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It is hard to predict what home design trends are going to remain timeless and stay in fashion or which ones are short-term trends will go down in history as mistakes. Design trends come and go and what may be fashionable and trendy today might very well be out of fashion tomorrow.

In the 1950s & 1960’s, Victorian fixtures, such as claw-foot tubs, were ripped out in favor of bright colors, vinyl and modern, sleek lines that was popular during the Atomic Age. Now those Victorian fixtures are now high demand and command high prices. The reason is because that era of design is timeless and transcends generations.

And remember when Avocado colored tile, vanities, toilets and baths were all the rage? In the 1980’s those fixtures and colors were eschewed as outdated symbols of an ugly, bygone era.

Diamond plate is a current example of a design that is presently ‘trendy’ and whose form is being used just about everywhere. But what happens if diamond plate suddenly becomes outdated and no longer fashionable?

The best choice is to select an elegant, timeless design over something that is ‘current’ or ‘trendy’. “You know that you’ve achieved a great design if whatever decisions you make will look great 40 or 50 years later. That’s my guiding principle”, advises VAULT Founder Chad Haas, when thinking about design decisions for your garage and home.

We received a before and after photo of a porcelain floor installation. The customer is extremely satisfied which means we’re happy too.

“Everything arrived last week and is now installed. The floor and cabinets look fantastic. Thanks for everything and thanks for following up. I will be sure to recommend your products to my friends.”

Where else but VAULT will you see a ‘United Motors’ porcelain enamel neon sign with articulating wheels. This giant sign will be crated on Monday and then ship to our client in New Jersey.

One of the things we love doing for clients here at VAULT is creating custom one-of-a-kind-furnishings for their home, like this reverse glass Porsche mirror, which is about 75% finished. Your the first to see this.

We are thinking a Ferrari mirror would be equally as beautiful wouldn’t you think?

Custom light fixtures and porcelain tile from Italy furnished by VAULT for this home featured on HGTV’s special “TOP TEN GARAGES IN AMERICA” where VAULT was honored to be chosen in four of the ten garages featured. Thanks HGTV!

What do you think of the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ of VAULT founder Chad Haas’ personal workshop? It sure looks and feels like a Craftsman style garage now doesn’t it?

One common question that is often asked is “what available garage floor treatments provide the best and longest return on an investment”.  After years of researching available floor treatments, experimenting with them and living with them for several years, we believe the two best options that give the best long-term use and return-on-investment (ROI) are: 

• Polished Concrete; and
• Porcelain (not ceramic) Floor Tiles. 

Most popular floor treatments for garages, such as floor coatings, provide only a short-term solution and typically have a limited life expectancy of 5-15 years.  Both porcelain tile and polished/stained concrete are a permanent solution and can last for decades.  In essence, they will outlive their owner.   

Polished concrete and porcelain tiles are becoming increasing popular due to their toughness, strength and ease of maintenance and, for these reasons, offer the greatest long-term return on an investment compared to other flooring treatments.  Lets cover the advantages and disadvantages of both floor treatments. 

POLISHED CONCRETE

 Polished concrete has long been a good alternative to marble, granite, tile, linoleum, or coated concrete for use in retail stores, warehouses, office facilities, and just recently has become popular with homeowners, who are captivated by the stunning, high-luster floors, which can be stained to replicate the look of polished stone. 

The process of polishing concrete floors is quite simple, similar to sanding wood.  Heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with diamond-impregnated disks (similar to sandpaper) gradually grind down and polish the concrete surface to the desired degree of shine and smoothness.  

You can learn more about polished concrete by visiting the Concrete Network website: 

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/polishing/polishing_basics.htm

BENEFITS OF POLISHED CONCRETE 

• Long-term life (life expectancy of a polished concrete floor can range from 25+ years of useful life).  As a result, it has a very good long-term return-on-investment.
• Unlimited color selection as a result of staining options.
• Ease of maintenance. 

LIMITATIONS OF POLISHED CONCRETE 

• They can become very slippery when wet and as such, should be considered for ‘showroom’ garages, not ‘working’ or ‘day-in/day-out’ garages.
• The initial cost.
• Repairs can be unsightly.
• Considering the investment in equipment and the skill required, polishing your own concrete floor is not a project that can be done by a do-it-yourselfer. A professional concrete polishing contractor to do the work.  You can find a qualified professional concrete polishing contractor where you live by searching here.

