Tips for keeping your garage cool

Are you seeking strategies to increase the energy efficiency of your house? Investing in more energy-efficient appliances, modernizing your fixtures, and sealing any air leaks are some ways to reduce your energy costs.

If you reside in an area where hot summers and cold winters are common, you have invested a lot of time and even money in completing these duties. However, if you are like most homeowners, you have probably neglected one important part of your house—the garage—by concentrating all your repairs and improvements on your main living area.

The temperature in your garage during the hot summer months can rise fast to unbearable levels. High temps cause a lot of perspiration and discomfort if you are a homeowner whose garage serves as a workshop or hobby shop. You may avoid working on chores, and you have likely questioned why your garage is so hot.

Even the most energy-efficient homes sometimes have garages that during the hot summer months seem to equal oven temperatures, but it does not have to be that way.

Garage with open door, look outside at night, 3d illustration

Why Won’t Your Garage Cool Down on Its Own?

  • They are inadequately insulated. You read it right. A garage needs insulation not only to stay warm but also to stay cool.
  • The garage has no windows or ventilation. Windows or vents that allow for natural ventilation assist to move air throughout the garage. A garage without ventilation will heat up rapidly, much like a confined interior space.
  • Location and orientation of the garage. A garage that faces west will become warm during the afternoon light.
  • Colors of the garage. A garage with a black door or roof will be hotter than a garage with lighter-colored components.
  • Parking your cars in the garage after using it on a hot day

Ventilating fan installed on a gray wall

How to Cool Y our Garage?

It is not as tough or expensive as you would imagine to keep your garage cool. It is possible that cooling down the temperature in your garage will not cost you anything at all. If you are wondering how to keep your garage cool, think about trying one — or more — of these fantastic solutions.

1. Open the door and take advantage of natural ventilation

You can discover ways to employ natural ventilation to keep your garage cool, especially if it lacks windows, in addition to insulation kits or insulated garage doors. The air circulation within your garage may be improved by opening any exterior-facing doors, windows, or doors other than the door leading into your home. This keeps things flowing and keeps your garage from becoming too warm.

2. Cool Vehicles Before Parking

When you pull a warm automobile into a garage and close the doors, the warmth remains there while the car cools. Parking your car in a shaded area will allow it to cool off and keep the additional heat out, which is a preferable solution

3. Install a fan

Installing a ceiling fan in your garage is another technique to keep it cool. It is an affordable and straightforward way to raise the temperature in your room. However, you may only put up a ceiling fan in a garage if the ceiling is at least eight feet high. Installing a fan in a garage with a low ceiling is a terrible idea since it might interfere with the operation of the garage door or make it impossible to park a taller car there.

If your garage has windows, you might also want to think about adding a window fan to bring cooler air inside or push hot air outside. Even on hot days, this feature may make your garage seem like any other room in your house.

4. Consider the benefits of air conditioning

Consider how often you will use it and how chilly you need it to be before deciding to install air conditioning in your garage. If you spend a lot of time in your garage and decide air conditioning is necessary, a window air conditioner or a portable floor unit could be installed as a more cost-effective solution.

5. Declutter

You will also benefit from maintaining a tidy garage in the hot summer months since less clutter allows air to move more freely. Consider adding some attic vents to let heat escape or installing a dehumidifier to keep your garage from feeling like a summer swamp as other ways to combat the heat. Learn the best methods for keeping a garage cool in the summer to protect your valuables and work comfortably.

6. Plant a tree

It benefits the environment, animals, and your money to implement this approach. The addition of a tree can help keep your garage cooler by providing shade during the sunniest hours of the day.

Walnut, maple, ash, oak, and magnolia trees are a few examples of shady trees. You will benefit from the winter sun to make your garage warmer throughout the chilly months because they shed their leaves every autumn.

7. For the exterior of your home and garage, choose lighter colors

By picking lighter hues for your roof and external walls, you may reduce the amount of heat that the outside of your home absorbs from the sun.

When purchasing new garage doors, keep in mind your garage’s orientation if you intend to utilize it for after-school activities when it will be the warmest outside.

Depending on the direction of your property, choosing lighter garage door colors might be beneficial. It could also be a good idea to choose a garage door design without windows or ones that let in the least amount of sunlight. Find out what personalized options are available by speaking with a garage door professional.

8. An important cooling factor is garage insulation

Most garages do not have enough insulation installed if any at all. If you use air conditioning in your garage, this has significant disadvantages.

The quantity of heat that is transported from the exterior to the interior of your garage will be greatly reduced with proper insulation. Insulation will help prevent your air conditioner’s cold air from leaking outdoors. If that occurs, your cooling system will have to work much harder, your power bill will go up, and it will take longer to cool the garage.

Conclusion

Having a cool garage makes you function properly. There are low-cost solutions on how to make your garage cool. Following the tips stated above will help you have a fresh and refreshing garage.