We talk a lot about keeping your garage door warm in the winter. A warm garage in the winter is the perfect space to work on projects or let the kids get out that extra energy. A warm garage in the summer, however, isn’t so great.

Without air conditioning or ventilation, a garage can get up to 20 degrees hotter than the temperature outside. In the thick of summer, not only does this make your garage uninhabitable, but it could also be dangerous. 

With that said let’s take a look at some ways you can cool down your garage for summer fun.

Open Your Garage Door

When it comes to knowing how to keep your garage cool, the first — and often best — step is to open the garage door. This is an ideal way to ventilate a hot garage and let some of that trapped air escape. If your garage door faces north, you’ll find that opening the door lets in cooler air because the northern side of your property gets less sunlight, which means lower temperatures. Even if your garage doesn’t face north, opening it typically brings in a breeze. Air that’s moving will be cooler than air that stands still.

If you are looking for more privacy even opening the door halfway can be effective. Opening any other doors or windows in your garage can also help create a nice breeze.

Add Insulation

Wall insulation will go a long way in keeping the temperatures of your garage comfortable throughout the years without spending too much on heating and air conditioning.

Another ideal way to improve your garage’s insulation is to replace your existing garage door with an insulated garage door in Ohio. An insulated garage door is similar to a standard garage door, except that it’s constructed with one or more layers of insulation in between the panels of the door. The insulation inside of the door is designed to block outside air from penetrating the door and making its way into your garage.

Add Air Conditioning

This seems like the most obvious technique to keep your garage cool. However, air conditioners can be quite expensive, and therefore, you should consider investing in an air conditioner for your garage only if you are going to be spending a lot of time there. 

Use a Dehumidifier or Swamp Cooler

Depending on the climate you live in. Either adding cool damp air or removing warm damp air can be effective in cooling a garage. If you live in a very dry climate a swamp cooler could be a good option for you. If you live in an extremely humid climate, try a dehumidifier. Either of these options is a nonpermanent and cost-effective cooling technique. 

Install Fans

Another easy way to get air moving is a good old fashion fan. Whether you use plug-in floor or desk fans or install ceiling fans is up to you!

Declutter

It may seem silly, but a garage full of stuff could be raising the temperature inside. How? If you have boxes stacked around the garage, they can retain heat along the floor and prevent airflow. Even if you open the windows or the door, the air is unable to flow around them, creating a hot, stagnant space.

Keeping You Cool in Ohio

The bottom line is, that if you want to spend a significant amount of time in your garage throughout the summer, you will need to keep it cool. There are several things you can do to accomplish this but for more information on insulated garage doors in Ohio, our garage door experts can help. Contact Springfield Overhead Door to get a quote and be on your way to enjoying more time in your garage year-round.