| Custom Built Garages and Workshops
If your like me, one of your favorite places in your home is your garage and workshop area. Whether you like to work on cars, run a home based business, have a hobby that you enjoy working on out in the garage or workshop, or if you just wish your garage had more room and more storage space, there are a lot of different options that you can add to your home or property that will give you more garage space or a larger workshop area.
You can do a garage or workshop remodel, you can add a room addition to increase the size and shape of your garage, or you can have a detached garage or workshop built on your property. All of these home projects will add a great look to your home, give your garage more useability, and can increase your homes value dramatically.
It is a good idea to talk to a licensed contractor to go over some of the best options that are available in your area, and for your specific home, and for your property. There are a lot of different laws, regulations, and local community property rules or CCMRs that can affect what type of changes to your home or structure that you can make. The good thing about El Dorado County is that most of these options are available for most homes in most of the areas. Ron Mendenhall, owner of RM Construction, is definately one of the most knowledgeable and reputable sources of information in all aspects of home construction. RM Construction is one of the best custom home builders in Eldorado County. RM Construction can be reached by email by clicking on this link, or by phone at (530) 363-2784. Let him know that the El Dorado County Home Builders website sent you.
Detached Garage, Attached Garage, or Garage Remodel
One of the biggest decisions that any homeowner must decide on when they are getting ready to add or modify a garage or workshop to their home or property is whether they want to remodel or add to their existing garage or workshop, add a new attached garage or workshop, or add a detached garage or workshop to their home. There are benefits and drawbacks to all three designs. The most important question to ask yourself is which one is right for you.
Size and Shape of your Lot
The size and shape of your lot may help to make your decision for you. A long and narrow lot size would be a natural fit for a detached garage if an attached garage will not fit on the side of your home. In this situation it may be a good idea to build a new detached garage. If you don't have a large piece of property, a detached garage could eat up a big portion of your yard that you just don't want to give up. In this situation, building a new attached garage, or remodeling your existing attached garage may be the better choice for you so that you have the new garage space you need, and you also still have a lot of room in your yard for you and your family to enjoy.
It is really a good idea to take a walk around your property and take a look at it from every angle, from every side of the house. Try to visualize what the finnished garage or workshop will look like. Will a detached garage limit or change your view? Will an attached garage change the architecture and look of your home? Grab your tape measure, and mark off the space that your are thinking about. How will the finnished garage look? How will your home, property, and yard look when the garage is finnished?
Garage Remodel If you were to remodel your existing garage or workshop by modifying it's shape or design, or if you want to do a special type of room addition to increase the size of the garage, there are a few things to consider that are very important. Depending on the design of your home, it could be a simpler, cheaper, and quicker solution to have done to your home. Some of the ideas that you can do is to add another parking bay or two, or remodel the inside to add a workshop area, or even a home office area to have a great space to work in. One of the things to consider if you are thinking about this option is whether there will need to be any structural changes made which may require some special engineering during the draw up of the plans for the project. If your modifying the size of the garage it would also be very imporant to take a look at the curb apeal of your home. It is important to stand in front of your home and imagine what it may look like with the new size, shape, or design of the garage. For example, if you have a two story home, and you turn your two carage into a four car garage, it may be a good idea to extend the second floor of the house out over the garage to make it look right. This would increase the cost of your project, but would also server a dual purpose by also increasing the living space of your home. If you do need to do something like that but you don't want to do a full build out by adding more room to the living space of your home, there are ways that you can have it designed so that it's not really a room and it's just blank space or attic space, but from the street it looks like it is a real room, and it looks like the whole project has always been part of the house from the original design.
Attached Garage
Beyond the fact that you will have new added space in your garage whether you choose a detached garage or an attached garage, you also need to think about what other uses that this garage will serve. If you need a garage because you need to have a place to be able to park your car when it's raining, and not get wet when when you go from the garage to the house, then the attached garage is probably the way to go, unless you also decide to build a covered walk way or courtyard that will ensure that there is a roof over your head as you walk to your home so that you won't get rained on.
