Monthly Archives: August 2020

How to add living space to your garage  

Posted by Dennis Watson On August 31, 2020 at 5:39 pm | Comments Closed

Did you know your garage is one of most versatile rooms in your home? Sure, it does a fantastic job keeping your car safe and storing all sorts of items – from bikes to bowling balls – but it’s can be used for so much more.

With a little elbow grease and planning, your garage can also be a home gym, a playroom, an art studio, even a study room – and a lot of us can use one of those these days, now that more children than ever are learning virtually.

Martin Door is proud to carry Lifestyle Garage Door Screens that make it even easier to transform your garage into another living space.

Ready to do more in your garage? Take a look at our tips below to get started.

First, let’s go over the basics. When it comes to ideal flooring for your new garage space, we recommend priming and using a good paint designed specifically for garages. Behr Premium Concrete & Garage Floor paint, for example, works great and comes in a variety of colors.

If you’re using all or a part of your garage for your new space, you may want to consider another type of flooring, such as tile or carpet. Rubber tiles work great for garage gyms. You can pick these up at your local home improvement store.

You may also want to consider ways to cool your space in the summer, and/or heat it in the winter. Depending on your budget and needs, you could invest in a small air conditioning unit or a complete heating and cooling system. Additionally, you may want to choose a new, insulated garage door. If you’re going that route, we can help you choose the right one.

So, just how can you use your garage? Here are some ideas below.  

Study room. If your children are starting school at home this year, your garage can become a perfect study space with little effort. Make sure the space is comfortable and inviting by painting the walls and floor and add insulation to make it quieter.

Study spaces need to let in plenty of light, so consider replacing your garage door with an Avante garage door from Clopay, will let plenty of light in and create a beautiful space. Lastly, make sure there are enough electrical outlets in the garage. If there aren’t, consider reaching out to an electrician who can help.

Home gym. If you’re limiting your time at the gym or yoga studio, we’ve got great news – your garage can be transformed into a workout space easily. As we mentioned, you can install rubber tiles on the garage floor, or even paint it a tranquil color if you’re looking for a more peaceful, Zen way of exercising.

Add shelving for weights and props, and install pegboard to hang items like jump ropes, resistance bands and straps. And don’t forget about music to keep you motivated! Consider adding a stereo system, and perhaps a portable air conditioning unit on the days you really work up a sweat.

Kid’s playroom. The first thing to think about when making the garage your kid’s playroom is storage. Since there’s limited space in the garage, you’re going to want to maximize storage for all of their toys and games. IKEA has great storage space options for all budgets. And when your kids outgrown the playroom, you can use the storage for all sorts of other things.

We love puzzle floor mats because they are easy to install, soft, and they add a little fun and whimsy to the garage space. You could also decorate the walls with stickers and decals that you can find in craft stores. These are easy to remove, so when your kids outgrown the playroom you can easily use the space for something else.

Art studio. Thinking of learning something new with all the extra time at home? If you’re ready to get in touch with your artistic side, why not transform a part of the garage into an art studio? Start with creating great light in the garage. This can be achieved with a garage door that lets in light, solar tubes, skylights or LED lighting.

Next, you’ll need a great desk to sketch out your plans and plenty of storage for your art supplies and to make the space inviting and inspiring.

Ready to learn more about Lifestyle Garage Door Screens or how we can help transform your garage into a multifunctional living space, give the team at Martin Door a call.

Seven Ways to Keep Your Garage Cool 

Posted by Dennis Watson On August 13, 2020 at 4:40 pm | Comments Closed

If you think it’s hot outside, just imagine what the temperature is in your garage. During the summer months, garages are often a good five to ten degrees warmer than the temps outside. Without proper ventilation or a good cooling method in place, your garage may not just be uncomfortable – it could be downright dangerous if you’re in it for an extended length of time.

Don’t let summer keep you out of your garage. Instead, follow our tips below to keep it cool this summer. 

Park Your Car Elsewhere (for a little while). That’s right. We’re recommending you don’t use your garage to park your car, but only until it cools down. If you park a car that’s just been driven in the garage and close the garage door, the heat from the engine can get trapped inside, raising the temps inside the garage even more.

We recommend parking your car outside the garage (preferable in the shade) and then moving it into the garage when the sun goes down.

Limit Your Time in the Garage. Your garage can be a lot more than just a place to put your car. With a little effort (emphasis on the little) your garage can be a workout space, workshop, and even a play area for the kids.

If you’ve got a multi-functioning garage space, or if you enjoy working on your car, consider using the garage in the early morning hours or after the sun goes down during the summer months. Ideally, you should limit your time in the garage between 3-6 p.m. when the temperatures in St. Charles are usually the warmest.

Choose a light-colored garage door. Since darker colors absorb heat, consider choosing a garage door that’s light in color. This is especially important if your garage faces west. Additionally, you can paint your garage exterior walls and roof a lighter color to keep it cooler as well. You could also add trees that will offer shade around your garage, if you’ve got a decent sized area where you can plant.

Use fans. Although fans won’t necessarily lower the air temperature in your garage, they’ll help increase air flow to make it a much more comfortable space to be in. The easiest and least expensive type of fan to use is a simple, inexpensive oscillating fan that you can pick up at any home improvement center. A high-powered shop fan is another great option.

You can place one fan in the window or in the opened garage door area with the fan blowing air outward, while placing another fan in the area you want to the breeze to blow to keep the air circulating.

Invest in a ventilation system. Passive and active ventilation systems are the next step up from the use of fans. Passive ventilation is the easiest and often the least expensive vent system to install and usually consists of spinning turbines in roof vents that get the air moving freely quickly.

Active air ventilation systems are a bit more complex and require installation by a professional.

Air condition your garage. If you spend a lot of time in your garage, or if it’s attached to your home, you may want to think about getting it fitted for central air. If you’ve got a window in your garage, an A/C window unit is another option, provided you’ve got electricity and an outlet near the window to use. Portable air conditioners also work well in the garage, especially because they’re designed to cool a small space.

One of the drawbacks to using A/C in the garage is that it can lead to expensive monthly energy bills. Having the garage set up for central air can be a rather significant financial investment as well.

Insulate your garage. If you’re thinking of going this route, start with an insulated garage door. This alone can help keep your garage cooler. If want to insulate the garage itself, start simple by caulking the windows and your garage door frame. Check to make sure your garage door is fitted properly. If you see any space between the ground and the bottom of the door, give us a call.

Want to learn more about how you can keep your garage cooler this summer? Give the team at Martin Door a call.