Feeling a little cramped in your house? Thinking of converting your garage into something more than storage for cars, bikes, and boxes? Then it’s probably time to start thinking about getting the temperature in your garage to a more liveable place.
Boston area weather requires both heating and cooling in a garage
Everyone has their own idea of what room temperature is, but assuming you like your living spaces in the 70-72 degree range, you’ll need a heating and cooling plan to adjust the temperature in your garage most of the year.
In the Boston area, the average outdoor temps only match the ideal indoor temps a few months out of the year. The rest of the year you’ll need heating and cooling to make your garage a comfortable, useful space.
Planning heating & cooling for a Boston-area home garage
Determining how much heating and cooling you’ll need for your garage depends a lot on when you’re using the garage and what you’re planning to do in there.
If you’re exercising in your garage — lifting weights, cardio, yoga, or pilates — you’re going to be more comfortable at a lower temperature. If you only exercise at night or early in the morning, you just need a heating solution. Otherwise you’ll want heating from November to March and cooling from May to September.
If you’re converting your garage into a man cave, a crafts room, or a home office, you are going to want both heating and cooling so you’re always comfy. There might be some magical weather in May, June, and September where no HVAC is required.
If you’re converting your garage (or part of it) into a guest room, you’re definitely going to need both heating and cooling so your guests feel welcome and comfortable — unless your family only comes to visit in one season (lucky you).
Maybe you bought an electric car and you want to improve the efficiency of your battery? Heating your garage can help keep your battery at a better temperature for recharging. This is especially important in the winter when batteries use more energy to keep passengers warm inside.
Don’t forget insulation
Most garages aren’t insulated — they were meant to hold cars and cars (for the most part) don’t care if it’s cold or warm outside.
There are a lot of different ways you can insulate your garage, but if you take advantage of the Mass Save rebate program, you can save 75-100% of the cost to get it installed.
Mass Save offers incentives for upgrading insulation in buildings under 8,000 square feet, including attics, basements, and walls. To get started, you’ll need a no-cost Home Energy Assessment from one of their approved contractors.
Heating & cooling technologies for garages
There are many ways to heat or cool a garage. Some of the ones that come to mind most quickly are space heaters and window AC units. These old school ways of heating and cooling a room are energy inefficient and often dangerous.
A lot of garages don’t have windows. This makes any option not running on electric power (propane, gas, and wood) dangerous. Also, if you have a windowless garage, you can’t install a window AC.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s available to heat and cool a garage.
Cheapest options pollute, are dangerous, or are noisy
Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. These look cool, and are super cheap to install in your garage, but burning wood causes significant air pollution. Maybe you don’t care about the air outside your garage, but indoor air quality is a significant health risk.
Gas and propane-powered heating units also are major pollutants. It’s why the Massachusetts government — through the Mass Save program — is focused on getting people to convert to electricity-powered heating and cooling options, like heat pumps.
Electric space heaters. The most common way people think of heating a single room is to buy a portable room heater, also known as a space heater. They’re cheap, and small, and you can turn them on when you need them. They’re also only effective for relatively small spaces.
Room heaters are awesome for warming up a chilly bathroom before you take a shower, but they’re less awesome if you want to leave them running for a long period of time. They often overheat — requiring them to cycle off (and there goes your heat) — and they can easily catch fire (most offices don’t allow employees to bring in space heaters because they’re an insurance nightmare).
This makes portable room heaters a bad choice.
Window AC Units. Like electric space heaters, in-window air conditioners can be an inexpensive and quick solution to improving the temperature in your garage, but they’re noisy and you might need a really large one to get enough power to cool your whole garage.
Safe electric heat technologies perfect for a garage
Our favorite technology for heating and air conditioning are something called ductless mini-splits — you might think of them as a wall heater or wall-unit air conditioner.
They’re energy efficient, easy to install, and you can use them anywhere. Some models come with remote controls and apps you can control from your phone, making it convenient to heat or cool a space before you even get home.
The primary benefits of a ductless mini-split are:
- Energy efficient
- Easy to install, no existing central AC or heat are required
- Remote controlled
- Highly adjustable and fast-acting
The primary downside of a ductless mini-split in your garage, relative to most other solutions, is the cost. But if you live in Massachusetts, you can get huge rebates and interest free loans when you use a professional installer, all through Mass Save.
Many people think mini-splits only handle air conditioning and cooling, but with a heat pump, they’re also great for heating chilly spaces in your home. For year-round comfort in your garage, it is best to choose a ductless mini-split heat pump.
What is the best way to heat or cool a garage?
This definitely depends on what your idea of “best” is! In Boston, where much of the year is chilly, getting your garage to the right temperature for your activities will depend on your needs. Here’s a quick guide.
What is the cheapest way to heat a garage?
The cheapest way to heat a garage is to buy a space heater. Keep in mind, your heat zone will be limited and you have to be in the room when it’s running (they can cause fires).
What is the most efficient way to heat a garage?
The most energy efficient way to heat a garage is to install (or upgrade) insulation and choose a ductless mini-split with a heat pump.
Heat pumps use the heat in the air or the ground (even when it’s cold out) to move warm air into your garage and cold air out. The government (both Federal and State) are doing everything they can to get people to install heat pumps because they’re so efficient and will help us reduce our use of electricity for heating.
What is the best method of heating and cooling a garage for a gym or yoga studio?
If you’re planning a workout space for your Boston-area garage, you’ll need heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. The only way to get both in one unit is with a heat pump (like a mini-split which allows both heating and cooling). You’ll definitely want an insulation upgrade to help keep the temperature controlled.
What is the best method of heating and cooling a garage for a workshop or craft room?
If you’re planning a workshop for your Boston-area garage, you’ll need heating in the winter. If your workshop is small and you’re not going to be in there for long periods of time, you can get away with a space heater (ceramic or electric, but not infrared which will heat up your tools). If you plan to toil away for hours at a stretch, a mini-split heat pump will keep you more comfortable and your hands more nimble.
What is the best method of heating and cooling a garage for a man cave or home office?
These are mostly sedentary activities and you’ll want to keep your garage at the same temperature you like the rest of your house. And, because you’re likely to move in and out of this space frequently, you want a solution that fits your winter schedule — warmer when you’re in it and cooler when you’re not (or the reverse during summer).
The right solution? Installing/upgrading your insulation and installing a ductless mini-split with a heat pump. You’ll be thrilled with the extra room you have!
Bonus tip
For those magical days when the temperature is just right, you can easily turn off your mini-split and open the garage door for fresh air. No matter what temperature you’re keeping the rest of the house.