So I blathered on yesterday about the state of journalism and some of the limitations involved, some of the things that are problematic. But it’s important to feature the fun bits too — why we keep on doing this and what we like about this profession.
I forgot to post this piece about glamming up garages when it was first published in the At Home Section of the Vancouver Sun a couple of weeks ago. (Obviously) it’s not earthshattering news, or an investigative piece that will change society as we know it; it’s a lifestyle piece that hopefully has news you can use. I also got to put on my wishful thinking hat for the sidebar, where I suggested six ways you can make an uber mancave. That’s at the bottom.
- L: Greg Ewasiuk, Park Place Garage Co R: Robbie Dickson, happy garage owner. Courtesy of The Vancouver Sun
It’s a little secret some men keep: when it comes to hanging out, the garage can be even more enticing than the house.
So suggest those in the booming business of garage renovations – those makeover artists who see the space as largely the last bastion of man, the space where they can spend time surrounded by all things masculine.
“If you look at the size of an average two car garage, it’s about 400 square feet,” says Greg Ewasiuk of South Surrey’s Park Place Garage Company. “It’s really the biggest room in the house – there’s lots you can do in that space.”
Ewasiuk, along with owner Dan Robbins and vice-president Scott Robbins, have installed televisions, beer fridges, leather couches, pool tables, and cabinetry with space for everything imaginable – from custom shelving for motorcycle equipment to rack attachments to tidily dispense pet food. Ceiling-mounted storage racks can accommodate up to 600 pounds each.
In Dan Robbins’ experience, there’s usually a gender division where priorities are concerned.
“The negotiations are pretty interesting,” he says. “Basically, the understanding we often see among couples is that the wife gets a wedding ring, the guy gets a garage!”
Transforming a garage from an oilstained vehicle pen to an attractive multipurpose area, of course, is a process that literally starts from the ground up.
The garage company team uses a diamond grinder with a HEPA filter to smooth down the concrete floor pad until it’s flat as can be. They fill any cracks that might exist, and then apply a mid-coat of sealant.
They also embed the chips of vinyl that will give the floor its colour and texture, and then seal it all with a final clear coat. The entire process takes up to half a day and includes lots and lots of vacuuming.
The resin coating is heat-, chemical-, and abrasion-resistant, and can be cleaned with a simple spray from a garden hose. Best of all, it’s fairly inexpensive – about $6.75 per square foot.
Askari Sabbaghi, general manager of Port Coquitlam’s Clever Quarters Incorporated, says business is booming on the garage makeover front. About 30 per cent of the time, he says, men are giving garages as a gift to themselves, or perhaps to parents. The remainder of the time, the women of the house are the gift-givers. As long as necessary items have been organized and stored away, the rest of the space is turned over to the men.
“People are frustrated when that space is out of control – it’s full of junk, they can’t access it, stuff like ladders and skis might fall over on people,” he explains. “A lot of people see a value associated with claiming the space back.”
A transformation can take place as quickly as two days, with one devoted to flooring and the next for installing cabinetry. Sabbaghi says many customers see that as a way to add value to a home, and to distinguish a residence from that of the neighbour’s, especially when it comes to resale.
Both Sabbaghi and Ewasiuk agree that some of the interior design tips used to finish homes are now being extended to the garage. Even though resin or polyurethane floors come in every colour of the rainbow, most people choose neutral grey and brown tones that mimic stone. Likewise, although wood and metal cabinets can be any colour, buyers are usually selecting doors in universal shades, like tan, brown, grey, blue, and black.
But if you want to have a garage that suits you perfectly – and hang the cost – you could follow the example of Robbie Dickson.
In November 2010, the car aficionado decided he wanted to splurge on his garage. He cleared out the junk from the three-car space, and put it all into a mid-size plastic shed behind the house. Then he gave the Park Place team just a week to get the job done.
“They designed it with some different options on paper first,” says Dickson. “And then when it came time for the install, it was like bang, bang, done!” The garage now looks more like a high-end club or gallery space, paying homage to the art of the automobile. Dickson had 120 spotlights installed in the ceiling to illuminate every corner. The walls have been painted a gleaming white, in sharp contrast to the Ferrari red of the metal cabinets.
Diamond plate sheets of stainless steel and glittering black rectangular tiles laid in a zigzag tire tread pattern add some sparkle to the room, while a full size bar can comfortably seat four. A custom foosball table in one corner is covered in the same diamond plate. Black microfibre cloth lines the entire back wall to baffle sound from the four TVs. But two elements really dominate the room: a full size fibreglass model of the F1 Ferrari Michael Schumacher drove from 2004 to 2007, and a vehicle hoist to “stack” an additional vehicle in the garage over top another, for total storage of four. That was the original goal of the project, but $100,000 later, Dickson is pleased with all of the other additions.
Although most consumers aren’t working with a budget of that size, both companies say there is value in having the guidance of a professional when revamping the garage. They can help plan the space for maximum efficiency and assess structural capacity for mounting items.
“A lot of the flooring jobs we do, we’re grinding out layers and layers of epoxy or sealant that someone has slapped on without smoothing out the floor properly, or allowing for enough drying time to avoid cracking,” says Dan Robbins of Park Place. “We can see when someone’s reapplied every few years. So having us come in and do it, in a job that will last for decades, really is a gift for everyone!”
Sidebar article
GARAGE MAKEOVERS: SOME TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME THE ENVY OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.
Finding ways to dress up your garage doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are a few tips on how to find ways to make yours the envy of the neighbourhood.
1. Grand garage doors
Garador (www.garador.ca) makes corrugated structural steel doors that roll up overhead, saving valuable storage space. They’re also much quieter than the traditional sectional wooden door, promises CEO Arkadiusz Lewandowski, who says the doors are much more secure than wooden ones.
2. Banner time
Go to a sign shop like http://www.fastsigns. com with a computer image of a logo or sign that you like, and see if the staff can recreate it for you on a banner.
3. Scrounge around
See if your local scrap yard has old auto parts that you can spray paint and assemble into a wall collage. Maybe a restaurant that’s remodelling is selling off neon signs, or a movie prop house is getting rid of faux licence plates. If not, you can always order these from sites like http://www.garageart.com.
4. Functional furniture
You don’t want your garage to degenerate into the repository of junk not fit to be in the house. If a sofa is being demoted out of the home, see about getting the cushions or upholstery repaired before you put it into the garage.
5. Light it up
If the garage is going to be your space of peace and quiet outside of the house, invest in some good lighting. Even an inexpensive Ikea lamp (www. ikea.ca) can make help.
6. Secure your stuff
If you’ve made your garage a great spot, someone might covet what you have. Have a security professional or locksmith fix obvious weak spots.
