Publication date: 05/28/2010

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Garage can be turned into new living space

Garages have become more than just a place to store cars or lawn equipment. They have become a place to work on hobbies, as an extra room where the kids can play or even a family room to keep party guests out of the rain. But for most of us, the garage needs to be spruced up to get it ready for more than just storage.

The best place to start is the floor. First, clean the floor with a good all-purpose cleaner such as trisodium phosphate or Simple Green. If you have oil stains, you can also use a product such as ACT Concrete Cleaner, (866) 919-2872, www.actcleaners.com, by American Cleaning Technologies or Edgewater Technologies' Pour-N-Restore, (800) 508-7939, www.pour-n-restore.com.

If you have an older floor that has developed chips and pockmarks over the years, you can fill the holes with Quikcrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher, (800) 442-7258, www.quickcrete.com.

Once the floor is cleaned and patched, I suggest treating it with Grip On Anti-Slip Solution by Safety Seal Products, (561) 638-2669, www.safetysealproducts.com. This clear product makes any tile, concrete or similar hard surface skid- and slip-resistant. No more worrying about slips and falls if the floor gets wet. Just mop it on, let stand for 20 minutes and then rinse it off. You can treat a typical two-car garage floor with only one gallon and it lasts about two years.

Next, make sure the tracks of your garage door are clean to cut down on noise and help them work smoothly. Wipe the track out with a dry rag to remove dirt and grime. To help eliminate squeaks and keep vital parts working properly, apply a multi-use spray lubricant such as Dupont Teflon or Liquifix on springs, door hinges and garage opener drive chain only. Do not put anything in the tracks!

If you are running out of space, look up. Storage units from HyLoft, (800) 990-6603, www.hyloft.com, are attached to your garage ceiling, so you can still park your car. These storage units can hold up to 250 pounds, and can be installed on either a finished or unfinished garage ceiling.

You can use your garage year-round to work on projects, or if it's the only place in the house where you can smoke or enjoy a good cigar, by adding a room conditioner ceiling fan from Reiker, (800) 283-7031, www.buyreiker.com. This remote-controlled ceiling fan, light and heater in one will circulate the air in the garage year-round and also act as a zone heater during the winter.

Speaking of lighting, eliminate the need to change bulbs frequently by using "rough service" light bulbs. They feature double filaments to resist the shock and vibration of your garage door opener. These bulbs are available at all hardware and home centers. For florescent bulbs over a workbench, look for fixtures that are labeled Cold Start.

Now that you've cleaned up, you need to keep it clean. Look at a high-powered wall-mounted vacuum like the Vacmaster model VWM510, www.vacmaster.com, the Garage Power PAC from Eureka, www.eureka.com, or the Garage Pro from Bissell, www.bissel.com. All are designed with extra long hoses to clean up both the garage and the cars you keep in them.

Your garage is something you use everyday. The time you spend on this project will be time well spent without spending a lot of money.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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