Garages – more than a home for your cars

​Do you require garages for your cars? How many vehicles? What size – length, width and height? Do you need the garage for other purposes – such as hobbies (maybe you’re often working on your cars, or you do woodworking)? Does the garage need to be secure?

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The advantages of including a garage in your home design

​Garages are an added expense. But they can:

• Reduce insurance premiums for your vehicles.
• Protect your vehicles from theft, vandalism, hail, bird droppings, sun and tree debris.
• Provide additional secure storage space.
• Allow space for hobbies.
• Allow you to get into a cooler car in hot summers, rather than one that’s been baking in the sun.
• Add value to your home.
• Keep your car cleaner for longer.

​Designing a new home with a garage - what you should consider

​Considerations for your garage include:

• Local council and estate rules may limit the type of garaging and the distance it must be from the road.
• The position and orientation of your house – you don’t want your garages to block daylight to the rest of your house, or to use the prime piece of garden.
• Access to the road. There have been many cases of garage doors being blocked by existing street infrastructure, such as light poles, electricity pylons, bus-stops, street signs and utility connections. Arranging for the relevant authorities to relocate  these items is a lengthy and often expensive process which isn't always guaranteed success and may leave the owner little choice but to navigate around the obstacle every time they enter or leave the garage.
• Accessible power points in the garage for hobbies and cleaning vehicles.
• Power points to charge electrical vehicles – even if you don’t own an electrical vehicle now these charging points will become a necessity.
• Storage areas.
• The type of garage door – most people want an automated door so you require a power point for this. If you want a double garage, do you want two separate doors or one double door? Garage doors can be decorative and they could be a major focal point for some houses, especially if they’re in the front.
• Lighting – you’ll want additional lights if you’ll be working in the garage or busy with hobbies.
• Floor finish – hard wearing painted floors can make cleaning easier and help reduce dust. But there’re many other innovative floor solutions that could be more suitable for the purpose of your garage.
• The size of the vehicles using the garage. You don’t want a garage that’s too low, or short or narrow. Don’t just consider your current vehicles, but also vehicles you could own in the future, or ones that a prospective buyer may have. Remember to allow room for the garage door to open.
• Whether you want direct access to the house from the garage.
• Fire safety to prevent fires in the garage rapidly spreading to the rest of the house. Usually connecting doors should be fireproof and the ceiling void over the garage should have a fire wall or baffle between the void over the rest of the house. But regulations vary so check those in your area.
• Include windows, possibly high up or in the garage door to let daylight in.

It should be noted that garages can generate lots of additional heat. Petrol and diesel cars are always hot after use, so they make garages hot. In addition garage doors are poorly insulated and have gaps around the edges and top. Consequently garages can be hot places in summer and heat up the adjacent rooms in the house.
Case study: The main bedroom of one house was situated immediately above the double garage. The floor of the bedroom was often warm from the garage below which made the bedroom extra warm in summer. One would think that this would be a bonus in winter, but of course garages usually don’t hold heat for very long in winter. As mentioned above the garage doors are poor insulators so in cool climates the garage can quickly become colder than the rest of the house.
Consideration could be given to using a heavier better insulated door and sealing gaps around the door, especially if you’re planning on working in the garage often. You could install extractor fans to get rid of the warm air in summer, and they are also essential if the work you do in the garage generates fumes and gasses.

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Conclusion

Garages can be a valuable addition to your home, but often they're an afterthought and poorly planned and located. It's important to get your garage right, where it won't spoil your home, and so that the garage suites your vehicles and your needs.

For more valuable tips and advice read: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' and 'Volume 2 Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home'

​This is an extract from: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 2' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2019 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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