The garage may be the most under-utilized area in the home. Garage remodeling can customize your garage to fit your lifestyle, and provide extra living and storage space. When remodeling the garage, you’ll also want to focus on components that affect home value, such as:

• Garage doors
• Garage floors
• Garage storage.

Garage Doors: Function and Style

The selection in garage doors offers a variety of:

• Designs
• Garage door opener options
• Insulation ratings
• Materials.

Garage doors come in a variety of hardware and window styles, in the following designs:

• Contemporary
• Raised panel
• Traditional carriage-house.

Insulated steel garage doors improve thermal efficiency by sandwiching foam between metal sides. A steel carriage-house garage door resembles wood.  Wood doors range from economical hardboard panels to mahogany garage doors.

Have you ever worried that your garage door was not closed? For under $30, monitors can be plugged into convenient locations to show if the garage door is open. For more protection, an automatic garage door opener/closer may have different speeds, and alarms when closing.

Garage Floor Coverings: Cost and Durability

Materials that protect the garage floor include:

• Epoxy
• Mats
• Paint
• Tiles.

In the garage, epoxy is east to apply, and protects the floor against grease, oil, and traffic, and is easily applied. Garage floor paint is less expensive, but also less durable. Neither have the longevity of mats or tiles.

Slip-resistant mats may be the least expensive because you only need a mat large enough to cover the floor in the garage underneath a vehicle. Available in different colors and patterns, and a range of thickness, mats for the garage floor also have raised edges to contain fluids.

Lightweight, interlocking foam pads provide exceptional comfort in the garage, and are simple to install.

High-end tiles for the garage are easily installed, and come in multiple colors and patterns. Tiles are skid resistant, have porous and raised surfaces to help with moisture, and their thickness provides insulation. Tiles stand up to:

• Automotive fluid spills
• Chemicals
• Extreme temperatures
• Grease
• Heavy vehicles
• Kickstands.

Interlocking tiles range from single-foot squares up to almost three foot squares. As an advantage, tiles that don’t require glue can be moved.

Mix and Match Storage in the Garage

You can buy complete storage systems for use in the garage. Otherwise, it’s easy to combine the following types of storage for the garage:

• Bike racks
• Cabinets
• Carts
• Hooks
• Overhead storage
• Pegboards
• Shelving
• Toolboxes.

Laundry Room in the Garage

Laundry rooms are an ideal fit with garage storage solutions for the following items:

• Bleach
• Detergents
• Fabric softeners
• Folding/ironing surfaces
• Stain removers.

The Big Picture

Take advantage of the “first impression” your garage can make by remodeling major areas, such as garage doors, flooring, and storage space. You may also want to install a garage door opener for added convenience. All of these enhanced elements of the garage can increase the value of your home.