The winter season is almost upon us, and we are all looking forward to warm, comfortable clothing, boots, sweaters, coats and the great outdoors. But you may not realize how much money you could save by doing some home improvement projects yourself and spending less on heating bills in the process. Some things can be just as affordable as a heating bill these days, after all. And if your garage is one of the few rooms in your house that doesn’t use any electricity, you’re in for even bigger savings. Here are five ways to heat your garage in winter and keep it at a comfortable temperature.
The first thing you need to do is add some new insulation to your garage. A thin layer of fiberglass will do, as long as you don’t put it directly on the floor, which would conduct the heat downward instead of redistributing it inside. Insulation can be rolled out on a sheet or attached to a foam board, and then stuck down into the floor. You should probably use fiberglass or another flexible type of insulation, rather than rigid plastic, which does tend to retain its shape. Once you’ve insulated the floor, it’s time to put up your ceiling fan. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to look for one with a higher powered motor, as high-powered fans can heat a larger area than the light bulbs in them, which will help reduce the amount of cold air that collects in the ceiling.
If you have an enclosed garage, or your car workshop is partially enclosed, you can insulate the walls by putting plywood or bar across the top, but you can also use layers of insulation between the walls and ceiling. (If you don’t want the insulation to contact the ceiling, put a tarp over the floor where you are working, and cover the ceiling with plywood or rebar.) If your workshop has a door leading outside, you can install weather stripping along the bottom of the door. This will help retain heat in the garage, as well as cut off drafts from going out through the door.
Another option for insulating your garage is to use a space heater. (Don’t run the space heater directly from the power source, as this could be a fire hazard.) You can get a space heater in one of two different configurations. You can try a portable space heater, which you place inside the garage, and then just leave it there. The other option is a central heating system, in which the garage heater is installed in a central location, and all of the electrical wiring is hidden away from sight.
If you do plan to get a garage heater, you may want to get some sort of universal garage heaters that can be plugged into any standard outlet. In addition, you should make sure that your garage heater has controls which can be used for controlling the temperature from a remote location. Some garage heaters also have automatic shut-off controls, so they can automatically switch off when the temperature gets too hot. Look for reviews of any specific brand on the Internet before you buy a unit.
As you can see, there are many different options available for providing heat to your garage. Which one you choose will depend on the size of your garage and the conditions that you usually find there. Some of these options are more effective than others. Hopefully this article has helped you decide which of the 5 best ways to heat your garage in your home will work best for you.