When you live in central or southern Arizona, blazing hot summers are just part of the deal. Unless the space you’re in has air conditioning, things are going to heat up. Your garage is no exception. Sometimes it may even seem like your garage is hotter than it is outside. We thought we’d provide a few tips that may just help with cooling your garage down a few degrees.
Insulation
You have a few options when it comes to insulating your garage. There are several models of pre-insulated garage doors that you could have installed. Each comes with it’s on R-value rating depending on how much insulation you need. These styles of doors are very efficient for keeping both heat and cold out. If replacing your garage door is not in your budget, most home improvement stores sell pre-fitted, garage door insulation kits that attach directly to your garage door. While these may not be as effective as a pre-insulated garage door, they certainly are better than nothing!
Garage Door Weather Seals
Garage door weather seals are a great way to prevent unwanted air from seeping into or escaping from your garage. Seals, also known as weather stripping and astragal, help a garage door form a tight bond with the surrounding frame when closed. When having a garage door installed, it’s important to ask about weather seals and the type of material the company uses. It’s not uncommon in Arizona that weather stripping can dry out, crack, and eventually peel off. Most hardware stores carry garage weather seals for those do-it-yourselfers out there or you can certainly call a professional garage repairman to replace the stripping.
Air Circulation and Ventilation
Another way of keeping your garage cooler is to keep the air circulating. A couple of strategically placed box fans can certainly help move the air around but, as anyone who has lived in Phoenix or Tucson AZ could tell you, it wouldn’t be enough to completely cool your garage. However, in conjunction with a proper ventilation system, fans can be very effective. There are a variety of garage ventilation systems on the market ranging from very simple wall and roof fans, to very sophisticated, automated systems. A good ventilation systems will draw clean air in and pull old hot air out. This is not only good to control temperature, it also helps remove any harmful fumes and pollutants from operating your car.
Door Material and Color
How much sun exposure your garage door receives is obviously based on the orientation of your home. If your garage takes the brunt of sunlight during the summer, you may want to consider the material and color of the door. Steel doors are the most common type of door out there and are the worst for conducting heat. If you feel your garage door is generating too much heat, you may consider a new fiberglass or wood door. Likewise you want to consider the color of your door. Whiter colors reflect heat while dark color absorb heat. This is good to keep in mind when you are replacing your door or having a new home built.
Portable Air Conditioner
For those who spend a lot of time in their garage, a portable air conditioner may be the answer. It’s a misconception that home air conditioners create cold air. They actually work by removing heat from warm air. The basic concept is that a chemical called a refrigerant loops from inside the home to outside and back again, absorbing and casting out heat in the process. Portable ac’s work the same way and come with hose that must have access to outside to vent heated air. So if your garage is windowless, a portable ac may not work although there are ways around it by venting into your attic or creating a vent in the wall. If you want to add ac to your garage, it may be best to check with professional HVAC company.
