How to Efficiently Heat Your Garage

If the only time you're in your garage is the amount of time it takes you to get out of your car and walk to the door, then you probably don't need to heat your garage. But a garage can be more. It could be a workspace, a retreat of sorts, somewhere you actually spend time. So for some people, a toasty warm garage during the winter months makes a lot of sense. But how can you efficiently heat such a large space?

You're Going to Need Insulation

Trying to heat an uninsulated garage is an exercise in futility. Traditionally, insulating a room means you need to remove the plaster so that insulation batts can be layered inside the wall cavity. It can be easier than this. A garage can be insulated by making several small, strategically-positioned holes in the wall. Loose-fill cellulose insulation can then be evenly sprayed into the hole. This is a type of foam which solidifies inside the wall, creating insulation. The holes can then be patched (which is mandatory) before the wall is repainted (which is optional). So now your garage walls are insulated, but now what?

The Power of Combustion

A portable heater (fan, radiant, or convection) will provide some warmth, but it's not going to be enough for the space. To quickly heat the space, you should opt for a combustion heater. This will need to be professionally installed inside your garage since it will need to have ductwork built into the wall and/or ceiling. The combustion heater can be fueled by wood, but natural gas or propane will be more straightforward since you won't need to manually add fuel to stoke an actual fire. This will sort your heating needs during the winter months, but what about if you live somewhere that has cold winters and hot summers?

Hot and Cold

Obviously you're not going to be operating your heating during the summer months, but you might benefit from a system that can provide warm air in winter and cold air in summer. A ductless miniature split system air conditioner is the answer. It can provide both chilled and warm air. It will need to have a dedicated compressor for the unit (which will be located outside), and this provides a solution for all temperature extremes, not just the colder months. 

When you need to heat your garage, you need to do it properly; otherwise, you will end up with an inefficient method that will end up costing you far too much money in energy consumption.

For more information, contact a local heating service.