Is your garage climate controlled? Garage temperature is something that can easily fly under the radar for homeowners, but it’s more important than you might think. After all, the garage is where you store your cars. If you’re like most families, your vehicles are the most valuable possessions you own, other than your house. You know the importance of taking good care of your car, and temperature control is part of that. Your garage is also likely your primary home storage space, and any items that you’re storing in your garage may also need special temperature considerations. Take a look at what you need to know about the ideal garage temperature.
Best Temperature For Your Car
To get an idea of the best temperature for your car, take a look at the requirements for one of the most important components of your car: the battery. According to DieHard, vehicle batteries operate at maximum efficiency at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
When a car battery gets too hot, the chemical reactions inside the battery speed up, causing corrosion and leading to a shorter battery life. On the other hand, when your battery gets too cold, the chemical reactions inside the battery slow down, leading to a slower response from your battery. And if the water inside the battery freezes – which can happen more readily if your battery isn’t fully charged – the frozen water can permanently damage the battery’s cells.
Best Temperature for Your Tools
Not only is the garage an obvious place for tool storage, it’s also often the best place to use them. In many households, the garage is also the home workshop – the place where you perform simple home repairs or maintenance tasks.
Your tools help you keep your home, property, and car in good shape, so it’s important for you to keep them in good shape as well. Power tools can be especially sensitive to temperature. Like your car, they depend on a battery to keep them working correctly. The rechargeable batteries in power tools operate best at a temperature of about 59 degrees Fahrenheit. While the batteries for your power tools may be able to handle higher or lower temperatures, freezing weather or temperatures that reach over a hundred degrees may be too much for your batteries to handle.
Humidity Levels Matter Too
Sometimes it’s not just the temperature that you have to worry about, it’s the humidity too. For example, if you’re storing furniture in your garage, you should be aware that excess humidity can cause the wood to expand, which can lead to problems like drawers that stick. Although the wood will contract again when the humidity goes down, frequent swings in humidity can permanently warp the furniture.
Storing your holiday decorations in the garage? High humidity can damage cardboard boxes, leading to mold and mildew that can affect your decorations. Moisture can also damage the paint on delicate ornaments or electrical components in lighted decorations.
Your garage doesn’t have to be connected to your home’s central air to be climate controlled, but it may need new insulation, improved ventilation, or perhaps a dehumidifier or standalone air conditioning or heating unit in order to best protect your possessions. Garage Envy can help you renovate your garage in a way that will help you protect everything inside the garage as well. Contact us for your free design consultation and estimate.
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