what is the cheapest way to heat a garage?

Question

only walls are insulated

Answer 1

Insulate the ceiling as you lose most heat that way. If you have gas you can use a wall mounted gas heater that is fan forced. If not then you are stuck with propane, kerosine or electric. To properly answer we also need to know if this is a freestanding garage or attached to a house and what purpose you need to heat it for. If it is attached and you do not need much heat plus you have forced hot air you can always run a duct into the garage. You could also use a heat pump (cheaper than straight electric) and have A/C in the summer. That will depend on where you live as heat pumps are not that great in very cold weather.

Answer 2

I used the heat ropes. It's long, like an extension cord, but radiates a gentle heat. It is designed to be in a reptile habitat and be wrapped around a branch or other support. It gets warm, but not hot. I had a bit of a different setup, I use glass aquariums. So I laid down a strip of insulation, laid the wire overtop (in a zigzag, not a straight line) and then set the tanks overtop. The insulation keeps the heat in, and provides support. If you just set the tanks ont he wire, it can be damaged. Of course, it is a wire, so the rodents will chew it if they can get to it. I have also been told you can use heat-strips, but I haven't tried that myself. You could try sectioning off a small section of the garage with hanging cloth or plastic, so you have to heat a smaller area. I have also used this technique with a space heater. I also change how I do my breeding - the rats will continue to get pregnant at any temperature. But the females with nursing young lose MANY babies when temperatures are cold. So I pull out the females and keep only them in heated, seperate bins. One or two mothers per bin. Free feed as much as they want. At extreme cold temperatures, though, the males will go sterile temporarily. So you may have to heat them too. I'm in ontario, and my male rats stay good as long as temps are kept around 5 celcius. Females start having less success at temps under ten degrees, but do fine at 5 degrees if they are kept seperate.

Answer 3

You Will have to insulate the ceiling, that's most important. Make sure to have a good vapor barrier.
other then wood, which is a lot of work. a gas unit heater that is equipped with a power vent is by far the cheapest and most efficient

Answer 4

You really should insulate the ceiling..I have a Furnace out of a Mobile home....works geat with fairly low cost.

Answer 5

If you don't insulate ceiling there is no cheap way. If you do insulate ceiling, then a radiant ceiling mounted heater--natural gas or propane is how I would do it.

Answer 6

portable ceramic heaters work well, but if you require constant heat, then tie in the ductwork to the central system, the cjances are it is margined over for








Ceramic portable heaters are a quick, cheap way to have heat when you need it, but if you need it constant, tie in the main central system for the cheapest installation.

Answer 7

Are you out there alot? I use a "Salamander Propane Heater" I turn it on and aim it in my general direction and it knocks the chill off of me. Then turn it off when I'm done.

Answer 8

space heater, hainging from the ceiling

Answer 9

wood stove
please realize, heat rises!

Answer 10

woodburner