HERE’S HOW

YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR GARAGE

FROM EXTREME TEMPERATURES

If your garage serves as more than just a storage place for your vehicle ~ for instance, doubling as an office, shop, or game room, then it’s essential you have an insulated garage door. When you properly insulate your garage, you’ll achieve optimized thermal efficiency with maximum reduction of air infiltration. This way, in any temperature, a well-insulated garage will give you a viable space the whole year long, making you totally comfortable. You’ll keep as much cold out as possible in winter, and as much heat out as possible in summer.

Cold Weather Protection

Even if the temperature were to drop below freezing in winter, if your garage is winterized, you’ll save time and money.

Insulate the garage door. A big variety of products is available to insulate your garage door, including a specifically designed kit for doing so. Effective insulation choices include reflective barriers, foam board, and Fiberglass batt insulation.

No matter what you choose, first you need to cut the insulation to fill your garage door panels. Next, secure them with adhesive, firmly placing each piece. If your garage door doesn’t have recessed panels, the job’s easier.

For most people, the prospect of insulating your garage yourself is overwhelming. If it’s all too much, you should hire a reliable professional to install a modern-designed insulated garage door for you.

Insulate the garage walls. The correct installation of insulation in the garage requires that you study the installation guide closely. Make sure you choose the right insulation thickness for your garage walls. Typical mistakes folks often make are: not securely fastening the batt insulation; cutting it too long or too short for the location; or not supporting it properly. Bear in mind that the insulation has to fit snugly, but don’t jam it in too tightly.

Insulate the whole garage. If your garage ever gets too cold, it can damage not only your automobile, but also anything else you have stored in the garage. Do you have your washing machine and dryer in the garage? If your washer has any water left in the lines or pump, it can freeze and crack. The same risk exists with your car’s fuel gels, which can freeze in the combustion engine. Another possibility that can occur is that paint can separate and get ruined during a prolonged period of freezing temperatures.

Repair or replace the weatherstripping. Weatherstripping will create a good seal between the garage door and the garage door opening. If you notice a cold draft leaking into the garage between the garage door and the garage door frame, then take off the existing weatherstripping if you see that it’s brittle or cracked. Scrape off any sealant remaining, using a putty knife and flat scraper or pry bar. Make sure the surface is as clean and even as possible. After you completely remove the old weatherstripping, then correctly measure so you can apply the new weatherstripping. To align it, shut the garage door and be sure the rubber flap flattens slightly against it. You’ll have a perfect seal, and now the garage door will operate smoothly.

Put a unit heater in your garage. Weatherstripping and insulation will protect your garage from extremely cold temperatures in winter, but if you’d like extra warmth, then add a unit heater. (On the other hand, if your winters are mild, then an electric unit heater is probably all you’ll want, since you’ll need heat only once in a while.) You can heat your garage with space requirements and minimal construction costs. Gas-fired units are usually less costly to operate, but they’re harder to install since they require exhaust venting and a gas supply. There’s also an electric model, which takes less effort to install yet is expensive to manage. An especially efficient electric option is the mini-split heat pump, which gives you efficient heating and cooling for your garage with a mere three-inch hole through an exterior wall.

Hot Weather Protection

In summer, your major objective is to augment the airflow throughout the garage. Taking even only one of the following measures is certainly worth considering.

Insulate the garage overhead door. For a metal garage door, add a layer of rigid insulation two inches thick, attached with contact cement to the inside of each garage door panel. Or, an insulated sectional overhead door is a better alternative.

Wall insulation keeps out summer heat with excellent efficiency. Apply wallboard or other paneling to encapsulate the material. You’ll stop pets, toddlers, and teenagers from tearing things out.

Insulate the garage’s ceiling. If you use paper-backed batt insulation, ceiling wallboard isn’t necessary. Install the insulation with staples, paper side down; or, keep the insulation in place with netting. You can also use staples to fasten the netting. Expert garage door technicians recommend you do both.

Attach an adjustable rollaway awning onto the sunny side of the garage. During the heat of the summer, the shade will help cool things off.

Leave the garage door slightly open, about twelve inches away from the floor, and you can also add a fan.

Install a stationary vent on the roof. It’s an inexpensive way to create an exit point for the hot air that gets trapped in the attic of the garage. If your budget allows for it, install a mechanical exhaust system. Fans will draw cooler air from the garage into the attic. You’ll cool down the attic as well as the space below.

Plant a tree nearby. A deciduous or hardwood tree is an economical and aesthetic way to cool down your garage in the summer. (And, it will even keep your garage warm in the winter.) Plant the tree between the garage and the position of the sun during the warmest part of the day so that the leaves will provide shade. (And, the bare branches of winter will allow sunlight to shine through, providing warmth.)