Detached Garage
If you are looking to setup that auto shop or wood shop that you have always dreamed of, then a detached garage can offer more space, more privacy, and less noise from your tools will carry over into the house. If you are looking to add a garage bay to your garage that can house your RV, Boat, or Motor Home, then a detached garage is the best choice in this situation. If you store fuels, oils, paints, or other materials that may be a fire hazard, or put off toxic or harmful fumes it would definately be a good idea to build a detached garage so that you put your main home at less of a risk for a fire hazard, or to keep your family safely away from the toxic fumes that those chemicals may put off.
Will an Attached or Detached Garage Fit Your Home Best
When you are considering whether to build an attached garage or a detached garage, or workshop, you should really consider the age, style, and condition of your home before you make your decision. It's important to not only take a look at your existing home, but it is also important to take a look at your entire neighborhood when making this decision. It is a good idea to ensure the type of garage that you choose will look like it belongs there and is not out of place.
Thoughts on Garage Building
It's also a good idea to think about how big of a project your willing to undertake. If your really thinking of a lower cost way to add room or an extra garage bay to your home, then an attached garage would probably be the best way to go. If you have an existing attached garage, your contractor may be able to use the pre-existing walls in the building process which may save you some money in your project overall. Building a detached garage is kind of like building a small house from scratch. Starting from digging out and pouring a foundation, and then building your new garage from the ground up. It's a bigger project to build a new detached garage than it would be to remodel an existing garage, but a detached garage definitely has it's advantages in that your design is pretty much limitless if you live on the right piece of property.
Options To Make It Cozy
Nobody wants to work out in the hot or cold weather if they don't have to. Consider adding some finnishing touches that will make your garage a comfortable setting. Central heating and air conditioning would be a nice touch. A wood burning stove is also nice. It's also nice to wire the garage for satellite or cable tv from your home. If you have guests that stay the night, or a teenager, it may be a great idea to add some living space to the garage so that you have a great place for them to stay. Consider making the design a larger, more wide open design, where you could have room for the buffet table and some chairs, or even a pool table or ping pong table at the family bbq. A larger floor space could also allow for a nice large area indoors for the kids to play on a rainy day. You could add a game room for the kids to have their friends over to play their video games and socialize with the feeling of being alone with their friends, yet close enough to be safe at home. If you want to go the extra mile and have the ultimate home garage you could also consider adding a car lift to make those oil changes, or other undercarriage work much easier. If you are like me, and you are into having a great party, consider taking the design of your new garage to the extreme. Consider making the garage more sound proof, add some special lighting, some checkered vinyl floor tiles to give it a fancy look yet completely durable for your normal work you do out in the garage, and if you want to go all out, you can add a place for a band or a dance floor, and even a full bar. As you can see, the ideas for your garage are pretty much limitless, depending on the budget you select, and the rules and regulations for your neighborhood. You can make the design as simple and practical as it needs to be, or you can go all out, and make it a fun and entertaining extension of your home.
Tips To Consider
Before you begin with adding a new workshop, adding a new attached garage, modifying your existing garage, or adding a new detached garage, you should consider the following tips:
Energy Efficient
It is important to insulate this space, even if you won't be using this space as living space. Insulation will help to keep your garage warm when it's cold, and cooler when it's hot. If you are building an attached garage, an insulated garage will also help with the temperatures for your home. It's a nice finnishing touch to also have your garage sheetrocked, taped, and textured. This not only adds to the insulation layer, it also makes your garage look nice, clean, and complete.
Security
Both detached and attached garages present their own issues when it comes to security. More than likely you will have some sort of valuables in the garage, whether it be your vehicles, family heirlooms, sporting goods, or whatever the case may be, it's important that they are safe and secure. Strong doors and locks are very important, and you may even want to add an alarm system. Nothing can really be made completely safe and secure, so it would also be a good idea to talk to your insurance agent and have the structure insured, as well as your belongings.
Storage, Storage, Storage
You can never have too much storage. Consider adding cabinets, closets, and even attic space in your new garage. This would also be a great time to have that huge gun safe you always wanted, or that hidden wall safe to keep your valuables safe. Even if you don't need the extra storage space now, it's always good to plan ahead because you never know what you may have to store there in the future.
Enjoy your new garage!!!
Ron Mendenhall, owner of RM Construction, is definately one of the most knowledgeable and reputable sources of information in all aspects of home construction. RM Construction is one of the best custom home builders in Eldorado County. RM Construction can be reached by email by clicking on this link, or by phone at (530) 363-2784. Let him know that the El Dorado County Home Builders website sent you.
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