My layout is in the garage here in Riversdide, CA. The garage temps are so high we do not go in there in the summer. I was hoping for some advice on a solution. Eventaully I would like to have an AC unit dedicated to the garage but $500 is just too much right now. I was planning to open up a few garage side vents but was thinking about an attick vent maybe powered. I dont want to risk causing a roof leak but would like to have a powered vent. Does anybody know of a forum on house improvement or a good site beside the hardware store sites?
Many thanks in advance from someone who wants to be a summer modeler.
There was a post here just last week with pictures of an air conditioner installed in a garage in the Phoenix, Arizona area, so you need to look for that article. An attic vent is not going to help much because all that will do is suck hot air into the garage from outside.
I live in Minnesota, but temps of 120 degrees in a garage are not unusual. I went to Walmarts and bought a $300 window unit with remote that works. By not trying any cheeper methods first I had over 1/3 the money in hand. I love it. It took abot 30 minutes and one helper to install it. I did have 220V service there to plug it into. That helped.
A ‘power’ vent or even a ‘turbine’ vent will make a difference. Hot air rises and is trapped in the roof of the garage. I would suspect your garage has some kind of roof vent now. I finished my garage(insulation/sheetrock of the walls/ceiling), and it really gets hot up in the attic part of the garage. I am thinking about a power vent(waiting for a good sale at Home Depot or Menards). I live in Minnesota and it is above 80 degrees today. The garage is even hotter right now. At least my layout is downstairs and it is a nice cool 70 something on the ‘Pecatonica Division’.
Cacole, the unit you saw in that post runs $449, BUt it may be the better way to go before I spend time and money on other efforts.
Arthill, The only window I have is in the door and I do not want to put a hole in the wall for one. The floor unit Cacole was pointing out would ventilate through a typical garage side vent. This is what I will eventuallt do, but was thinking of a cheaper way to go for now.
Jrbernier, it may be hard to believe but there is no attick, roof, or gable vent in the garage.I may cut a gable vent in the end but this would face the street and would like to avoid.
If it is wood construction, and you own the property, a hole in the wall for AC would pay for itself when you sell it and is EASY to install. Materials would be less than $20.00.
My first AC I got at a Garage sale for $5.00 but it only lasted 14 years before it quit.
Sounds like you are in a tough spot for your garage. I am in the same boat, sorta. In the garage, but it is a rental so I am very limited to what I could do. I am not sure what kind of garage door you have but I would get that sucker insluated if you can. I did on my garage and made big difference.
Also, if you can vent it somehow, rig up a fan on a timer…What I did was installa fan that turns on at 12 pm and runs till 4 AM. it sucks all the hot air out and brings in the cool air from the night. Atleast in the mornings it is sorta OK. Some times the small vents dont work to well so I wil crack the bottom of the door, just a smidge, one inch is all you need, and that will allow plent of air intake.
Or worse case, you can join my club, the “Underwear Train Modelers In Garages” I am starting up the main chapter here in Phoenix.,[:D] All though, we never actually “get together”. That would be just too weird [:o)]
Check with your better home improvement companies and ask about “up ducts”. We used them in Arizona. They’re made to open when hot air below rises and close when the air above is hotter than the air in the room.
spidge, the earlier comment about insulating the doors worked for me. I did mine with a kit from HD for $180 - that really seems high for some foam panels doesn’t it?
The sun here in central Texas faces my garage door. When the outside temp is 100, my garage is ~ 85. I only have a fan running with no ventilation to the outside. Also, my garage is under the top floor of my house and three walls are insulated.
Tom, the garage door I have is insulated but very thinly done. It does face the afternoon sun until about an hour before dark. Thanks for the idea, I may look into some additional insulation for it.
I found a great idea on how to cover up that nasty garage door. Once you get the insulation done, head on down to the local cloth supplier and look for the largest, cheapest “sky blue” materail you can find. My wife and son went with me and we scoure dover the store and came across this. I ended up buying the whole bolt for my porject. Cut and hang! I even added some clouds by airbusging directly on to it. Worked great.
I have a door just like the fellow above, multipanel type roll up. If you secure it nicely, maybe some screws right into the foam, it will roll up just fine with the door. Which is a heck fo trick cause then you have the door open and blue sky above. I think I spent around 35 bucks for enough to this, and about 12 extra feet for other areas. Since I cant paint my walls, due to beng in a rental, I have been useing this as my blue background. Just be prepared to iron the snot out of it.
