How to Keep Your Garage Cool in Florida
One of the great aspects of living in Florida is the sunny, warm weather residents experience nearly all year round. However, there are some downsides to the Florida climate, and an overheated garage is certainly one of them. In the summer months, you may find that your garage — and, by extension, your car — may reach an unbearably hot temperature.
Many homeowners have chosen to implement some, or all, of the following tips for cooling off their garages and keeping them cool against the summer heat.
How to Cool a Garage in Florida
Depending on your garage’s specific characteristics and the location and character of your property as a whole, some of these common garage cooling tips may not be applicable. In any case, these techniques can give you some helpful, easy do-it-yourself methods for achieving and maintaining a cooler garage temperature.
1. Insulate Your Garage and Garage Door
Insulation is one of the most obvious ways to cool off a garage. It can be highly effective but will likely require a greater investment of time and money than some other techniques in this list. Professional garage insulation typically requires professionals to drill into the garage walls to fill them with foam insulation material. Insulation keeps hot air out in the summer and warm air inside during cooler months. If year-round temperature regulation is a concern, insulation may be the right solution for your garage.
Learn More About the Benefits of Insulated Doors
Insulation curtains are a simple, DIY garage insulation option. These curtains hang on a rod just like indoors curtains do and block sunlight and hot air from entering the garage in the first place, protecting you from the summer heat. Insulation curtains work best when placed over garage windows and doors. They are available at most home improvement stores. Consulting a professional garage door service is the best way to get a full sense of insulation options and pricing for your specific garage.
2. Install Air Conditioning
Depending on how frequently you use your garage, you may want to invest in air conditioning. AC installation can be quite expensive, so this may not be feasible for all homeowners, especially if you mainly use your garage for storage. However, if you actively spend time in your garage throughout the day, installing an air conditioning unit can be the best way to cool a garage in Florida, even in hot summer months.
AC options can vary greatly, from a simple window air conditioner or in-wall mini-splits to extensions of your central air ductwork. Consider your options carefully before making a decision. In most cases, air conditioning is the most effective, long-term solution if a significantly, consistently low garage temperature is your top priority.
3. Install Ceiling Fans
Like air conditioning, ceiling fans require some installation know-how. Ceiling fans are generally a permanent solution and can be a great option for moving hot air from your garage space. Ceiling fans are generally most effective at cooling a garage when you also leave the garage door or windows partially open. This increases circulation and overall airflow.
If you don’t want to invest in a ceiling fan, you can also improve airflow with large box fans, sometimes called ventilation fans. True to their name, ventilation fans can be one of the best ways to cool your garage in the summer. They use less electricity than AC units, are relatively inexpensive to buy and are effective and reliable. You can use standard oscillating fans similarly.
4. Improve Ventilation for Increased Air Flow
Improving overall ventilation throughout the garage is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to cool your garage temperature and improve your comfort level. The use of simple box fans or oscillating fans can be highly effective in increasing ventilation. Likewise, optimizing the use of existing windows and doors in the garage — whether with a window air conditioner unit or window fan — can also contribute to improved ventilation efforts.
5. Inspect and Install Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is a simple and common method for keeping a garage cool. Weatherstrips, or seals, are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and available at most home improvement stores. These seals can effectively regulate temperature, seal out moisture, and prevent pests and rodents from entering your space.
6. Let Your Car Cool Before Parking It in the Garage
This is a great technique that anyone can implement, regardless of your budget, because it’s essentially free. Your car’s engine generates a considerable amount of heat as it runs. If you’ve ever touched the hood of your car right after driving, you’re aware of this heat.
As your car remains parked and turned off, its engine gradually releases a considerable amount of hot air as it cools. When your car’s engine goes through this process inside the garage, the hot air can get trapped inside and increase the garage temperature. Avoid this by parking your vehicle on the street or in your driveway to let it cool before pulling it into the garage.
7. Paint Your Garage Door a Lighter Color
This tip is another effective, low-cost technique for keeping your garage cool through the summer. Because dark colors absorb energy from the sun, a dark garage door is essentially a magnet for heat. A dark garage door, and a dark roof, naturally heat quicker than a light-colored door and roof. Depending on your home’s style and aesthetic, consider painting your garage door a light color, such as white or pale gray. You may be surprised how effective this method can be at making your garage cooler.
Replacing the roof over your garage with a lighter color is another option for getting a cooler garage temperature. However, roof work tends to be quite expensive and time-consuming. Making changes to the garage roof may not be the best option for everyone.
Contact ADCO Garage Doors for Garage Door Services
With over forty years of experience and proven expertise, ADCO Garage Doors is your premier garage service in the Miami-Dade area. ADCO Garage Doors has quality, innovative solutions to address nearly any concern or need relating to garages, garage doors, garage designs and more.
For any service and repair needs — or for more information on keeping your garage cool in summer — contact ADCO Garage Doors’ trusted, service-oriented technicians.