Your man cave is your palace, your domain. It should be somewhere that makes you feel comfortable, relaxed, and at home.
Unfortunately, many man caves start out as dingy basements or decrepit garages. Turning them into paragons of relaxation and comfort can take quite a bit of work.
To help you create your little utopia, we’ve created a guide that will help you work your way systematically through the jobs that need to be done.
Clear Out
First things first, clear out the space. Up until now, you’ve probably been using the garage or basement to store stuff you didn’t want to throw away.
That has to stop.
If you’re going to create a man cave you need to find a new place for the stuff you want to keep and you need to get rid of the junk.
It’s no good leaving boxes stacked in one corner and promising to find space for them. You never will. Get rid of them before you create your man cave otherwise they will end up cluttering up your man cave.
While you’re clearing out, don’t forget to strip any wall paper and remove any flooring or carpets that need to go.
Water and Damp Proofing
Basements and garages are not always weathertight. They can be prone to seepages as water from below the floor or around the walls makes its way inside.
Before you even think about laying flooring, treat the ground with waterproof underlayment. You’ll need to do the walls as well. When doing the walls and floor, check for any cracks and seal them before waterproofing.
Wiring
You need to get your wiring done before you think about decorating the walls, floor and ceiling. If you do it afterwards, you’ll end up punching holes in your painted walls to run cables.
When it comes to wiring, you want to make sure you have enough outlets for your tv, entertainment system, consoles, lights, lamps, and sound systems. A good choice is to place 4 sockets on each wall, 2 at either end.
If you’ve already decided where your tv and things are going to go, why not get the sockets installed in the same place. It will save you trying to run extension cords about the place.
Another thing to think about when it comes to wiring is if you need any special outlets. If you have any kit that requires 240V outlets, make sure you get some installed.
Plumbing
While you’re thinking about wiring, you’ll want to consider the plumbing too. This only really matters if you’re planning on having a bathroom installed.
If you’re installing a bar in your man cave, you might want to consider getting a sink and potentially a dishwasher installed. To do this you’ll need to bring some plumbing into the area.
Here’s a handy guide that will help you decide whether a wet bar is worth the effort in your man cave.
The Ceiling
Basements and garages often have unfinished ceilings with exposed plumbing and wiring.
Once you’ve got all your wiring and plumbing sorted you’ll want to cover up those wires. Installing a ceiling can be as simple as plasterboarding or installing drop tiles. It’s up to you.
Decorating
At this point, you should now have a blank canvas. The walls, floors, and ceiling should be prepped, the wiring and plumbing installed.
You now need to decide how to decorate and customise your man cave. This is going to be a super personal choice. We’re going to offer some ideas rather than tell you how to do it a specific way.
Let’s consider the floor first.
You have so many options when it comes to flooring. You could tile, carpet, lay laminate or vinyl, or get hardwood installed.
Carpet is a good choice if you plan on watching tv in your man cave. It helps absorb sound and prevents distortion. With harder floors sound waves can bounce off and cause a bit of an echo in the room.
Carpets will also keep your feet warmer. Unless you’ve installed some sort of heating in your man cave, expect it to get a bit chilly in the winter. Carpet is a good way of providing some insulation.
Of course the downside to carpet is that it absorbs spills and stains. If you’re planning on doing some drinking and partying, you might want to choose flooring that is easier to clean.
You could always create different spaces in your man cave. By this I mean you could have a carpeted area for relaxing and watching TV and a tiled or vinyl floor around the bar or drinking area.
Rugs are also a good choice if you want a bit of insulation around the tv or sound system but don’t want the hassle of cleaning an entire carpet.
Next up? The Walls.
This is where you can really personalize your man cave. You can use your collectibles or memorabilia to decorate the walls if you wish.
You could use the walls to mount monitors, projectors, and sound systems for your gaming consoles.
If you’re into hunting and the outdoors, you could use wood paneling to create a lodge or cottage feel.
Try to think of the walls as your canvas. They’re a space that you can use to create the room of your dreams.
We recommend installing any shelves and equipment that needs wall mounting before you start decorating. There’s nothing worse than lovingly hanging you sports jerseys only to realize that the tv needs to go in that spot!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, the first steps you’ll need to take to transform your basement or garage into your man cave.
There’s lots more to do after these steps, but this will help you get started.
Don’t forget to think about lighting, furniture, equipment and amenities when planning the layout of your man cave.
