HELP Hot Garage

[APODPERSON]

I like to spend some time in my garage, but find it really HOT in mid day. Just wondering if someone else has found a solution. I was thinking of adding a vent in the attic above the garage and maybe some insulation in the bays above the garage as there is non there now. Also thought about some of the foam insulation being added to the inside of the door. I dint think we can have portable air conditioners?? Any suggestion Thanks

[F16 1UB]

....

[APODPERSON]

Thank You Steve. Will try fan and look for screen

[jmarkohio]

I just had a system installed in my garage by the "Solar Guys" that really helps. Not cheap but works well.

[jtdraig]

I installed two ceiling fans which work really well no matter what the temperature. One person I know was looking to build some interior walls in his garage for a small workshop that could be air-conditioned.

[REDCART]

APODPERSON. Friends had four vents inserted in their garage door. Two low and two near the top of the door (4-corners). As a result their garage is always cooler than their neighbors. The vents have screens. Does anyone else have any experience with venting the garage door? This approach works whether you're home or not.

[Frangyomory]

We installed an automatic garage screen door and put a large fan in the garage. Since my laundry is in there, I needed to have the air. This works out very well for me. We used a company called HidnScreen I believe.

[nitehawk]

I just looked and i have no insulation above the garage. Am i the only one - or do most houses have none??

[REDCART]

None of the Courtyard villas have insulation above the ceiling in the garage or in the outside walls of the garage. Only the living area has insulation. The inside wall of the garage is the only wall with insulation. Up north, we always installed a vapor barrier and then insulation. I don't recall seeing a vapor barrier. But then again we're not builders and we're certainly unfamiliar with the way things are done in Fl.

Getting back on track, all of my neighbors who have added insulation above their garages claim it significantly reduced the heat factor. Others have even installed Styrofoam panels on the back of their garage door and also claim this helped considerably.

George

[nanci2539]

I'm going to ask a dumb question but what comes to my mind immediately is why don't people consider putting in a stand alone AC unit? The space isn't very large so a big unit wouldn't be needed.

Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

[REDCART]

Nanci, some have extended the ductwork from their home AC into the garage. It all boils down to money and how much you're willing to spend or can afford. Of course, AC consumes energy and from an environmental sense, do you want to use energy just to keep your car (and maybe your washing machine) cool all of the time. I would think that reducing the heat buildup would be a first step and it would not consume energy. One ofther observation, you're not permitted to stick an AC unit in any windows. So extending the ductwork on your home AC unit would seem to be your best if not only option for cooling your garage area. George

[The Great Fumar]

I have a friend in the Churchill Greens area of the Villages that has put an attic exaust fan in his garage ceiling and wired it to a thermostat.....When it gets to hot the fan kicks on and exausts the air into the attic where it is circulated out through the eve's vents and so also cools the attic ...It works terrific and now I'm going to do it also...............John L.

ps He bought it at Sears..

[nitehawk]

i am going to install some Styrofoam in the garage doors - will let you know if there is any difference in the heat and the sound of the tinie sound of the door

[nanci2539]

Good information - the reason I asked about the stand alone unit is I have a particular interest in keeping the garage comfortbale because this is where I plan to put my cat litter boxes.

I have cats and their litter boxes are in a storage area in the basement (I presently live in IL - going to move next year, I hope!!!).

I don't want boxes in the living area at all so the garage seems to be the logical space. I just need to get creative on how I'm gong to develop a way for them to access the boxes in a somewhat enclosed area in the garage (some kind of cat door that leads to a contained area where they can do their business).

But these postings about different options is very helpful. Thanks

[asianthree]

Good information - the reason I asked about the stand alone unit is I have a particular interest in keeping the garage comfortbale because this is where I plan to put my cat litter boxes.

I have cats and their litter boxes are in a storage area in the basement (I presently live in IL - going to move next year, I hope!!!).

I don't want boxes in the living area at all so the garage seems to be the logical space. I just need to get creative on how I'm gong to develop a way for them to access the boxes in a somewhat enclosed area in the garage (some kind of cat door that leads to a contained area where they can do their business).

But these postings about different options is very helpful. Thanks

A screen would work well for you and the kittys get a view of the outside

[mulligan]

DO NOTnstall extended ductwork to the garage. You'll suck exhaust gas into the house, or fumes from a gas/ battery acid leak. Very dangerous.

[John_W]

Anything short of an air conditioner, the best you're going to get is the same temperature as it is outside. That's why I went with the screen, also if you're in the garage working or doing laundry you'll need the extra daylight. I thought about the motorized screens, but if you're outside working in the yard it's too much trouble to keep putting it up and down. We went with the horizontal sliders, so you can open one section go and close it behind you. Also it's much cheaper, we paid $850 installed for our 12' door opening.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7888/screenveq.jpg

[solarbergs]

I know several Villagers who had a screen system put on their garage door opening to ventilate to space. Michele's Hideaway Screens seems to be very popular.

