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How To Cool A Garage With No Windows

By September 21, 2021October 8th, 2021Home Maintenance
Garage with no windows

Have you ever walked into your garage, hoping to complete a project, and realized it is way too hot for you to even stand inside of it? How do I cool a garage with no windows you ask? Well, there are a few permanent and temporary options that you can examine. For example, installing an air conditioning wall unit or even using a portable air conditioning unit are two very good options.

Let’s take a look at more ways that we can tackle this issue.

How Much Cool Air Do You Need

Instead of rushing out to purchase an air conditioning system for your garage, consider the amount of time that you spend in there. Also, whether or not it needs to be cooled. If you are rarely in your garage, aside from searching through storage boxes, then it probably isn’t cost-effective to add an AC unit.

However, if you are parking your car and using part of the garage as a workspace or living space, then it is highly recommended that you seek out some sort of solution to your hot garage space.

The key will be to determine how long you utilize the garage space and what do you use it for? Once you can answer those questions, you will know what kind of product to invest in for your garage needs.

Light garage door colors reduce the amount of heat absorbed.
Light garage doors.

Permanent Options to Cool a Garage With No Windows

Let’s examine some permanent options for the comfort, convenience, and control of your garage usage:

  • Garage Color-changing the color of your garage to a lighter shade reduces the absorption of heat that can occur and is trapped in the garage space.
  • Wall Insulation-insulating the garage can serve two purposes. Keep the cool air in during the summer and the warm air in during the winter.
  • Air Conditioning-installing a permanent air conditioning unit that is wall mounted in the garage will allow you to pump warm or cold air into the garage space as you see fit. This will work well to cool a garage with no windows. You can also choose to run your current duct work into the garage and upgrade your AC unit where allowed (however, most local codes require your garage to be fire-rated, so you would not be able to tap into your house’s duct system). The other option with AC is to install an extra independent unit that is dedicated to just the garage and insulate the garage door.
  • Ventilation System-installing a ventilation system in the doors themselves will allow air to flow in and out of the garage as it needs. This reduces the ability of the garage doors to trap the hot air. However, most building codes require the garage to be “fire-rated” so ventiliation inside the home is technically against most codes.

Any of these options can be great ways to cool your garage. This will help you keep it cool so that you can have a workable space.

Portable AC Unit for a Garage or Home space.
Portable AC Unit

Temporary Options to Cool My Garage With No Windows

Let’s examine some temporary options for the comfort, convenience, and control of your garage usage:

  • Swamp Cooler-this involves keeping a cooler full of ice and a fan attached to blow the evaporated cooler air from the ice into the garage space. It is similar to a portable air conditioning system.
  • Dehumidifier-humid air will trap the heat and make the garage space feel much hotter. Plugging in a dehumidifier will suck out the humidity from the air space and keep the garage substantially cooler.
  • Parking a hot car outside-when your car is still hot from running, keep it outside until the engine cools down. Then pull it into the garage for a lot less heat exhaust.
  • Reduce the number of items in the garage-keeping the garage free from clutter will allow the air in the garage to flow more smoothly. This will keep the hotter air from becoming trapped in the garage space.
  • Fans– plugging in a portable fan or installing a ceiling fan are both options. This will circulate the air so that the hotter air leaves the garage in a more timely manner. This also increases the freshness of your air quality but circulating the air in and out of the garage space.
  • Keep the doors closed -when it’s hot out on the hottest days, keep the doors closed in a windowless garage. This will allow you to keep the heat out and the cooler air in. Although it might not feel that way when you are in the garage. Compare the temperatures of the outside to the inside at this time.

Let’s see how much some of these solutions will cost. 

How Much Will This Cost Me

To install a garage air conditioner cooling system in your garage, you will want to hire a handyman contractor. The handyman contractor typically charges $250-$750 to cut a hole into your garage for the unit installation. You can expect to pay $350-$1,000 for the AC based on the size and quality of the unit and whether it produces heat too.

Let’s take a look at the video below to see some cheap and easy ways to install a cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, option into your garage.

Other Ideas for the Garage

Do you want to use the garage as a place to entertain or perhaps as an in-law suite? Then drywalling the garage will be necessary. This will also be a good reason to make sure the garage is cool inside.

Be careful when you are hanging shelves and other items such as in the picture below, as you will need to use the right hardware. Did you know drywall can hold a lot of weight with the right hardware? It sure can! This can help you decorate the garage any way you want to.

Garage space with no windows or ventilation
A garage with no windows

Maintenance Ideas

Yearly maintenance of checking the garage door to make sure it opens and closes is important. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with a garage such as sensors, tracks, and rollers may be out of alignment, tension springs are broken, or the disconnect switch is separated.

The garage door opener opens and closes the garage. This opener usually lasts 10-15 years with proper maintenance. Additionally, a garage door has a life span of 15-30 years! Maintenance is necessary to make sure both parts last as long as possible. You will notice if it needs replacing by loud sounds, or it opens and closes intermittently to name a few.

Whatever type of fan or AC unit you add to the garage, make sure it is maintained. Replacing the filter, cleaning the condensing unit, adjusting the thermostat, and cleaning out the condensation line are a few things to do for maintaining your cooling unit.

When Do I Need A Professional

Aside from simply plugging in a portable AC unit, you will want to hire a professional to evaluate all of your options to keep your garage cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This will save you time and money. You will feel happier about making the right choices for your specific garage needs.

Conclusion

Installing ventilation or air conditioning and insulation of any kind in your garage is a great idea. This will help maintain air quality and keep your garage cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

If you believe that your garage is too hot to work in or even after you park your car and are worried this will be a problem, give Atkinson Inspection Services a call in the Orlando, Clermont, and Villages areas.