Turning Your Garage Into A Man Cave
Posted on: 4 September 2015
Do you want a place to kick back and watch the game with your buddies? If your wife or partner is constantly shushing you or giving you dirty looks when the guys root for your favorite teams, it might be time to build a man cave. Your garage can be the perfect place for this, but you might be hesitant to give up the storage that the space provides. Here are some tips on building your man cave while still having a place to keep your lawnmower and yard tools.
Do It the Legal Way
The very first thing you need to do is check with your town or city as to whether you need a building permit. Every municipality is different, but assume that you will need a permit before deciding that you don't. The worst that will happen if you apply for an unnecessary permit is that you'll be told you don't need one; the worst that could happen if you don't have the necessary paperwork in place, though, is that you will face hefty fines and might need to remove all of your building materials.
Reduce the Number of Stored Items
One popular option in maintaining some storage space is to build the man cave about four feet shorter than the length of the garage. You'll be putting up drywall several feet in from the garage door, leaving an empty space between the insulation and the garage door. Since all stored items will need to go in this space, you're probably going to have to dramatically reduce the amount of stuff you're storing!
Be ruthless. Have a garage sale or plan a trip (or several trips) to the thrift shop. It might be difficult to get rid of certain items, but keep in mind the end goal!
Measure out where you plan to put the wall and lay a strip of tape across the floor. Make sure everything you're keeping will fit in that space. Also, be sure that you can still close the garage door with all of your items in place.
Make It Comfortable
If you live in an area where it gets very hot in the summer or very cold in the winter, you will likely need to insulate your garage. The easiest way is to buy sheets of insulation that will go up between the existing walls and the drywall that you'll be putting up later.
Some garage doors are insulated. If yours isn't, it might be worthwhile to have an insulated garage door installed. It will be a bit of an expense now, but it can save heating and cooling costs later.
Finally, decide how you want to heat or cool your man cave. For mild winters and summers, fans or space heaters might be plenty. If you have more extreme temperatures, however, an electrician can run wires for baseboard heaters. If you have central heat and air, call your HVAC technician to run a duct into the new room.
Use professionals to handle the new garage door installation, electrical work and HVAC services; if you don't, you might have difficulties later when it's time to get your new man cave inspected! You can find a garage door professional by visiting a site like http://www.shankdoor.com.
Furnish Your Man Cave
The most fun part about having a man cave can be getting it in shape for your friends to come over for ping pong, darts and watching the Superbowl. Neon signs, sports pennants and old license plates can look perfectly at home in a traditional "bachelor pad" themed man cave.
On the other hand, you might want it to look more like a den or double as a spare bedroom. In this case, a more toned-down decorating style might be more appropriate.
Make the floor comfortable by installing insulated floorboards. Interlocking rubber tiles are another great option. If you aren't finishing the floor, but plan to leave it as concrete, laying down area rugs can make it easier on your feet.
Building a man cave in your garage can take some time, but it's a fun project that will bring you years of pleasure. Just be sure to follow your local laws and to have the space inspected before you start using it, and rely on the pros where their services are warranted. Enjoy!
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