Great Garage Kits: Go Gambrel for More Space

One of the most economical and attractive ways to increase your home storage is with a garage building kit. Many of these are based on the traditional pole building design, so in order to get the most usable space, consider the gambrel style roof option.

That is just what one couple recently discovered—and it is illustrated in the photo. When Bill and Joan needed additional storage, they were not sure just what kind of building would best fit their needs. At a minimum, they figured they needed something that would allow room to store their two vehicles—a pickup truck and the family van.

And at the same time they really wanted room for Bill’s growing collectables that were beginning to take over the house. As the couple reviewed garage designs, they rejected the traditional “A-frame” style as the attic storage area just feels too cramped.

And yet the footprint of a three-car design, which would have left one bay for Bill’s stuff took up too much yard space.

They finally solved the dilemma by choosing a home garage kit

with gambrel attic trusses. Serendipitously, this also solved issues of site characteristics and zoning regulations. The additional space that opens up with the gambrel truss was just the ticket as the cost for the kit and construction was still well within the couple’s budget.

They also felt it was important to keep the color scheme of the existing house exterior. Accordingly, the garage kit provider sent them color samples of the available vinyl siding and roofing shingles in order to make the selection. They were delighted to discover that the exact same materials and colors were available as those used on the house exterior and roof.

After thinking it over together, they upgraded from the standard seven-foot door height to eight-foot doors to accommodate their oversized vehicles and an additional personal entry door for convenience. For very little additional expense, they added two windows to add additional light that makes it much more pleasant for Bill to spend time upstairs in the new garage.

At the end of the project, both Bill and Joan were pleased at how well the building complemented their existing home. Joan was clearly delighted to empty out some of the stacks of boxes that had been accumulating in the guest bedroom and den. “This garage kit is the best home improvement project we have ever undertaken,” Bill added. “If we had realized how easy it was and how much it would add, we’d have done it a lot sooner!”

Garage Kit: A Great Family DIY Project

Once you’ve tried a do-it-yourself project as big as a pole barn kit, as we did, you’ll be ready to tackle more projects that add to the functionality and convenience of your home, farm, or office. The kits that are on the market today do not require sophisticated knowledge, we discovered. With a bit of help from friends, we’ve saved a bundle while adding to the value of our property.

So after congratulating ourselves on the pole barn we put up for use as a farm storage shed for equipment two years ago, we took a year off. But in May we decided it was time to do something for our own cars. Given that the original garage had “disappeared” and become the family den ages ago, we had been parking our truck and car outside for the last few years.

So this summer we bought a garage kit to put right next to the house with easy access to the kitchen door. Even though we only currently own two vehicles, we purposely chose a three-vehicle model with three separate doors for ease of use. We figured the extra space would eventually be necessary, and it looks like we are well on our way to filling it. And that is even before our two adolescent sons, 14 and 16, have cars of their own. As you will see, they have definitely earned a parking spot when that day comes!

In fact, the space is already being taken over by our growing handyman and handywoman projects, as this is an equal opportunity family. One thing that we are noticing as we pursue more and more of these types of adventures is that our teenaged children are showing more interest.

We did allow them to participate in some of the discussions about color (white) and placement of the building (by kitchen). But at first we did not include them in the actual construction activities. That little taboo seemed to serve as a temptation to pitch in. Finally we did let them help with some of the easier, safer tasks, with supervision. We’ve noticed how they point out the garage with pride to their friends who visit, with a casual “Yeah, I helped build that.” And then they bask in at least as much peer admiration as they get for top scores on video games!

Overall, our experience with pole barn and garage kits has exceeded our expectations. Not only do we have the storage and garage space that we have long needed, but we did it at a much more economical cost. The results of our experience are attractive and absolutely functional!

Also, seeing how the whole family really pulled together to put our prefab garage kit together, we’ve come up with a new motto: “The family that nails together stays together!”