12 Best Easiest Ways To Heat A Garage
The garage is an important part of any house. Here, you can have your workshop and also perform other tasks. That is why it is important to keep it as warm as possible. However, the task might seem a bit tricky if you do not know how to go about it. Fortunately, you have come to the right place as we have highlighted the best ways to heat a garage.
Determine Your Heating Needs
The very first thing that you should do is to determine how much heat you will need to get the garage warm enough. There are a few factors that will help you estimate just how much you need in terms of the heating capabilities of the choice of a heating method. One of the greatest factors to consider is the size of your garage.
It goes without saying that the larger the garage, the more heat it will require to keep it warm. Another factor that will determine the heating capabilities that you need is how cold your garage gets. The colder it becomes, the more heat the garage will require.
After you have ascertained the above issues, it is important to evaluate how warm you want the garage to get. You do not want to install a system that will make your garage unbearably hot.
After determining these factors, you are now able to make an informed decision on the heater that you need to install to warm your garage.
What Size Of A Heater Do I Need For My Garage?
Heater output is measured by BTUs. To help you estimate the size of the heater you need for your garage, you will need to determine enough BTUs to cover your entire garage. To do so, follow these steps.
Determine the square footage of your garage by multiplying the width and length of your garage. A car parking area that can accommodate two vehicles is approximately500 square feet.
Once you get these measurements, get a heater that has a slightly higher BTU than your garage measurements require. This will cater to possible heat loss due to inadequate insulation and other such factors. All heating units have an indication of the square footage they can heat.
The 12 Best Way To Heat a Garage
You should note though that if your garage is completely insulated or unfinished, you will need a much powerful heater since the loss of heat is quite considerable. You should also consider insulating your garage walls, door, and windows to preserve as much heat as possible.
With that in mind, let’s now know more about the best ways to heat your garage. There are several mechanisms you can put in place to ensure that your garage stays warm throughout the year. Some of these methods are;
1. Use an Electric Space Heater
One of the ways that you can heat your garage is by using an electric space heater. There are various types of space heaters all with different capabilities. Most portable garage space heaters are too small to provide adequate heating to the entire garage. However, they will save you on installation costs and are very ideal to heat up your working space. Therefore, if you want to keep the cold at bay, it is advisable to go for ceiling-mounted heaters. They are usually larger but provide more warmth. You can also mount them on the wall. Most of the mounted garage space heaters are scone with additional safety measures like auto-shutoff to avoid overheating thus they are a safer option.
However, one drawback with ceiling-mounted heaters is that their warmth might not reach the floor. To solve this issue, you can use some floor heating technology like a baseboard heater.
2. Insulate The Walls For Heat A Garage
The other source of cold in garages is the walls. Most often, garage walls are made of wall studs with a sheath covering on the outside. As a result of this thin material, they permeate a lot of cold air into the garage. To solve this problem, you should use butt insulation to insulate your garage walls. On the inside, you can insulate the walls using Oriental Strand Board (OSB), drywall panels, or plywood sheets. The insulation will ensure that warm air stays in and cold air stays out thus keeping your garage warm.
3. Insulate The Garage Door For Heat A Garage
Another great source of cold in the garage is the door. Most garage doors are made from metal which can get extremely cold in the winter and as a result lower the temperature of the entire garage. To solve this issue, you need to insulate the garage door otherwise all the other measures might be in futility. Insulating the door, even without turning the heater on, raises the garage temperature by 10 to 12 degrees! The best part about insulating a garage door is that it is a simple DIY project that does not require much technical know-how. Additionally, there are very many garage door insulation kits in the market which makes the process even easier.
4. Seal All the Gaps That Allow Cold Air In
The garage is bound to have many gaps that allow cold air in. The main culprits of drafts are the garage door frames, gaskets, and windows.
As you might realize, most garage doors do not fit perfectly in their frames. As such, there are many gaps all around the garage door. The good news though is that sealing these gaps is quite easy. All you need to use are strip seals. The seals are readily available in the stores and online. The task of sealing these gaps is also easy as no technical know-how is required.
The other main source of cold in the garage is worn-out garage door gaskets. The gaskets are found at the bottom of the door to cover the space between the door and the floor. But as it happens, over time, they wear off and do not perform their task of covering this gap well which lets cold air in. Therefore, replacing the gaskets will make sure that cold air does not get inside the garage.
The last major culprit for letting cold air into the garage is the windows. If your garage has windows then it is important to seal off any gaps that might be permeating cold air. To seal these gaps, use shrink-type film.
5. Propane Heating
Another great way of heating your garage is by using propane gas. You can use propane heater as the main heating mechanism for the whole house or you can also use it to warm individual rooms like your garage. One of the greatest advantages of a propane heating system is that it is a cheaper option than electric-powered heating systems. Another great feature of the propane heating method is that it is not affected by power blackouts. However, one of the downsides of this method is that you require to conduct regular checks to avoid any mishaps like fires. For these reasons, you should consider using propane gas to heat up your garage.