PORCELAIN TILE 

The advantages of porcelain tile far outweigh other concrete floor treatments.  Because porcelain is a dense and impervious product, it is stain resistant, wear resistant and does not discolor or fade.  Once mortared to concrete, porcelain tiles are very durable (superior in strength to granite) and one of the best wear resistant flooring material, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic uses.  This is the reason why you will see miles of porcelain tiles used in just about every mall in America.  Porcelain tiles are unaffected by chemicals and will not show no visible signs of chemical attack, all of which make it idea for use in a garage where it will come into contact with automobile fluids such as oil, brake fluid and anti-freeze among other chemicals. 

Porcelain has a very long life expectancy and are manufactured to last a lifetime of use.  It is this durability that makes porcelain tiles one of the best returns on investment that a homeowner can make. 

Whereas many flooring options show their age from wear and tear, porcelain look beautiful when installed and the tiles actually seem to accentuate in their beauty as they age, taking on a beautiful patina.  If you have ever visited Europe, you will note tile being liberally used in many buildings as exterior cladding and outside in cafes and it looks just as beautiful, if not more so, from the day it was installed. 

BENEFITS OF PORCELAIN TILE 

Here are some of the material advantages of porcelain tiles over traditional ceramic tile and quarried materials: 

• Long-Term Lifespan – The life expectancy of porcelain tile can provide 50-100 years of useful life.  As a result, it has the best long-term return-on-investment of any garage floor surface treatment.
• Stain Resistance –Unlike ceramic tile and natural stone which can stain, porcelain solid-through tiles are stain-proof.
• Strength – Porcelain tiles have a breaking strength 2X or 3X times greater than granite and 7X to 8X greater than marble providing one of the hardest, most durable surfaces for a garage floor.
• Abrasion Resistance – Porcelain has a 3X higher resistance to deep abrasions compared to quarried surfaces.
• Moisture Resistance – Porcelain has an exceptionally low absorption rate of less than 0.01%-0.04% classifying them as “impervious”. Their dense, impervious nature makes them ideally suited for high-moisture environments.
• Frost Resistance – Tiles are frost proof and able to withstand freeze/thaw conditions.
• Chemical Resistance – Porcelain tiles are unaffected by chemicals and will show no visible signs of chemical attack.
• Color Resistance to Light – Porcelain tiles are unaffected by UV and will not change in their brightness or color.
• Environmental Impact – The production process of porcelain tile has a very low environmental impact and, unlike quarried materials, which have a high wastage rate (approximately 66% of quarry volume is waste by-product) and major environmental repercussions. 

LIMITATIONS OF PORCELAIN TILE 

• The initial cost to install porcelain tile can exceed the cost of other surface treatments.
• Porcelain tiles have a limited number of colors and size options compared to other floor surface options.
• Although easy to maintain, porcelain tiles may need to be periodically cleaned with a floor cleaning machine containing a nylo-grit brush head to scrub and professional clean the floor, just as is done in malls, retail stores and restaurants where porcelain tiles are used.

WHAT KIND OF PORCELAIN TILE IS APPROPRIATE?

One last thing worth noting.  Porcelain tile is not the same as cermic tile (the difference between the two in a future article, but ceramic tile is not appropriate for use in this kind of application).  Also, not all porcelain is made in the same way and there are two criteria that should be considered when searching for an appropriate porcelain tile that will perform in the garage: 

• Specify Only Commercially Rated Tile – Tile that is rated for use in ‘Residential’ applications is different than ‘Commercial’ rated tile.  Although residential-rated tile may be appropriate for use in a bathroom or kitchen, where it will not come into contact with automobile fluids, it is not appropriate for the garage.  Specify only tile that rated for “Commercial Use”. 
• Avoid Glazed Tiles/Select A Solid Throughout Product – Source only porcelain tiles that have the same composition throughout the tile and are NOT manufactured with a surface glazing.  Glazings are used to add color to bare tile, so if the top surface of a glaze tile is damaged, scratched or chipped in such a surface would reveal a different body color, which can stain, and warrant replacement.  A “Solid-Through” tile is similar to glass in that its composition is the same throughout, so damage to the tile, such as due to a scratch is not a noticeable. 
• Warranty – Find a tile that is warranted against staining.  The garage is a harsh environment and you will want to source a tile that is able to handle the highest levels of stress, traffic wear and the most persistent stains.

