Heating Things Up in the Garage

If you live anywhere that’s not 75 degrees and sunny all the time, chances are your garage can get a little uncomfortable at times. So do you splurge on a climate controlled environment or do you avoid the garage all together during temperamental seasons? This question isn’t easily answered as it depends on your specific circumstances. But, I can help you make an educated decision.

Humidity

If you store your wet boat, Jet Ski, hoses or leave your garage open to the elements, it can get humid during the summer months. The sun outside just seems to steam the inside of the garage like a pack of frozen veggies. Installing an air conditioning unit could take some of the stifling heat out of the area.

If you’re like a lot of people who keep the windows of their car open in the garage, you could be exposing the interior to harmful moisture that can cause bacteria and ruin your fabric or leather seats. A central a/c or a heavy duty window unit could help keep the moisture to a minimum; preserving the interior.

Winter

Just like the summer can make the garage feel like a sauna, the winter can make working in there miserable. Installing space heaters can take a little nip out of the air. Or, if you’re interested in installing central air, the heat can help keep your cars nice and warmed up without having to scrape the ice from their windshields.

Cleanliness

Typically, a climate controlled garage leads to a cleaner garage. Because bugs can no longer find those dark and damp areas to call home, they simply aren’t that interested in using your garage to set-up shop.

Of course, there are other ways to protect your garage from the creepy crawlies, all of which are even better when combined with the comfort of climate control:

• Garage floor coating can fill in cracks and protect your garage floor.
• Above ground storage can eliminate insect and pest hiding places.
• Garage organizers can help eliminate clutter around the garage that causes hazards and hiding places for pests.

Cost

It’s important to always consider the cost of adding anything to your garage. Especially when adding such variable costs as electricity. Unless you have an old A/C unit lying around, you’ll have to purchase one. But, don’t forget about the price of running it. You can expect your electric bill to go up no matter whether you’re heating or cooling your garage.

Insulation

Something many people don’t think about is whether or not their garage is insulated. In most cases, it’s not. It’s incredibly inefficient to be heating or cooling a space without insulation as there is nothing protecting the air from seeping through to the outside. You’ll essentially be paying tons extra in electricity for nothing.

You’ll have to really assess your situation to decide whether or not adding heating and cooling to your garage or workshop is energy and cost efficient for you. Use these tips to make sure you’re covering all the bases before heading to your hardware store.