Enclosing Your Garage to Make It Part of the Home? 4 Things to Consider First

When you are running out of room in your home and you’re tired of the tight quarters but simply don’t have the room to expand, you may want to consider enclosing your garage and making it a part of your home. But, first, you need to consider a few things:

1. Insulation – As a general rule, when your garage was first built, no insulation was installed. This is why it is so cold in your garage in the winter and so hot in the garage in the summer. So, in order for this to not continue to be a problem when the garage is converted into usable living space, it is crucial that insulation is added.
2. Heating and Cooling – Another thing that must be considered is your current HVAC system. Is it capable of heating and cooling an extra room? Does it have the capacity to handle that square footage? If not, you may need a bigger system, or you should consider having a separate system installed for that part of the home.
3. Floors – It isn’t uncommon for garage floors to be built lower than the flooring in your home. So, unless you want to build steps going down into the new room, then you may want to consider raising the floor in the garage so that it is level with the rest of your home. Also, most garage floors are concrete, which can retain water. So, you may want to consider having a moisture barrier installed prior to having carpeting installed. Either that or you should opt for a material that won’t be susceptible to moisture, such as ceramic tile.
4. Plumbing – If your garage doesn’t already have access to running water, then it is important that this is taken care of sooner than later. Water lines, drains, etc. will need to be installed by a professional plumber.

For more information, don’t hesitate to give us a call at Structure Remodeling. Our team of professional contractors would be happy to come out and give your garage an inspection and discuss your plans with you.