[Russ_Boston]

I have a friend in the Churchill Greens area of the Villages that has put an attic exaust fan in his garage ceiling and wired it to a thermostat.....When it gets to hot the fan kicks on and exausts the air into the attic where it is circulated out through the eve's vents and so also cools the attic ...It works terrific and now I'm going to do it also...............John L.

ps He bought it at Sears..

Also Cool your garage! Garage fans, attic air conditioning, and more. (http://www.coolmygarage.com) - My neighbor has one (GF 14) since he's away all summer and stores some vintage cars in his garage so he doesn't want 120 degree garage.

[Steve Nagy]

If you don't mind spending $2,500, Jack's Solar has an interesting solution. It's a hot water heater that works on the same principle as a heat pump. The unit generates heat to make hot water using far less electricity than a standard unit and "exhausts" cool air into your garage. Sounds very intriguing.

[graciegirl]

Happinow had her garage air conditioned.

We just open the garage door. Pretty soon it will be cooler.:popcorn:

[Happinow]

We were very surprised at how hot the garages get. It was too hot for us so here's what we did.....first, we bought a stand alone air conditioner and put a vent through the garage wall. Then we called Romac and they insulated our garage doors for us, which helped a lot. We quickly found out that the stand alone air conditioner was not helping at all because we have a rather large garage and it just couldn't keep up with the heat. Next we had an attic fan installed with a thermometer on it, as the other poster suggested. It comes on when the attic gets to be 105. It works well. Then we put lots of extra insulation in the attic and Munn's put in a commercial separate air conditioner in the garage. This is the cats pajamas because the garage stays at a constant 77 degrees. It took a lot to figure out what was best for us but we finally did it. from reading the other posts, there are many ways to keep your garage cooler. Good luck with your decision.

[John_W]

We just open the garage door. Pretty soon it will be cooler.:popcorn:

That's pretty much the theory behind us installing a screen, to let the outside in. However with snakes, bugs and gators all in play I wouldn't do that without the screen. We had one neighbor find a rattlesnake in his garage and two more non-poisonous snakes were found in the street one block over. Also we've had a gator roaming around Odessa Circle in the past, which is just outside our villas, that came from Southern Star golf course pond.

[Bobcuse]

Anything short of an air conditioner, the best you're going to get is the same temperature as it is outside. That's why I went with the screen, also if you're in the garage working or doing laundry you'll need the extra daylight. I thought about the motorized screens, but if you're outside working in the yard it's too much trouble to keep putting it up and down. We went with the horizontal sliders, so you can open one section go and close it behind you. Also it's much cheaper, we paid $850 installed for our 12' door opening.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7888/screenveq.jpg

This is exactly what I did also. Make sure screen is white solar as John shows in his pic and not the traditional see thru black as the solar screen reduces the heat and provides exterior privacy while allowing you to see out. If you open your attic entry the hot air will rise into the attic and with a solar roof vent it will help suck the hot air out of the garage, but this added step has its own set of drawbacks so I stick with the screen. Garage is still hot but about 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air, especially when sunny.

[gerryann]

Anything short of an air conditioner, the best you're going to get is the same temperature as it is outside. That's why I went with the screen, also if you're in the garage working or doing laundry you'll need the extra daylight. I thought about the motorized screens, but if you're outside working in the yard it's too much trouble to keep putting it up and down. We went with the horizontal sliders, so you can open one section go and close it behind you. Also it's much cheaper, we paid $850 installed for our 12' door opening.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7888/screenveq.jpg

John, would you share who did the work for you? ....and do you recommend them? You can PM me if you would prefer not posting...thanks

[l2ridehd]

Take these steps in order and you will have a garage that stays cool enough to work in.

1. Insulate the attic space above the garage with at least 6 inch insulation.
2. Get the foam insulation and cut the panels to fit your garage door panels.
3. Install an attic fan, solar is good.
4. Install a ceiling fan, one or even two in the garage to keep the air moving.

These steps will cost less then $750. And if you need it even cooler, install a garage door screen, but those get a bit expensive. Get the one that opens along the same track as the door with a remote control if possible. If you install the sliding type it's not a matter of if, but when, you will back the car or golf cart into it.

[quirky3]

You mentioned that the kitty litter would be in the garage - so would the kitties have a pet door in and out of the garage, into the cooler home? IMHO, even a modified garage would be too hot and stuffy to keep kitties in full time.
p.s. found your post on this and it sounds like you are planning to have a pet door. Kitties thank you.

