Garage Trends to Look Out For in 2018

Years ago, garages were not a prized feature of a house. People used them to store junk or for purely practical reasons. Nowadays, garage doors are no longer just an afterthought or a hidden part of the house. They are taking a central role in maximizing a home’s curb appeal and adding style.

People are no longer simply dedicating time and money to re-doing bathrooms and kitchens. They are revamping garage floors, doors, walls and maximizing the garage’s function. Every year brings changes to what’s fashionable. Read on to find out the garage trends to look out for in 2018.

1. Make Your Garage a Game Room

Garages don’t have to be a place to store tools, bikes, cars and anything that you can’t find a place for elsewhere. Think of the garage as an extra basement.

You can put racks up on walls in case you truly need to use the space to store items, but use the rest of the area to create a game room where you can hang out, relax and entertain friends. You can put in a pool table, for example, and have plenty of space to hang the accessories.

You can equally add in retro arcade games that have come back in style like Pac Man, or a foosball table. If you go this route, you’ll want to think about nice weatherproof doors and flooring, two other hot trends, to keep the garage feeling cozy.

2. Choose Bright, Crazy Colors

When homeowners didn’t want garage doors to attract attention, they’d choose muted, boring colors. Now that a garage door is a major focal point, bright, fun colors are a fashionable way in 2018 to spruce up the look of your home.

Blues, greens and browns are fun ways to give a more modern feel without being tacky. Go for deep tones to add character and visual appeal, but be sure that the colors match the rest of your home’s motif.

Another option is to go for black. If you have brighter colored siding or a fancy front door, going with a jet black garage door that has nice windows gives off a sleek, elegant feel. Plus, black hides dirt and smudges.

3. Go For Steel Doors

One of the biggest trends with garages is the addition of a steel garage door. People are now realizing that steel garage doors offer many benefits and can even mimic the beauty of wood garage doors.

They’re durable, energy efficient and will never warp or rot. Plus, steel garage doors can be customized in countless ways with different colors, panel options, hardware and even window inserts.

4. Get a Connected, Technology-Friendly Garage

Along with your TV, lighting and other household gadgets, you can make your home technologically-connected with your garage doors. One trend is a sensor that gives your doors the capability to be able to sense when your car is arriving and leaving so that they can automatically open and shut.

Other options are smartphone apps that allow you to control your doors with the touch of a button. One benefit to this is that if the power ever goes out at your house, you’ll still be able to open and close the doors.

Some of the smartphone apps are great for households with kids and teens because they allow you to see an event log that records every time the door is opened and closed.

Safety sensors similarly give you peace of mind that the doors won’t shut if any object or person is blocking an infrared light that passes at the bottom of the door.

5. Choose Weather-Resistant Doors

If using the garage as an entertaining and fun space is up your ally, you’ll want to think about installing the right type of garage doors. Weather-resistant doors can do wonders to get rid of that old musty feel to garages, instead providing insulation that’ll keep cold air out so that the room is a comfortable temperature.

The right type of garage door is also necessary to ensure that pests and unwanted critters don’t take up residence in an area that you actually want to use. You can achieve this yourself without buying a whole new door by adding doorstop weather stripping as well as a bottom strip to prevent any cracks that would allow cold air drafts to leak in.

If you can splurge on insulated doors, they’ll not only help you keep warm but also reduce outside noise. However, doors don’t have to just work against the weather; they can also work with it for those sunny days.

The single panel up-and-over door aligns flat with the ceiling when raised, providing a sort of awning that is nice for times when you want to enjoy good weather.

6. Look For Giant Windows

Another trend for 2018 is having a ton of large windows throughout the garage. Part of this goes back to making the garage a functional, livable space. Having tons of windows is a great way to get natural light and to allow air to better circulate.

In fact, windows are so popular that one daring trend is to go for an all-window garage door. To protect your privacy, you can always choose an opaque window that allows you to see out but keeps people from being able to see in.

7. Think About the Floors

If you’re used to thinking about new tile or nice carpeting for the living areas of the home, start considering the visual appeal that a nice floor in the garage can add. Wood continues to be trendy, whether it’s solid hardwood that gives a sleek, modern look, or an engineered type of wood.

Another trend is to add a polyaspartic coating to the floor. This type of coating tends to hold up better over time and resists car fluids and the salt that can come off of tires.

In terms of the appearance of the floor, a textured look is a big hit and has a tendency to show marks and spots less.  Neutral colors are always a good idea since they hide dirt and match other colors more easily.

Don’t Sleep On These Garage Trends

2018 is sure to bring some great new trends for you to implement in order to add some curb appeal all while maximizing the functionality of the inside of your garage.

Try going modern with new technology or opt for cool colors, windows and materials. Optimize the inside as well as the outside of your garage with this year’s trends and you can boost your home’s value.

So, if you’re looking for a new garage this year, you can count on Danley’s. We’ve built over 100,000 garages and specialize in custom garages. We’ll work with you the entire way to make sure your new garage is exactly how you want it. Get a free quote now for your new garage project and see why we’re Chicagoland’s best garage builder.