How can I keep my garage cool in the summer?

For most of us, the garage is one of the most neglected rooms of our homes. Seems strange, when we have been increasingly using this space as an extension of the house, whether as a playroom for our energetic kids, a spacious laundry room, or even our fitness studio. However, it is common in warmer climates for the garage to trap heat and humidity during the summer making it uninviting for most activities. As well, high humidity can lead to mold, rust on metal and a host of other problems. Here are some ways to resolve these issues and turn your garage into a summertime haven.

Get yourself a well-insulated and weathertight garage door

This is probably the first piece of advice to follow. For over a decade, garage doors have been manufactured with efficient, high-performing components and are more and more energy efficient. So when choosing a new garage door, opt for one with polyurethane foam insulation. By filling every nook and cranny of a door, it provides a solidly insulated door as well as a wall for your garage. Also, don’t forget to take a closer look at the door to make sure there are no thermal bridges, which like poor insulation, allow heat and cold to be easily transferred between the interior and exterior, increasing discomfort. Hot and humid garage air can invade your home just by leaving the door between the house and garage open for a short time, making your air conditioner work harder. Be aware that by selecting a superior quality garage door, you’ll save in air conditioning costs for your home, even if you don’t air condition your garage.

For elevated humidity, use a dehumidifier

An overly humid garage is certainly not inviting so measure the level by using a hygrometer. To be comfortable, it shouldn’t exceed 45 to 50%. There are affordable home dehumidifiers out there, similar to the high-performance ones used for commercial purposes.

Add ventilation or air conditioning

For those who use their garage on a daily basis for various activities, there is another way to combat humidity and condensation in the garage. That is by adding a vent from your central air conditioning system into your garage. This will both cool and lower the humidity of that space. A less involved option is to install a stationary ventilation system to exhaust the buildup of hot and humid air.

To start with, invest in top-performing garage door

So that any cool and dry air you have will remain in your garage thus keeping your energy costs down, it is important to have a well‑insulated, weathertight garage door. Contact us, toll‑free at 815‑692‑6690 for assistance. We know garage doors from top to bottom and will advise you on the best choice to make to satisfy all your requirements while respecting your budget. We can also easily email you a quotation.

You can also come and meet us at our showroom. Another tool to use is our Design Centre to help you choose the style of garage door that best suits you. For more input, take a look at our image gallery for lots of ideas.