A man cave is the best place to sit back and relax after a long week of grinding. No family members, no obligations; just your own space, surrounded by the things you love, beer in one hand and remote in the other.
When building a man cave in your home, you first have to choose a location. A garage is a great option since it’s most likely already insulated and won’t be as much of a hassle to convert as opposed to a spare room or the basement.
However, building a man cave, regardless of the location, is easier said than done. So before you start shopping for man cave decor, here’s what you need to do first:
Clean and organize
Your garage is most likely being used as a storage space other than a place to park the car. Hence, your first order of business should be cleaning out all the junk and organizing what you can’t throw out. Start by getting rid of things that your family no longer needs (sell, donate, just throw them out). Then, organize what’s left into a designated area in the garage, ideally on shelves and inside cabinets. Alternatively, store the stuff in the basement, in the attic, or anywhere else that you have free space.
Fix the flooring
Most homeowners don’t pay much attention to the floor of their garage. If your garage floor is stained, cracked, or generally in bad shape, consider getting it resurfaced. Better yet, get a tile installation service to lay down tiles that can transform your boring old floor into something more worthy of a man cave.
Insulate
If your garage is not insulated yet (or perhaps not insulated enough), get the floors, walls, ceiling, and garage door insulated. You can save money by doing this yourself, but be sure to research carefully to avoid wasting insulation materials. On average, insulating a garage can take $1,300 or more, making it one of the most expensive steps of creating a man cave.
Install lights
The lights that you have in your garage now may not provide sufficient illumination when you’re playing pool or hosting a boys’ night in the garage. Install additional lights that match the design you want for your man cave, especially the color scheme. If you want to save money on utility bills, opt for energy-efficient lights like LED bulbs, which last longer and use way less energy for a high amount of illumination.
Installing lights in a garage is easier compared to doing it in an outbuilding. You can do this yourself if you have the skills and equipment. Otherwise, you should call a professional electrician.
Paint
Your garage is most likely painted white, gray, or some other bland color. To turn the space into a full-fledged man cave, repaint the walls (and ceilings, if you want), with your preferred color or color scheme.
To save money on this project, do the painting yourself, and use materials that you already have. It can take two to three days at most to paint an entire garage, but if it will prove to be a lot more work than you expected, consider calling in a professional painter for help.
Upgrade security
If you’re going to store a flat-screen TV and thousands of dollars worth of liquor in the garage, you must upgrade the security in your garage. Get new, stronger door locks for your garage door and the back door (if your garage has one). Disable the garage door opener system to prevent thieves with compatible remotes from getting in. For added protection, you can also install an alarm system for your garage only.
After all of these steps are done, you can now start decorating and furnishing your man cave garage. It’s not going to be easy and it’s probably going to take more than a couple of weekends to finish, but the end result is definitely worth the effort.
