Garage days

Unless you haven't set foot outside in the last few days you'll have no doubt noticed that summer is here.

With temperatures rising well over 100 degrees people are either staying inside or cannonballing into their pools as soon as they can. With all family members staying in a house it can get pretty crowded, and some people are looking to add some new air conditioned spaces to their homes.

A garage is just that kind of space. A standard two car garage can give you about 550 to 565 square feet. Converting that space into a media room or a dedicated theater room gives families a living space that everyone will enjoy.

Most garage conversions we've done have been dedicated theater rooms with large screen front projection and surround systems. Screen sizes from 92-110 inches are easily achieved in a room of that size, and with newer video projectors, the quality of the video is just as good or better than any conventional TV.

Since garages are usually without widows the environment is perfect for home theater applications.

Remodeling your garage is a fairly simple matter. You'll need to contract a carpenter to come in and remove the existing drywall and to construct a wall on the inside of your garage door. Of course, you could also remove the door and construct a wall in its place.

This will cost more because you'll have to finish out the exterior as well. Once you get all that taken care of, an HVAC company will have to come in and install all the AC ductwork and materials.

During this period of time you will need to have the audio and video cables pulled to the future equipment location and to the projector location. Electricians will also need to be hired to change the lighting fixtures to a more appropriate type and to address all the other electrical issues.

Once all your cables and AC materials are in place the room is ready to be closed up. Be sure to install some sound board before the new drywall goes up. Sound board is an inexpensive way to provide some sound abatement and keep the audio in your theater and not leaking out into other areas of your home.

Once all that is done the painters can come in, and after that you can install the new flooring. Carpeting is usually best but if you'd prefer tile, marble, or wood, using a certain type of speaker will allow you to do so.

After all that is done, you can finally have your new home theater gear installed. Component installation time for a theater room like this can usually be completed in one day.

So if you are looking for a cool way to beat the heat this summer, maybe you should consider kicking you cars out and taking over some valuable space in your home. Our previous garage conversion clients couldn't be happier with their decision to do just that.