[Snowbug]

Originally Posted by donsnider52@gmail.com

I am considering putting a vent in the right and left lower corners of my garage door to reduce heat in the garage especially during the summer months. Will doing this really substantially reduce heat build up in the garage. For example, if the air temp is 95 will the vents keep the garage below 100 degrees. I have good venting in the roof and I plan to keep the retractable stairs to the garage attic down during the summer. Please let me know if you have experience with this.

I had Kalo's install a mini-slit and insulate the attic. It is great! I keep the temperature moderate, and cool when working in the garage.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Cybersprings

As I re-read all the posts, I guess it is necessary for you to clarify your intent.
If your intent is to keep your garage in the 70's to spend significant time in there, than the posters who say why bother, unless you put a minisplit are probably correct.
If your intent, like mine, is to keep your garage from being 10-15 degrees hotter than outside, then the door vents, and vents into the garage do make sense in my opinion. I have a refrigerator in my garage, and I was expending a great deal of energy and wear and tear on it trying to keep up with 100 degree temps in the garage, when it is only 80-90 outside. Now, my garage is at least as cool as the outside. The garage door vents are at the bottom to bring the coolest air from outside into the bottom of your garage and then create a draft going up into the attic. If you only intend to put the vents in the garage door, that probably wouldn't do much, since it doesn't create an air flow. If you put the vents in the top of the door, it would exhaust out air in the garage that is hotter than the outside, but only if makeup air is available. You definitely do not want that makeup air to be the cooler air drawn out of your house.

Probably also makes a difference which way the door is facing.

[BrianL]

Originally Posted by donsnider52@gmail.com

I am considering putting a vent in the right and left lower corners of my garage door to reduce heat in the garage especially during the summer months. Will doing this really substantially reduce heat build up in the garage. For example, if the air temp is 95 will the vents keep the garage below 100 degrees. I have good venting in the roof and I plan to keep the retractable stairs to the garage attic down during the summer. Please let me know if you have experience with this.

You might consider installing radiant barrier insulation on the garage door. I did this on our garage door. Radiant barrier insulation is now code for roofs in Sumter County. It works by reflecting heat back out. If you get sunlight on your garage door in the afternoon, this would likely reduce your temperature in your garage. I did this in mine as I have 2 full size freezers with a maximum temperature rating of 110F. My goal was to keep the garage under 95F. Since installing the radiant barrier insulation, my garage has never reached the 95F mark. I have a thermometer in the garage that keeps track of maximum and minimum temperature as well as maximum and minimum humidity.

[Buckeye Bill]

I have had three vents put in. My garage doors. The doors insulated and a vent fan installed in the ceiling. There is a significant amount of air flow thru the vents but remember the air coming in will never be cooler than outside. I believe the attic is much cooler than before also.

[Boffin]

Garage door vented high on on side, low on other side. Radiant barrier installed in attic and on inside of garage door. Ceiling vent in garage. Peak summer temperature within 3 degrees of outside ambient.

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by Altavia

As other have said, they work the opposite since they pull hot air off the driveway.

No....that is not true, if done properly. Vents alone will do nothing and as stated above, leaving the attic stairs open is against insurance and fire code. We installed "cool my garage" ceiling fan. The fan runs on an electric motor, is controlled on and off by the temperature in the attic, and has an emergency damper that will shut the opening in the ceiling down should a fire start. The approximate 12" exhaust fan pulls the air through the garage and up through the attic to the roof vents. My fan comes on when the temperature in the attic reaches 100*F and stays on until the temperature is lowered to 100*. The vents in the garage door are necessary to allow air flow through the exhaust fan to the ceiling vents. I have 4 vents in the lower panels of my double door. It also allows my to keep my attic stairway closed to meet fire and insurance requirements. Cool My Garage - #1 Garage Fan | Garage Ventilation | Attic Fan

[donsnider52@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by donsnider52@gmail.com

I am considering putting a vent in the right and left lower corners of my garage door to reduce heat in the garage especially during the summer months. Will doing this really substantially reduce heat build up in the garage. For example, if the air temp is 95 will the vents keep the garage below 100 degrees. I have good venting in the roof and I plan to keep the retractable stairs to the garage attic down during the summer. Please let me know if you have experience with this.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice on this topic.

[JP]

I've been here over 10 years and have had numerous friends move here over varying times so I have seen and heard a lot of discussions about insulating garages. All the more recently moved people are concerned about their garage temperatures but it seems as time goes on, people think less and less about it and their ability to control it. I would suggest you do nothing, as nothing seems to work that effectively and as time goes on, you will find a hot garage is really just part of living in TV and is not that big of a deal.