Winterizing your garage?

[Old Baldy]

OK guys, this is crazy. I have some sweet looking 998 heads from Chris in the UK and some billet 998R cams sitting waiting for me to install in the 998 motor to build into my 996 chassis, but it's been -25C in the garage the last 2 days. At least it's warmer than outside in the wind, where it's been -30C or colder, but CRAP...it's still too friggin' cold to work up enthusiasm in my unheated garage.

What is the best (i.e. cheapest and easiest!) way to "winterize" a garage?

If I can get it to around 5C or so economically, I can live with it. I have a double aluminum roll-up door with hinged panels about 21" high and the full width of the opening, and another single door (triple garage). The doors are probably about 16' wide and 8' wide, respectively. The ceiling has NOTHING in it (insulation wise), and I'm guessing the outer walls are framed with no insulation. The floor is cement/concrete. I have 220V ad 110V in the garage.

Is it possible to buy kits to insulate the garage doors?
How much work to do the walls...drill a hole in the top of each wall space and blow in some cellulose? Can you rent these blowers?
Heaters? I have natural gas for house heating. Is it better/cheaper to have something feeding off the existing gas, or propane or electric? I don't need permanent heating in the garage, just when I want to work (although it would be nice).

Flooring to cover the cold cement? That interlocking plastic stuff is nice but crazy expensive. Other ideas? Does the epoxy coating kit do anything at all for insulation?

Looking for ideas, opinions.

thx!

[marvin]

Hi OB,

I don't know about any kits for the doors although they may exist. I would just get blue styrofoam insulation from Home Depot/ Lowes, etc. and cut panels to fit the existing panels. On top of that I would hang tarps,blankets, etc. on top of that. Or if you don't open those doors, frame up inside storm doors, insulated of course.

If your walls are already paneled inside you can indeed fill with insulation. I don't know if the blowers are rentable in your area or not, might be more economical to just hire a firm that does such a thing.

P.S. I can send you the propane heater that I promised you but if you don't already have propane you might be better off to hook into your natural gas/buy a natural gas heater. You could get 100 lb propane cylinders but per gallon in small cylinders probably too expensive for the long term, although a free heater would help to overcome the high propane costs.. There's always the wood stove but if you have to buy wood that's probably not economical either.
If you want to talk it over give me a call. Rick has my number or I can PM it to you.

I doubt that floor coverings would be cost effective.

Moving down here would be a good move, not as cold and great roads! :-)

Marvin

[Old Baldy]

hah, Marvin! I've seriously thought about moving further South again, but the commute to Detroit would be HELL every day.

Tim (my good buddy desmoduvalier) is talking about us going down to NC for the Spring Fest...if we do, I may take you up on the heater offer.
(j/k...I would probably just hook into the natural gas line after I've done all the insulating prep.)

[Old Fart]

Simply a matter of what you want to spend.

Insulate it and wall board it. Drop ceiling and 45,000 ponds of spray in insulation, door gap seals, and a Modine type heater nat gas fired if zoning will allow it. If not, the outdoor heating system with hot air into the garage.
Oh,, what I could do with someone elses money.

Or, bring the bike in the house. Me? All the above without the Modine so work is a non issue as the garage is awash in salt brine from the cars......

[marvin]

OB,
The heater is yours, don't know if it can be converted to NG or not. It may not be large enough for a large space.
Here's another thought. Frame up a smaller work space within the garage. Small, low ceiling, insulated, heat with small electric heater. You could also do a raised insulated floor to get up off of the slab.

[Capt. Home Slice]

Originally Posted by marvin

OB,
Frame up a smaller work space within the garage. Small, low ceiling, insulated, heat with small electric heater. You could also do a raised insulated floor to get up off of the slab.

This one has my vote, you could also put up a sturdy door and lock for a bit of extra security when you're braving the Alaskan wilderness.

[mrgrn]

buy a tent and toss a tarp over it followed by old blackets. igloos are made of snow and are somehow like comfy inside, think about it

small elec heater or them elec oil filled deals and wait a hour b4 going into it. i have done this b4 years back and you can get it rather warm, like 50f easily if wind is not blowing through the garage

[Norm]

I would cover the door and windows with canvas paint drop cloths and use one of those heaters that sit on a 5 portable tank for heat. Cheap and easily reversable when it warms up.

[bruntr]

Been thinking of doing mine as well, I live in southern GA and not only does my garage get way too hot in the summer but it has been down in the 20's quite a bit lately and just too cold to work in. My plan is to pull up the storage floor in the attic, add insulation then put the floor back down. Outside walls, I only have to worry about 1 & 1/2 walls about 30 ft worth, for that rather than remove the finished drywall I was going to take down the viny siding remove the cheap ass fiberboard they used for the walls, add insulation put back up plywood, some tyvek and the siding, the door, planned to buy a garage door insulation kit. For heat I was thinking of tapping into my heatpump duct work and adding a line to the garage, that way it will heated/cooled all year long, also thought of adding a electric control vent cutoff, when garage door opens it cuts the vent off, when it closes vent open back up. Sounds like alot of work but I love projects and after two bath remodels this would be easy stuff.....

[Capt. Home Slice]

..just re read the first post. Here is what I'd do. You've got a three bay garage... one bay for your car, another for the wife's car. These go in the double door area. Then take the third bay and put all of the bike stuff there. Build a partition and insulate as needed. I couldn't think of a better way to organize it. Though, you've probably already got it set up like this...

[Old Baldy]

Originally Posted by Capt. Home Slice

..just re read the first post. Here is what I'd do. You've got a three bay garage... one bay for your car, another for the wife's car. These go in the double door area. Then take the third bay and put all of the bike stuff there. Build a partition and insulate as needed. I couldn't think of a better way to organize it. Though, you've probably already got it set up like this...

Yeah, pretty much. I have my work area on the end space with the single, mnual door (which seldom gets opened - only for pulling out the ride-on mower and the dual purpose bikes).

I like the idea of closing off the space - that way, whenever one of the family arrives or leaves, their opening of the double-wide door does not blast out all my warm (or cool!) air, and if I do hook-in the central duct, it would be a lot less space to worry about.

But...this is the end next to the single-pane window and the uninsulated outer walls.....so still a lot of work there.

I think overall, I will go with the temporary blankets "closet space" idea around my immediate work area, and do the main work in the Spring/Summer.

Good ideas, thanks guys!