4 Alternative Ways To Heat Your Garage Without A Space Heater

For many of the DIY enthusiasts and general tinkerers of the world, the home garage can be a bit of an oasis, as the spaces often double as, or have been fully converted into a home workshop of some sort. While that space may be deemed sacred for much of the year, depending on where you are in the world, a garage workspace can be pretty problematic during the winter months, as garages are, typically, not the warmest place to be when it's cold outside. 

There is, of course, a quick and relatively easy way to remedy that particular problem, with winter time garage dwellers the world over opting to warm up their work area with a space heater. As handy as a good space heater can be, they do come with their own safety considerations. Likewise, they're not the most efficient devices for heating a space quickly or properly heating larger areas at all. They're also relatively noisy, and might increase your electricity consumption more than you're comfortable with. Moreover, in a workshop environment, it's generally wise to avoid options that might circulate dust and debris, leading folks to seek alternate methods of heating.  

Yes, infrared heaters and portable heat pumps might be viable options for your space, but we aren't listing them here, because, well, those really just feel like fancier versions of a space heater, right? In any case, here are a few other options that may help keep your garage warm without using a space heater.

This is a pretty obvious starting point, but it's also safe bet that many of the garages doubling for work spaces don't have a stitch of insulation in place to contain warm air. And yes, if you want to try and keep the space warm in the winter time, installing insulation in your garage should be the first step you take. 

There are, of course, several ways to go about that, and if you're looking for a cheap option for insulating your space, you could simply cut and affix sheets of insulation to the walls when it starts to get cold, then take it down at the end of the season. But that option is not ideal for reasons far beyond mere aesthetics. If you'd prefer a more permanent fix, you'll need to hire a contractor for a full-on installation for any exterior walls, as well as the ceiling or any crawl spaces. But even that may be complicated if your garage is already finished, as it increases the scope of work, and thus the overall cost of the job.

At minimum, you should properly outfit your garage door with insulation for the winter. But whether you choose a temporary install or a permanent fix, while you're insulating your garage, you'd be wise to do some additional sealing around door frames and windows as you go, as the idea is to close off any spaces where heat can escape. Once you're done, the garage will no doubt be more comfortable, though you'll likely still need some sort of heating apparatus to properly warm the space.  

Once you've got insulation in place, a nice, easily renewable energy source would no doubt be ideal for folks looking to generate some extra heat for their garage work space. If renewable is the goal for heating your garage, solar is a good place to start, as the sun is indeed a provider of free, renewable heat, and harnessing its energy is one of several ways to transform a home or garage in the era of green energy.

Just to be clear, passive solar heating does not require the addition of actual solar panels. At its core, this concept is kind of like transforming your garage into a pseudo greenhouse, with the U.S. Department of Energy detailing that passive solar heating requires abundant windows — some of which should be South-facing — and the use of heat absorbing construction materials like concrete, brick, or stone (which serves as thermal mass). If possible, insulated skylights to draw in extra sunlight can also be useful.

Now, one of the best ways to maximize the effects of a solar heating option is to ensure the room being heated is already insulated, as the idea is to keep the warm air generated by the sunlight and heat absorbing materials inside. There is, perhaps, one other important factor to consider in your passive solar heating endeavor, which is that you can't exactly turn it off in spring and summer when it warms up. So you'll also need to make sure the space is vented and that cooling measures are in place when it's hot outside.

You might find that cost-effective options to heat your garage are relatively limited, apart from buying a space heater. But a wood or pellet burning stove or fireplace is one option that might help you do so that doesn't require the use of electricity or pricey space upgrades. You might even be able to outfit your garage with a wood burning fireplace for under $1,000, though that depends largely on the cost of install and the model you choose.

While a wood burning fireplace might be a cheaper permanent option to heat your garage workspace in winter, there are some clear safety concerns to consider. You are, after all, playing with actual fire, meaning you'll need to carve out a space in your garage that keeps the stove as far from any combustible chemicals or materials as possible. You should also make sure the ground on which the stove sits is non-flammable, though that shouldn't be too difficult to do, as most garages are already outfitted with concrete floors.

While many modern wood burning stoves feature insulated linings, you should also still situate it a safe distance from any walls. You will also need to vent your wood burning stove through a wall or window via pipe or chimney to ensure the smoke and fumes do not accumulate in the room. For these safety reasons, and others, some jurisdictions restrict or at least discourage the use of solid fuel heating options like wood or pellet burning fireplace in such spaces. So, you'll want to consult local building and fire code guidelines before installation.

This option is primarily for the "spare no expense" divas who are currently building their dream home and wondering how, or if, they want to heat the garage. That's because underfloor radiant heating, arguably, functions best when installed under the concrete slab in a garage's floor. You can, however, install it after the fact, either by utilizing a floor-topping radiant heating mat that you cover with the flooring of your choice, or by contracting installers to break up the current garage slab and pour a new one during installation — which could, understandably, prove costly.

Whatever option you choose, it's worth noting that upgrading your garage with underfloor radiant heating is not exactly a DIY option, as there tends to be electrical and/or water work involved. While employing a licensed and insured professional is a big part of the installation cost, recent reports tab the national average for such a job at roughly $3,800. The ultimate install price, however, depends on the scope of the work.

As for what the work you'd be paying for, underfloor radiant heating is exactly what it sounds like, as installers fit the floor with a layer of reflective insulation that has warming electric coils or warm-water tubes running throughout. Those will be connected either to an electrical source, or warming boiler, and once the heat-conducting concrete or flooring is in place, warm the floor, and thus the entire room. If done right, this is a clean, efficient way to heat a garage, and it's an option well worth considering if you can afford it.