[drdodge]

you could insulate the garage door and put in some vents and a fan in the garage ceiling to draw air in. You must remember that the temp outside is 90 plus so it will still be fairly warm in the garagedrd
drd

[calgone]

I put in slider screens. Spend the xtra 100 bucks for the high end UV solar ones. I've had neighbors who drive motors on roll ups went out. $1000 to replace the motor. I also put in a ceiling fan.

[DENNIS G]

I'm going to ask a dumb question but what comes to my mind immediately is why don't people consider putting in a stand alone AC unit? The space isn't very large so a big unit wouldn't be needed.

Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

I tried the stand alone unit, one that was 13,500 btu cooling and 11,000 heating. Was a waste of money. Did finally get my money back when I took it back to Home Depot. Did not put out enough to feel over 3 feet away. Was supposed to be the best from all reviews. Let it run 16 hours straight in the garage did not make 1 degree difference.

[John_W]

John, would you share who did the work for you? ....and do you recommend them? You can PM me if you would prefer not posting...thanks

We had three neighbors use this company and everybody liked them so that's who we called. I didn't even get a card, I believe the name was 'All American Aluminum' or All Around Aluminum, anyway their number is 352-461-4904. After calling they came out about three days later and measured the opening. Then it was about 3 weeks and they called and said it had come in, they took about two hours to install. We didn't pay anything until the job was done, $850. Rodney was the name of the person I asked for in the beginning. If you want one like ours, that's called white on white. In that photo the door is actually up but you can't see in through the screen. Yes, I would recommend although there might be other companies a little quicker but we had been here almost a year then so it wasn't that big a deal.

[gerryann]

Thanks John, I appreciate the info and will give them a call.

[jimbo2012]

U have more of an issue if the garage door faces south, it will bake, if that's the case U have to take more measures to cut the heat.

Foil stapled under the roof will reflect heat away in the first tier of protection, then insulation and fans.

If the garage is facing north you have less to contend with.

No one stated what direction the door was exposed to?

[jblum315]

I'm going to ask a dumb question but what comes to my mind immediately is why don't people consider putting in a stand alone AC unit? The space isn't very large so a big unit wouldn't be needed.

Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

I think it would probably double your electric bill.

[shcisamax]

We were very surprised at how hot the garages get. It was too hot for us so here's what we did.....first, we bought a stand alone air conditioner and put a vent through the garage wall. Then we called Romac and they insulated our garage doors for us, which helped a lot. We quickly found out that the stand alone air conditioner was not helping at all because we have a rather large garage and it just couldn't keep up with the heat. Next we had an attic fan installed with a thermometer on it, as the other poster suggested. It comes on when the attic gets to be 105. It works well. Then we put lots of extra insulation in the attic and Munn's put in a commercial separate air conditioner in the garage. This is the cats pajamas because the garage stays at a constant 77 degrees. It took a lot to figure out what was best for us but we finally did it. from reading the other posts, there are many ways to keep your garage cooler. Good luck with your decision.



So was it the combination? or do you think it was the commercial separate air conditioner that worked?

[drdodge]

Thereis a peerson that has an ad in the sun for insulating garage doors and vents

[Happinow]

So was it the combination? or do you think it was the commercial separate air conditioner that worked?

We believe the air conditioner could not be as efficient if we did not at least get the garage door insulated. We get the morning sun and if we put our hands on the garage doors it was hot! Too hot to keep our hand on. So you can imagine the heat that radiated into the garage. All of the steps we took worked together for maximum cool. I honestly can't say which steps we would have eliminated if need be. We believe to get the maximum effect of the air conditioner we needed the rest of the steps. JMHO.

[new peeps]

I think all of the ideas given would help to some degree, I ran into the issue with the hot garage our first summer after our house was built. Our 18' garage door faces North East and would heat up in the mornings and stay hot all day. So far I have had the ceiling above the garage insulated and I bought a garage door insulation kit from Romac and installed it. I also tinted the windows in the garage. The results so far as measured with a infarred temp gun before and after is about 16 to 18 degrees cooler from what I see. It is still hot, but cool enough that I have no more reservations on keeping the classic cars in the garage. Before that I checked on climate controlled storage.
I think the garage door screen and attack fan would work great but I was concerned about the dust that would be pulled in from all of the construction going on. The cost for the door insulation kit was about $200.00. Takes about three to four hours to remove the braces and install. Good luck on what ever route you take.

[CarGuys]

And if there is a Fire or Smoke it will travel into the home quick! my son is a full time fire fighter and chewed me out when I suggested that one.