6. Use of Water Heated Pipes For Heat A Garage
The way in which you use water pipes is by installing them on your garage floor or on the walls. The water that runs through the pipes is heated by a boiler and thus produces heat through radiation. This system of heating your garage is not only simple but also very effective. One of the downsides of this system especially when it comes to garage floors is that you might have to redo the flooring which might be expensive.
7. Wood Burner For Heat A Garage
Another great way of keeping your garage warm throughout is using a wood burner. As the name suggests, you use wood fire to heat up your garage. The wood burner is one of the most affordable and cheap heating options for your garage especially if you live in an area where there is a lot of firewood. The method is also very effective in heating a large area for a long time. However, you must make sure that the garage is well ventilated to allow the fumes and the gases produced by the fire to escape. Otherwise, things can get pretty uncomfortable due to the gasses and fumes.
8. Electric Ceiling Panels For Heat A Garage
Another great option for heating up your garage is by using electric ceiling panels. The ceiling panels heat up pretty fast and are a great option if you want to heat your garage fast. The option is also energy efficient as the ceiling panels produce just the right intensity of heat that you require in the garage. They are also easy to replace should they develop any mechanical or electric failure. However, the ceiling panels are only used on garages with a ceiling. Therefore, if your garage is unfinished or does not have a ceiling, then this might not be the best option and you should go for alternative ways of heating up your garage.
9. Ductless Heating
Another great option for heating your garage is ductless heating. This mechanism works like a central heating system with the difference being that the method does not use ductwork. Neither do you have to connect it to any preexisting duct system? Additionally, the system is very effective in heating up your garage.
One major advantage of this method is that it is very energy effective. It is also environmentally friendly since it does not produce any gases or fumes. You can also place the system either on the floor, on the ceiling or the wall. The system though has some downsides. It is more costly to install ductless heating than it is to install some other heating mechanism. Additionally, you have to keep on cleaning the filters. Other than that, it is a great garage heating option.
10. Use a Combustion Space Heater
Combustion space heaters are units that use a specified fuel type-either kerosene or propane gas to heat up the place. They use the fuel to heat up and as a result, warm the air through convention thus warming up the garage. They are an economical option since they do not have any upfront costs like installation fees. Combustion space heaters also do a pretty good job of heating an averagely sized garage pretty fast. Since they do not use electricity, they can continue to warm your garage even when there is a power blackout. One of the downsides though of the combustion space heaters is that they are very noisy. Another downside of the devices is that their fuel odor can have a negative effect on some people.
11. Infrared Heating
Another great mechanism to use to warm your garage is infrared heating. This is a different method from the other methods to heat the garage in that it is efficient in warming up a particular spot or the entire garage. This method usually works by heating a mat which is placed on the floor thus producing heat. It is a very effective way of heating the garage floor especially if you are working on your car and you need to lie down.
12. Oil Filled Space Heater
The other very efficient way to heat up your garage is by using Oil Filled Space Heater. Do not let the name oil-filled space heater confuse you into thinking that the heater uses oil to heat your garage. The heater is powered by electricity but it has oil which preserves the heat produced by the device. The retention and distribution of heat evenly into your garage makes the heater very efficient thus saving you on electric costs.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most efficient way to heat a garage?
The most effective way to heat a garage depends on a number of factors. You should consider the size of your garage, how cold it gets, and other similar factors. However, electric heaters are the most efficient way to heat your garage because they have regulated heat output.
What type of heater is best for my garage?
The best type of heater for your garage again depends on the size of the garage and how well it is insulated. If you have a large garage, then a mounted electric heater would be the best choice because they are more powerful. If your garage is not as large, you can go for a portable heater or an infrared heater.
How do you heat an uninsulated garage?
There are many ways of heating an insulated garage. You might decide to use portable or mounted garage heaters. The advantage of portable heaters is that you can warm up your working space as it would be a huge task to heat up the entire uninsulated garage using the device.
The second way is by choosing a very powerful mounted or ductless heating system that will warm up the entire garage. However, to save on electric costs and the time it takes to warm the garage, it is better to insulate your garage.
Are infrared heaters good for a garage?
Yes, infrared heaters are very good for a garage. The heaters do not only warm the air but also the objects in the garage thus maintaining a comfortable temperature.
Are oil-filled heaters cheap to run?
Oil-filled heaters are very cost-efficient. The main reason is that they have oil which is heated by the conversion of electric power to heat energy. The oil absorbs the heat and warms up the heater which in turn warms the room through the convention. Oil-filled heaters are cheaper to run since they convert 99% of electric power to heat.
Recap
The garage is a very important part of the house. Here, you perform your DIY projects or also use it as a workshop. As such, it is important to keep it as warm as possible. There are various ways in which you can warm your garage. You can use a heater, seal off all gaps and insulate the garage walls and door, use water heated pipes, or ductless heating among other methods.
The method that you use to warm up your garage will depend on a number of factors. First, you must consider the size of your garage. Some heating methods are quite effective in heating up small garages but are not effective in heating up larger areas. The cost of the heating mechanisms also varies with some having high installation costs but low operating costs.