Tips for Making the Most of Your Garage
Parking cars isn’t the only use for a garage.
That building at the end of your driveway may be so much more than just a place to store your sheetmetal with a little imagination and a modest budget. Making it a welcoming spot for spectators on game day could help you get to know your neighbors better. Alternatively, you may gather your supple friends and arrange a yoga class on the slab with video instruction. All you need is some contemporary technology and folding chairs to turn your garage from an unpractical parking lot into a functional social or personal area.
Include WiFi
It’s unlikely that anyone will want to spend a lot of time in the garage if your internet connection doesn’t get there. Thankfully, there’s a simple method to extend the life of a dead zone: Upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi setup, where a satellite extender or router is connected to one or more of them. By transmitting the connection to various rooms of the house—or, in this example, the garage—the extenders function as lone boosters. A basic setup should cost approximately $200. It will cost more the higher the specifications (bitrate, coverage area, etc.) and the more satellites you have.
Install a TV
You need a large TV whether you want to use it for workouts with a virtual coach, watching games with friends, or creating a mini drive-in theater in your garage. You might be able to live without a streaming device if you purchase a smart one. But then again, maybe not. Spend a reasonable amount of money on an Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, or other device if you enjoy the ease of a recognizable interface and the ability to access a large selection of apps that the TV does not.
The TV’s placement is the next thing you need to consider. It needs to be well out of the way of everything you keep in the garage, including your cars. If your available space is restricted, think about getting an extensible mount. One that slides, tilts, and swivels the TV in multiple directions is available, as is one that mounts to the ceiling. Just be sure to find a stud for it.
One more thing: If you intend to leave the TV in your garage all year round, you should verify the TV’s permitted operating and storage temperatures (as well as the humidity range) if your garage is uninsulated, as most are. For many models, the garage temperature should not drop below 40 degrees before turning on the TV; if the thermometer reads minus, it’s time to move the flat-screen inside.
Consider Sound
An echo chamber can exist in a garage. Consider installing a soundbar that connects to your TV or a couple wireless Wi-Fi speakers to enhance your audio experience. Additionally, you may improve the acoustics of the room by hanging a few blankets on easily adjustable tension rods or adding some sound-deadening panels to the inside of your garage door.
Invest on foldable chairs.
The finest type of seating for garages is one which is stowable. In this manner, you won’t have to move furniture about the house whenever you need to host visitors, nor will a pile of lawn chairs take up precious garage space. Purchase a set of movable ones. To keep the floor clear, collapse and place them away when not in use, or hang them from a wall hook.
Upgrade the Intelligence of Your Garage Door
Perhaps while you’re out running errands, your neighbor would like to drop off a care box. Perhaps the dog walker misplaced their key? Or maybe you just want to check to see whether you left the door open. You can use a $50 device to link your garage door to the internet and operate it remotely. Many of these retrofit gadgets integrate with your virtual assistant—Alexa, Siri, or Google—to make things more simpler.
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