Getting Your Garage Game-Day Ready

Your garage is the perfect spot to host the ultimate football party.

Fall is around the corner, which means football season is upon us. You know you’re going to want to have a bunch of friends over to watch a few games this year… But do you really want them in your living room, spilling salsa on your new couch? And what if your kids get ahold of the remote first and start one of their Sunday afternoon cartoon marathons?

Nope, you need a space that’s all about football — someplace that not only looks good but can also take its fair share of abuse. And if you’ve got a garage, you already have the perfect spot. 

Starting From the Ground Up With a Garage Floor Coating

If you’re like most people, you probably have an exposed concrete garage floor. Gray and dirty, probably stained with oil or paint and maybe even cracked and pitted. Not exactly ideal for a game-day party in your mancave, right? Well, there is a simple, permanent solution to this problem that only takes about a day to complete. It’s called polyaspartic flooring and it’s likely available from experienced garage floor coating installers right in your area. (Though not all polyaspartics are the same. More on that later.)

Polyaspartic floor coating technology has been around for decades and has been used in a variety of high-traffic commercial settings like factories, warehouses and gyms. Now, polyaspartic floors are available to residential homeowners, offering the looks and durability of granite but with the ability to install them in about a day.

Unlike epoxy floor coatings, which can crack, peel and yellow over time, professionally installed polyaspartic flooring can last for decades. Pay attention to the “professionally installed” part, however. That’s because the key to a successful polyaspartic flooring installation is proper surface preparation. And that means that you not only must have experience working with the product, but you also need access to highly specialized tools like walk-behind industrial grinders and commercial vacuums.

But once the floor coating is installed, it looks truly amazing! It basically turns your old dingy garage into a fancy showroom. And it doesn’t just look good; it cleans up easily too. Spills and dirt just wipe right up without a trace. And if you live in a colder climate, ice and snow can be brushed off or squeegeed out the door.

If you do opt for a new garage floor, make sure the company installing it uses a 100 percent polyaspartic formulation like Hello Garage does. Some companies that claim to use polyaspartic technology actually use a blend. (If it’s not 100 percent, it’s not UV-stable — and you definitely don’t want it.) 

Organizing Your Garage

Our shelving and workbenches make hosting and prepping easy.

Once your beautiful new floor is laid down, you’ll notice right away that the rest of your garage is suddenly going to look a little shabby by comparison. So, before your fantasy football league buddies show up, you’re going to want to add some storage and organization options that will declutter and organize your garage space while providing a place for beverages, chips, dips and anything else you want to feed those animals!

Sturdy cabinets and garage shelving are a must. And they should be built from commercial-grade welded steel — if you can find it. Hello Garage shelves and cabinets are a good option because they’re not only extremely strong and durable (there’s that welded steel we talked about), but they’re also powder-coated for corrosion resistance, which means they look really good as well.

Let’s take a closer look at the storage and organization options that any self-respecting game day-ready mancave should include:

• Cabinets: Garage cabinets are ideal for holding footballs, volleyballs and other sports gear while hiding all the items you don't want your guests to see. Plus, since they’re steel, they make a perfect surface for magnets and hanging team décor.
• Shelving: Sturdy shelves are made to handle heavy tools and paint cans, but they work well for setting out your snacks and beverages too.
• Slatwall: Slatwall offers a great way to organize long tools and other oddly shaped items. You can also mount a flat-screen TV to it, so long as you secure it properly.
• Workbench: A workbench provides a perfect surface for projects and crafts, but it also makes a perfect buffet surface for snacks, plates and cutlery. Are you a grill master? Prep your items right on the butcher block service.
• Drop zone: A drop zone is an everyday necessity for a busy family, but it’s also great for handling coats and scarves for a football watch party — a must during those winter playoff games!
• Overhead Storage: Having overhead storage allows you to store more of your items with the space you already have, right above your head!
• Track System: Keep your bulky, oversized items off the floor and hung on display with a track system and hooks.

Post-Game: Easy Garage Cleaning

A clean floor is just a sweep or squeegee away.

When the game is over (hopefully your team won) and your crew heads back home to celebrate or sulk, cleaning up is a breeze thanks to that new polyaspartic garage floor. You can even hose the thing off and send any spilled liquids swirling down the drain. How cool is that?

Plus, because you’ve organized everything in one “room,” it just takes a few minutes to gather up all the leftovers and take care of the trash and recycling.

And your beautiful living room couch? Not a drop of salsa to be seen. Now that’s a perfect start to a winning season!

To learn more about these and other garage renovation solutions and to book a free Dream Garage consultation, visit HelloGarage.com.