Heating and Cooling a Garage Workshop

Garage workshops can get pretty uncomfortable without the right heating and cooling setup. The best method of heating and cooling a garage workshop is by installing garage attic insulation, garage door insulation, and a garage mini-split heating and cooling unit. This is also the most effective way to heat and cool a garage workshop according to our experience. Especially when you want your garage to hold the right temperature for long periods of time. Looking for garage workshop heating and cooling services? We can help with that too! Our service area includes Arizona, Texas, and Florida.

Best Ways To Heat & Cool A Garage Workshop

In our experience, we have learned that the most effective methods for heating and cooling a garage work-space are to:

1. Install garage radiant barrier to keep the heat from coming in
2. Install garage door insulation to seal the cool air in
3. Install a garage mini split ac unit to cool the space down

Optional: Install a garage attic fan to blow the existing hot air out

Step 1. Install Garage Radiant Barrier

Garage Radiant Barrier keeps the heat out of your garage’s attic. Radiant barriers help regulate the temperature in your garage. Garage radiant barrier blocks radiant heat out during the summer and keeps the heat in during the winter.

Installing garage radiant barrier will cost you $500 for single car garage and about $800 for a double car garage. In general, it costs about $2 per sq ft to install garage radiant barrier.

We developed a product called SRX (SuperReflex) that regulated the temperature inside garages and homes during the summer and winter. When installed in your home, SRX can save you 50% on your electricity bill guaranteed! SRX is the best radiant barrier on the planet!

View our Garage Insulation Services

Step 2. Install Garage Door Insulation 

Garage door insulation is actually the most important step for heating and cooling a garage workshop.

The garage door is where most of the air temperature is gained or lost. Your garage door will let hot air in during the summer and warm air out during the winter. The only way to avoid this is by installing garage door insulation. Garage door insulation will seal up your garage workshop so cooling methods will work more effectively.

On average, garage door insulation installation costs about $300 for a single bay one car garage (single bay), $600 for a two-car garage (double bay), and $900 for a triple car garage (triple bay).

However, there really isn’t any reason you should be insulating your garage unless you plan on installing some type of cooling/heating mechanism.

We use the same SRX insulation for the garage door as well. It helps to seal up any remaining gaps for full temperature control. SRX is rated as the best insulation for garage doors and will make heating and cooling a garage workspace much easier. This ensures that you will be working in a more comfortable garage even without installing a garage ac unit.

View Our Garage Door Insulation Services

Step 3. Install A Ductless Air Conditioner & Heating Unit For Your Garage

Installing a ductless air conditioner in your garage is the most recommended method for heating and cooling a garage workshop. Most garage mini splits also work for heating as well so you will have more control over the temperature inside your garage than ever before.

Although, as we mentioned in the above paragraphs, only installing a garage mini split isn’t effective enough to cool your garage workshop alone, and wastes a lot of energy. You need to install a radiant barrier in the garage attic and insulate garage door to make your mini-split system work more effectively. Plus, the temperature will stay regulated longer and save you more money on heating and cooling bills.

Installing a ductless air conditioner for your garage can cost anywhere from $2500 for a single car garage, $3,000 for a double car garage, all the up to $4,000 for the some of the really nicer units.

View Our Garage Air Conditioning Services

Optional. Install A Garage Attic Fan

A high powered garage attic fan is a great final step to keep your garage workshop and comfortable as possible. The attic fan will ensure that all of the hot air is pushed out of your attic before making it inside your garage.  This will keep the heat out of the attic, the garage door insulation will keep the rest of the heat out, and your garage mini-split system will run like a champion. This will give you complete control over your garage workshop temperature.

It costs about $250 for professional garage attic fan installation. However, not everyone will need a garage attic fan.

Heating & Cooling A Garage Workshop Services

Take a look at the estimated costs of hiring a professional for heating and cooling a garage workshop:

• Garage radiant barrier: $500-$800
• Garage door insulation: $300-$900
• Ductless garage air conditioner: $2,500-$4,000

Not Effective Methods For Heating & Cooling A Garage Workshop

• Ceiling fans: work but won’t keep the space cool and won’t stay cool because you have no insulation
• Space heaters: use a lot of electricity and the heat is wasted through thin walls and non-insulated garage door
• Electric floor fans: blow around the hot air
• Installing Windows: will work for the summer but won’t keep the cold old during the winter time
• Opening the garage door during the summer a few inches is good for cooling your garage down a few degrees but Arizona temperatures get up to 120 degrees so there is only so much that method will do

Reasons For Heating & Cooling A Garage

You are most likely looking for a way to regulate the temperature inside your garage for one of the following reasons:

• To use your garage as a workshop
• To cool a garage with no windows
• To use your garage as a studio
• To keep the garage cool for your dog 
• To create the perfect man cave
• Store items that need to be temperature regulated

See Also:

10 Garage Cooling Ideas for a Hot Summer

Garage Cooling That Works

In the video below, Aaron explains the best 3 ways for heating and cooling a garage workshop.

Need Professional Services For Heating & Cooling A Garage Workshop?

Alternative Energy, LLC can help with garage insulation, garage door insulation and garage mini split system installations in Arizona, Florida & Texas.