Garages get a lot more use in warmer weather, but they are often put into hibernation during winter. It doesn’t mean that you should abandon your garage because it is cold outside. Your garage will feel warm and cozy in no time with the right heating options. These heating solutions will allow you to spend more time in your garage during winter and when it is cold outside.
Structur of content
Inadequate insulation and weatherstripping can make your heating costs double to triple if you use your garage a lot during the heating season. You pay for the energy lost through drafty windows and through uninsulated walls. It is therefore a good idea to do the same with your garage’s energy conservation efforts as with your home. According to the Department of Energy, insulation can save you up to 20% on your energy costs. These are some of the things you should pay special attention to:
There are many space heaters that use liquid fuel. These include kerosene and liquid propane. There are two main types:
A wood stove can be an excellent choice for heating the garage under certain circumstances–especially if you have a steady, inexpensive supply of wood for fuel. However, there are some caveats to using a wood stove.
It is important to allow for safe installation. All wood stoves should be connected to chimneys. Wood stoves take a long time to heat up and continue producing heat even after you have stopped giving it fuel. This is why they are not recommended for quick heating. For long projects, a wood stove is ideal. A woodworker who has a lot of scrap lumber might find a wood stove a great solution.
In a wood-burning fireplace, never burn pressure-treated lumber or any scraps of sheet material containing chemical resins. These materials can be contaminated with chemicals that pose health and safety hazards.
There are many types of electric heaters that can be used to heat garages. They come in a variety of sizes, including small 120-volt portable plug–in heaters, radiant overhead heating units up to 240-volt permanent heaters, and even permanent baseboard heaters. Electric heaters are convenient. They are silent, unobtrusive, and clean.
Although electric heaters can be relatively inexpensive to buy and install, they can also be quite expensive to run on a regular basis in colder climates. If you plan to use electric heat frequently in cold climates, it is best to weatherproof and fully insulate your garage. In moderate climates, where subfreezing temperatures may be rare, electric heaters can be a great option.
There are three types of electric space heaters:
Convection heaters, which are space heaters, heat the air and circulate it. They work by convection currents, which cause warm air and cool air to rise and fall. There are many types of convection heaters, including electric baseboard heaters and portable plug-in radiators filled with oil. These heaters are safe to use, especially if they have an automatic shut off feature that kicks in if the heater tip over. Convection heaters include ceramic heaters.
Radiant heaters heat things in their immediate vicinity, such as people. However, they don’t heat the air. These heaters are great for heating fast, but they can also burn pets or people, and could be a fire hazard if operated near flammable materials.
Combination heaters combine convection and radiant heaters by using a fan for heat distribution.