Increasing home value is on the forefront of most people’s minds, especially if they are hoping to sell their home eventually. Renovating the kitchen, adding a bathroom, and recoating their patios are some of the common upgrades that people prioritize when they want to increase their home value, but what about garage upgrades?

A garage is the often forgotten room of a house that can actually make a big impact when trying to sell your home. Garages that are completely packed with random items so it doesn’t even look like a garage anymore can be unpleasant to look at. Most of the time, buyers want to see a nice, clean garage that will be useful for storage, a home gym, or other purposes.

There are many options to choose from in home renovations but take a look at 8 simple garage upgrades you can do that can increase your home value.

1. Upgraded Garage Door

Investing in a new garage door can significantly enhance the curb appeal and overall value of your home. Especially if your garage door hasn’t been replaced recently, a new garage door can make the home look much newer.

Some popular garage door styles that buyers love include the following:

Raised panel doors
Recessed panel doors
Carriage house doors
Flush panel doors
Full-view doors

2. Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

A well-coated garage floor not only looks great but also provides durability and protection against stains and damage. Epoxy flooring is perfect for garages because it is easy to clean and is resistant to chemicals that may leak from cars or other items in your garage.

Epoxy flooring is also great to implement in your garage because of the smooth and glossy finish epoxy leaves. You can also personalize your finish to make it the style and flake color of your preference. Just this simple addition of epoxy can be a valuable garage upgrade and make your floors look great.

3. Insulation and Climate Control

Adding insulation to the garage and installing a climate control system (heating and cooling) can make it more usable throughout the year and appeal to potential buyers. Insulation and/or climate control could be especially valuable for people who will be spending more time in the garage for things like doing on house projects, working from home in an office in the garage, or exercising.

With modern technology and solutions, there are many options for insulation that can fit your budget. Some common insulation options homeowners consider are fiberglass, spray foam, rigid foam, cellulose, and even a new fireproof insulation.

4. Improved Garage Lighting

Upgrade to brighter and energy-efficient LED lighting to make the space more functional and attractive. Bright lighting also makes the garage safer, as tenants can avoid tripping hazards or obstacles that aren’t as visible in dim lighting.

Not only does brighter lighting make your garage more functional, it also makes the curb appeal of the garage better. Nice lighting on an epoxy floor coating with flake colors can provide a sparkling effect that adds to the aesthetics of a garage. Having a well-lit and tidy garage can leave an overall positive impression on people driving or walking by.

5. Electrical Garage Upgrades

Electrical upgrades, such as additional outlets and circuits, allow homeowners to use the garage more effectively for various purposes. Adding outlets can make it easier to work on large projects, provide a charging station for an electric car, and enhance safety. Older homes may have outdated electrical systems that can be prone to overloading and pose safety concerns.

6. Garage Storage and Organization Systems

The value of a home can be increased by garage storage and organization systems because they increase functionality, aesthetics, and overall appeal to potential buyers. Garages are often a space for homeowners to park their vehicles, store large items that don’t fit inside the home, and pursue hobbies. Making the most out of the organization systems in a garage can make a garage much better.

Storing items in totes or boxes rather than placing them on the ground is an easy way to improve the appearance of a garage. Along with improving the aesthetics of the garage, creating a storage system makes room for homeowners to park their vehicles in the garage to protect them from outdoor elements.

A homeowner can also utilize wall-mounted organizing systems like slat walls and pegboards to keep tools and equipment easily accessible and well-organized.

7. Additional Parking Space

If possible, create more parking spaces by expanding the garage or adding a carport. An extra parking space can add $10,000-$25,000 to the home’s value on a residential property. In densely populated areas, parking space is extremely valuable.

Providing a parking spot saves time by eliminating the need to go searching for a spot on the street to park, which can be a major appeal for potential buyers. Remember to add that coating to protect your concrete from wear and tear.

8. Enhanced Security Features

Installing security features can prove to be worth it when you try to sell your home to safety-conscious buyers. Surveillance cameras, motion sensors, and alarm systems are simple features that can enhance the security of the property. Additional security measures can also be a deterrent for burglars and unwanted visitors.

A security system is also a way to give peace of mind to homeowners, even when they are away from home.

Increase Your Home Value

Although commonly overseen, garage upgrades have proven to be an essential aspect of home features that can make a home more valuable. Remember these 8 suggestions when you decide that you would like to increase your home value.

