Garage game room (Houston, Mart: hair salon, houses, buying)

[DJboutit]

If you have a long drive and the garage is not attached to the house there should be no problem parking the cars on the driveway. Houston does not have basements so using your garage for anything other than parking your cars in it is normal here.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Practically no one in our neighborhood parks their car in the garage.

It shouldn't take too much to insulate and sheetrock. Add a split system, it'll be much better than a window unit. If its not climate controlled you want want to be out there most of the year anyway. As long as you keep the garage door the HOA won't know or care. Plus you do want to keep it a functioning garage for when you need to sell it.

If you get a pro to do it, they will install a completely separate compressor / evaporator / blower for the garage. In the case you put the car in the garage you won't get exhaust fumes (and other particles) floating up into the register & ducts, and then back through the rest of the system that blows inside the house. It's code anyway, and I doubt an installer will want that liability.

[FDqTX]

No basement, need more room? Buy a bigger house. Anyone with a garage that is left wide open all the time for storage, a man cave, or whatever, is fine if you love in an older home with an unattached garage or if somewhere not for the rest for the public to see. Neighborhoods that have homes with the garage in display for the rest of the street...if a lot of people are doing that, usually it's a bad sign.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by tstone

If you get a pro to do it, they will install a completely separate compressor / evaporator / blower for the garage. In the case you put the car in the garage you won't get exhaust fumes (and other particles) floating up into the register & ducts, and then back through the rest of the system that blows inside the house. It's code anyway, and I doubt an installer will want that liability.

Exactly, a split system:

Ductless Air Conditioning Houston - Air Specialist

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Practically no one in our neighborhood parks their car in the garage.

.

It's because they are lazy and have too much junk. Do most in your neighborhood have cars ranging from 20-40k that they leave outside?

[kaelti12]

Ever driven around the new neighborhoods up in Cottage Grove, those new homes with 2 car garages but with hardly any room in front to maneuver cars? Shared drives with 6 patio homes on either side. And most everyone there drive nice cars.
Most people in that neighborhood park on the street or in front of the garage(pulled in parallel to the door, they probably park one car in the 2 car garage) we have friends that live there and they park on the street and use the garage for a ping pong table.
People with standard sized trucks and SUVs cannot park on those garages without some serious forethought ( I know, we looked at a house there and I only drive a standard cab F150) There is no room to swing out to turn the truck into the garage without taking up the entire 2 car garage, because someone else's house is in the way. And even if you get it in there, if you put the other car in there is no way to swing the truck out without moving the other car every morning. Talk about a hassle.

Might as well use the garages for something.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by kaelti12

Ever driven around the new neighborhoods up in Cottage Grove, those new homes with 2 car garages but with hardly any room in front to maneuver cars? Shared drives with 6 patio homes on either side. And most everyone there drive nice cars.
Most people in that neighborhood park on the street or in front of the garage(pulled in parallel to the door, they probably park one car in the 2 car garage) we have friends that live there and they park on the street and use the garage for a ping pong table.
People with standard sized trucks and SUVs cannot park on those garages without some serious forethought ( I know, we looked at a house there and I only drive a standard cab F150) There is no room to swing out to turn the truck into the garage without taking up the entire 2 car garage, because someone else's house is in the way. And even if you get it in there, if you put the other car in there is no way to swing the truck out without moving the other car every morning. Talk about a hassle.

Might as well use the garages for something.

Strange I've lived in the heights before and am moving back and it's never been a problem. Again it's a junk issue not garage size or proximity to other houses. Your 40-50k dollar f150 would fit fine, yes even with another car

[kaelti12]

Originally Posted by Lowexpectations

Strange I've lived in the heights before and am moving back and it's never been a problem. Again it's a junk issue not garage size or proximity to other houses. Your 40-50k dollar f150 would fit fine, yes even with another car

Not the Heights(or at least, I never hear anyone refer to it as such), its the area that's TCJester and Larkin/Daring street. You should see how many of those 3 story houses they are cramming on lots that used to only hold one. Its crazy.

I'm sure it would fit but if I spent my money on a house I wouldn't want to spend my time in the morning and evenings getting the truck into position to put it in cramped garage. Its why we bought a house with an over sized 2 car garage and small driveway. Parking for friends and both cars.
If you aren't going to use it to park a car use for something else, why let it just be empty space.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by jtothemak

Why not use the garage for what it is intended for and put your cars in them??

Same reason people in Houston don't use turning signals for what they are intended for

[Prey521]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Same reason people in Houston don't use turning signals for what they are intended for

LMAO so true......first thing I noticed when I moved here from NY.