You can learn more about porcelain floor tiles and purchase them by visiting VAULT’s website at:

http://www.vaultgarage.com/garage-flooring/porcelain-garage-tiles.html

 

Incorporating a ‘Knee-Space’ into a Design.  The most common mistake frequently made by amateur designers of garage cabinet layouts is incorporating a ‘knee-space’ or ‘open-space’ into a design where they will sit down to work, use a computer or watch television.

Although visually a ‘knee-space’ may appear to be a good solution in which to incorporate a work area where you can sit down to work, most homeowners find that they do not utilize this space as they had originally intended, for these reasons:

1.  Uncomfortable To Sit This Way – Most clients find the height of the cabinets (likely to be 35-36” above the floor) to be un-naturally high in order to work or rest ones arms comfortably while sitting.

To determine if a knee-space will be comfortable for you, compare how you use the countertops in your kitchen, not to the desk in your office, which is
set much lower in height.  If you find it comfortable to slide a chair underneath your kitchen countertop while you are in the kitchen, peeling
vegetables for examples, then having a countertop height this high may work.  If however, it feels uncomfortable having the rest your arms so
high on the countertop, then you probably will not use this space as you had originally intended.

2.  Prioritize How You Will Use The Space – If the vast majority of time spent in the garage will be standing over the work surface, not sitting with your knees underneath the countertop (most homeowners spend 99% of their time standing over a work-surface, not sitting), then a ‘knee-space’ should not be a priority in your design.

3.  Open Spaces Tend to Gather Clutter – Designs where there are ‘open spaces’ often end up getting cluttered with boxes, equipment or a shop vac, out in plain view; whereas these same items could be stored out of view inside a cabinet.  Leaving a void does not maximize storage space, so if your budget can afford cabinetry in this area, maximize your storage space and incorporate as many cabinets as you can into your design.

4.  Continuity of Design & Balance –Incorporating an ‘open-space’ into a design is seen as un-sightly because it  breaks up the continuity and balance of a full bank of cabinetry.

Envision a ‘knee-space’ incorporated into your kitchen cabinetry.  If you are comfortable with having a void in the base cabinetry of their kitchen
cabinets, then incorporating one in your garage cabinet design will probably work just fine for you.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels, including coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. Products and equipment powered by internal combustion engines such as portable generators, cars, lawn mowers, and power washers also produce CO. In the home, some common sources of CO include open flames, space heaters, water heaters, blocked chimneys or running a car inside a garage.

On average, about 170 people die each year in the US from carbon monoxide poisoning produced by non-automotive consumer products, typically from malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters; engine-powered equipment such as portable generators; fireplaces; and charcoal that is burned in homes and other enclosed areas. The susceptibility of CO poisoning is increased during power outages if these appliances or devices are not able to operate correctly or are not used correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms every year to be treated for CO poisoning.

Because many garages contain fuel-burning appliances that provide hot water or heat the home, dwellings with attached garages should be outfitted with CO detecting devices to warn the owner before potentially life-threatening levels of CO are reached.

These devices, which retail for $15–$150USD and are widely available, can either be battery-operated or AC powered (with or without a battery backup). Battery lifetimes have been increasing as the technology has developed and certain battery powered devices now advertise a battery lifetime of over 6 years. Install a CO alarm that meets the requirements of the current UL 2034 safety standard. You can shop for a CO detector here.

The garage is one of the most important spaces in the American home.  But even more important than the kitchen? At first that may sound absurd, but if you listen to homeowners, they will tell you its true.

When looking to purchase a new home, most homeowners will not even make an offer, regardless of how much they like the home, if the garage cannot accommodate their needs … or be expanded to meet their needs.

Architects, designers and home builders are beginning to see that the garage is more than just a space in the home, it is a valuable amenity.  Pioneers like Gladiator by Whirpool, Premier Garage, Garagetek and VAULT are creating a profound change in the way in which homeowners use and view the garage by transforming them from disorganized spaces into functional, inviting, and fun rooms.  Design companies like Garage Mahals and, the aforementioned, VAULT are changing how the world looks at the garage and what activities occur there by furnishing & accessorizing garages just as is nicely as the rest of the home.  As homeowners look for more usable space in their homes, these companies are leading the way in how this un-tapped space is being utilized.  VAULT’s motto has even become “furnish the garage as nice as every other room in your home”.

