How to Build a Climate-Controlled Garage

There’s nothing more irritating than when your garage gets boiling hot during the summer and freezing cold during the winter—is there no middle ground? Especially if you spend most of your days fine-tuning your bike, car, or even dryer vent in the garage, if you don’t have proper climate control, you will only get to truly enjoy your space in the spring or fall. 

Garage Smart understands that creating and maintaining the right temperature in your garage is critical to getting work done to the best of your ability. Follow along as we dive into key suggestions to help you build a climate-controlled garage. 

Maintaining climate control for your garage is vital for the longevity of your tools, items, and the overall architecture of your garage. 

For example, a drop in temperature can make metal and wooden objects in your garage contract and malfunction. And an extreme rise in temperature can encourage parts of your garage to expand and move in ways that can hurt the structural integrity of your space. Any flammable items in your garage can heat up quickly during the summer months. 

Therefore, it’s important to invest time to maintain a consistent temperature in your garage for a safe and comfortable work environment.

How to climate control a garage involves incorporating four key tips. 

If you don’t have insulation, now is the time to set this up in your garage. Many people often think of insulation as keeping cold air out during the icy winter months, but it’s also useful in keeping hot air out during the sweltering summer season. 

Be sure to install insulation around all air entryways such as your windows, doors, ceilings, and interior walls to effectively heat-proof your garage.

Installing a heating and/or cooling unit in your garage can be very beneficial to regulating temperatures. Some good options are: 

• Vented combustion heater - These safe heaters hang from the ceiling and use only outside air for combustion. Moreover, it separates unhealthy exhaust gas products from the air that you breathe indoors. 

• Portable air conditioner - You can easily move around this portable unit to sufficiently cool parts of your garage space. 
• Window air conditioner - If you’re dealing with extreme temperatures in your area, a window air conditioner can provide you with substantial control over your garage weather. You can use some window units as a heater in the winter as well. 

Sometimes, your heating and cooling units can bring in more humidity than you need. Take advantage of dehumidifiers that can alleviate this issue and maintain proper air circulation in your garage. Some portable air conditioners also work as a dehumidifier which is a great investment if you’re looking to cool your garage as well during specific months. 

The type of garage door you have can make a big difference in the amount of temperature regulation you have in your space. When choosing a door, look out for models with insulating properties. Though they may cost more than regular doors, they will prove to be a smart investment in the long run. 

Incorporating these four techniques will help you gain better control of your garage’s temperature. Like any workspace, you want to make sure that you establish a secure environment that allows you to perform to the best of your ability and house your greatest assets.