[Northerner52]

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

Yes it does make sense that the heat in the garage would rise up and naturally connvect out but you would also need fresh air to help move it (make up air)

You might want to contact someone like a contactor or even the fire department because that wooden panel might be a fire blocking panel to contain or suffocate a potential fire. Just a thought to consider and it does make sense considering how air tight houses are designed these days. No air, fire doesn't spread so quickly.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

The original panel to the attic is typically drywall, not wood. But, replacing it with a screen would be a bad idea. You would be violating the fire code and would allow a fire in the garage to easily spread to the rest of the house. Also, I don't think it would help to cool the garage very much because the temperature in the attic is higher than the temperature in the garage.

[davem4616]

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

nope, ya don't want to do that...it's against the fire code

more than a few folks in TV have installed screens that cover the garage door opening....adding an 'exterior' ceiling fan over your workbench and opening the window in the garage would be a few other ideas to cool it down

[REDCART]

We used Solar Guys to install an exhaust fan in the garage ceiling controlled by a thermostat This fan was designed with a fire sensor that would close the damper if necessary. The thermostat was set to 95 on, 90 off. We also added 4 vents in the insulated garage door. Except for moving air, it did nothing to lower the temperature in the garage. We had an East orientation.

A neighbor with a North orientation consistently has garage temps that are no warmer than the outside temp. They have radiant barrier insulation in the attic and an insulated garage door. So it may be a combination of both orientation and insulation. IMHO skip the ceiling exhaust fan.

[Toolong]

Our front faces west and we had terrible heat during summer afternoons. Solar Guys installed garage door insulation that was a great help. It somehow reflected the heat as opposed to traditional installation.

[JohnN]

Originally Posted by REDCART

We used Solar Guys to install an exhaust fan in the garage ceiling controlled by a thermostat This fan was designed with a fire sensor that would close the damper if necessary. The thermostat was set to 95 on, 90 off. We also added 4 vents in the insulated garage door. Except for moving air, it did nothing to lower the temperature in the garage. We had an East orientation.

A neighbor with a North orientation consistently has garage temps that are no warmer than the outside temp. They have radiant barrier insulation in the attic and an insulated garage door. So it may be a combination of both orientation and insulation. IMHO skip the ceiling exhaust fan.

We have the Solar Guys fan and I'm pleased as punch about it. It's still hot, but it's the same temperatuire as outside since that's the air it draws in. It is ventilated and a LOT cooler than it'd be without any air movement.

[rjm1cc]

The tempeture inside my garage only gets a few degrees hotter than the outside temp in the middle of the day. Might measure your temps before you do anything. If you are going to be working in the garage also measure when you will be using the garage. But yes the garage is cooler in the morning and hotter at the end of the day.

[merrymini]

I insulated the garage doors myself using insulation purchased from Texas Garage. Easy. And it brought about a reduction of temp of about 20 degrees. My garage faces east. Do not like the vents in the doors and do not want to make additional holes in my roof for fans and such which may have limited value. I can live with this.

[crash]

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

Most of the heat is coming from the attic so a bad idea. Insulate the garage ceiling and install a radiant barrier you will get 15 degrees cooler.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Would replacing the wood panel with a simple screen allow heat to rise up into the attic and out the eves?

The best way to heat up your garage fast is to park your car in a sunny parking lot for an hour or two or drive it a few miles in the sun, then park it in your garage. A ton of hot steel, well over 100° on the outside, will share its heat with your garage interior, and that will take a long time to cool down. If you want a cooler garage, it will help to park your car on the driveway when you come back from your errands and not move it into the garage until just before you go to bed.

[vintageogauge]

Originally Posted by crash

Most of the heat is coming from the attic so a bad idea. Insulate the garage ceiling and install a radiant barrier you will get 15 degrees cooler.

Heat rises and there is nothing that will drop the garage temp 15 degrees other than air conditioning.

[davephan]

Has anyone tried to air condition their insulated garage with a split AC unit? I wonder how much it would cost to cool an insulated garage down to about 80 degrees.

[genobambino]

I had a conversation with Munns hvac about something similar, or just leaving the door to the attic open and they said definately don't do that. The soffits are designed to pull air in from around the whole house and out the vents in the roof, when you leave that access door open or screen it your disrupting the entire design for air movement.

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

Heat rises and there is nothing that will drop the garage temp 15 degrees other than air conditioning.