Polyurea flooring vs. polyaspartic flooring. Those are big and scary words if you don’t know what they mean.

Floors like patios, garages, and mechanical rooms receive a lot of foot traffic and heavy equipment, so it’s important to have flooring that can withstand the wear and tear. Polyurea flooring and polyaspartic flooring are two common options for these types of spaces that require materials that have a durable finish.

Polyurea vs. Polyaspartic: The Difference Between the Coatings

Polyurea and polyaspartic coatings are quite similar so it can be difficult to make a distinction between them. The main difference is that all polyaspartics are a polyurea, while not all polyureas are polyaspartic.

Both coatings share the property of being highly adhesive to concrete at the time of installation. This makes both options feasible for base coats, but high-end epoxies and polyureas are often the choice for base coats. Polyaspartic coating has a higher bond strength, making it a superior choice for a top coat finish.

Is Polyurea Better than Polyaspartic Coating?

Polyurea is a two component material that when combined, creates a mixture that hardens within minutes. This is why it’s important for professionals to apply the coating.

A polyaspartic coating has a slightly slower curing time than a polyurea coating, although still fast. The slower curing time allows professionals to apply an even coating to larger surfaces.

Polyaspartic coating is preferred on outdoor surfaces because it is the only coating that is UV resistant. Polyurea coating is preferred for indoor applications since it doesn’t have that UV resistance and is suitable for less abrasive floors.

It is common to mix in a grit additive into polyaspartic coatings due to their slick-ness. The grit additive is simple to add on to the top coat of a garage floor or another type of floor where people will be frequently walking.

Overall, polyaspartics are chemically and technically superior when compared to polyureas. Polyaspartic coating can cover a full flake system in a single coat, have higher solid content, and goes on the floor thicker.

Because polyurea and polyaspartic coatings are similar, they share many advantages, so polyurea is still a highly preferred option for floor coatings. Taking a deeper look at the two coatings can make more of a distinction between the two and help you decide which option is best for you.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Polyurea Coatings

As with any product, there are pros and cons to polyurea coatings. Below you’ll find some of each:

Polyurea Coating Advantages

Inexpensive: Polyurea coating is more affordable when compared to epoxy and polyaspartic coating. This makes polyurea coatings a great option if you’re looking for something less expensive.
Rapid Curing Time: As stated earlier, polyurea coatings have a speedy curing time, often setting within a few minutes. A faster curing time is important for homeowners with a short timeline to get the project done. This may be more risky, as the faster work pace could lead to imperfections in the floor coating.
Versatility: Because polyurea coatings are preferred for indoor environments, it can be used in a wide range of applications. Some optimal options may include hospitals, cafeterias, retail stores, and furniture showrooms.

Polyurea Coating Disadvantages

Rapid Curing and Pot Life: Rapid curing time can be both an advantage and disadvantage with this type of flooring. The rapid curing time and pot life may be more risky to work with, as the faster work pace could lead to imperfections in the floor coating. Once the coating is mixed, professionals have to be very efficient to provide a spotless and smooth floor.
Vulnerability to UV Degradation: Because polyurea coatings aren’t UV resistant, they are more susceptible to UV degradation over time. This degradation leaves the floor discolored and spotty.
Professional Application Requirement: Applying polyurea coatings requires the help of professionals. Individuals looking to do it themselves may find it very difficult to get an even and unblemished floor because of the technicality of application.

Polyaspartic Coating Advantages

Chemical Resistance: Polyaspartic coatings contain high levels of aliphatic groups, making them a more stable material that can withstand harsh chemicals and UV rays. This is why polyaspartic coatings are preferred for spaces that will hold vehicles and heavy duty machinery that may leak fluids.
High Gloss Finish: The garages that have a silky smooth and glossy finish can be attributed to polyaspartic coatings. The chemical properties provide the coating with the ability to harden and maintain the glossy appearance, even after a prolonged period of time.
Low VOC Emissions: A VOC is a “volatile organic compound” refers to chemicals that vaporize when they hit a certain temperature that is typical for indoor spaces. High levels of VOCs can be toxic and dangerous for people to inhale or ingest. Low VOC levels produce less fumes, are better for the environment, and improve the air quality of the space.

