What Temperature is your Garage in the Winter?

[smackey05]

Trying to determine the ideal temperature for a heated garage. In my mind there are two temperatures that need to be identified and set.
1. Storage, default temperature for the vehicles to avoid rust, condensation
2. Temperature when working on the vehicles.

For number 1, I've read +10 over dew point... Does that sound correct?
For number 2, Personal preference, I try and keep it at 65 so I can wear something comfortable in the garage.

What does everyone else do? Keep in mind, this garage is used for projects and neither of the cars leave in the snowy winter...

 

[sweetk30]

I have my shop set at 50-55* with my modine hotdawg heater . Then if i need more i fire up the wood stove till i need to open a door to let the cold back in .

Been doing this since 2015 winter season to now and no real rust problems up here in upstate new york rust belt .

 

[smackey05]

I have my shop set at 50-55* with my modine hotdawg heater . Then if i need more i fire up the wood stove till i need to open a door to let the cold back in .

Been doing this since 2015 winter season to now and no real rust problems up here in upstate new york rust belt .

Thanks. I'm in Massachusetts, so I'm right there with you in trying to avoid the rust...

 

[marinusdees]

Trying to determine the ideal temperature for a heated garage. In my mind there are two temperatures that need to be identified and set.
1. Storage, default temperature for the vehicles to avoid rust, condensation
2. Temperature when working on the vehicles.

For number 1, I've read +10 over dew point... Does that sound correct?
For number 2, Personal preference, I try and keep it at 65 so I can wear something comfortable in the garage.

What does everyone else do? Keep in mind, this garage is used for projects and neither of the cars leave in the snowy winter...

I have a "garage thermostat". 40 degrees when I'm not there. 60 degrees when I am. Don't want anything to freeze. My gas furnace warms it up in no time. Depends on how long it takes your heater. I live in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[The Cobbler]

40° when I'm not in it. varies when I'm working as to what temp I have it

 

[FTWingRiders]

I’m in Mass.. usually keep it 55, seems to keep things at just the right temp. When I used to set it 50, metal tools etc felt a bit too cold. When I’m in there I’ll set it at 62ish, which during winter feels warm.. It only takes a few minutes to bring it up.

 

[Showkey]

Many garage heaters instructions warn not to set thermostat below 50-55*.
Low heater intake temps cause excessive heat exchanger rust.

Moving the set temp to the dew pint is not practical.

Heating an insulated garage (or home) in winter the indoor humid is usually very low.

 

[tarmy]

57…just warm enough to wear long sleeve t shirts and still be comfortable. I am heating 1500 plus square feet insulated in snow country so the cost vs. benefit is balanced…

 

[TJMtl]

I keep my garage at 13 degrees c = 55 f

 

[finn]

If you’re serious about avoiding rust, don’t heat the garage. Keep it below freezing.
If. You do heat for a working shop, and you have a non condensing hanging heater, the manufacturers seem to recommend keeping the temp above 50 to avoid condensation in the heat exchanger

Radiant floor heat with a condensing boiler, or forced air with a condensing furnace can go lower, as long as the condensate and drain are freeze protected.

 

[FredWanaker]

50F - 65F in winter.

 

[toyotadriver]

Lowest temp the shop gets in the winter is usually around 40*. I heat it when I work out there. Heat temp depends on how active I am while working. If I’m very active then I usually heat it to 62*. If less active I usually heat it to 65-67*

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I keep mine at 40 when I am not working, and then around 56 to 58 when I am.

 

[FMB4]

Just above 50 at the very lowest. I tend to sweat a lot.

 

[4cyclic]

55 all winter. Sweet spot for me.

 

[Showkey]

If you’re serious about avoiding rust, don’t heat the garage. Keep it below freezing.
If. You do heat for a working shop, and you have a non condensing hanging heater, the manufacturers seem to recommend keeping the temp above 50 to avoid condensation in the heat exchanger

Radiant floor heat with a condensing boiler, or forced air with a condensing furnace can go lower, as long as the condensate and drain are freeze protected.

I will disagree on avoiding rust in an unheated garage.

I have a 14-50’ RV storage unit that is not heated…….while rust is not a huge issue it’s far from perfect. There’s no way I would store a valued car or perfect motorcycle in that unit thinking the chrome of chassis would not suffer rust. My RV brake rotors do not rust and I try to rotate dehumidifier blocks in the interior.

