Each year Garage Store and the Daily Herald sponsor a garage makeover contest. And each year Jim Melchert, owner of Garage Store, focuses on ways a garage can improve the lives of homeowners. Two years ago, Jim focused on how a garage could become more organized and functional. Last year, he focused on the health benefits a dust-free garage can have on a child with respiratory problems.
This year, the challenge was to show how a garage could be used as another room of the house. The contest winner, a retired police officer with four adult children and six grandchildren, was looking for ways to make his garage a more inviting space to entertain family and friends.
The main issue was the garage floor with several large cracks and a lot of pitting from years of road salt. The homeowner had always wanted to have an epoxy floor in the garage, but saw the poor results his friends had when they did it themselves. While watching Jim’s crew professionally install the commercial grade floor coating, he realized that this was not a simple DIY project. He admits to being very impressed with the talent and skill of the crew, and even more impressed with the end result.
The $5,000 makeover also included two wall storage units, two tall cabinets and two workbenches with cabinets below.
When the project was complete, the homeowner and his wife agreed that Jim had more than accomplished his mission. The garage is now not only a place for the homeowners to entertain family and friends, but also a workshop and vehicle repair shop, as well as a well-organized storage area. It will also be a “man cave” and escape zone.
He even has a place to park his vehicles!
When explaining how he felt when he got the news that he had won the makeover, he said, “Oh my God, it was like my birthday, Christmas and Father’s Day rolled into one! I was in heaven. It was amazing. I feel so fortunate.”
See the full story of this amazing makeover in the August 14 edition of the Daily Herald.
Garage Makeover Winner – Before
Garage Store Makeover – After