CURB APPEAL

Curb appeal is the first impression people have of a home and the garage is often the largest and visible feature.  It dominates the front façade of most homes, accounting for as much as 30% of a home’s visual impact.  And it’s not up on the roof or somewhere out of sight; it’s at eye level, where everyone immediately sees it.  Ironically, the room that has its door open to the world every day also happens to be the most unsightly.

People are increasingly realizing that the garage is the one room in the house that their neighbors see on a regular basis and the impression a messy disorganized garage says about the homeowner.  While the rest of the home may be neat and clean, the garage can become a public embarrassment, since it is the only room regularly visible to neighbors.

The garage has become more prominently featured in home construction.  In older homes, the garage was typically detached from the home and built in the back.  But with the rise of the suburbs, the garage became attached to most homes where it became the prominent feature in the front façade of new home construction, dominating the front landscape of most homes today.  Day-in and day-out, the garage is the main entrance for most home owners.

Cramped with garden maintenance tools, sporting equipment, and overflow from the rest of the house, there is little room left for even the cars.  The garage functions as America’s junk room, holding all the items the house won’t — or can’t.  For most owners, the garage is the most cluttered and embarrassing part of their homes.  Some homeowners are afraid to even open their garage doors out of fear that neighbors will see all the ugliness inside.

According to a national survey by Impulse Research, almost one-quarter (24%) of all homeowners are embarrassed to leave their garage doors open. California Closets commissioned a survey which determined that the garage seems to be “the most disorganized room in the home” thus prompted their company to expand their products to serve this market.

Unlike a dream kitchen or elaborate closet organization system, the garage is the only room regularly visible to neighbors.  Design professional can help clients visualize the potential of the garage by showing them the visual improvements that can be seen from the curb and the functional improvements that can made through organization on this inside, just as the home theater industry has done convincing homeowners of the benefits of this luxury.

Instead of oil-stained floors, cluttered workbenches and mishmash of shelves, cabinets and hooks that don’t fit or look nice together, professional trade people can fill an unmet need in the marketplace by offering designs solutions to transform ordinary, mundane garages into attractive and useful spaces.

Making the garage to be both a livable, aesthetic and functional space is not a radical idea. In most homes, the garage is often the starting point for many activities.  Day-in and day-out, it is the main entrance for most home owners.  “As homeowners look for more usable space and value in their home, they tend to overlook the garage,” said Alene Workman, principle of Hollywood, Fla. based Alene Workman Interior Design Inc. and Fellow of American Society of Interior Designers in a press release from Whirlpool. “In most homes, the garage is often the starting point for many activities and it makes sense for homeowners to begin rethinking this untapped space”, said Workman.

GARAGES ARE VERSATILE

The garage is quickly becoming more than just a place to park a car or stash a lawn mower, it’s become kind of a second patio with a place to kick back in a lawn chair and chat with neighbors passing by the driveway … almost like an outdoor living room for entertaining.  For some of these owners their garage is perfunctorily functional, a place to tool around on their ‘pride-and-joy’ on weekends.  Still to others the garage is a showroom to display their treasures.  But the garage is not restricted to gearheads alone; its appeal stretches broadly to include gardeners, woodworkers and others who simply want a place for everything and everything in its place.  For most homeowners, the garage is one the most versatile rooms in their homes.

GARAGES ARE GETTING RECOGNIZED

It’s about time that garages are getting recognized.  For too long the garage has functioned as America’s junk room, holding all the items the house won’t — or can’t.  But the times are changing – people are finally realizing just how versatile this space can be and the impact it has upon the architecture of most homes.

The garage is the last remaining bastion within a home that has not been remodeled. People are putting so much money into their dream homes today, that they are not ignoring the garage, particularly because it is so visible to neighbors.  So it follows that an increasing number of homeowners are now looking for ways to ‘spruce up’ their garages to make this space more usable and appealing.

Look how far the once lowly garage has already come: most were constructed with the studs and insulation exposed, but today finishing a garage wall with drywall and paint is commonplace because homeowners want them to look more appealing visually.

