When it is cold outside, you do not want that chill to enter your garage. During the winter, homeowners do all they can to keep their homes warm but most do not think about their garage at all. Not weatherproofing a home may be a good idea in the short-term. However, when it comes to the long-term, it is not a good idea because the heat that is lost in a garage will be quite costly. However, all hope is not lost as I have tips and ideas for keeping a garage nice and warm no matter what the weather is like outside.
Weatherstrip The Garage Door
Not having weatherstripping around the door of a garage can leave a good amount of space where the cold air can enter the garage. As a homeowner, you would not crack your windows open during the winter, therefore you do not need to have the same amount of air enter your garage. Putting weatherstripping around the edges of your garage door will put a stop to this. If you are good at do-it-yourself home projects, you can put the weather stripping around your garage door by yourself. If not, your local garage door service company can do this for you.
Insulation
Whether your garage is a place for you to work or just a place to keep your car, insulation will help you maintain its temperature and keep it quiet as well. The three types of insulation are fiberglass, foam board, and reflective. A professional can tell you what type of insulation is best for your garage. However, if you know a lot about insulation, you can put it in your garage walls for a few hundred dollars.
Sealing Out Cold Air
The windows and door frames of a garage have places in them that are not sealed. Cold air enters the garage through these areas. Putting caulk around these areas can keep the cold air out. If the unsealed area is bigger than a small crack, it is a good idea to use a spray foam that will expand instead of caulk. You can buy these items at any hardware store.
Forced Air Units
A forced air unit is a cost-effective way to keep your garage warm in the wintertime. Forced air units send gusts of hot air into a room at one time. They can be heated by gas or propane and are ideal for garages that are clean versus garages that are used as a workspace. They should not be used in garages where you paint things or weld things due to the fact that they can ruin your projects or even start a fire.
Installing In-Floor Heat
Some of you may have heated floors inside certain parts of your home like your bathroom. As heating systems continue to develop, these units can handle more floor space than they had in the past. It should not be the main method of heating your garage though. However, it is an ideal way to prevent the floor of your garage from freezing during the winter months.
Electric Heaters
Electric heaters come in a lot of different sizes. They can work well with the main heating source of your garage to keep it warm all winter. It is a good idea to put them by your garage door where they can fight off the cold bursts of air that will come in through your garage door.
To use an electric garage heater, all you need to do is provide electricity and then it is ready to use. This type of heater is usually cost-effective. Therefore, you can afford to have more than one in operation in your garage when it is very cold outside. While we’re on the topic, check out our picks for the best electric garage heaters you can find today.
These easy-to-do and inexpensive methods of preparing your garage to weather through the cold winter months will make your garage warm without you having to spend a lot of money. Therefore, you will not feel glacial temperatures in your garage this winter or any winter in the future [1].
