Most of the time, you garage is merely meant to be a place for storing cars, lawn care items, and other tools, so they often lack insulation and heating ducts. As a result, you homeowners often find themselves with a workshop that is too cold to get any work done in the winter.
You don’t have to put off your hobbies and projects until the warmer months, however. If you would like to learn more about how to heat up garages, read on. We’ve come up with five things you can do to make your garage more comfortable for year-round use.
Install Insultation
Before you go out and buy the most expensive heater, you need to make sure that your garage is properly insulated. Otherwise, the warm air will continue to escape no matter how long you run the heating system. To prevent this from happening, we suggest that you insulate both your garage door and the walls.
Often times, garages are built with little to no insulations, so anything would be better than nothing. We recommend that homeowner install fiberglass batt insulation in the stud space of their garage walls. Then, you can finish the walls by adding drywall, plywood, or OSB.
Once you have your walls thoroughly insulated, you need to make sure that your door has insulation as well. This step is especially important if you have a thin metal door. You can buy a garage door insultation kit and install it yourself to see an increase of 10 degrees in your garage’s temperature this winter.
Eliminate Any Drafts
There are plenty of drafty spots in the average garage between the garage door frames and gaskets. If you have windows in your garages, that’s another problem area that you will need to handle. You will need to invest in weather-strip seals and shrink film window insulation. When you do, you will thoroughly seal off all of the drafts leaking cold air into your garage. All of these steps are easy enough to DIY, but they will make a huge difference.
Heat the Garage Floor
Once you finally have your garage well-insulated and sealed-off, you can finally start to install some heating products. Since hot air rises, it’s a good idea to start from the floor. Radiant heat can make a huge difference, but it can only be installed before you pour your concrete. Therefore, this isn’t a simple and affordable solution. If you already have a completed garage, you’ll have to tear out your existing floor and install a new one.
Homeowners who are willing to make the investment can expect a huge improvement in the comfort of their garage. Not only does the radiant heating help keep your floors warm, but it also heats the entire garage without blowing any dust and debris around. Mechanics will especially appreciate the radiant heat because they will no longer have to lay down on the cold cement floor.
Add a Ductless Heater
If you’re renovating an existing garage, you don’t have to rip the flooring up to install heat. In fact, you don’t have to install any intricate ductwork or elaborate heating systems to get good results. A well-insulated garage should be easy to heat with a ductless heating and cooling system. These systems are much easier to install, and they are a very efficient option, which is good news for your wallet!
Space Heaters
Lastly, we suggest a portable space heater as a simple and affordable alternative to the radiant floor heat and ductless heater. A space heater gives you a lot of flexibility. You can put it in your garage on days that you plan to work in your shop, or you can use it in your home on extra chilly days. A space heater is also a great way to supplement any heating system you’ve already installed in your garage.
We love space heaters because they come in a variety of sizes and prices. You can easily find a product that fits your garage’s needs and your budget. We recommend that you measure the square footage of your garage to determine which heater can most efficiently heat your space.
Make Your Garage Warmer This Winter
Are you ready to get to work? There are plenty of simple things you can do to make a huge difference in the comfort of your garage. You can follow all five of these steps, or you can pick the ones that best suit your needs. Even doing just one of the recommendations can have a huge impact! It’s up to you to decide which option best fits your skill level, garage, and budget.