Heating a garage during a Minnesota winter? (Isanti: house insurance, houses)

[Tyryztoll]

Hi, posting in MSP forum in hopes of getting more responses. So we bought a house up here in Isanti County last spring, and because I have a wife and 4 kids my man cave is relegated to a corner in my 3 car garage. I have a pretty nice setup out there with my TV, desk, laptop, treadmill, etc., but I have no heater in the garage and was wondering what caliber of such I would need to be able to be out there once winter sets in. These electric heaters I see at Lowes and Home Depot don't seem like they're designed to warm spaces with sub zero temps outside. As you may have deduced by now, I don't know much about this stuff. The garage is insulated, I do know that.


Anyway, if any of you can pass along advice I'd appreciate it. I'd hate to not be able to hang out in my cave all winter. Thanks much.

[CCbaxter]

Is your garage attached and insulated? If not you may need a plan B.

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by CCbaxter

Is your garage attached and insulated? If not you may need a plan B.

Yes on both counts.

[Izzie1213]

My parents neighbor had a little workshop in a back section he called of a portion and out in a door. They added a smallish gas heater. Tapped into the gas line. It is vented to the outside, similar set up that gas fireplaces have. Also the cement slab generates a lot of cold. Add a layer or two of some carpet with a layer of plastic under that probably would make it more cozy. He didn't run the heater on "room temperature" all the time. Would go out and crank it up a half hour or so before he went out there. He had didn't have any "flooring" since he did woodworking and some small engine work out there.

[wamer27]

Both my brothers and my parents all have heaters in a corner plugged into gas line. Though they all did them when the houses were being built. I don’t know what happens with the water that melts off of their cars and how it doesn’t freeze the door shut? One does have a drain in middle of garage.

[WoodburyWoody]

How permanent is your relocation to the garage?

Izzie1213 (upthread) is right about cement slabs generating a lot of cold ... a LOT of cold.

Throwing a carpet down is nice. Even nicer is you can put down a subfloor of some sort, even an inch off the slab makes a difference.

Has anyone seen or put a radiant heating mat on top of the slab and tile over it for a situation like this? Where I have seen those in place have all been *inside* of a house (with heating) but work every well with ceramic tile and vinyl flooring. For a garage, something like that would be nice if the heating elements are directional (heating the floor above and not the slab below) sos not to cost a fortune to use.

I would think there are some good ideas from fish houses that could be adapted to this.

[Mouser]

From my day's on the frozen tundra the biggest reality
check was the house insurance

[jennifat]

Honestly, it's probably not worth the effort of heating your garage in the winter as this will waste a lot of energy and cost you a big chunk of money.

I'd consider finishing your basement instead (if it isn't already).

[Tyryztoll]

Ok, I need to clarify......this is not any sort of permanent dwelling, it's just a pseudo man cave where I go to escape for a few hours once or twice a week. It's a good spot because even though the garage is attached the 3rd stall is the most removed area from the rest of the house. Our basement is finished, but my 2 teenage boys spend most of their time down there as their rooms are right off that hallway, so not an ideal spot for Dad to get away.

All I want to do is warm the garage to the point I can occasionally sit out there or do a treadmill workout without going into hypothermia. Putting carpet down and things of that nature is not something I really want to do, as all my lawn/yard/snow equipment is right on top of me in that vicinity as well.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by wamer27

Both my brothers and my parents all have heaters in a corner plugged into gas line. Though they all did them when the houses were being built. I don’t know what happens with the water that melts off of their cars and how it doesn’t freeze the door shut? One does have a drain in middle of garage.

There's that and also the fact that heating the garage will keep all the salt/deicer on the cars active and eating away on the metal.