Written by and published on https://homeguides.sfgate.com/.

The garage is hugely valuable space in your home, for storing your car, storing clothes, toys, decorations, creating a laundry room, home gym, or home office, and much more. But there is another option, a great idea if you have kids and don’t have a spare bedroom, basement, or backyard for them to have their own space to play.

The garage is the perfect space to create a playroom because it’s far more durable than smaller rooms in the house, has plenty of room for toys and play structures, and lets the kids be noisy away from bedrooms and home offices. So to get you started, we put together a few steps for making the garage a dream playroom for your kids!

Turning a Garage Into a Playspace

If you live in a smaller home, it can be a challenge to find space for a growing family. Creating a dedicated play space for your children is a nice idea, but if you don’t have a basement or extra room in the house, it may seem like you’re out of luck. However, if your garage goes unused, it may be the ideal space for a playroom. With some pretty basic changes, you can easily convert your garage into a play space that your kids can enjoy year-round.

Upgrade Floor

The first step to turning your garage into a comfortable play space for your kids is to upgrade the floor. A garage usually has a concrete slab floor, which is an ideal foundation for a variety of flooring. Carpet tiles work well in a playroom because they’re comfortable under foot and easy to install. They’re also easy to replace when stained or damaged. A floating laminate or hardwood floor provides a warm, inviting look for the space as well, and you can pair it with an area rug for added color. The floor’s surface must be cleaned of any grease stains and cracks or chips repaired. Before putting down flooring, tape a piece of plastic to the concrete and leave it in place for a day to see if a vapor barrier was installed beneath the slab. Water droplets on the concrete under the plastic, means there isn’t a vapor barrier. A layer of polyethylene over the concrete protects the new floor from moisture.

Wire It Up

Heating is necessary for a play space that can be used year-round. Ductwork can connect it to your home’s forced-air system or install electric baseboards to keep the space warm in winter. It’s also a good idea to have additional electrical outlets installed, particularly if older children will use the space to watch television and play video games. Consider adding additional lighting fixtures too since your children may need task lighting for reading, playing games or doing crafts. Since improper wiring is a serious danger, hire a licensed electrician to handle the project – and it’s best to have the heating and wiring systems updated before finishing the walls, so you don’t have to cut any holes in the drywall.

Finish Walls

For a children’s play space that feels more like another room in your home, a finished ceiling and walls are a must. Usually, that requires a layer of insulation to keep the room at a comfortable temperature, drywall and joint compound to provide a smooth, finished surface. Blown-in insulation is an ideal solution to walls that are already finished but uninsulated because it allows you to insulate the room without damaging the walls significantly. Once your walls are finished, Choose the right paint shade to make the play space feel especially inviting. For a bright, cozy room, opt for a light, warm shade like yellow, peach or tan. When you’re decorating the space for small children, it can be fun to paint a stenciled design on the walls, such as polka dots or rainbow stripes.

Replace Garage Door

Leaving your traditional garage door in place isn’t the best option when converting it to a play space because it gives the room an unfinished look and may allow air to enter and escape. While you can replace your garage with a variety of entrance options, French doors are an ideal choice because they allow in plenty of light to keep the space bright and airy – especially if the garage doesn’t have any windows. Depending on the size of the replacement door that you choose, you may need to enclose part of the old door opening with framed walls and siding that matches the rest of the garage’s exterior.

Original post here https://homeguides.sfgate.com/turning-garage-playspace-35245.html.

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