For some, garages are among the least
exciting home renovation projects. But for others, the garage is the only
exciting home renovation project. The truth is, because a garage is one of the
most functional and practical elements of your home, it holds a great deal of
potential for making your home function at its best.
With a narrow driveway, a one-car carport and no parking on the
street, parking was always an issue for the Smith
family.
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Henry Ford made the first makeshift
garage. His first invention was created in a coal shed, but the door was too
small for the vehicle. So he broke out the wall to make a larger opening. Early
car owners tried to house their cars in carriage houses or stables, but they
didn't work very well. So people began to build "car houses." The term "garage"
came from the French garrer, meaning "to shelter."
There are two types of garages. First, there is the attached garage, meaning
it is attached to the house. The advantage to an attached garage is the
proximity to the residence, making it easy to carry things from the car to the
home and to avoid foul weather.
The second is the detached garage. Often if a lot is too narrow to
accommodate the extra width of an attached garage, an alternative is to place a
detached garage behind the home. While this type of garage is farther from the
house and exposes you to the weather, it can also be a great solution for your
home. For instance, depending on the size of your lot, the garage has the
potential to be much larger if it is detached.
Our clients Stuart and Martine Smith found this to be the case for them.
Their home originally had a one-car carport and a narrow driveway with no
possibility of adding an attached garage. In addition, their street is
particularly troublesome for street parking, so their parking options were
limited.
But the Smiths had space to work with in their backyard. So they decided to
forgo an attached carport for a much more functional detached garage. They did
have to give up space in their yard, but as Martine says, "The convenience of
having a garage far outweighs the few feet of yard space we had to give up."
With the addition of a detached, two-car garage behind the house,
the Smiths are able to shelter their cars and store their stuff. For them,
giving up some space in the back yard was a trade-off well worth
making.
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That convenience comes through the
many functions garages accommodate. They keep cars off the street and out of the
weather. They provide added security. They make a good home for tools and
workbenches. They are excellent storage spaces for garbage cans, yard equipment,
recreational gear, and the dreaded (but ever present) "miscellaneous items," not
the least of which are Christmas presents and decorations. You'll probably be
spending some time in your garage this weekend!
While you are out there, look around and ask yourself if your garage is
living up to is potential. Next week we'll talk more about how to design a
garage that will function for your family and how to make it an attractive, not
just practical, part of your home.
Architects
Ann Robinson, AIA, and Annie Vernon, AIA, welcome your design
questions at Ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com.
Robinson and Vernon are founding principals of Renovation
Design Group, a local architectural firm specializing in residential
remodeling design.
To register for "Designing a Remodel with Character &
Class," call 533-5331 or click
here for details.
© 2005 Deseret News
Publishing Company
