We won’t sit here and act like there isn’t an overabundance of information, tips, and ideas out there surrounding turning any room of your house into a man cave. Simply Google “man cave” (or we can for you) and you’ll see 96 million results!
The problem is, the information is more entertaining than resourceful—based around the features rather than building from the foundation out. So, with our knowledge of flooring and some research under our belt, we decided to break down how to prepare your garage for a man cave conversion with a range of options to consider based on time, budget and needs—with some fun ideas at the end too, don’t worry.
Converting a garage into a spare bedroom or living space usually involves raising the floor height to allow for insulation over the concrete slab. While the added insulation can provide more comfort for a garage-based man cave, the trade-off is costly, especially if you’re not planning on being in the doghouse constantly—and sleeping in there. The first step is to seal and refinish your concrete slab. Sealing the floor not only protects the bare concrete but also provides a clean, polished look. However, if you’re looking for a treatment that doesn’t just look like a garage floor Rock Solid offers plenty of refinishing choices ranging from an acid stain (more vibrant colors, mottled appearance with a highly variegated color finish) to terrazzo or granite epoxy (color chips broadcasted into the liquid epoxy with a variety of colors and combinations available).
Even if you decide not to go with insulation or carpet, lay down a few large rugs or carpet remnant pieces to provide you and your buddies a supportive, forgiving flooring that doesn’t make your knees ache after a round of darts.
Now that you’ve got your floor situation dialed in let’s talk about the walls. The amount of time and money spent on your walls largely depends on what you’re working with. Is your garage attached to the house? Is it already insulated? Let’s say, for the sake of argument you’re planning on converting an attached, un-insulated garage (detached garages will need more consideration to insulation because they don’t experience the heat or AC from an attached home). The warmest, most cost-effective option is to throw up some insulation between the wall studs and seal it all up with drywall. As you hang the drywall, take note of where the studs are; you’re going to need these when you hang neon beer signs, basketball hoops, and flat-screen wall mounts.
If you don’t mind the look of rafters in your man cave, then skip this section. However, if you’re planning on hanging a swanky lamp over your poker table or a ceiling fan to move the cigar smoke around you’ll want to finish the ceiling with some drywall and paint. If you’re looking for something different, take a look at WoodTrac’s ceiling system.
The best man caves are focused on a single subject. Combining a western-style saloon motif with a NASCAR obsession leads to man caves that seem more like storage space than refuge from the wife and kids. Think about the items you already have, such as memorabilia, furniture, and games then think about where you want to go. This will help you parse out what should be repurposed for the man cave and what needs to be purchased.
So, go forth and plan, build and create the man cave of your dreams—or keep generating ideas from a list of a few we found to be just awesome.
