How To Heat Your Garage

How To Keep Your Garage Warm During Winter

The arrival of winter can be problematic depending on how well-equipped you are to deal with the relentless cold. And while your home insulation might work well in your main rooms, certain parts of the house cannot offer the same level of heating as others. One of the areas that usually gets affected the most is the garage. This is a particularly prominent concern in houses that have a poor central heating system.

A cold garage can be a nightmare, especially if it’s a space regularly used as a year-round workstation and a hub of activity for home improvement projects. Not only that, but the fierce cold can also cause damage to your cars and other objects that might be lying in the garage. Therefore, maintaining adequate heating in your garage during the winter months is essential. However, that does not imply that you have to spend exorbitant amounts of money to achieve that objective. Far from it!

We’re on hand today to reveal our top tips on how to cheaply heat your garage. Luckily the reality is that there are many ways to heat your garage cheaply, and the most effective to date has to be the humble garage heater.

So let’s take a look at some of the key features of garage heaters and check out the multifold benefits they have to offer. Let’s get stuck right in with our top recommendations on how you can cheaply heat up your garage so that it serves you well, no matter how cold the mercury in your thermometer plummets this winter.

Garage Heaters

If you have poor home insulation but wish to enjoy a warm garage, then a reliable garage heater is going to be your savior. This outstanding heating appliance is a great way to keep your workshop, shed, or garage cozy so you can work comfortably and spend hours busying yourself on the latest seasonal DIY project, undeterred by adverse weather conditions.

Having a garage heater can turn around your garage’s entire vibe and render it a super-inviting space to hang out, even during those chilly winter months. That’s great news if you’ve turned your garage into somewhat of a man cave!

Based on their fuel source, garage heaters can be divided into three major types. You can choose among natural gas heaters, electric heaters, and propane heaters depending upon your particular needs and requirements.

Different ventilation levels are required for the three types, and they all possess physical and functional features that are characteristic of them. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options and their principal components.

Natural Gas Garage Heater

Natural gas garage heaters are a great way to warm up residential as well as industrial workspaces. They are extremely powerful and durable and provide efficient heating that can make your garage comfortable within minutes. And they last for ages, so you do not have to worry about a replacement anytime soon.

Another noteworthy perk of this device is its cost-effectiveness; natural gas heaters have low operations costs and are thus an excellent choice for cheaply heating the garage. However, using a natural gas heater is only possible if you have access to a working gas line connection in your garage, as these heaters are directly connected to the natural gas pipes in your home. You should be mindful while using a natural gas heater of the ventilation; your garage needs to have proper ventilation if you opt for a gas garage heater to be safely operated.

Electric Garage Heater

An electric garage heater makes use of electricity to warm up coils to generate heat. The most significant advantage of an electric garage heater is its portability. These compact, efficient, and easy-to-use heating appliances can be placed pretty much anywhere in your garage, and you can always move them around in case you need to cozy up a specific area. Their lightweight construction and low maintenance render them ideal for residential use. Plus, an electric heater is reasonably safe to use in small spaces as no special ventilation arrangements are required for their use. The one major downside of this appliance is its high operation cost as electric heaters can quickly ramp up your electricity bills.

Propane Garage Heater

Propane garage heaters are heating units that burn propane to generate heat. Their greatest merit lies in their powerful performance and durability. Propane heaters are very dependable heating devices that work great in industrial and commercial settings and can breezily maintain a comfortable temperature in a large area. However, a propane heater is not a preferred option for home garages as it can easily become a safety concern. The heater’s dense fumes require adequate ventilation, and the open flame is a fire risk. Propane heaters are most often used as outdoor patio heaters, in that case, propane heaters are less of concern.

Take a good look at the following features before buying a garage heater for your home garage so that you can be confident of making the best investment decision.

Cost Matters

Cost has to be one of the most important determining factors guiding your ultimate choice of a garage heater, especially if you are on a budget. Think about the short-term as well as the long-term on-going expense. A gas heater is cost-efficient in the long run compared to an electric heater, which can lead to a rapid surge in utility bills.

Check Available Heat Source and Ventilation

Home garages with a proper natural gas line connection can be perfectly heated up using natural gas heaters. In case you do not have access to that, an electric heater is your best bet. Homes that are equipped with an insulation mechanism usually also have the right means for ventilation. However, if a reliable ventilation arrangement is not in place, an electric garage heater is a more convenient and suitable choice.

Choose the Right BTU According to Your Garage Size

BTU or British Thermal Unit is the energy unit that depicts how quickly a heating appliance can raise the temperature in a given place. Depending on your garage or shed size, select a garage heater with the correct BTU to effectively warm up that space.

Better Safe than Sorry

Safety is a very valid and significant consideration when looking for the optimal choice of heater for your garage. Propane heaters are generally not recommended for use in home garages as materials such as wood, cardboard, and paint might be lying around in such places. Similarly, if no satisfactory ventilation setting is in place, avoid using a natural gas garage heater.

We hope that this feature will assist you in making up your mind as to which garage heater would be the best option to cheaply heat your garage and make it usable and comfortable.

Sources:

1. 5 Things to Consider When Buying a Garage Heater – Crystal Heating and Cooling
2. Places You Didn’t Know You Could Use a Garage Heater – NewAir