The garage is home to so much more than just cars! For some people, the garage is an escape where they can practice woodworking, auto maintenance, or sports. For some, it is the “man-cave” where they spend time with friends, watching the game. For others, its where they teach their kids to play baseball, and hang up their bikes after the afternoon ride. 

If you want to get more out of your garage, we have some tips for you! Since we’ve been working on residential garage doors for over thirty years, we have spent countless hours in different garages, and we can say confidently that most homeowners are underutilizing their space! Although it is the middle of winter, a properly insulated garage door can let you enjoy your garage year round – but for now, we’re going to talk about a summer classic. 

Have you ever been to an outdoor movie? Movies on the lawn are a summertime tradition, the hallmark of festivals and family gatherings. There’s few things that bring a community or family together better than gathering everyone on the grass to watch a timeless classic, projected on the big screen. Unfortunately, those huge screens can be hard for a homeowner to come by! Inflatable screens are expensive and difficult to set up, and finding a wall that’s both the right color and the right position can be impossible. Instead, why not turn to your handy garage door to get the job done?

There are two basic ways to transform your residential garage door into a movie screen – either on the inside or the outside. No matter what way you’re going, you’ll need a projector to actually watch the movie, and some device to play the film on (usually you can play the movie from a laptop and connect your laptop to the projector, but individual models vary). If you don’t own a projector, you may be able to borrow or rent one from your local high school or library. You will also want some sort of speakers, because any good movie deserves a good audio setup! In addition, if your garage door isn’t white, you’ll want a plain white sheet to hang over the door to project onto. You can use a cheap sheet from storage, but you may want to iron out any heavy creases in the fabric and get a sheet thick enough that the color of your door won’t be visible through it.

If you have a heated or well-insulated garage, the interior of your garage might make for a great viewing experience all year round. Move the cars outside and bring out the old sofa, and suddenly all you need is popcorn and dim lighting to set the movie mood! Modern residential garage doors are much better insulated than older models, and if you do have a nicer garage you may not have change much to turn it into your family’s own personal theater. 

If you want the full outdoor experience, you’ll need to take a few more details into account. It is getting chillier in Charlotte, so make sure that if you’re hosting a movie, you have sufficient blankets or heat stations for everyone! Put down blankets and mats if people are going to be sitting on your driveway, and arrange any cushions or area rugs that you don’t mind getting outside. You can even set up lawn chairs, for the full authentic “movies on the lawn” experience. 

For an outdoor movie night, make sure that you’ve informed your neighbors about the event – if you like them, you can even invite them! Movies are perfect for brining a community together. Choose a family-friendly movie and try to keep the volume down. You’ll want to wait until nightfall to start, but keep in mind that you don’t want movie to stretch past anyone’s bedtime! Watching a movie under the stars outside your own home is an experience that you’ll remember for years, and well worth the effort for setup. 

This is just one of the many clever ways that you can get more out of your residential garage door. Let us know any other ways that you use your garage door in the comments below!