Renovating Your Home? Don’t Forget Your Garage.

One of the most overlooked rooms of any home when it comes to refurbishment and renovation is the garage.

But if you are considering changing anything about your home and especially if you are changing carpets in any other room it makes sense to consider how to upgrade your garage and make use of a space which might well be under-utilised.

Garage carpet is the perfect solution to converting your cold, hard-floored space packed full of boxes of odds and ends and tools you might not have touched in years, into a clean, fresh, useful room.

Some of the uses of a refurbished garage can include:
According to Harrisons carpet product manager Mike Dean, plenty of Kiwis are waking up to how carpet can be an inexpensive way to tidy up a garage and convert it into a living area or rumpus room. Because carpet acts as insulation, reduces noise and reduces slippery patches, it is the perfect start to any garage refurb.

• Spare bedroom. You might need to get planning consent to do this, but an extra bed could be useful when relatives come around and might even earn you a few dollars if you let it out on sites such as Airbnb.
• Games room. A carpet gives the perfect underfoot surface for playing tabletennis, pool, darts – or if you want to create somewhere warmer than a cold, draughty garage where the kids can play whatever the weather and without getting under your feet in the main house.
• Home office. As more and more New Zealanders buy into the “gig economy”, they need space to work and store files. Rather than losing your spare room to filing cabinets and a workdesk, a converted garage is the perfect option.
• Man-cave. Who hasn’t either dreamt of having the perfect spot for that home-brewing kit, wide-screen TV permanently set to Sky Sport – even a well-stocked bar?
• Home gym. You might have already demoted any workout equipment to the garage, but it’s not so attractive when it’s just in a bare room. Having a carpeted floor gives you a more comfortable and inviting space dedicated to keeping fit.
• Laundry. Tired of the washer and dryer fogging up your kitchen windows and making a racket that can be head through the whole house? It’s one thing to stick them in the garage, it’s quite another to fit out your garage with carpet and create a warm, clean space where you can clean and store washing.

“They are very durable and impervious to water so they are quite a good option to make a garage look smarter,” Mike says. “A lot of new homes are having them installed as a matter of course and we’re also seeing more and more people who are refurbishing their home also looking at renovating their garage.”

As for installation, Harrisons Carpet experts are fully skilled at finding the perfect product to suit any household’s needs when it comes to fitting a garage carpet.

“They glue directly on to a concete floor so the only thing to watch for is to make sure the floor is in good condition and doesn’t have any paint or oil on that it might not be able to adhere to,” Mike says.

“Some are made out of polyester but most are made out of polypropylene – the same kind of stuff that’s used in boats. It’s also a needle-punch product so it’s hard-wearing a bit like the sort of carpet that might be used outdoors or on landings.”

Harrisons Carpet offers several garage carpet products imported from Belgium and China, or made in Avondale in Auckland. They come in a basic charcoal colour or the option of beige and come in rolls 2m, 3m or 4m wide so they can fit to size without having too many joins.

So if you are considering home renovation, you’re specifically looking to convert a garage, or you’re just looking at buying new carpet for another room in your house, it’s worth talking to a Harrisons Carpet expert about carpet options in your garage. We can show you how the carpets perform in different conditions during a free in-home consultation. Call us to book an appointment on 0800 421001, or fill out the booking form online.