For many homeowners, a garage performs two main functions: it provides a parking spot for a vehicle and serves an additional storage space. However, it is essential to regularly inspect the overall condition of your garage and maintain it correctly even if you don’t spend too much time in there.
First of all, it will allow you to avoid cluttering the space. Secondly, you will be able to timely notice and fix minor issues, preventing costly damage and repairs. For example, knowing how to maintain your garage door properly will allow you to prolong its service life and save money on replacement parts.
If you are interested in putting your garage in order, this article is for you! Below, you will find five budget-friendly repairs to do in your garage now, ranging from lubricating the moving parts of your garage door, insulating it, and adding overhead and ceiling storage units to epoxying the flooring, installing outlets, and adding magnetic storage, among other things. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Garage Door Oil
While garage doors may not be opened and closed as frequently as doors to your home, they still need to be lubricated. A good lubricant will prolong your garage door’s life, prevent the noise when it closes, and prevent the door from sticking. If you discover other issues with your garage door, you might need a garage door torsion tube. When it comes to more serious problems, it’s best to let the professionals like Joe’s Doors do the work. However, right now we’ll focus on a fairly simple task.
In order to lubricate your garage door, you will need:
- A clean rag
- A can of WD-40 or a similar product
- Safety glasses
- A flashlight
- A ladder
Safety first! Always use safety glasses and a ladder while working on your garage door. When you are climbing the ladder, make sure that it is well-secured and placed against the wall. Then, remove the front panel of your garage door. Spray WD-40 into the hinges and rollers (lift up the door slightly to check for these components). Once you are finished with spraying, place the panel back in its place.
Overhead Storage Shelves and Cabinets
Installing overhead storage shelves and cabinets in your garage is a great idea for people who want to organise their garage. It’s an easy project that doesn’t require much time or money, but it can greatly improve your garage’s aesthetics and utility. Here’s what you need to do:
Measure the area where you want to install overhead storage shelves and cabinets. You should leave at least 12 inches between them. For extra stability, you can install ceiling joists if needed. Buy solid wood shelves and/or cabinets that fit your measurements. These should also come with mounting hardware. Assemble the pieces of the shelving system. Install them in place and add small shelves along the walls for additional storage.
Garage Door Insulation
Noise levels of a garage door can be reduced by insulation. In most cases, garage doors are insulated, although they might not look like it. If you have noticed that there is a small gap between your garage door and the wall, you can fill this gap with insulation foam. To do so, you will need insulation foam sheets and a pair of scissors.
Place an insulation sheet between your garage door and the wall. Trim off the excess foam using scissors. Repeat this procedure for all areas where you noticed gaps between the garage door and the wall. This will reduce noise levels and allow you to get a good night’s sleep!
Power Sockets for Additional Lights & Power Tools
Installing additional power outlets in your garage is a great idea if you want to keep your tools charged and save time when looking for tools that were left plugged in overnight. To install an outlet, you will need:
- An outlet box
- A 3-prong outlet
- A ground wire
- Electrical tape
- Electrical wire
- A drill or screwdriver (depending on how you will install the outlet)
- Wire connectors
- Screws
- Electrical tools (electrical drill, wire stripper, etc.).
Make two holes in the ceiling or a wall near the electrical outlet that you plan to replace with an outlet box. The top hole should be for wires coming from the electrical junction box inside your house, while the bottom hole for wires running to the outlet itself. Remove the cover plate from the electrical outlet and remove it from its place, then pull out wires through hole.
Bundle the wires together and drill a new hole for wires coming from the junction box outside of your house. Connect the ground wire to either one of the screws on the outlet box (it doesn’t matter which one), then secure it using electrical tape. Now we can continue installing our new outlet.
Attach outlet box to wall using screws; Attach wires from top hole to outlet wires, attach wires from bottom hole to outlet wires. Then, secure the outlet box inside a wall using screws; Replace cover plate on outlet box, connect the power cord to the outlet, and close wire nuts on both ends of electrical wire. Make sure to buy the right type of garage lights for your garage as well. You want to ensure that you’re utilising the right type of lights to illuminate your garage at all hours of the day.
Epoxy Flooring
If your garage floor is uneven, cracked, or not properly sealed, you can repair it by applying an epoxy floor coating. To do this, you will need:
- A 5-gallon bucket of epoxy coating
- A paint roller frame
- A paint roller
- Safety glasses
- A drop cloth
- A respirator
- An extension cord or power strip (optional)
The instructions for applying epoxy coating are provided by the manufacturer. However, if you want to get a professional result, we recommend that you follow these steps. First, clean and vacuum the floor in order to remove any visible dust and dirt. Then, apply the epoxy coating and cover the floor with a drop cloth to prevent the floor from getting dirty.
While drying, you can complete any additional tasks in your garage, such as adding ceiling storage, installing outlets, or adding overhead lighting. Once your floor has dried, clear any excess epoxy using a paintbrush. Enjoy your newly painted floor!
Conclusion
If you need to clean up your garage, improve its aesthetics, and organise it in order not to lose your tools, accessories, or other items, these budget-friendly DIY projects will help you achieve all of your goals. While the projects may seem small at first glance, they can help you save lots of time and money in the future, so take a look at our list and pick the projects that are most important for you to complete this weekend!
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Awesome tips! I’m always trying to save money
We are moving to a new home soon with a garage and I cannot wait to try some of these DIY projects.
Great tips and inspiration, thank you!
Sounds great on the flooring!