For builders, designers and architects, the garage has enormous potential as a new category in home design for these reasons:

1. Market Size – Garage furnishings and organization are a relatively new market and in 2004, Americans spent $2 billion on garage remodels. That market will grow to $2.5 billion in 2005 according to the National Association of Home Builders. There are 69 million garages in the U.S., and demand for bigger ones is growing [In 1992, only 11% of American homes had garages that would hold three or more cars; by 2001, 18% had such jumbo garages (NY Times)]

“There are about 69 million garages in the United States. About 90% of new homes have garages, which means that 1.5 million new garages are built every year. Not only are there a lot of garages in America, but they have been getting bigger. Of new one-family homes in 2005, 84% have garages for 2 or more cars; 20% have 3 car garages or larger.” — Garage and Storage Shed Trends in the U.S.

In terms of square footage, the fastest-growing element in new home design is the garage; 91% of new homes constructed include a garage (National Association of Home Builders Housing Facts, Figures and Trends 2004). The garage is the #1 area in the home for storage and organization product spending, larger than closets (Peachtree Consulting Survey).

2. Curb Appeal – The garage is a prominent architectural feature in home design and can account for up to 40% of a home’s visual impact. It is the largest and most visible space within most homes.  Homeowners willingly pay thousands of dollars for a nice looking front entry, yet the garage door is used more frequently and takes up substantially more of the visual exposure of the home.  More than half (50%) of Americans want garages their neighbors envy (Impulse Research/Rust Oleum).

3. Disorganized – Garages are often the most cluttered and embarrassing area of a home. If the rest of the home is neat and clean, what impression does a disorganized garage leave as the only space regularly visible to neighbors and passerby’s.  Surveys of the market reveal that:

• One-quarter (24%) of all homeowners are embarrassed to leave their garage doors open (Impulse Research/Rust Oleum);
• One-half (50%) of homeowners said the garage is the messiest room in the homes (Harris Interactive);
• Twenty-eight percent (28%) of consumers would like their garage to be better organized (Harris Interactive);
• In a survey of 1,500 recent homebuyers by John Schleimer, a housing-market analyst based in Roseville, Calif., many people cited a cramped garage as one of their previous home’s biggest flaws and said they moved partly to get more garage space.

4. High Use Area – The garage is often the starting and stopping point for many activities and is the main entrance for most homeowners. A functional garage can have a positive impact upon the daily lives of homeowners.

• Ninety percent (90%) of homeowners use their garage as a multi-purpose space (Impulse Research/Rust Oleum);
• The latest trend in home space usage by architects and builders is “flex space”—oversized garages that can be utilized for multiple purposes such as cars, workshops, kids’ play rooms and more (Housingzone.com/Professional Builder Magazine);
• Americans consider having a garage just as important to their home lifestyle as a porch, deck or balcony (U.S. Census Bureau 1999 American Housing Survey);
• Ninety-five percent (95%) of Americans use their garage for storage (Impulse Research/Rust Oleum).

5. Home Investment – Having fixed every other room in the house, the garage is the final frontier in home re-design.  Homeowners are increasingly learning that an attractive garage can increase a home’s value:

• Seventy-four (74%) of homebuyers ranked the garage as the single most important amenity in a home (Century 21);
• Eighty-two percent (82%) of homebuyers said that the garage would be one of the factors in their decision to move when looking for a new home/Ninety-one percent (91%) of homebuyers say they’re more likely to buy a home if the garage is clean and well maintained (Rust-Oleum).

6. Willingness Among Homeowners to Make an Investment – Surveys of the market reveal that the garage is the area of the home where homeowners need the most help with organization, ranking above the closet and even the kitchen.

• More than 50% of consumers plan to reorganize their garage within the next two years (Peachtree Consulting Survey);
• In a survey conducted by Shugoll Research two out of three homeowners, say their garage needs significant to moderate improvement and twenty-eight% (28%) indicated that they like their garage space to be better organized;
• A survey by Inspired House Magazine confirmed that the garage is the area of the home where homeowners need the most help.

7. Return on Investment per Square Foot – Builders and architects estimate that remodeling the garage costs between $25 and $100 a square foot (Garage: Reinventing the Place We Park by Kira Obolensky).  Remodeling the inside of a home starts at about $100 a square foot.

Growing consumer interest and demand is creating new companies everyday that are developing new products, services and solutions to help organize and furnish the home garage.  Finally, the garage is getting the respect it deserves.