The Benefits Of Cooling A Garage (Things To Consider)
This post contains affiliate links.
Hot months can be hard on your garage. As the temperature picks up, your garage may turn into an oven, making you break a sweat and barely be able to breathe inside. The heat may be hard on your belongings too.
Chances are you may be thinking about cooling the garage at this point. However, aside from ensuring a cooler temperature inside, what are the other benefits of cooling a garage?
The benefits of cooling a garage include the following:
- You Make Your Garage A Livable Place
- You Improve Your Home’s Resale Value
- You Can Work On Your Projects During Hot Days
- Protect Valuable Objects
- You Prevent Your Fridge From Overworking
- You Prevent or Reduce Humidity Damage
- You Adhere To Local Rules And Laws
This article explores the benefits of cooling your garage. Aside from that, we also look at the cost of cooling down your garage based on some factors.
The Benefits Of Cooling A Garage
The major benefit of cooling your garage is making it a more livable space. You also could help increase your home value and protect your belongings inside. Some homeowners associations (HOAs) may also require you to have a cooling and heating system for the garage, so by cooling your garage, you adhere to the rules.
It may cost a little extra to install a cooling system for your garage, but there are many benefits to cooling a garage.
These benefits may range in several ways, from making you more comfortable to protecting your things inside. Garages with cooling systems also may help increase your home’s value.
Here are some ways a garage with a cooling system can benefit you:
You Make Your Garage A Livable Place
During hot summer months, garages can get really hot. This is because garages may have sheet metal walls on the exterior, and most garages get direct sunlight during this time. This means the metal walls may absorb the heat from the sun. The heat then radiates inside, turning your garage into an oven.
The effect may be even more noticeable if your garage walls and doors are not insulated. For example, if it is 100F° outside, your garage may be even hotter by at least 10°F.
The heat may keep you from spending time in the garage since you will quickly break a sweat and become uncomfortable inside. Not using the garage may also mean you lose some of the living space you normally can use.
Suppose you have a man cave in your garage where you like to have a drink and play games. The hot garage may mean you can no longer do your things there and have to move. This is also more trouble on your end.
By installing some kind of cooling system in your garage, you make your garage a more livable place. You can actually spend time and enjoy yourself inside, even during the hottest summer days.
You Improve Your Home’s Resale Value
One of the utmost things for many homeowners is the home’s value. If you are thinking about cooling your garage, chances are you are the homeowner.
The great news is that you can increase your home’s value by adding a cooling and heating system to your garage. The increase is also not to be looked down upon, as you are at a ballpark of around 12%.
If your home is valued at $200,000, adding a cooling system in the garage may increase the value to $224,000.
The value increase is logical since a cooled garage helps to create a larger living space for the new homeowner. The new homeowner may also consider buying a home with a ‘completed’ garage.
With the additional increase in home value, you may be able to sell the house for a profit later. You can also use the further increase in value to get a home equity loan, in case you ever need that.
Is a garage a good investment? Find out here.
You Can Work On Your Projects During Hot Days
If you read this article, chances are you take pride in your garage and enjoy DIY work. You may even have a never-ending list of projects to build and complete. This should mean you enjoy spending your time in your garage.
However, it may get unbearably hot during the summer if your garage is not cooled. This means you may not be able to spend much time inside. Since you do not spend much time inside, if you have any projects you are currently working on, you may not make much progress on them.
If you are to force yourself to work in the hot garage, you still will not be able to work as much as if the garage is cool. Plus, you may enjoy it less as well. When looking at all these, it may make a lot of sense to install a cooling system for your garage.
You Protect Valuable Objects Inside Your Garage
Like how cold temperatures may break things, high summer heat may also not be good for your garage.
If cold temperatures may cause your pipes to freeze and burst or cars to not be able to start in the morning, hot temperatures may come with their own set of hazards too. For example, extreme heat may dry out the wood structure of your garage, which may cause them to bend.
Most things expand when it becomes hot, which may happen to stuff inside your garage, such as cabinet doors. This may make them harder to open and close. If you force it, you may break the doors.
The same could be said about machinery, such as drills or other power tools. The expanded metals may create more friction between the moving objects, wearing them down faster. On top of that, a higher temperature may also mean the grease and oils work less effectively.
