mandate permits for garage conversions. This may come as a shock. It’s your garage and your property. You should be able to do what you want. Unfortunately, your property insurance might not see it that way. To make sure you cover your assets, contact your local government office and ask about permits and restrictions.
2. Make a Budget
There are a lot of unexpected costs that arise when renovating any part of your house. You’ll want to account for that before starting a project of this magnitude. This doesn’t mean pinching every penny. Remember that this area is going to be your place of work. You want to splurge a little to ensure maximum comfortability and efficiency.
Some additional expenses to take into account are:
Be sure to include any additional costs for your specific business. If you run a garage door company (ironically) out of your garage, you’ll need to purchase equipment for repairs and installments. Plus, you’ll need garage software that can help manage your business and keep you on top of your clients.
3. Install Insulation
You’ve probably noticed your garage acts more like an industrial-sized refrigerator in the winter than it does a storage unit. That’s because garages aren’t built to house people. Home builders skimp on insulation for the garage during construction because it cuts costs and it would be a useless service. However, if you want to work in there, you can’t be limited by the weather.
Putting in insulation can be done alone, but it’s easier as a two-person job. If you can recruit a friend or loved one, have them show up with long sleeves and jeans (for safety). Provide them with gloves, facemasks, and goggles to protect their hands, nose, and eyes. Then follow the general steps below to install insulation:
- Purchasing the right R-values – R-values tell you how much thermal resistance the insulation provides. Remember, insulation protects against the cold as well as the heat. Measure the thickness of your walls and buy the appropriate R-value.
- Cut the correct size – Insulation comes in large rolled sheets. Pre-cut the sheets into appropriate lengths and lay them across the room.
- Prep the area – Remove anything else from the garage while you insulate. This will make clean up and any emergent problems easier to manage.
- Lock it into place – Using a staple gun, make your way around the room putting the insulation in place and firing a few rounds.
- Foam sealant for cracks – Calk is a convenient tool for getting those hard to cover cracks.
- Cover it up – Once the insulation is ready, you can place the wall covering back over it and enjoy your warm (or cool) office year-round.
4. Fresh Coat of Paint
Once the insulation is set and the walls are going to remain unchanged, it’s time to slap a fresh coat of paint on them. This isn’t just for aesthetics (although, this will help with that), using weatherproof paint will ensure your walls don’t corrode as time passes.
5. Embrace Your Inner Decorator
Decorating your office can range from hanging a few framed photos on the wall to designing the room’s feng shui. Either way, this will give you something other than blank walls to stare at. If you have no clue what to hang up, here are some easy decoration ideas for your new office.
- Plants – Cacti, succulents, shrubs, and small trees make for a peaceful, green environment. Bringing a garden into your workspace can provide clean air and a clean mindset.
- Family photos – Your office is going to be an extension of your home. Hanging family pictures makes it a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
- Tasteful art – If you’re going to be bringing clients into your home office, impress them with tasteful art. Purchase these from local artists to embrace your community.
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Getting Started
Once you’ve done all your planning, it’s time to begin. Garage conversions can be fun, lengthy projects with infinite possibilities. Make sure to keep a level head when thinking about your budget and prospective time frame. Having a workable office, complete with insulation, fresh paint, and some decorations will be worth the effort once it’s finished.
Also resin driveways cost can be found here. If you are home builders, looking for garage installation then Let us know what do you think of this piece if article! Above steps also work for garage repair projects.
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