The unheated unit is at the mercy of Mother Nature as far as humidity levels and condescending. While my heated storage kept at 50* will run @ 20-40% humidity the entire winter season.

The floor of my unheated spaces sweat in the spring when the concrete is cold and the days are warm and humid. We have talked about this phenomenon many time in the GJ. The vehicles that are used do not suffer as much as the vehicles that are not used during this time.

 

[PoorUB]

55 and 65 or so while working out there.

 

[jonshonda]

I will find out once I get the gas line run! Plan to use an ecobee thermostat paired with the door sensors to ensure that when doors are open the heater isn't blasting away!

 

[dfiler2]

I have a thermostat connected to internet and during the night it turns down to 40 but I have never seen it below 53. It is very well insulated and is inside another building. When I'm there I have it somewhere between 62 and 67 depending on what I'm doing. I love being able to turn the heat up from my phone before I go out there.

 

[lostmind]

My garage is usually 5 degrees below the outside temp in the winter.
I have no heat. But it's out of the wind.

 

[Adaylate]

55 degrees with a small fan running 24 / 7

 

[zmotorsports]

I have my "leave" or default temperature set to 50-degrees. When I get home from work during the week I bump it to 62-64 degrees so that it is comfortable to work in wearing short sleeve shirts in the winter. I bump the temperature as soon as I get home from work, go in the house and change clothes and by the time I get back out to the shop, usually 12-15 minutes, the heater has turned off and it is at the set temperature. Then about 20-30 minutes before closing up shop for the night I will hit the default temperature on the T-stat which will maintain 50-degrees. That keeps the chill out of the shop and prevents any damage to my chemicals/aerosols in the shop yet still helps keep the RV bay at a minimum of 40-degrees even with outside temps in the low teens to occasional single digits.

 

[wood02]

When not in the shop...45°...when in the shop...for me a comfortable 50° to 55°. Shop is 24 ft. x 34 ft. and well insulated. I run a 65,000 btu overhead Big Max.

 

[mikedodge]

Shop usually 50-60, I only turn it up when I'm in there for awhile if I feel cold. Its radiant tube.
Garage gets heated with the rest of the house so it's usually a bit cooler then normal room temp.

 

[finn]

I will disagree on avoiding rust in an unheated garage.

I have a 14-50’ RV storage unit that is not heated…….while rust is not a huge issue it’s far from perfect. There’s no way I would store a valued car or perfect motorcycle in that unit thinking the chrome of chassis would not suffer rust. My RV brake rotors do not rust and I try to rotate dehumidifier blocks in the interior.

The unheated unit is at the mercy of Mother Nature as far as humidity levels and condescending. While my heated storage kept at 50* will run @ 20-40% humidity the entire winter season.

The floor of my unheated spaces sweat in the spring when the concrete is cold and the days are warm and humid. We have talked about this phenomenon many time in the GJ. The vehicles that are used do not suffer as much as the vehicles that are not used during this time.

I’m talking about daily drivers here, those that are out on the salted or brined roads during the day, and tucked away at night.

Bringing them into a heated garage accelerates the sheet metal corrosion from the underside up.

It’s a no brainer to keep a collector car, boat , or motor home in heated storage for the winter, but they don’t get the daily slop, either.

My shop is at around 45 and then warmed up to about 60 or a little higher when I am working there. It has three collector cars, a project car, and the motor home right now. The tractor, CTL, boat, excavator, and a few more projects are in dry unheated storage.

As long as the storage is dry, and there aren’t mice, they seem to do ok.
I had one slab that sweated from early June until late July. I think the problem was that it seems to be ~8” thick, and just had too much mass to follow the warming spring air, and was this below the dew point when the hot humid season began. The door also faces north, so there’s no sun to warm the slab when the door is open.

I currently have a couple other unheated slabs that are thinner and I don’t see sweating at all. All are within a mile of each other.

 

[engineer2]

45°F when not in use or working and planning to open the OH door at some point. Below that temp, the beer fridge might have problems.
55°F if I'm going to be out there for a short time.
62-65°F if I'm going to be out there most of the day and don't want to wear a jacket.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

my primary concern is humidity. I have a regular dehumidifier for not winter, and a desiccant dehumidifier for when it's cold. it's less efficient but it works without the heat running. thermostat is set to target 50% rh. heat is to taste.

