How to Make Your Garage Better (and More Enjoyable)
Imagine a garage where you don’t trip over clutter on the floor. That feeling of peace is within reach. You can turn your garage from a jumbled storage closet into a functional, inspiring space.
Improving the garage calms the anxiety that comes from seeing messes everywhere. A clear floor is the foundation of a useful garage.
It helps you see the garage as more than just a place to park your cars. It can also be the perfect spot for starting a woodworking, gardening, or auto repair hobby.
A clutter-free, well-organized garage is the first step toward creating a space you’ll actually want to spend time in.
Reclaim Your Space: The Power of a Clear Garage Floor
Is your fertilizer (which is spilling) in front of the auto supplies? Is the kids’ sports equipment piled on top of the lawn tractor?
When everything is out and nothing has a home, it can be frustrating.
The first rule of garage Zen is to get everything off the floor and into a dedicated spot. As home organization experts agree, this is the most important first step.
Tripping over your own stuff ruins your peace of mind and makes you feel like the house owns you. Take back control of your garage. Own it.
Not only does storage give your stuff a home, but it also gets it off the dusty concrete. This protects your belongings from car soot and bugs.
The single best move you can make in your garage is to get stuff off your garage floor.
How to Choose the Right Garage Storage System
The new home for your belongings is your “garage storage.” It can be made of shelves, racks, pulleys, cabinets, and boxes.
It could be an elevator platform, a rolling tool cart, and much more. The key is to use the vertical space on your walls to free up your floor.
Garage cabinets are perfect for hiding clutter and protecting items from dust. They create a clean, streamlined look that can make your garage feel like another room in the house.
Heavy-duty shelving units can hold bulky bins and equipment, making them a versatile and affordable option for any garage.
Don’t forget your ceiling! Garage ceiling storage is ideal for long-term items and seasonal gear you don’t need to access every day.
A Place for Everything: Smart Solutions for Tools and Gear
Once you have the main storage systems in place, it’s time to organize the smaller items. This is where slatwall systems and specialized hangers really help.
A slatwall with bins is perfect for organizing screws, sports balls, and golf gear. You can customize the layout with various hooks, shelves, and baskets to fit your exact needs.
Each of the links below opens in a new window. You can explore these garage storage ideas and not lose your place.
- These NewAge Garage Cabinets Will Make You Feel Like a Confident Homeowner
- 9 Questions About Rubbermaid FastTrack for Garages Answered!
- What Can I Store On a Proslat Wall System? (with Pictures)
- Organizing Your Tools: The Comprehensive Guide
- How to Organize Your Garage Like a Pro
Brighten Up Your Space: Why Good Garage Lighting Is a Must
The typical garage has a single, dim light bulb in the middle of the ceiling. If your garage has automatic doors, then each door motor has a light.
If you’re doing anything besides walking from your car to the house, you’ve probably thought, “I can’t see. Some light would be nice.”
Ultra-bright LED lighting is bright, energy-efficient, and inexpensive. Experts consistently recommend switching to LED lights as one of the most effective and affordable garage improvements.
My favorite garage lights connect together and use very little electricity. You can learn more in my article The Best Garage Lights.
With lamps that daisy chain together, you plug one lamp into an outlet, and then plug the rest of the lamps into each other! This feature dramatically cuts down on wire management headaches.
From Workshop to Greenhouse: Creative Uses for a Well-Lit Garage
Once you have more light, a world of possibilities opens up for your garage. You might consider adding a garage garden, a potting area for your outdoor garden, or some woodworking equipment.
Imagine using your garage for satisfying hobbies you never had the space or light for before.
Good lighting makes your garage look nicer and more cheerful. It creates an inviting atmosphere for gardening, carpentry, or any other project you can dream up.
Learn more about using your newly lit space here:
- Can I Grow a Garden in My Garage?
- The Best Grow Shelves for Your Garage Garden
- Don’t Get Left In the Dark! A Lighting Guide For Garages
- The Best Garage Lights
How to Deal with Dust and Dirt in the Garage
Now that you have a nice bright garage, you can see all that dust!
Untreated concrete garage floors are naturally dusty. They release tiny particles into the air, which makes the air quality worse.
You breathe this dust, it gets on your garage storage, and you track it into the house. You can slow the dust by treating the source.
Treat the floor with a densifying sealer, which keeps dust from kicking up. Sealers bond with the concrete surface to trap dust.
