OT: Best way to cool off Texas garage

[Red Tornado]

My garage is also my workshop/bike shop. In the summer it gets like an oven. Looking for ways to cool it or at least get some air flow. Only have the overhead door and man door leading into the house. No other exterior doors or windows (unfortunately). Bringing a.c. from the house isn't an option right now. Been thinking about replacing the 2 ceiling light fixtures with ceiling fans. Also thought about getting an industrial free-standing fan & putting it in one corner.
Looking for opinions on these, or other alternatives.

[smontanaro]

What's above? Maybe you could insulate the ceiling/roof?

[BobO]

Where in Texas? If the humidity is low a swamp cooler is an option.

[Red Tornado]

The attic. Used for storage. There is insulation in there, below the OSB decking that we walk on up there. How much or what R value I have no idea, but there is some in there. I don't believe the walls are insulated. Good point, though.

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by BobO

Where in Texas? If the humidity is low a swamp cooler is an option.

Waco, between DFW & Austin. Not super high humidity - definitely not west TX dry heat though. Today it's 96, heat index 101, ~40% humidity.

[BobO]

Originally Posted by Red Tornado

Waco, between DFW & Austin. Not super high humidity - definitely not west TX dry heat though. Today it's 96, heat index 101, ~40% humidity.

Evaporative wouldn't work then, anything above 30% and it just adds humidity. I'd think about insulation and a/c. R-38 roof and R-19 walls.

[slowpoke]

If your garage door is one of those newer ones made of thin aluminum, adding insulation there will help a lot. I did that for my parents' house last summer and it made the garage a few degrees cooler.

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by BobO

Where in Texas? If the humidity is low a swamp cooler is an option.

That's funny...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[cadence90]

.... ..
.
.

[Hellgate]

Is cutting an opening in the wall for AC an option? Honestly that's about the only way too cool off.

In my garage I've insulated the door, the ceiling, and use a 14,000 BTU unit in the window.

Another option is a ductless unit. These work great, pretty reasonably priced too.


https://www.heatandcool.com/12-000-b...EaAll8EALw_wcB

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[AngryScientist]

make an opening in the attic for a good sized louver vent. then install a very large exhaust fan in the ceiling that will suck air from the open doors and out through the attic. a good sized fan will provide enough airflow through the place to keep it cool.

if you want to spend more $$, a ductless mitsubishi AC system is the way to go. these rely on a unit inside the garage to circulate cool air, and a unit outside with the compressor/cpndensor. they transfer heat through small piping and fluid. no ducts in the garage necessary.

[Matthew]

Have Chip and Joanna hook you up

[Climb01742]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Have Chip and Joanna hook you up

[cadence90]

.... ..
.
.

[Ken Robb]

Fans alone won't help much because they will just circulate the hot air in the garage. Hmm, that's how a convection oven works. A big exhaust fan at the end opposite the door should get the interior temperature close to the outside air temperature and provide a little breeze but that wouldn't be cool enough for me to work in the weather you described. Does the garage get cool enough at night for you to work early morning before it gets too hot?

Don't laugh too hard at this idea:if you have a laundry room that is air conditioned could you set up a workstand there when you wanted to work on a bike and not annoy the laundry person?