How to Build Your Dream Garage

This is a sponsored post by CarGuyGarage.com

TGR Staff

For most car enthusiasts our dream home isn't complete until we have completed our dream garage. Often overlooked the garage in most homes is barely finished, they often have basic lighting, concrete floors, and no storage. But since over half of all housing units in the US have a garage, they should be getting more attention when it comes to upgrading a home. At best most people go to the local home improvement store, buy some garage shelving, and plastic tubs, and maybe a rolling tool chest, but just take a drive through most neighborhoods and it is plain to see that most people don't even do that.

Having been to many of the best race shops around the world we have always wanted to build out our own dream garage, complete with color-matched cabinets, a lift, checkboard flooring, and enough lighting to work on project cars 24/7. But dreaming about it is one thing, making it a reality is another, so who builds these dream garages? To find out we spoke to Jim over at CarGuyGarage.com a company that specializes in creating amazing garages.

If you are already planning to build out your dream garage, it's a good time to clean out all of the non-essentials that are hidden in everyone's garage. Once you have cleaned out the garage it is a good time to determine what the focus for the space is going to be. Is it primarily going to be used for parking cars? Working on projects? Will it be a storage space?

Like any home improvement project having a vision for what space should look like is important. While many customers order pre-design shelving units, Car Guy Garage offers complete design services which include rendering a customer's garage and adding all of the elements like custom garage cabinets, lifts, and other storage features like bicycle racks.

Once you have your layout it is time to pick materials, starting from the ground up, the floor really does set the tone for the entire space and since you are likely going to be cleaning out the entire garage anyways, it is the perfect time to look at adding garage floor tiles, garage flooring rolls, or an epoxy floor coating. You should then look at the walls, repair any damage, and add a fresh coat of paint to the garage, if your garage is unfinished, look at adding insulation and outlets while you are at it.

Storage for tools and equipment is one of the biggest factors in inspiring a garage renovation, while there are a lot of choices for cabinets, the experts at Car Guy Garage recommend their custom aluminum cabinets which come in several configurations or can be custom fabricated to the customer's specifications. These cabinets are made in the USA and are the same kind used by professional race teams around the world, with their powder-coated finish and aluminum construction these cabinets are designed to last a lifetime and look amazing. The cabinets come in several standard colors, but custom colors can be ordered to match your favorite ride or race team livery.

Once you have sorted out your storage, lighting should be a priority as the lights on the garage door opener or a single bulb in the corner aren't going to cut it. The kind of lighting you need depends on what you are using the space for. Storage and parking, overhead lighting is fine. If you are using it as a workspace overhead lighting is just the start, cabinet lighting, work lights on a reel, or LED garage door lights might be in order. While you can add some lights after the fact, just make sure you have all your electrical in place before you finish your walls and cabinets.