 

[Showkey]

I’m talking about daily drivers here, those that are out on the salted or brined roads during the day, and tucked away at night.

I currently have a couple other unheated slabs that are thinner and I don’t see sweating at all. All are within a mile of each other.

i have no concerns about bringing a daily drivers in to a some what warm garage. The average temperature is probably 40*-45*. The daily snow end up on the floor every night. This warm garage and daily drivers has come up many times prior. Not buying the warm vs freezing garage plays any large role in the overall well being ( rust or corrosion) of the daily drivers. It’s far more about the vehicle build quality, double galv metal, ecoat, chip guard, primer dip and paint.

I have 950sqft attached garage that is unheated ( no heat, but the home adds heat being attached) but very well insulated. Two Daily drivers, one winter storage car and two motorcycles. The water on the floor never freezes no matter the outside temperatures even at -20*F. Humidity levels swing, there’s is the usual snow/ice melt and wet floor the vast majority of the winter. The water is pushed out the doors just to keep the floors reasonably clean.

 

[409425hp]

I guess my cars and I like it warm.60 during the week and 68 on the weekends when I am working the cars.

 

[bbbarracuda]

I keep mine on 40° to 45° to keep from freeze ups. Then can turn it up when I want to work. Usually 60° or so.

 

[Uncle murph]

Trying to determine the ideal temperature for a heated garage. In my mind there are two temperatures that need to be identified and set.
1. Storage, default temperature for the vehicles to avoid rust, condensation
2. Temperature when working on the vehicles.

For number 1, I've read +10 over dew point... Does that sound correct?
For number 2, Personal preference, I try and keep it at 65 so I can wear something comfortable in the garage.

What does everyone else do? Keep in mind, this garage is used for projects and neither of the cars leave in the snowy winter...

Whatever it is outside,detached,drafty old barn.

 

[Slednut]

Our 26x56' attached garage never gets below 47 degrees with 5 degree temps outside but this is the first year we'll have a Mr Cool mini split. I plan on keeping it at 55 degrees. If I'm not doing any physical work I'll run it up to 60.

 

[PWC Repair]

Depends on the outside temp.....I like to save on my bills. 50-60*

 

[4 FN 27]

Both Garages attached to the house @ 60°.

The shop:

Car Shop and Machine Shop 62°

Office 68°

Storage area 50°

 

[npp]

My garage isn’t heated so in the winter the thermometer reads SHRINKAGE

 

[Copymutt]

I cant express how fortunate we are here not to have to deal w/ humidity & rust.
A hanging Modine keeps my shp/ garage @ 45 if Im not in there. I get out there around 9AM & open both S. facing OH doors. Recently designed & installed polycarbonate inserts that sit just in front of both doors. By 10AM Im in a tee & dont need any lights on & haven't fired up the furnace. Free is good.

 

[nadogail]

I have seen it in the mid thirties on the coldest days, that is because both the refrigerator and freezer generate a little heat.

my workshop sometimes gets into the low thirties.

When they get uncomfortable, I energize the electric space heaters.

 

[James-W]

I keep my garage at 50 degrees unless I am working out there and then I turn the heat up to 70 degrees. I have a Hot Dawg heater with 2X6 walls and R-19 insulation. I have a second floor on the garage but the floor is thick and has R-30 insulation, the second floor is not heated. When I turn up the heat it doesn't take long to get the garage up to 70 degrees, which is really nice on real cold days, I can go out there and turn up the heat and in no time at all the garage is nice and and warm.

 

[Sumboodie]

50 or 55*, lowest it'll go.
Water heater, softener, and plumbing in there as well as the boiler, so can't be too cold.

 

[iamrfixit]

I heat my insulated and well sealed 24x30 shop with a vented, natural gas hanging furnace. The thermostat auto sets back to 45F at 10pm every night, and that's where it stays if I'm not using the shop. When I'm in there I raise it to about 55-57, plenty warm if you're working and takes only a few minutes to be warm and comfortable.

I've heated my shop exactly like this for 30+ years and I've never had any rusting issues, on the tools or in the furnace. Never had any condensation or dampness issues at all. Have several cast iron woodworking machines in the shop, and those surfaces can rust very easily.