How to Heat a Garage Cheaply

It looks like the garage is the forgotten part of our house. We go there from time to time to place tools, old furniture, or even clothes. However, for many of us a garage is the place where we fix things, work, or even like to express our passion. Thus, meaning that a garage needs to be taken care of like all other rooms of our house, in terms of cleaning and even heating.

This is why, we are going to give you some advice on how to heat a garage cheaply. Sure, we have expensive ideas too, but let’s save them for your interior! There are many ways on how to heat a garage cheaply and properly. For example, starting from its construction manner and material, as well as heating, whether electronically, with gas or wood.

It would be easy to set up an air conditioner, or even better an oven, but a garage would not be suitable for that. In many houses, garage ceilings are pretty low, thus an air conditioner would just be a bit distracting. On the other hand, an wood oven would need an aspiration tube, which would add an extra burden on your budget.

Considering all that, we are trying to be innovative and come up with the best ideas on how to heat a garage cheaply. These measures can be taken with less money or even better, no money at all! Winter is a season that makes you stay home, so many of us who don’t use their garage to park a vehicle, but to work or store different equipment.

The Best Ways to Heat Your Garage

1. Insulation

The cheapest way to heat your garage without having to invest a single penny, would be to insulate all the open areas in your garage. Garages tend to get warm in winter and a cool in summer. However, in winter the air within the garage can cool off and as a result you feel the chill.

The culprits behind this are the cracks in the garages structure, through which cold air sneaks in. Consequently, you need to start to identify and fix all those spots in the corners of your garage. How can you do such a thing? Firstly, a tape might help you. Sometimes, you might notice that when you lower or close your garage door, there are certain spots that do not seal properly.

Thus, all you have to do is take your duct tape and start to cover all the open spaces that you can see in your garage. Secondly, which is also cost-free, would be to use a blanket, a piece of cloth or plastic curtain.

The most vulnerable part of your garage is the door that you use to get in. Therefore, any gap on this part will transmit all the cold from the outside to the inner surface. To isolate the whole door or the shutter is to take a blanket or any other cover material and wrap is around all the corners of the door.

You will need to take certain pieces of wood and form a certain frame in the upper part of the door and on both sides. Then, with the help of some nails you will be able to place the covering material to these frames, which will be effective enough to prevent the cold air from entering the garage.

2. A Combination of Gas and Electricity

Sometimes using electricity to heat your inner areas may cause you paying extra money, which you actually want to avoid. On the other hand, using gas is much more practical and cheaper. Even though gas might seem dangerous, if you know or learn how to use it properly, you will not have problems. In fact, you would only benefit all the good effects that this kind of chemical substance provides for you.

A good method to heat your garage while you are working in it would be to combine both gas and electricity. All you have to do is purchase a propane tank and a device which burns gas and turns it into warm air. Now, practically all the work is done. Thanks to a tube, which needs to connect the opening part of the tank on one side and the device’s port on the other.

Then, connect the device to the electric plug so that it can work. Rotate the valve of the tank counterclockwise, so that the gas may flow into the device. Turn on the device, which will burn all the propane gas and turn it into hot air to heat your garage. This kind of gas is not dangerous at all and certainly does not have an unpleasant smell, so you will not notice it at all.

Also Read: Best Indirect Water Heater – Which Option is Better for You?

3. Thank You Tesla, but I Prefer Infrared

In general, technology should help people. Electricity may fuel many devices, which tend to simplify things and in our case, heating. However, to heat up a garage, especially in a cold winter, using electrical devices would not be that suitable as it may cause some serious damage to your wallet. On the other hand infrared devices are very effective and don’t use much electricity to heat your garage.

Infrared heat panels are like a tiny sun which heats the object that they are focused on. Thus, all you need to do is place some of these panels in the especially cold spots of your garage and turn them on anytime you are working. Basically, you will need one or two panels at the main entrance of your garage, which is the spot that gets most affected by the cold outside.

The infrared device will heat the door, thus preventing the cold air to circulate in your garage. As we mentioned, infrared devices use little energy, are healthier and more silent compared to many other electric devices. Due to their specialty to reflect and radiate light they will not create any pollution; you will just benefit the heat and will not notice where it comes from.

4. Other Ways to Heat Your Garage

Using the House Furnace

If your house makes use of a furnace to heat your living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms, you can use it to heat your garage as well. What you need to do is set up some tubes connecting the main part of the furnace and create an open inside the garage space. Thanks to a drill and certain screws, you will be able to place some tubes on the ceiling directing one of them inside the garage.

Thus, every time you turn on the heat, part of the warm air will run through the tubes to heat your garage. Usually, furnaces heat up the whole place, whether you are staying in a room or not. As a result you would have an added value to your monthly bill due to the extra heating for your garage.

Portable Heater

Another way to use for heating your garage would be a portable heater. Every time you have to work in your garage or spend some time there, take the electric device with you, plug it and turn it on to spread the warm air and heat your garage.

This solution is also a practical one, as many of us have portable electric devices in our houses. Another benefit using these electric portable heaters is that they heat only one specific room. Thus, you will save money compared to other expensive ways.

Using a Wood Oven

Thirdly, you can use a wood oven in your garage. Traditional method always works, as an oven will create a warm and suitable environment, any time you have to stay or work in your garage. An oven is very practical to use and it can be silent as well, compared to electric heaters, which tend to create a certain noise that may be distracting.

Besides, a fire in the winter will also cheer you up and motivate while you are working. A side effect of using a wood oven would be the need of a small chimney, which may need some work. On the other hand you can also create a hole in your wall, but that may not be very feasible or even functional.

Also Read: Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters – Top Option in the Market

Conclusion

As we have described above, there are many effective methods on how to heat your garage cheaply. Many of us who have a garage and store our tools in there, are consequently handy men or women. For such a person, setting up insulation will not take much time. This measure is very effective and can be accomplished without any cost. Also, you can use the other inexpensive methods to heat your garage cheaply.