Polyaspartic Coating Disadvantages

Cost: Polyaspartic coatings can run at a high price due to the equipment required for installation and the specialized material of the coating. Polyaspartics are more expensive than polyurea and epoxy coatings.
Temperature Sensitivity: At the time of installation, polyaspartic coating needs to be in prime temperature and humidity conditions. Extremely high or low temperatures can affect the curing process and cause imperfections in the coating.
Need for Professionals: Individuals looking to save money by doing their coating themselves may find that they should have hired professionals once they see the difficulty of installation. Hiring professionals may be less preferred for some people, but that is what guarantees a beautiful finish.

Polyurea vs. Polyaspartic Coatings

As some advantages and disadvantages of both types of coatings have been explored, you now have a better idea of which option may work better for your individual needs. Keeping in mind things like aesthetics, timeline, and budget when comparing polyurea vs. polyaspartic coatings can help you make an informed decision.

At Garage Floor Masters, we are settled comfortably in Knoxville, Tennessee. The city sits at the juncture of the Holston and French Broad Rivers where the Tennessee River begins. We think its ideal location for installing garage floors in Tennessee, and we do so as a means of giving back to the community.

Everything Great About Tennessee

Tennessee is an absolutely beautiful place to put down roots. Nestled ideally between the Mississippi River on the West and the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east, the state has an abundance of state parks, national parks, and national forests. Tennessee’s most-visited attraction is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and its beautiful spread of spruce, pine, oak, and hickory draws in more tourists than any other national park in the country.

It’s not only the trees that bring in the tourists. Tennessee has some really splendid waterfall hikes, beautiful reservoirs, and natural wildlife. It also has four Civil War battlefields that are preserved by the National Park Service and eight National Scenic Byways. Even outside of the cities, there is plenty of Tennessee to enjoy.

And we can’t talk about Tennessee without talking about the music scene. Nashville has been nicknamed “Music City,” and the rest of the state is just as instrumental in many major genres. Country, rock and roll, blues, soul, gospel, Contemporary Christian, and bluegrass all have developmental roots in Tennessee. You can’t go anywhere in the state without enjoying music that is good for the soul.

What We Love About the Knoxville Area

Based as we are in Knoxville, Tennessee, we are partial to the city and the surrounding areas. On the other side of the state from Nashville, Knoxville is removed from the craziness of the capital but is still a very fun area. It is closer to the mountains and to Dollywood, the most visited ticketed attraction in Tennessee.

There is something for everyone in Knoxville. Whether you love art, music, outdoorsy adventure, or delicious food, Knoxville has what you’re looking for. With its own airport (the McGhee Tyson Airport), tourists and the 200,000 locals alike enjoy all that the city has to offer. Knoxville is the perfect place to enjoy some banana pudding or barbecue or to get the floors in Tennessee offered by Garage Floor Masters

Coating Floors in Tennessee

Floors in Tennessee have to put up with quite a bit. Conditions in the state are very humid, especially in the summer, and in the winter mild snows and subsequent road salt can both affect concrete negatively. High moisture content can cause the concrete to swell and even crack if the temperatures rise and fall rapidly too many times, while rock salt and other deicers can corrode floors inTennessee.

Professional floor coatings are the best way to protect floors in Tennessee from anything that might come up. They can shield concrete from everything from UV damage to water, as well as stains, scuffs, and scratches. Garage floor coatings can preserve your concrete so it will last for years to come.

In addition to making garage floors more durable, garage floor coatings also make concrete look more finished. Epoxy and polyaspartic coatings lend an appearance of luxury to any floor, and they are totally customizable so you can be sure you’re getting the floor coating that is tailored to your property.

Garage Floor Masters—Your Knoxville Floor Contractor

If you want to install a garage floor coating in the Knoxville area, Garage Floor Masters is your best option. Our floors in Tennessee are always of the highest quality: we believe we owe it to our customers to only settle on the best. That is also why our technicians all have ample experience and the training they need to stay current on best installation practices.

At Garage Floor Masters, we recognize that you are the one who will with the floors in Tennessee that we install, so we work with you during every stage of the process to ensure that the finished product is exactly what you are looking for. In the design process, you can choose between epoxy, polyaspartic, and chip and flake garage floors. You can also settle on the colors and patterns you prefer.

When it comes to installation, we will work with your schedule to find the perfect time to install your floors in Tennessee. Be aware that the process does take some time, the length of which is dependent on the material you choose. No matter what you decide, our team is here to make the process as straightforward and simple as possible.