Calgary winters have never been easy, and with climate change, arctic blasts, and polar vortexes causing temperatures to be even more unpredictable and bone-chilling during the deep freeze cycles, there’s never been a more important time to consider your home’s ability to keep warm in the spaces where you need it. Today, let’s take a look at garage and patio heaters.
In previous articles, we have discussed the importance of a properly sized and maintained furnace or air exchanger for our general home and living space. Similarly, a lot of homeowners will have a supplementary space that may not be directly connected to and benefit from the rest of the home’s HVAC system in terms of heating. For some of us, it’s an attached or detached garage, for others it may be a medium or large-sized workshop or shed out in the backyard. Whatever these spaces may be, we often have ongoing projects, tasks, or needs in these spaces that can’t or shouldn’t simply cease because the weather has gotten chilly. In fact, for most of us, that’s probably the very reason we have these spaces to begin with!
It's no secret that temperature (among other things) is one of the biggest factors for determining how we feel about a particular space’s comfort level, and in turn how we choose to use this space and how often.
-Would you spend more time in your garage working on home projects if it were warmer?
-Would you give yourself more time in the morning to start your day if you didn’t have to start your car --ten minutes before leaving for work?
-Would you enjoy more cozy time in your above-garage loft space if it were as warm as the rest of your home?
-Did you spend a lot of time, energy, and money landscaping your backyard and patio and wish you could comfortably enjoy that space even when it turns cold?
If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the questions above, it may be time to consider a garage or patio heater.
A garage heater and patio heater will both work similarly in that they will warm individual spaces through either radiant heat or forced air, although the type of heat they produce is important to your decision. Garage heaters can be either wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted, electric or gas-fueled, and can produce either radiant heat or heat the space with forced air. So what does all this mean?? Let’s look at some specific use cases below.
- Regular vehicle storage. If you find yourself using your garage for overnight parking and always find it uncomfortably cold when you hop in in the morning for your commute (or conversely have to run your engine for 10 minutes to warm it up adequately), this is a perfect scenario for a wall or ceiling-mounted gas-fueled radiant heater aimed at your vehicle. Radiant heat works to keep surfaces and objects warm rather than ambient spaces, so if you’re concerned about your vehicle’s operating temperature and limiting the cycles of its metal expanding and contracting and contributing to its wear and tear, this will ensure you’re keeping your vehicle at a stable, moderate temperature that’s ready for you in the morning when you are.
- Workshop space. Maybe you’re a handy-person around the house, but find yourself putting projects on hold come November when temperatures get too chilly in your garage or shed to work and handle tools and materials comfortably or effectively. In this case, installing an electric or gas-fueled forced air heater may be the ideal solution to keeping your indoor workspace at a stable warm temperature when needed so you can plug away on woodworking, appliance tinkering, vehicle repairing, or any other project that will see more productivity in a warmer environment. Cold hands are slow to move and in some cases can completely stall a project!
- Outdoor patio/entertaining space. If you’re like most Calgarians, you love the outdoors, even and maybe ESPECIALLY if it’s your own private backyard oasis you’ve meticulously designed and landscaped right down to the furniture and sitting area. Colder weather doesn’t have to mean hibernating inside away from our outdoor spaces when company comes over for dinner or cocktails. With a wall-mounted radiant heater, you and your guests can still sit outside and enjoy the privacy and fresh air while staying warm and comfortable even if there’s no fire crackling!
For whatever your desired application or comfort level, there is a heating solution available to keep you engaged and comfortable in your coldest spaces.
Summary
With the weather outside beginning to turn cold, now is a better time than ever to consider the comfort and extended productivity a garage or electric heater can bring to your home work space. Contact us today to book a free in-home consultation to see if a heater may be the cost-effective solution to your home’s colder spaces.
