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Attached Garage Additions

Ah, we meet again to talk about another aspect of your home remodel! This post will include the things that a homeowner should consider when attaching a garage addition onto their house. Again, like I have mentioned before, these blogs are by no means meant to pinpoint a specific persons’ job, nor do we promise to cover every exact and precise detail in building an attached garage addition; rather, our goal is to give you a few things to think about when considering such a large addition to your home. Disclaimers are important when sharing personal knowledge! So here I go, breaking down the guru’s words into plain English…

Size of space (in this case garage) is the first factor we will talk about. Usually the things that dictate how big or small your garage is going to be, is the size of the vehicles that you are going to put in it, or the amount of storage space that you want. You have to factor in space to move around as well. Do you want space for a workbench? Will you be storing bicycles in there? Are you creating a section to set up your home gym? These are things that many people wouldn’t think about when wanting to build a garage. Just enough space for your vehicle isn’t going to cut it. How are you going to get out without smashing your door?

Attached Garage AdditionThis brings us to the type of garage door that you want. There are a few different options: some swing up, some swing out,some roll up and some slide to the side. Itall depends on the look that you are going for because after all, the look of your garage doors may be able to make the look of your entire addition. Side note: the style of the garage doors should also match the style of your home. Swing-out carriage style doors look great and really add to the character of the structure. These tend to be useful when you want more ceiling clearance and no obstructions above the car and/or storage. Sliding barn doors also add to the character and save room inside the garage. The most popular, and probably the most cost effective style door is the roll up; however, these doors still require a bit of headroom in the garage to install. Also, will the garage door include windows or will it be solid?

One very important thing that most homeowners don’t realize is the practicality. For instance, the concrete floor must be pitched towards the garage door. This way, whether it be raining or snowing, or a beautiful day and you just washed your brand new car, any excess water that may drop off of your vehicle will naturally drain towards the opening and not sit stagnant. Another design component may be the question of, is this garage going to be framed with no poles within? Is this even a possibility? Find out! You deserve to know! After all, we should be creating your dream exactly the way that you picture it.

This also raises the question of different types of garage floors. Is it going to be plain jane concrete that is more prone to stains? Or will you dress it up with some floor tiles, rubber mats, epoxy paint or roll out flooring; all of which can handle unwanted dirt and fluids with the snap of a broom. Some are also salt and oil spill resistant! These specialty floors will not disappoint if your car decides to leak antifreeze!

Will there be windows in your design? So many times people think of a garage as just a placeAttached Garage Addition to store things when in reality, it can be and is so much more! This is a matter of preference, as most things, however the thought should at least be there. Will you be spending any time in this space? If so, a little sunlight and Vitamin D could help improve the mood! Here, I will also mention that the placement of the door to the interior of your home is important, as well. Will you have a normal door leading to the outside? Where might these doors make the most sense, mobility-wise?

Now, the big question – will there be storage? If so, what kind? Will you want shelving? Will you be bringing in furniture to store in, or would you like a workshop built in with cabinets for your belongings? Will you have attic space built? It’s unreal the amount of planning and detail that can go into one, generally open space.

Ample lighting and electric is very important. The placement of outlets seems to be something that is quite often over looked, but since this is going to be such a rugged space in your house, you will probably keep things that need to be plugged in. No one wants to lug a 10-gallon compressor across the garage every time you need to take a wheel off or fill up a tire because the outlet is on the opposite side of the room. Also, since we store so much in our garages, the last thing we want to do in the dark is trip over something misplaced because we couldn’t see it. The garage is no place to skimp out on lighting! It can be very dangerous so make sure everything is visible.

Building a second story on top of the garage dwelling is also a great and inexpensive way to add living space to your home, since the foundation and walls are already in place. We see this very often, homeowners will take advantage of one project and build up at the same time. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone, and who wouldn’t love a little more living space!?

This leads us to the placement of the garage on your property. Is your garage going to be so beautiful that it is the first thing you want your guests to see when they pull up to your house? Maybe, but usually not. Think things through before you go ahead and start on a project like this. There are so many different things that you can do with an attached garage addition!

Visit our website: www.DBSremodel.com to see some examples of our work and to book an appointment! Or come into DBS Remodel, Inc.’s Showroom to view some portfolios!

488 Freedom Plains RoadSuite 130Poughkeepsie, NY 12603