How To Add a Mudroom to Your Garage

Are you tired of your children and pets bringing in dirt and trash from outside into the house? Are scattered shoes, coats and backpacks in the entryway driving you crazy? Don’t you wish there was a way to make cleaning and organizing your home a little easier? Well, there is.  If you have a little extra space in the corner of your garage – you should convert it into a mudroom. Mudrooms are typically the buffer zone between the inside and outside of your house and give you a place to wipe your shoes,  hang up your coats and get rid of trash before you come inside.

Benefits of Adding a Mudroom

• You don’t have to mop the whole house down every time the kids and pets come indoors.
• If you suffer from allergies, a mud-room significantly decreases the amount of pollen being tracked into your home, so you’ll be able to breathe a lot easier.
• Mud-rooms act as extra-closet space and will de-clutter your home, leaving it easier to clean and more pleasing to the eye.
• Mudrooms actually increase heating and cooling efficiency by providing a transition zone.

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Mudroom Elements

• Storage. Shelving that is reachable by all family members is essential. Pegs and hooks are necessary for hanging up backpacks, purses, wet coats, leashes and sporting equipment. Consider having a separate cubby for each child, with storage bins to accommodate their shoes and personal hooks for their backpack or coats. Add a laundry hamper so kids can discard their dirty duds on their way in. Mudrooms are also a great place to house your recyclables in between trash days, so purchase the appropriate bins.
• Flooring. Arguably the most important part of your mudroom, you want a type of flooring that is non-slip, non-stick and easy to clean. Any garage floor should fit these requirements, although tile and concrete are typically preferred. If you are going the extra-mile and fitting your mud-room with flooring, chose a color that doesn’t show dirt easily as it is not unusual for this area to start looking a little grubby very quickly. Don’t forget to add a fiber mat or rug near the doorway so you can scrape off your dirty shoes before coming inside.
• Proper heating and ventilation. Proper heating and ventilation greatly reduces humidity and prevents mildew and ‘soggy smells’. It also speeds up the drying of wet coats and shoes. Consider purchasing a small adjustable vent or fan, along with a heat lamp to help ease any wintery chills. Make sure all your doors and entryways are properly sealed to promote energy efficiency, and install doggy doors for the household pets needing to get in and out. 
  

Other Considerations for a Mudroom

A bench or chair is convenient for removing wet shoes. Keep a pair of clean, dry shoes nearby to slip on. Hanging a mirror up in the area is also a great idea so you can take one last look at yourself before you leave the house and make sure you look great. The mudroom can also be turned into a makeshift mini gallery where you can hang up all the kid-art that you don’t have space for on the fridge.

Oregon City Garage Door offers garage door service, installation and repair in the Portland area. To reach out to one of our specialists, fill out our online form or give us a call at 503-632-3070.