Converting your garage into a bedroom can be a cost-effective way to add living space to your Colorado home. However, ensuring a successful, comfortable, and code-compliant renovation requires careful planning. Here are ten crucial points to keep in mind before starting your garage conversion project.

Insulation for Colorado’s Climate

Colorado experiences a wide range of temperatures, from scorching summers to frigid looong-winters. Adequate insulation is essential to maintain a comfortable living space throughout the year. Consider using insulation with a high R-value for walls, ceilings, and floors to meet or exceed energy efficiency requirements.

Heating and Cooling (HVAC) Solutions

Evaluate your existing HVAC system to determine if it can accommodate the additional square footage of the converted bedroom. If not, you may need to install a separate heating and cooling system or upgrade your current one.

Ventilation and Air Quality

Garages are not typically designed for living spaces, so proper ventilation is vital to ensure good air quality and prevent moisture buildup. Install windows that meet egress requirements, consider adding a ceiling fan, and explore options for mechanical ventilation systems.

The Importance of Installing a CO2 Sensor

Don’t forget that, by code, you must install a CO2 sensor in a new bedroom addition. Also because it is beneficial for maintaining air quality by monitoring CO2 levels to ensure adequate ventilation, which can improve sleep quality and overall health. It alerts you to increase ventilation when needed, helps prevent potential CO poisoning from appliance leaks, and contributes to energy efficiency by optimizing airflow, thus creating a safer and more comfortable living environment.

Flooring Considerations for Garage-Bedroom Conversion

Garage floors are often made of concrete, which can be cold and uncomfortable for a bedroom. Explore options for insulating the floor, adding a vapor barrier, and installing a warm, durable flooring material like wood, laminate, or carpet.

Depending on the shape and structure of the concrete slab, you may want to scrape the concrete surface, fill cracks and repair the concrete floor before installing new flooing for your garage-bedroom conversion project.

Lighting and Electrical Upgrades

Garages usually have minimal lighting and electrical outlets. Plan for adequate lighting fixtures, including overhead lighting, switchers, outlets, task lighting, as well as additional outlets for convenience and safety.

Make sure that your electrical contractor will be familiar with local codes and can help navigate the permitting and inspection process, if needed.

When upgrading your lighting and electrical fixtures, your contractor must calculate the additional load that the new lighting and outlets will place on your existing electrical system.

Ensure your current panel can handle the increased demand. If your panel is insufficient, you may need to upgrade it to accommodate the additional load. Consider installing dedicated circuits for major fixtures and appliances to avoid overloading existing circuits.

Moreover, ensure that the electrical load is evenly distributed across different circuits to prevent tripping breakers and ensure a stable power supply. For that, you’ll need to choose the appropriate gauge of wire for the circuit’s amperage. Typically, 12-gauge wire is used for 20-amp circuits and 14-gauge wire for 15-amp circuits.

Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) in areas prone to moisture and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) in living spaces to enhance safety.

One final tip on upgrading your garage-bedroom lighting, consider using LED lighting for energy efficiency and longer lifespan. Not only that, it can save you money on your energy bills.

Closet Build

Adding a closet is essential for functionality and storage. Depending on your designated construction area, you can assign a section of the bedroom, you can try, at least, 4 ft. x 8 ft. x 4 ft. This is the average size of a reach-in closet.

Reach-in closets are the most popular storage solution for efficient space utilization. Typically featuring sliding doors or hinged doors, these compact wardrobe systems are crafted for convenience and accessibility. Their design promotes a well-organized display of contents, allowing for a quick visual inventory and easy retrieval of items. Ideal for streamlined living, reach-in wardrobes offer a practical ‘grab-and-go’ setup, ensuring that all garments and accessories are neatly arranged and visible at a glance.

Plan the closet’s location and size based on your needs and the room’s layout. Feel free to get a free quote from us to get more ideas.

Drywall Install and Finish (Texture matching)

Once your garage space have all of the previous upgrades, now you can have your contractor hang or install your drywall/gypsum boards and match your desired texture design. You can start by matching the existing texture, unless you are planning on removing the existing texture for a different one of your liking.

Adding texture to your new walls will help with the aesthetic appeal and durability of your walls.