Before you begin scouring Zillow for a home with an additional room, pursue garage remodeling to gain additional living space. Your residence will increase in value, and your family will have a bit of room to spread out and enjoy the home. The space can also serve as a source of passive income if you decide to convert it into a short-term rental apartment. Finish this project better, faster, and cheaper with InSoFast insulation panels.
Do-It-Yourself Garage Transformation
The garage transformation that you’re planning can seem to be an overwhelming project. With InSoFast insulation panels, much of the DIY effort becomes much simpler.
The garage project is a bit more complicated than finishing out a basement. However, when space is in demand, the garage is a more reasonable source than planning an addition or a relocation.
Keeping It Legal
A garage conversion into a living space will require quite a few steps to maintain legality. Before beginning your project, check into local codes to make sure that all of your hard work passes inspection and that you arrange for the appropriate permits for the project.
By the time you finish with the project, you may find that bureaucracy frustrates you far more than the technicalities of the conversion process.
Basic Expectations of a Garage Transformation
Within your garage living space, certain guidelines will rule the design.
- The ceiling should be at least 7 ½’ high.
- Sufficient windows to cover either 5 ½’ or a prescribed percentage of the garage space should be included in the design. This inclusion allows for air flow and natural light.
- Heating within the garage turned living space must be able to maintain a stable 70° temperature. The heating method that you choose can extend an existing duct system for central heating, or you could install wall heaters or baseboard heating.
- A living space must have outlets, and one is simply not enough. You require sufficient outlets so that cords don’t have to reach too far to obtain juice.
- Lighting will be an easier element to include because you must have a minimum of one wall-mounted light switch, and garages generally already have one.
The Process of Converting a Garage into a Living Area
Manage the Garage Door Area – The garage door can be a problem for living space transformations. You will either have to remove the door and replace it, or you will have to insulate it. Make sure that you double-check the codes in your area before you choose to leave it.
Insulation – Garages are typically uninsulated, so if you choose to use traditional insulation options, you will have to open up the wall cavity. InSoFast insulation panels can go directly over the existing wall, making the process far easier and faster.
This insulation material will also facilitate wiring up the garage space. Cutting through the foam with a utility knife to accommodate an outlet box is simple, and your wiring can be run according to any plan you may have since each panel features vertical and horizontal service channels to accommodate wiring.
Consider Raising the Height of the Floor – The garage of the home is usually lower than the residential structure, so many homeowners choose to build up the garage floor to make it even with the home. You can even insulate the cold, concrete floor with InSoFast insulation panels before adding the floor covering.
Additional living space is as close as the side door of your home; before you hire a contractor for an addition or a real estate agent for a home search, plan for garage remodeling! InSoFast insulation panels will make the entire project far easier for you to complete on your own.
