Ian's Guide to Industrial Manufacturing

Two Steps To Turn Your Garage Into The Perfect Man Cave

There are not many rooms that the male of the house can claim as their own, and this is where the idea of the man cave came from. According to the Official Man Cave site, the first man cave was discovered in 1992. Your garage is the perfect area to be turned into a man cave if you do not have a basement available for conversion. However, before you can head out there and claim this spot as your private sanctuary, you need to make a few improvements so that you can lounge in comfort. Here are the top two steps for a successful garage man cave conversion.

Insulation and Ventilation

When you originally erected the garage, you no doubt did it on a budget. Since the only thing residing in there was the car, was there any insulation added to the walls and roof cavities? If the answer to this is "no", then you are going to be in quite the hot box when the next summer rolls around.

In order to reduce some of the heat retention, and save on your air conditioning bills, there are three types of insulation you can add to your garage:

1. A roof ventilation system. This type of system uses a fan to force the warm air out of the roof cavity of your garage. The system is attached to a temperature gauge, and when the set temperature is reached, the fan will begin removing the air from this space. This means your garage air conditioning does not have to work so hard in the summer, but the trapped warm air will help to keep the garage warm in winter.
2. Garage door insulation. This type of insulation consists of thin foil sheets or foam panels being attached to the inside of your garage door. They are lightweight enough that they will not strain the door when it is lifting. Just like wall insulation, garage door insulation helps to keep in the heat during the winter, and reflects it out during the summer.
3. Wall insulation. If your walls are open frames, then it is a small task to fill in the gaps with insulation bats, and attach some plyboard over the top to create an insulation barrier. The Department of Industry estimates you could see up to a 40% reduction in your energy bills with the right insulation.

Once you have decided on which insulation will work best for you, it is time to give thought to power.

Electrical Needs

Your garage will already be fitted with electricity and power points from the time it was built. If you do not have electricity in your garage already, then this is a project where you will need to call in professional help.

In Queensland, for example, WorkCover Queensland is in charge of all electrical licensing. They clearly state that "Doing electrical work without a licence is illegal in Queensland. Only an electrical contractor can do electrical work in your home, unlicensed work is unlawful." Damage caused to your garage that can be traced to unlicensed electrical work could void your insurance policy, so it is not worth taking the risk.

What you can do legally, however, is to determine what sort of electrical devices you plan to move into the man cave and where they will be located. Then your electrician has a clear idea of how many power points you need, and where they should be located. They can also check that the cave is wired properly to support the extra electrical load from your large screen television and flashing neon signs.

If you are looking for a place to call your own, then it is time to get out some paper so that you can design the perfect man cave for you. The biggest hurdle now is convincing your children that it is not their new playroom. Perhaps an extra big lock on the door could be the answer to that!