If you live in our Pennsylvania service area (especially the State College area), you probably get tired of going out to the garage and getting into a COLD vehicle. Our garage floor coatings, as beautiful as they are, don’t change that cold feel. Fortunately, there are many affordable options for heating to make the garage more enjoyable in the winter.
In this article, I'll discuss the 3 most common solutions I have seen over the past ten years. Each solution can be scaled to the size of the garage. Some can easily be installed as a "Do-It-Yourself" solution, but homeowners should understand and heed all the requirements from the heater’s manufacturer during the installation.
Heat Your Garage with a Gas Forced-Air Heater
Forced-air, natural gas heaters blow warm air like a conventional home furnace. These solutions often heat your garage the fastest due to the air circulation. Most units can be configured to use propane as well.
Typically installed in a corner, near a gas line and an electrical outlet, these heaters often cost over $500 for a unit sized to a two car garage and over $700 for a unit sized to a three car garage! While some DIY sites provide detailed instructions for their setup, these units may prove too complicated for the average homeowner to install safely.
Forced air units can be noisy and lose heat very quickly if the garage door is left open. The forced air also tends to blow airborne dust around the garage, so homeowners that work with wood often may want to consider a different solution.
Common brands, like Modine’s Hot Dawg, range from 30,000 to 125,000 BTU/hr.
Warm Up the Cars with a Natural Gas, Infrared Tube Heater
Low intensity, infrared tube heaters also use natural gas or LP (liquid petroleum). Instead of circulating air, they radiate heat which warms objects first and the air second. So, floor areas which are under the tube heaters warm and radiate heat back up into the garage. You must keep objects a set distance away from these heaters or else they will overheat.
Unlike the forced air units, infrared tube heaters do not stir up dust and recover more quickly from garage doors being opened and closed. However, the installation is more complicated, as the units must be located in specified distances between objects, walls, and floors depending on the manufacturer's specifications.
These units are more expensive than the equivalent forced air units, but are quiet, less costly to operate, and the heat is move evenly distributed within the garage.
Take off the Chill with an Electric Garage Heater
These are often the cheapest and easiest to setup. Big box stores often have options that are under $200 and can easily heat a small to average-sized two car garage. Most circulate air over heat coils. They won't keep the garage as warm, and often do not distribute the heat as evenly as the other two options.
There are some electric, infrared heaters now which can do a better job than the units available at the hardware store. These will have a higher operational cost than their natural gas counterparts.
Stay Warm This Winter
All of these solutions will make your garage and vehicles more comfortable in the winter. If you spend a lot of time in the garage, consider going with the most BTUs appropriate for the size of your garage.
Keep in mind that all of these solutions lose a lot of their heat when the garage doors are up in cold temperatures. Always keep the garage doors down as much as possible.
If you plan to do a lot of work in the garage, decide if noise and air circulation will be a problem and ensure the choice you make is properly installed and safe for your usage.
If you're considering getting your garage floor coated, there's no need to wait just because it's the winter. We coat garages year-round. Request a free quote today to get started.
Mike Mincemoyer is the President of STRONGHOLD FLOORS and hates cold weather. Since he doesn’t have a permanent heat source in his garage (because of the 11 foot ceilings), he doesn’t go in there any more than necessary.