WARNING: Most densifying sealers prevent other coatings from sticking to the floor. This is fine if you plan to stop with the sealer or use mats or tiles.
But if you ever want to paint or epoxy the floor, applying a sealer first will be a big headache for you.
Your Garage Cleaning Toolkit: Why You Need a Wall-Mounted Vacuum
Whether or not you seal the floor, garages get dusty, buggy, and sooty. An important part of keeping a garage clean is having the right tools handy.
You should have a garage vacuum on the wall so that it’s convenient to use.
After hours of research, we chose a VacMaster and a VacuMaid as our favorite garage wall-mounted vacuum cleaners.
When we say “shop vac,” we often mean “a garage vacuum cleaner.” Did you know that “Shop-Vac” is a brand name that specializes in workshop vacuums?
- 11 Wall-Mounted Garage Vacuum Facts You Need to Know Before Buying
- Our Top Picks for Wall-Mounted Garage Vacuums
- Protect the Concrete Garage Floor with a Densifying Sealer
- Can You Really Waterproof a Garage Floor?
Control Your Garage’s Climate with Insulation
Who wants to work in a humid, hot garage? Or a bitter-cold garage? Not me.
You can get a handle on your garage’s temperature, and the first line of defense is insulation.
Garage insulation makes the air temperature more comfortable during cold and hot weather. A freezing or sweltering attached garage also affects the temperature inside your house.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, proper insulation is key to reducing energy use. Moderating the garage temperature saves on heating and cooling costs in the rest of the house.
Cheap garage windows with gaps allow cold or hot air into the garage, but weatherstripping can slow that leak. Garage door insulation is another powerful weapon against extreme temperatures.
Find more info on insulating your space below.
- Garage Insulation Choices: Batt, Spray, or Blown?
- Is Batt or Rigid Foam a Better Choice for Garage Insulation?
How to Heat, Cool, and Dehumidify Your Garage
The better you insulate and weatherstrip, the more effective a heater, air conditioner, or dehumidifier will be.
With a properly sealed and insulated space, you can efficiently control the climate year-round. This makes the garage a comfortable extension of your home.
Choosing the right heater or air conditioner depends on your climate, garage size, and how you plan to use the space. Options range from portable units to permanently installed systems.
A dehumidifier is also essential in many climates. It protects your tools, car, and stored items from rust and mold caused by excess moisture.
Check out these articles to learn more about climate control.
- The Complete Guide to Choosing a Garage Heater
- Do Dehumidifiers Work in Garages?
- The Best Garage Thermal Leak Detector
Give Your Garage a Facelift: It’s All About the Floor
After you’ve cleared the clutter, upgraded the lighting, and handled the climate, the final touch is the floor. A dull, stained garage floor can suck all the light and life out of the room.
Options like floor tiles can make the whole room come together. A better-looking garage floor can be a powerful motivation to finally start that auto repair, woodworking, or garage gardening hobby.
For a racecar pit stop look, install garage floor tile. Tile can be amazing to look at, and it will cover up a huge number of garage floor sins like stains and minor cracks.
Snap-together tiles create a strong and very cool-looking surface that requires almost zero prep work.
A great DIY alternative to painting is staining. It provides a durable and attractive finish that brings out the natural look of the concrete.
Explore your options for a beautiful floor here:
Choose Your Floor Finish Wisely: Tiles, Stains, and When to Call a Pro
While garage tiles are easy for anyone to install, be extra careful if you’re considering paint or epoxy.
Improper prep work or failing to follow instructions can ruin your floor and your day. As home improvement guides like This Old House often state, surface preparation is over 90% of the job for coatings.
If you’re set on epoxy or paint, consider hiring a professional. They have the equipment, materials, and expertise to prepare the surface and apply the coating for a lasting finish.
If you’re staining, choose a water-based rather than an acid-based stain. Water stains offer a wider, more consistent range of colors and are much safer to work with.
Acid is toxic and requires protective gear and a neutralization step. Water-based stains are a much better choice, especially for DIYers.
Learn more before you commit to a floor coating:
- I Will Never Epoxy My Garage Floor (What I Will Do Instead)
- What is the Best Epoxy for a Garage Floor?
- 7 Things You Should Know Before Painting Your Garage Floor
- Garage Floor Coatings: Epoxy vs. Paint, Which is Better?
