Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We have a bedroom over the garage that seems to get pretty cold. Presently we don't use that room much and keep the doors shut.
What options to I have and estimated costs? Any DIY options?
The room is carpeted but the previous owner had changed the carpet and the padding under seems pretty thin. I was wondering if I can put a thicker padding. First time home owner, so don't know what kind I need to buy and how much of a pain it is?
Insulation in the ceiling of the garage space is about all you can add. You can also add insulation to the back of the garage door using insulation foam boards. Adding insulation in the walls and ceiling can be done by filling with blown insulation, a job for a pro, however.
Is there anyway for your central heat to get into the room? Is there a return air there? Need both to get it to warm up.
Also, it's going to get hot there in the summer!
BTW, some people call this a BOG. Bonusroom over the Garage, or FROG, Family Room Over Garage.
We have a bedroom over the garage that seems to get pretty cold. Presently we don't use that room much and keep the doors shut.
What options to I have and estimated costs? Any DIY options?
Probably the best solution would be better insulation in the ceiling of the garage. If the ceiling is finished with sheetrock, that can get expensive.
I doubt that a better rug pad would do much. You might also look for air infiltration from the electric outlets, as they would be easy to insulate around the boxes.
We have a bedroom over the garage that seems to get pretty cold. Presently we don't use that room much and keep the doors shut.
What options to I have and estimated costs? Any DIY options?
The room is carpeted but the previous owner had changed the carpet and the padding under seems pretty thin. I was wondering if I can put a thicker padding. First time home owner, so don't know what kind I need to buy and how much of a pain it is?
Using your hand, compare the air coming from the supply registers of a warm bedroom with those in the cold one. Are the temperatures equal? Are the flow rates equal?
Your answers will help C-D contributors make helpful suggestions.
We have a bedroom over the garage that seems to get pretty cold. Presently we don't use that room much and keep the doors shut.
What options to I have and estimated costs? Any DIY options?
The room is carpeted but the previous owner had changed the carpet and the padding under seems pretty thin. I was wondering if I can put a thicker padding. First time home owner, so don't know what kind I need to buy and how much of a pain it is?
I have a room with the same problem. Over a finished garage.
If you don't have a return air duct in the room, open the door.
Getting warm air into a bonus room over a garage is hard. Usually the ductwork is snaked and curvy and air doesn't push through it well.
And, if you don't freely return cool air from the room in volume you won't be able to push more warm air into it.
And, you have the same issue in summer, when you cannot push more conditioned air into the room because you aren't pulling any out to make room for it.
If you don't have a return air duct in the room, open the door.
MikeJaquish makes an important point. In an earlier post I suggested comparing supply air temperature and volume with another room. Do this with the door closed and then open. A substantial difference between door open and closed points to lack of adequate return. In this case you might cut a louvered vent into the door or simply trim 3/4-inch from the bottom edge.
Our bonus room is so cold in winter no one goes in there. It has two heating vents but the garage it is over is not insulated, so it is freezing. It makes no sense to have a room like this in a newer home without having proper insulation.
A lot of times, the bonus room is the farthest away from the furnace, which can lead to less hot air reaching the bonus room vs. other rooms in the house. Having the thermostat away from the bonus room compounds the problem, as the hot air directed to rooms farther away trigger the thermostat to stop running the furnace, while the bonus room remains cooler/cold.
If you have dampers installed on your ducts, you may be able to reduce the air to other rooms in the house and increase the amount directed to the bonus room. This will let the bonus room heat up before the thermostat is triggered to turn off the furnace. My thermostat also allows for periodic re-circulation of air (not constantly on, but every so often), which i find helps even out the temperature. If you can't do either or if they don't help, you can always add a space heater in the room to help take out the chill on particularly cold winter days. It will use more electricity, but it is better than freezing.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
