The Best Way to Heat a Detached Garage

When you have a detached garage on your property, you have access to an extremely functional indoor space that can be used in many different ways. The word “garage” might make you think about parking first and foremost, but that’s just a starting point for what this kind of building can handle.

While anyone who has a detached garage would be sure to sing its praises, one thing you won’t hear them talking about is how warm and comfortable a detached garage is in the winter months. These types of buildings can get rather cold in the winter since they aren’t attached directly to a climate-controlled space, such as a house. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all that a detached garage has to offer – we’ll offer some tips in this article to keep your garage space comfortable throughout the cold season.

Ready to build a detached metal garage of your own? Head over to our Build & Price tool to see what’s possible when you partner with American Carports, Inc. You can also contact us directly if you have questions or need more information. Our friendly and experienced team is here to help!

Insulation Is the Starting Point

Without a doubt, the best thing you can do to keep your garage comfortable in the winter is to have it insulated. No, this isn’t active heating, and we’ll talk more about that in a moment, but insulation is too important to move down in this discussion. Many metal garages are not insulated when they are built, and as a result, they readily transfer the air temperature from the outside to the inside.

This happens, of course, in both the summer and the winter. So, in the summer, your detached garage is going to be extremely hot on warm days if it does not have insulation. Then, when winter does arrive, the cold temperatures will be conducted through the metal and into the garage, and the space will be frigid. Having quality insulation added brings a barrier between the outside and the inside that slows thermal transfer. You won’t suddenly have a warm and cozy space all winter just due to insulation, but this is a necessary starting point and you can build from here.

Your best option for creating an insulated detached garage is to work with American Carports, Inc. to have the insulation added as part of the construction process. Don’t wait until later to attempt to go back and add insulation – that will be a frustrating process that doesn’t leave you with ideal results. We can do the hard work for you, in this case, and your new garage will be more comfortable from day one as a result.

A Simple Heat Source

With insulation in place, you’ll already be on the right track. Next, think about how you can introduce a little bit of heat to the room so that the insulation has some warm air to collect and keep inside. Perhaps the most affordable way to do this is through the use of an electric space heater. Unless your garage is particularly big, you may be surprised to find just how comfortable it can become while using a small space heater.

The nice thing about this option is that you don’t have to have anything professionally installed. You can just buy a good heater, plug it in, and let it do the rest. Of course, remember to never let that space heater continue to run while you aren’t around, as that could present a safety hazard.

Install a Mini-Split

For a more formal heating – and cooling – solution, you could go with a mini-split system in your detached garage. This is the type of project that is going to require some professional assistance, so it will come with a significant price tag. However, if you use your detached garage for business purposes and need to be out there day after day regardless of the weather conditions, having this level of control over the conditions in your space may be necessary.

It should be noted that you will want to be sure that your space is properly insulated before thinking about having a mini-split system added. Without insulation, whatever warm air is created by this system is largely going to be lost to the outside, and you’ll just be burning through energy without getting much in return. Good insulation is what will hold the heated air in the garage and enable you to enjoy it.

American Carports Has You Covered

You don’t have to deal with a freezing cold garage space all winter long. Remember, if you are going to build a new garage with the help of American Carports, Inc., be sure to have us insulate the space from the start so you can avoid having to deal with this project later on! If you have any questions about creating your structure, don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Our team is always here to help, and we hope to serve you soon!