Houston’s sweltering heat isn’t inviting for anyone who wants to work in their garage. Humidity is high, and over 106 days per year the temperature is over 90 degrees. During our Houston garage door repair service calls, we get asked a lot in the summer about how to keep your garage cool. To answer this, we have put together 7 ways to keep your garage cool during the summertime.
1. Insulate Your Garage Door
One of the first things we recommend after a garage door installation in Houston is to insulate your garage door. Otherwise, the door will allow a lot of excess heat to enter your garage, and this heat will be absorbed by your garage’s concrete floor.
If you invest in a well-insulated door, you can keep your garage 20 to 30 degrees cooler this summer.
2. Install Weatherstripping
Do you have big gaps at the bottom of your garage door? A lot of people do. The weatherstripping will seal these large gaps and reduce the amount of hot outdoor air from entering your garage.
3. Ventilate Your Space
Do you have a ventilation system in place? If not, you can use an oscillating fan near a window to remove the hot air from your space. You can even just put a fan on the floor to move the air around and enjoy a garage that is at least 5 degrees cooler.
4. Use a Dehumidifier
Houston’s humidity, especially during the summer, can be unbearable. You should install a dehumidifier in your garage to remove the moisture from the air. Combined with proper ventilation, this will keep your garage cooler during the summer.
5. Let the Car Cool Off Outside
This is an easily missed tip. When you come home, park your vehicle outside and leave it there for an hour or tow before bringing it into the garage. Heat will radiate from a vehicle long after it’s been shut off, which can add a few degrees to your garage’s temperature. Leaving it outside allows the engine to cool off without warming your garage.
6. Consider the timing of your garage door use
The dog days of summer can really beat the heat down on to your garage door and your house. The heat of the day generally is between 3pm-6pm. The best idea is just to avoid using your garage during this time of the day. If your going to work or spend time in your garage, consider early morning till around 11am.
7. Use a Fan over an Air Conditioner
It’s tempting to use the Air Conditioner in this Houston heat, but that can get expensive. Especially if you plan on opening the garage door often. A more affordable way of cooling off your garage that’s still effective is a simple oscillating household fan like a pedestal fan, box fans, or a higher-powered shop fan. These will get the air in your garage circulating.
Spectrum Overhead Door LLC has been helping Houston homeowners keep there garage cool since 2006 by being the go-to company for garage door installations and repairs.