By Paul F. P. Pogue
From Ask Angi
The garage was designed for a basic purpose—storing cars—but it’s also one of the most versatile areas of your home. A talented garage renovation pro can turn it into a functional living space or dedicated hobby zone while still keeping the car-storage thing going.
Garage renovations are big business in the spring and summer. Ask these five questions to determine whether a pro is the right fit to remodel or organize your garage:
1. How Will You Customize Your Work to My Specific Needs?
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution for garage remodeling. Ask your pro how they will approach your job to match exactly what you want. You should also think about the infrastructure of your garage. Most basic garages only have a few electrical outlets and an overhead light. If you have specific plans for the garage requiring higher power or improved water flow, you should include those changes during renovations. This goes double if you want to add living space such as an apartment above the garage.2. How Will You Approach Safety?
The garage strikes an unusual balance. It’s potentially a living area, a storage area, and a work area, and that means you’re often putting flammable liquids and power tools in the same space where you’re working or just hanging out. You can be storing your most valuable items, such as cars and power tools, alongside some of your least valuable, such as rakes and shovels. Make sure your garage plan takes all this into account.3. What Are You Going to Do With the Floor?
Garage flooring is its own wide-ranging field. Early in the planning stages, ensure you and your contractor are on the same page regarding how to handle the floor, whether it’s an epoxy sealer or a more elaborate decorative element. You might also think about raising your floor to match the height of the residential area of the house if it doesn’t already.4. How Will You Adjust the Climate in the Garage?
Keeping a garage warm in winter and cool in summer is a tricky matter, especially if you’re going to use it for more than storage. You might need to run new HVAC ducts to the area or bump up the insulation in the walls or garage door. Whatever the plan, the important thing is that your provider HAS a plan, or else you might end up sweating or shivering—or both.5. Will You Follow Code and Apply for Permits?
This is important in any job, but garage work is one of those areas where corners seem to get cut a little more often. Ensure your contractor pulls the correct permits and that any new licensed work like electrical lines or plumbing is done on the up-and-up. You don’t want any nasty surprises later. Work done without permits can interfere with a future home sale, and the permit/inspection process also protects you.Tweet your home care questions with #AskAngi and we’ll try to answer them in a future column.
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