With summer finally here, it’s time to enjoy the warm weather. While you’ll be enjoying the weather, it’s not what you want in your garage. Hot garages lead to sweltering cars or a really uncomfortable place to work or use otherwise. If you want to learn how to cool a garage in summer, here are six tips that will help you.
1. Let Your Car Cool Down Before Storing It
Your car will heat up as you use it and start to cool once you stop the engine. If you’re someone who drives it right into the garage when you get home, that’s actually going to contribute to the heat in your garage in the warmer months. That heat simply will rise into the garage and remain trapped there, making it hotter than it needs to be.
If you have a driveway that’s shaded, then you’ll want to leave your car out on it for around an hour or two before you drive it into the garage. That gives it enough time to cool off, so it won’t be contributing to the heat in your garage.
2. Keep The Door Open
This is a simple tip, but it works. If you want the hot air to escape your garage, you need to create a way for it to leave. The easiest way to do this is by opening the garage door. This is especially effective if your garage door faces north, as that side will get less sunlight and so let in cooler air.
As well as opening the garage door, you’ll want to consider opening the windows if you have any too. When you do this, you’ll create a cross breeze that cools the garage down considerably.
Worried about everyone being able to see into the garage when you have the door open? You don’t have to leave the door open all the way. Simply opening it a foot or two off the ground should give you enough airflow. If the door doesn’t stay open when you open it like this, you’ll need to take a look at getting the springs replaced.
Of course, if you’re going to do this, remember to shut the doors and windows when you leave the house to ensure security for your garage.
3. Declutter Your Garage
Everyone has been guilty of using their garage as a dumping ground every now and again. However, if your garage is full of clutter, it can actually retain heat. They’ll also prevent airflow, so the hot air won’t be able to escape the garage. As such, it’s a very good idea to declutter the garage before the summer months.
You don’t have to throw away everything in your garage, so don’t think you have to get rid of everything you’re keeping in there. However, you’ll want to see what can go, and you’ll be surprised at how much stuff you’ll be holding onto without even thinking about it. Plus, if you reorganize and tidy the garage, that will free up a lot of space by itself.
4. Have An Awning Installed
You’ll see awnings being installed in many yards to create a cooler space to enjoy in the summer. You can take advantage of them for your garage, too. Have one installed over the entrance to your garage, and that will shade it and keep it cooler when temperatures rise. With roll-away awnings, these can be rolled back up in the winter to protect them, so you don’t have to have them out all the time.
Another option is to plant a tree near your garage, too. This is more of a long-term plan though, as you’ll need time for it to grow. You should pick an ash, oak, or walnut tree, as these will have lots of leaves in the summer and then lose them in fall. That gives you the shade you need while being attractive, too.
5. Install A Ceiling Fan
This is a good tactic for keeping your home cool, so why wouldn’t it work in your garage? These are cost-effective and work to move air and improve circulation.
However, if you want to install one in your garage, the room will need to meet some requirements. Ceiling fans work best when they’re around 7 to 9 feet off the floor, with around 10 to 12 inches of space between them and the ceiling. You’ll also need to consider whether you have the space on your ceiling to install one. If you have a ceiling-mounted garage door opener, you may not be able to fit one on. Also, ensure that installing a fan won’t interfere with the opening of the garage door.
6. Insulate Your Garage Door
One of the best ways to keep your garage cool is to keep the heat from coming in in the first place. You can do that by insulating your garage door. This is a fairly simple process, and once it’s done, you’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes. When you’re ready to replace your garage door, you’ll be able to pick a door that comes with insulation pre-installed, too. Replacing weatherstripping around your garage door will help a lot, too.
As well as the garage door, look at insulating the walls of your garage, too. If there’s drywall in place, you can finish them with blown-in insulation. You can install insulation if you don’t have drywall, but it’s a good idea to place drywall over any insulation you do install.
Finally, you can consider insulating the ceiling. If you don’t have a finished ceiling, you can simply staple insulation onto the roof and then use netting to hold it in place.