Want to add a little pizzazz to your garage? Many think of garages in strictly utilitarian terms, but we know better. For more style and color, there are plenty of custom garage door options and snazzy upgrades. It is all a matter of how much you want to spend and what kind of design aesthetic you want for your garage. Take garage floors as an example. While standard concrete garage floors are functional, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to give them some real pop.
Today, we dive deep into the different upgrades available for your garage. While we are experts in garage door repair, maintenance, and installation, we understand that there is more to your garage than just the door. Let us be the thought leaders giving you insider tips on how to make your garage the best it can be.
Custom Garage Door Upgrade Ideas
We’ll start with custom garage doors. Let’s face it, your garage door is the household’s gatekeeper. Even more, garage door technology has come a long way in the last decade or so. Now that smart technology has become an integral part of many homes, garage door technology improves year-over-year. Even beyond slick new technology, you can do wonders for your garage with simple upgrades. Windows are just one example. Windows go a long way depending on the functionality of your garage.
Most homeowners want to count on their garage to help them lower their utility bill, rather than add to it. Perhaps it is time for you to have a look at energy-efficient garage doors. Insulated garage doors are a great solution, no matter what climate you live in. Fortified garage doors generally come with good warranties, which prevents lots of repairs. Energy-efficient garage door upgrades pay for themselves over the long run.
Smart garage door tech, which includes wireless garage door openers, allows you to remotely control your garage door from anywhere. Whether it be from your smartphone while you are relaxing on vacation in Laguna Beach or from the comfort of your bed – the power is in your hands. Smart garage doors also allow you to be more responsive when deliveries arrive or when you welcome guests into your home. If you have kids, you can count on them forgetting to shut the garage door from time to time. When you have to do nothing more than push a button on your phone, life becomes much easier.
Keys to a Beautiful Custom Garage Floor
While a lot of attention is paid to the garage door – and rightfully so – your garage floor is also important. There are many garage floor upgrade options, however. Don’t fall prey to information overload. There are essentially two different categories when you are thinking about your garage’s floor: coatings and coverings.
Coatings are applied using a roller or a brush and adhere directly to the foundation floor. This is why it is important that any damage, repair, or refinishing work for the foundation concrete be completed before applying the first coat. Garage floor coatings are generally applied in paint or epoxy. Although both are applied in the same fashion, they are quite different.
Paint is a great option when all you need to do is hide stains, oil, or grease. Latex paint intended for the garage floor is fairly inexpensive and does not require a professional to apply. While you certainly can hire someone, jobs like these are not outside the realm of DIY.
Garage door coverings might also be a decent option. If you want to turn your garage into a gym or put a pool table in the garage, you may want to go with rigid tiles, flexible rubber or plastic tiles. Rolling out your garage floor in a mat might be the easiest possible way to install a garage door. Even better, they are segmented and come in many different colors or styles, depending on the design aesthetic you are going for.
Final Garage Upgrade Considerations
Have you considered the lighting in your garage? LED lighting is energy efficient and relatively cost-effective. LEDs last longer and are brighter than traditional bulbs, which also must be changed more often. Motion-activated LED lights provide an effective deterrent and light source when you enter. You’ll also be quite satisfied with the money you save on their use over the long run.
And we mentioned this earlier, but we cannot stress enough how much of a difference windows make in a custom garage door. Not only are windows aesthetically pleasing, but they also provide more natural light inside the garage. If you need to run in for a moment to put in a load of laundry or get a tool, that is one less time you have to turn the light on (provided it is daylight out). This is especially important if you plan to use your garage as a recreation area. You want to have natural light coming into the garage.
Lastly, we want to talk about a battery backup for your custom garage door. In the state of California, garage doors are required to be installed with a battery backup. The law was proposed after a congressman had trouble opening his garage door during a big wildfire during California’s deadly wildfire seasons they have had in the past few years. Battery backup for your garage door is more than convenient during a blackout – it could be a matter of life or death.
In the end, whether you are looking to upgrade your garage for aesthetic or utilitarian reasons, you’ve got plenty of choices. From smart technologies to advanced materials and far-out colors. Make your garage what you want with a custom garage door installation. Want more info on how to make it happen? Contact Prestige Door today!