If the heat is rather extreme, you may look at things such as melted wax, plastics, or yellowing and shriveled papers. If they are just regular papers, you may disregard the damage. But what if they are pictures of your loved ones or important documents such as your certificates or receipts for you to file tax returns?
You can avoid all these issues if you have a cooling system for your garage. Chances are that investing in a garage AC, for example, may actually cost less than having to replace things that break because of the heat.
CHECK THIS OUT: Best Garage Coolers
You Prevent Your Garage Fridge From Overworking
If your garage has a fridge, a garage with a cooling system will help it to perform better. This is because the fridge does not have to work extra hard to keep the things inside cool.
Fridges usually have thermostats to sense the temperature inside and outside the fridge. The cooling system then turns on and off based on what they read.
If the outside temperature is constantly hot, it means your fridge has to constantly work and work harder to cool down the insides. This may eventually result in the fridge wearing down much faster.
READ MORE: Best Garage Fridges
You Prevent or Reduce Humidity Damage
One of the biggest enemies of a garage may not be fire or storms. But humidity.
This is because humidity can cause you massive problems. High-humidity areas can become moldy and mossy. High humidity can also cause rusting, even on the toughest metal and steel surfaces.
One way humidity’s damage can be further amplified? High temperature. When the temperature is hot and the humidity high, you may see things become moldy and rusty faster.
If you have cooling systems installed in your garage, you may be able to reduce the damage humidity can do to the things and the walls of your garage. This is because the cooler temperature may limit its damage even if there is humidity.
You Adhere To Local Rules And Laws
In many cases, your house may belong to a local authority. This could be a homeowner’s association (HOA), a town council, or a municipal government.
Sometimes, these authorities may require you to have some cooling and heating systems for your entire home, including the garage. If you are a tenant, the rental agreement may also require you to at least have a way to ensure the garage are not overly hot or cold during summer and winter.
These rules exist for some reasons. The concept is to ensure the houses and garages in the neighborhood remain structurally sound. They do not suffer from hot and cold damage. This could help to create a well-managed neighborhood, helping to generate a higher property value for everyone.
If you live in such neighborhoods, it may be a great way to follow the rules. Consider investing in some insulation and garage air conditioners. This should keep the authorities and troublesome neighbors away.
How Much Does It Cost To Cool Down A Garage?
The cost to cool down your garage may depend on several factors, such as size, cooling system, and whether your garage is insulated. The energy cost for your area may also determine the cost of cooling down your garage.
Suppose you are keen to cool down your garage but are concerned about the cost. You may be right since cooling your garage is not a one-time investment but a continuous spending.
You will spend a sum upfront on setting up the cooling system and smaller sums to keep it going, such as in maintenance and energy bills.
If you are keen to have a better calculation of what it will cost to cool down your garage, here are some factors you need to look at to arrive at your actual cost:
Garage Size
The reason is straightforward. If you have a large garage, it will cost more to cool it down. The larger the garage, the more space you need to cool down. This will mean you need to install more coolers or set up a more powerful cooling system.
Cooling System
Your cost may also vary, depending on the cooling system you intend to set up for your garage. The cheapest may be to have a bunch of fans around. But these may not really solve the problem.
This is because there may be some breeze inside the garage, but the fans are not cooling the place. They are just moving hot air around. In fact, fans may suck in hot air from the outside, making your garage even hotter.
Air conditioners may be the best option but they may also be costly. ACs cost money and require time and expertise to set up. Once running, they use electricity, which may mean higher energy bills.
Insulation
Insulation may be an essential factor in determining your cost, as it can play a huge role in helping regulate your garage temperature.
Insulation on your garage’s floor, wall, door, and ceiling may help stop the heat from the walls from radiating inside the garage. This helps to keep the garage cool on hot days.
The best thing is that insulation only needs an up-front cost to buy and install. You do not need to pay electricity bills to keep them working.
READ MORE: Pros and Cons Of Insulating A Garage
Energy Cost
Finally, the cost of cooling down your garage may also be determined by the energy cost of your area. The more expensive the energy, the most costly it is to cool down the garage.
If you live in an area where energy prices may spike or drop depending on seasons, this may be something you need to pay more attention to.
READ MORE: How To Cool A Garage (Options And Advice)
