Garage door specialists Garolla share tips on planning a garage conversion with the 2024 summer of sport in mind. The Euros (football) and Wimbledon (tennis) have already kicked off, and with the Paris Olympics just around the corner many are planning where they are wanting to watch the events unfold.
Alastair Mayne, COO at Garolla commented: “As far as garage conversion ideas go, creating a space to watch sport with your mates is one of the simplest and most fun projects you could undertake. You can easily turn your garage into a sports room over the course of a weekend, while bigger projects (involving new insulation or flooring) might take a bit longer. Much depends on the current state of your garage, the size of your garage and the type of entertainment system you want to set up”.
—
Garolla shared some key considerations:
Screen
- You could mount a TV on the wall – large flat screens are much more affordable than they used to be and come with smart TV apps that allow you to stream from your favourite channels.
- Another option is to purchase a projector – these can be free standing, or mounted from the garage ceiling – to project the big game onto the wall or a screen. Your projector will need to be plugged into a laptop or similar to stream the match. Using a projector also removes the potential hazard of damaging a wall-mounted TV when it’s not in use.
Sound
- You’ll want to ensure you have a high-quality sound system that delivers crisp, clear sound to bring that big match atmosphere.
Refreshments
- A beer fridge is going to be a must to help calm the nerves and make sure that you don’t miss a minute of the action with trips to the kitchen. You could go a step further and create your own bar, installing your own keg beer pump and optics
- Garolla also estimates that homeowners could save around £80* (£79.52) per person by watching the Euros at home, based on average UK beer cost data
Entertainment
- Finally, you might need some entertainment pre- and post-match. Some of our favourite garage conversion additions include table football, a pool table and a games console
—
Mayne continued: “Planning is key – think about what you want to include in your garage, the amount of space available to you and therefore a layout, a budget for your project, and a timeline, and work from there.
“It goes without saying that the most important item for watching the Euros is going to be a big screen – whether you choose to mount a TV on the wall, or opt for a projector set-up instead, security is key. Our recent research highlighted that an estimated 169,031** households have zero home security measures currently in place, emphasising potential security risks across the country. Your garage door serves as an entry point to your home, making it a common target for burglars. Investing in garage door security offers a multitude of benefits for homeowners, and a well-secured garage door acts as a barrier against burglars, safeguarding your home and valuable possessions from unauthorised entry, and is a crucial safeguard against theft and vandalism.
“However, not all garage doors are made equal… Unless properly reinforced, older garage doors with an ‘up and over’ mechanism can be forced open, making these garages more vulnerable against intruders and the contents susceptible to burglary. Garolla’s electric roller garage doors are made from double-skinned aluminium and insulated with high-density polyurethane for added strength, as well as secure guide rails, auto locks (which ensure the door cannot be lifted manually), and anti-clone remote control technology. Our SafeGuard Plus system also features ‘KeeLoq’ – a rolling code technology to prevent remote control fob cloning by criminals”.
Garolla’s Head of Partner Growth – Andy Gray (43), from York – shared how he transformed his garage into a ‘man cave’ two years ago: “To turn my garage into my ideal ‘man cave’, I included a full golf sim with projection, impact screen, artificial Huxley putting turf and strike mat, Sky Sports TV, Netflix etc, and a draft beer machine. In general, I use my ‘man cave’ once a week, but during the summer of sport in 2024 this will likely increase – for the Euros final on Sunday, the plan is to watch the game on the big screen, with some beers with the lads.
“The initial transformation project took three months, and cost around £30k. However, I have now removed the snap-on arcade machine and snap-on speaker, and bifold doors are going in next year to open them up to the garden for evening movie nights”.
For more information, visit: https://garolla.co.uk/news/garage-conversion-ideas-sports-man-cave-to-watch-the-euros
