Is your Crystal Lake garage waiting for transformation into your mancave?

Your wife has her sewing room in your Crystal Lake home. The kids have a play room. Downstairs, you have a laundry room, a family room and a workbench and storage area. But, what about your area? Where can you have your mancave?

Is your wife sympathetic to your plight? Even if she isn’t, if the garage has become the de-facto landing place for odds and ends and assorted junk, maybe this is where you can add your man cave. It will take some work, a little money and, most importantly, some thought.

This is where it all starts – with a plan. Ask yourself some questions, such as:

• How big is your garage?
• Is your garage attached to the house?
• What do you want to do in your mancave?

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to design a mancave that will fit your garage and your goals. It’s time to answer more questions, such as these questions about the infrastructure of your mancave garage:

• If you’ll use your mancave year-round (of course, you will), how will you heat it? Will you cool it (AC)? Will you need to insulate – Walls? Ceiling? Subfloor?
• Will you need plumbing? A sink? A bathroom?
• What are your electrical requirements? Where will you need outlets? Do you have a circuit in your electrical panel that can meet the electrical requirements of your mancave?
• What will you do with that big hole – the garage door opening? 

The last of these questions is pregnant with possibilities. Some folks may want to enclose their mancave with a permanent wall, or maybe by building a sliding door into the opening. But, a garage door is a way to open your mancave to the great outdoors. You can even add a screen, such as a Lifestyle Screen, so that you can enjoy the great outdoors without allowing bugs and pests into your mancave.

Now, it’s time to for layout and interior design. Will you have a bar, a bathroom, a pool table, an entertainment center. Of course, you’ll have a big-screen television. Where will you place it and where will the sofa and recliner go?

What kind of a motif do you want? Are you into NASCAR, hunting and fishing, other sports? Your walls and ceiling are pallets where you can express your passion and create and environment that celebrates your interests. The possibilities are almost endless. Your wife may want to help but, don’t forget, it’s your mancave; make sure that, in the end, it is a reflection of you and your interests.