How to Convert a Garage to Living Quarters

Converting your garage is cheaper than building an addition.

As your family grows, your house can become too crowded. If moving to a larger house or building an addition to your home aren't options, converting an existing space in your home can be the solution. Your garage is an ideal space for conversion. Converting your garage will be cheaper than building an addition, and the construction is less intrusive than having an addition built. It's also easier to acquire any needed permits to convert an existing space than it is for a new building.

Instructions

1. Design the layout for the garage. You can use a Computer Aided Design program, sketch the layout on paper or hire an architect. The layout will largely be determined by the way you intend to use the garage. If you're converting it into a bedroom, you may want to include a bathroom, depending on how close the nearest bathroom is. For a game room, you want to make sure that there is enough room for people to play a game like pool, ping pong or air hockey if you're going to install one of those tables. If you're going to turn it into a media room, the type of media system you're going to use (flat screen vs. projection screen, for example) factors into how the room is constructed and furnished.

2. Inspect the concrete floor of the garage. Patch minor cracks by digging into the floor beneath the bottom of the cracks and filling them with concrete patching compound. Applying the patching compound to the solid floor beneath the crack prevents the crack from enlarging. If there is a lot of damage to the floor, such as large cracks or chunks of missing concrete, you may need to hire a professional to replace it. Clean oil spots with a cleanser or absorbing agent.

3. Remove the garage door and frame the wall according to your plans. Follow local building codes regarding the spacing of the wall studs and how the framing for the doors and windows needs to be built.

4. Hire certified contractors to do any needed plumbing, electrical, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning work. You may be required by your local municipality to hire a professional, even if you know how to do the work yourself.

5. Frame out any bare concrete walls. Attach sill plates (pressure-treated boards) to the floors along the walls with masonry screws. Build the frames for the walls and nail them to the sill plates. If the ceiling isn't finished, run ceiling joists across the framing, nailing them into the framing and the end of the roof rafters.

6. Install any new doors and windows.

7. Add insulation between the wall studs. You can either use the rolls of fiberglass and staple them to the wall behind the frames, or use spray foam insulation. This is a type of insulation which is installed by spraying a liquid against the wooden frame. As the liquid dries, it expands, filling the spaces between the studs. Install drywall where needed over the frames, attaching it to the studs and joists with drywall screws.

8. Paint the walls and ceiling. Use a coat of primer for the base coat, followed by one or two coats of paint.

9. Install hardwood floors, tile or carpeting over the concrete floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Before beginning construction, contact your local zoning board to acquire any permits that you need and to learn your local building codes. Failure to follow building codes can lead to you being fined or pay for expensive repairs.

References

• Case Handyman: Garage Conversions Can Add More Livable Space to Your Home
• GarageConversion.net: Garage Conversion--A Convenient Way to Increase Your Living Space
• Home Addition Plus: A Garage Conversion Project Starts with a Garage Conversion Plan
• Handy Man Fix Home Repair: How to Convert your Garage
• GarageDoorOpenerGuide.com: Garage Remodeling--Converting Your Garage