[CarGuys]

We believe the air conditioner could not be as efficient if we did not at least get the garage door insulated. We get the morning sun and if we put our hands on the garage doors it was hot! Too hot to keep our hand on. So you can imagine the heat that radiated into the garage. All of the steps we took worked together for maximum cool. I honestly can't say which steps we would have eliminated if need be. We believe to get the maximum effect of the air conditioner we needed the rest of the steps. JMHO.

I had extra insulation in the garage walls ceiling and entire attic. I had solid Steel insulated foam core garage doors installed when the home was built. A solar fan in the attic and radiant heat barrier. And while it all pulls down the heat load all it takes is open the doors for a while and the old principal of heat moving from hot to cold works fast. When I can I am going to install a second AC unit. Not so much the heat as the darn humidity.

[glgene]

Take these steps in order and you will have a garage that stays cool enough to work in.

1. Insulate the attic space above the garage with at least 6 inch insulation.
2. Get the foam insulation and cut the panels to fit your garage door panels.
3. Install an attic fan, solar is good.
4. Install a ceiling fan, one or even two in the garage to keep the air moving.

These steps will cost less then $750. And if you need it even cooler, install a garage door screen, but those get a bit expensive. Get the one that opens along the same track as the door with a remote control if possible. If you install the sliding type it's not a matter of if, but when, you will back the car or golf cart into it.

What is the basic difference between an attic fan vs. solar fan? Do both help cool the house AND garage, or what? Any help is appreciated.

Gene

[l2ridehd]

The solar fan moves less air, but is free operating cost and an attic fan runs off your home electricity. Both are temperature controlled. Cost is a bit more for the solar fan. The purpose of both is to remove hot air from the attic space and discharge it outside. They turn on when the attic temperature reaches a pre set temperature. Usually around 100 or 105 degrees.

[asianthree]

i know solar does not work as well as electic fan,, but the cost can't be that much? or is it

[jimbo2012]

i know solar does not work as well as electic fan,, but the cost can't be that much? or is it

Sorry to disagree, but others have reported that Solar works good and U can get 1500CFM, the saving in cost is about 3 years over elec.

[glgene]

Sorry to disagree, but others have reported that Solar works good and U can get 1500CFM, the saving in cost is about 3 years over elec.

Jimbo, not sure what you're saying. Please clarify. Thanks.

Gene

[CaptJohn]

Sorry to disagree, but others have reported that Solar works good and U can get 1500CFM, the saving in cost is about 3 years over elec.

Jimbo, see last link.
That size in electric run about $100. plus installation and operating costs. They need between 280 and 400 watts to operate.

Home Depot Attic Fan - Home & Garden - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at Nextag - Price - Review (http://www.nextag.com/home-depot-attic-fan/compare-html)

These solars at HD seem to be about 250cfm, 15 watts and underpowered.

Edit: found this 1500 watt comparison online but I think the electric costs are overstated. Still looks good though.
http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com/attic-fan-cost-comparison.asp

[jimbo2012]

Here's one (http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com/solar-powered-attic-fan.asp?item=252A) at 1500 cfm for about $550, but if U shop they can be had for 400-450

http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com/images/ventilation/AB-252A-Black.jpg

The cost comparison on that link is about right.

Also you're reducing your carbon footprint with solar

[JoeC1947]

Anything short of an air conditioner, the best you're going to get is the same temperature as it is outside. That's why I went with the screen, also if you're in the garage working or doing laundry you'll need the extra daylight. I thought about the motorized screens, but if you're outside working in the yard it's too much trouble to keep putting it up and down. We went with the horizontal sliders, so you can open one section go and close it behind you. Also it's much cheaper, we paid $850 installed for our 12' door opening.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7888/screenveq.jpg

John,

I 100% agree with you about the screen being the best way to go. The screen also adds to the beauty of the neighborhood by concealing the contents of your garage when the door is open. Prop the attic stairs open a bit and the process of thermodynamics will take over and pull the "cooler" air into the attic and out the ridge and soffit vents. IMHO there is no real benefit to any kind of attic fan.

[alfred1243]

I like to spend some time in my garage, but find it really HOT in mid day. Just wondering if someone else has found a solution. I was thinking of adding a vent in the attic above the garage and maybe some insulation in the bays above the garage as there is non there now. Also thought about some of the foam insulation being added to the inside of the door. I dint think we can have portable air conditioners?? Any suggestion Thanks

Try an exhaust fan

[Billyworld]

:coolsmiley::coolsmiley:I extended my Golf Cart garage 27' down the side of my house and took out the back wall making it 42' long. I insulated the doors and the attic of the addition along with the existing garage. Finally I had a Mitsubishi 2 ton ductless AC unit installed in my garage. You can hang meat in the garage now. This is why I say it is "Too Cool Garage". :coolsmiley: