Garage Heating Ideas
How to Keep Your Garage Heated
Many of us use our garage space as an extra room for our homes, and the last thing we want is for that space to be freezing cold or poorly heated.
Finding the right garage heating will keep your space pleasant to spend time in, and it will keep anything you store in your garage in better condition, too.
You don’t only need to think about heating if you use your garage as a home office or a gym.
A poorly insulated garage can lead to heat loss. Not to mention other issues like damp and mould which will become a huge problem, especially if your garage is connected to the main part of your house.
This garage heating guide will help you find the best garage heating solution for your home. We will look at:
- Why it’s important to keep your garage warm
- The pros and cons of electric heaters and fan heaters
- How insulation and ceiling installations improve heat retention
- Why a roller garage door with insulated slats can seal in warmth
Why It’s Important to Keep Your Garage Heated
A cold garage is often unusable in winter, even if it is mostly just a place to store your tools and potter about. A heated garage will keep your garage space functional and make it more enjoyable to spend time in, even when it’s cold outside.
Proper heat will also help you prevent damp and condensation building up. You are opening yourself up to problems with mould, corrosion, and even electrical damage without it. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and moisture is not going to do the things you keep in your garage any favours.
Heating goes hand in hand with insulation. You need a reliable heating system and good insulation in your garage to keep it comfortable all year round. A lack of proper insulation is going to lead to heat escaping through the roof and your energy bills going up.
Proper heating is just good practice, no matter if you are using your garage as an extra room or just somewhere else to keep your bike and the dishwasher.
Electric Heaters and Fan Heaters
Electric heaters and fan heaters are some of the easiest garage heating options for you to get your hands on. These are usually plug-in units that offer instant heat—great for quickly warming up the garage before you spend any time in there.
There are a couple of types of heaters to consider. Let’s go through your choices below:
Fan Heaters
Fan heaters blow hot air into the room. They provide spot heating (heating up the surrounding air in the small space they are in) and are small and affordable. They can be noisy, though, and they aren’t exactly an energy-efficient solution for the long term.
Electric Radiators
Panel Heaters
Panel heaters are slim and can be wall-mounted. These heaters are a good choice for garages where floor space is limited. A lot of people choose panel heaters in their garage conversions when they are considering a more permanent heating solution.
Portable Space Heaters
Space heaters are pretty flexible. You can move them anywhere you need a boost in heat. Our advice would be to make sure that heaters like these are kept far away from anything flammable and to keep the garage ventilated when the heater is being used.
Garage Heating Considerations
These heating systems are all valid choices to make, but you will need to consider which is the right one for you. There will be some running costs involved that can quickly add up, especially if your heating is running solely on electricity. Check rates with your energy supplier and look at the unit wattage for the heater you choose to check you are making the best decision.
Garage Insulation
Even the best heating option for a garage conversion (or just a garage you use for storage) will be pointless if you haven’t got proper garage insulation. Plug-in heating systems are quick solutions and warm air in the garage when they are in use, but they won’t be as effective if a lack of insulation leads to heat loss.
Wall Insulation
Floor Insulation
Does floor insulation really make a difference? Yes! Even just adding a heavy-duty rug can help stop the cold from seeping through the floor. You can also consider some underfloor heating or radiant heating if you want your feet to be the perfect temperature whenever you use your garage.
Garage Door
Insulating the door or replacing it with a newer garage door with insulated slats will make a big difference. Garage doors take up a lot of wall space; it makes sense to insulate them to stop heat escaping.
Do You Really Need Insulation?
Yes! Insulation helps you keep your garage at a comfortable temperature all year round. Also, without it, you are going to be spending a fortune on trying to heat your garage only for all the heat to escape anyway. The more insulation you have, the better.
Install a Garage Ceiling
Putting a ceiling in can be another easy way to help improve how well your garage is retaining heat (especially if you have a high roof.) All of that lovely warm heat energy from your heater is going to rise and escape out of a roof without a ceiling or insulation to block it.
A garage ceiling can be easy to install if you want to DIY it. All you need is some plasterboard or insulated panels. Chuck some overhead insulation in the gap above the ceiling and the roof to help stop heat loss, and your garage will be cosy all year round.
Install a Roller Garage Door with Insulated Slats
Your garage door is likely one of the biggest sources of heat loss in your garage. Gaps around the edges of your garage door (which is still a problem with some modern doors) let the cold in and bring down the temperature of the surrounding air in the garage.
Roller doors are designed to create a tight seal when closed to stop any cold air from seeping in.
Insulated door panels and a garage door that seals closed are going to go a long way toward minimising heat loss. They will help your garage heating solutions to work better and keep your garage warm for longer.
Roller doors are a great way of improving the floor space of your garage as they roll up above the doorway. Yes, a roller door is more expensive, but the energy savings you will be making in the long run will absolutely offset the initial price.
What is the Cheapest Way to Insulate a Garage?
The best way to heat your garage up on the cheap (and for the short term) is with an electric heater. They provide instant heat, which is good for spot heating rather than heating the whole garage space.
The running costs of electric heaters are going to add up though. This is why we would only really recommend them for short-term use before you decide on the permanent improvements you will make as part of a garage refurbishment (like insulation or a new garage door, etc.)
An electric heater comes with low upfront costs, but the chances are that in the long term, you would be better off choosing some other solutions that will help you keep your energy bills down.
Other DIY & Budget Heating Fixes
Not ready to fully invest in a new heating system and insulation for your garage? Here are some of our expert tips and DIY steps you can take to keep your garage as warm / well-insulated as possible:
- Seal up any visible gaps or cracks around windows and doors using weatherproof strips or silicone sealant
- Put draft stoppers around your garage door to stop cold air blowing in
- Cover your garage walls with curtains or heavy blankets to keep warmth in older garages without insulation
- Put down thick rugs or rubber mats to stop heat loss through the floor
- Keep windows and doors shut when not in use and close any vents during the colder months
Final Thoughts
Now, hopefully, you have some good garage heating ideas for how you can improve your space. Remember, there are plenty of DIY quick fixes and easy electric heaters, but you are probably going to be better off in the long run if you make some long-term improvements to your garage.
Insulation, a new garage door, and some professionally installed heating are going to be your best bet if you want your garage to be a pleasant space all year round.
Opening Times:
9:00am – 5:30pm Monday to Friday