Every year, you go out to your garage to rummage around for holiday decorations. Anyone with a garage is grateful for a place to put seasonal items and store cars, but these versatile spaces have so many more possibilities.
If you’ve ever looked at your garage and wished for something more, it’s time to put your dream into action. Here are four great ideas for DIY garage makeover projects.
- Upgrade to a New Garage Door
One of the most basic upgrades perfect for anybody with a garage is replacing the garage door. If you have to lift your garage door by hand, now’s the time to upgrade to an electronic opener system.
An upgrade could still be in order if you already have a motorized garage door. A newer opener system may improve energy efficiency and security.
This is a simple upgrade as you don’t need much more than a garage door kit, a ladder, and a few tools. Installation is simple for most door systems. Experienced DIY home renovators won’t have an issue putting together a new garage door system.
Still, the equipment is heavy, and putting in a new garage door and lift system is serious work. Even if you know what you’re doing, professional supervision is a good idea. Doing something wrong could lead to expensive repairs, injury, or death.
Consider getting garage door replacement parts from a site like DIY-garage-door-parts.com and having professionals do the installation. It costs more than doing all the work yourself, but the cost may be worth the peace of mind that the heavy machinery won’t fall and crush anyone down the road.
If you’re used to doing this kind of work and aren’t intimidated by the job, there’s no question that it’s doable. One thing you should still check on before attempting a DIY garage door update is whether doing the work yourself might void the warranty or manufacturer guarantee on your door system. If it doesn’t or if you’re willing to lose those benefits, still make sure to have at least a couple of capable adults supervising the job to help in case of emergencies.
- Put a Stop to Garage Thievery
There’s no greater convenience on a rainy or cold night than a connected garage. The unfortunate side to that convenience for homeowners is how convenient it is for burglars, too.
Almost 10% of burglars get in through the garage. 9% might not seem that high, but it should be a serious concern for garage owners. Why?
While garages serve as entryways for 9% of home robbers, not that many homes have connected garages. Most houses have some kind of car shelter, but statistics on how many of them are attached is hard to find.
Say that 50 of 100 burglarized houses have attached garages. If 9/100 all home burglaries start in the garage, the rate would be twice as high for those who live in homes with garages attached.
Without locks, manual garage doors are the easiest garage doors for thieves to open. Unlocked motorized doors aren’t that much more of a challenge unless you take extra precautions. There are a few easy ways to protect against break-ins with DIY garage upgrades.
Burglars can get into garages using the red pull-cords inside electric garage doors. They slip wire coathangers through the top and pull the cord that breaks the door away from the motor. It’s easy enough to stop these break-ins using a humble zip tie to secure the release cord to the track.
Consider installing an alarm in your garage. Putting a sign or sticker on the door informing would-be thieves of the system will stop them from trying.
Another easy upgrade that would turn thieves away from your garage before they so much as consider breaking in is adding window privacy film. Motion-activated lights scare off burglars in an instant and are also no challenge to install.
- Dedicate Space for a Workshop
Upgrading your door and installing an alarm are important security upgrades. They help your garage protect your stuff from thieves as well as from the elements. These updates also turn attached garages into protection for your home.
Still, they’re not the most fun DIY garage projects unless installing doors or alarms happens to be your passion. A project you’ll enjoy more is setting up a workshop or tool area.
A dedicated workspace is a must for any craftsperson. Setting one up is also worth it for non-crafty homeowners. Nobody likes digging through garage clutter for tools when it comes time to do regular maintenance and repairs!
- Organize Sports and Outdoors Equipment With Shelves and More
Another practical garage update is organizing things like sports equipment and camping gear that you store in your garage.
If that sounds like a major upgrade, you’re right in the sense that organizing your garage will make a huge difference in your life. An organization system makes finding the things you need easier. You also won’t have to worry about tripping hazards or a lack of walking room anymore.
What isn’t major about this upgrade is how much it costs. If you have a lot to invest in garage updates, a fancy shelving setup could do a lot of good for your household. You could hire a professional to find and install organizers.
You may be thinking that you can’t afford those things. How is garage organization not a major expense?
It’s affordable because you don’t need a professional or a fancy kit. Quality shelving, bins, and tubs are all it takes. Hardware stores carry these common organization supplies for reasonable prices.
If aesthetics mean a lot to you and you don’t like the standard colors, you can decorate the bins and shelves. Shopping on sites like eBay or at specialty home goods or container stores that sell the products could also lead you to a wider selection of colors and designs.
Find More Ideas for Your Next DIY Garage Makeover
A garage is a space with unlimited possibilities, which can make it hard to decide on upgrades. These ideas offer helpful direction for your next DIY garage makeover.
More home improvement ideas for your garage renovation and beyond are a quick click away. Look around the site for more renovation tips and other ways to live a better life today.
