There are many ways to heat a garage in winter, but which is the best way? A combination of techniques works the best to reduce air leaks, block drafts, and keep your garage toasty. Try these recommended methods.
1. Insulate Your Garage
Insulation helps heat a garage in winter and keep it cool in the summer. Insulate the garage ceiling, garage door, and garage walls. For garage windows, consider using plastic shrink film. Add weatherstripping around exits.
By insulating the garage, you will reduce drafts in the garage and feel more comfortable. This simple approach will help you work in the garage in the fall and spring, but if you want to stay warm all winter, you will need to add a heating source.
Insulation also ensures that any heat you add won’t escape through air leaks, so consider this a prerequisite to adding heat.
2. Start With a Space Heater
Portable, budget-friendly space heaters make sense when you only need to warm the garage occasionally. Electric space heaters can be used in the garage or home, don’t cost much to run, and work well for small garages. Depending on the style of heater you choose and the size of your garage, it may take a while to warm the space (in which case preheating can help). This is a great first step to take while you research garage heating options. Plus, it never hurts to have an extra space heater around!
3. Try a Ductless Mini Split System
While forced air is a popular way to heat the garage, this approach is not ideal for hobbyists. Consider that air blowing through the forced air system can disturb dust and debris: a problem for those who use the garage as a woodworking zone, among other things.
Ductless systems offer the advantage of heat without high-pressure air as well as many other benefits. These wall-mounted systems heat and cool with a single unit, so you can control the garage temperature year round. Ductless mini splits, sometimes called ductless heating and cooling systems, are energy efficient and easy to install. If you’re renovating your garage for extra living space, this is the best type of heating system to choose.
4. Add Radiant Heating
Raise your comfort level by adding radiant heating to garage floors and walls. While radiant heating is pricey to install up front, it does not cost much once installed, so the cost averages out. Radiant heating systems should always be installed by a professional, as the installation process is involved.
Is your old garage door too drafty? Rather than insulate a worn door, replace it with a well-fitting steel garage door before you add heat to the garage. Replacing a garage door adds value, reduces air leaks, and helps you maintain a comfortable garage even in winter. Visit our showroom to browse replacement garage door styles.
