00VILLA GUIDE
Converting a garage into a room
Garages make tempting extra rooms — a gym, home office, playroom or staff accommodation. But a garage was built to house a car: it has a concrete floor at a lower level, a large door, minimal insulation, little electrical capacity and often no cooling. Converting it well means planning each of those before the first wall goes up.
01PART
Cooling and insulation
Garages are usually hot boxes with an uninsulated door and roof. Without insulation, even a well-sized AC unit struggles. Infilling the door opening with an insulated wall and window, and insulating the ceiling, make the room usable.
- Plan AC sized for the room after insulation.
- Infill or insulate the door opening.
- Insulate the ceiling where possible.
02PART
Power, lighting and data
A garage may have one light and a socket. A gym or office needs several circuits, good lighting and data. Check the board has space and the supply can take the extra load.
- Plan sockets around how the room will be used.
- Check board capacity.
- Run data cabling before finishing walls.
03PART
Floor, damp and approvals
Garage floors sit lower and may be exposed to water running in from the driveway. Raising the floor, adding a damp barrier and dealing with drainage at the old door line prevent damp problems. Community approval may be required for changes to the façade.
- Raise and damp-proof the floor.
- Redirect driveway water.
- Ask the community about façade changes.
04QUESTIONS
- Can a garage be cooled with a split unit?
- Yes, once the space is insulated and sealed.
- Do I need approval?
- Changes to the façade often need community approval.
- Why raise the floor?
- To level with the house and keep water out.