How do you guys keep your garages cool?

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HellDemon

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Hey guys, this friday I'm going to be detailing a couple of cars with my friends, but it's going to be 40 degrees celsius (104 F), so we're definitely not going to work outside.

But without actually putting an air conditioner in the garage, how would you keep it cool during the summer?

Also as a side node, how the hell do you guys keep bugs (mainly those big house flies and the occasional wasp) out of your garage? Or at least how do you handle them when they get in? Cause i know they won't actually do anything to me, but it bugs the hell out of me when I'm doing something.
 
Keep a fan close by. Take it around the car with you.
 
Get a big industrial fan 24-36incher and crank that sucker UP :) I'm lucky i have a portable AC in the garage.
Get those bug candles and light them up. Bugs hate the scent of it. Or you can cheap and burn some dried up orange peels. Old wife recipe i got from my mother. The citrus smell great but mosquitoes and bugs hate it.
 
If it's 104 outside, there's not much you can do beside getting an air conditioner. And unless your garage is dirt/dust free, a huge fan is just going to blow dirt/dust around that is going to get on your paint. Good luck with that.
 
I used to set up fans blowing out the door helps pull heat out plus blowes the bugs back out a bit

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Garages are typically pretty dusty places. Big fans are guaranteed to blow some of that dust into the air. Big fans + detailing in the garage don't mix well.

If the humidity is low where you live, evaporative coolers can work well, but an AC is needed otherwise. Short of that, you can try the old desert hiking trick: take a T-shirt, submerge it in water, wring it out, and wear it. It keeps you pretty cool until all the water evaporates, then you soak it again and repeat. There are also vests with freeze-packs that line the vest (google cool vest). They aren't cheap but they do work and they are cheaper than a big AC for an uninsulated garage.
 
I keep the garage door shut almost all the time so the hot air doesn't come in.(This also helps keep the house cooler.) but other than that just deal with the heat.
 
Toy_Cam_Ed said:
At least there won't be many bugs picking away at your unconscious, heat stroked body. :props:
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I have a lasko blower fan that moves a lot of air relatively quietly and compactly. I also use a few small cheapo fans as well. It doesn't cool my garage, just makes it more bearable.
 
I been looking around craigslist trying to find one of those portable room air conditioners used for cheap. Thats probably the best solution.
 
I lowered the temp in my garage. I found that the builder of my home did not vent the enclosed attic area over the garage. I installed a cupola and a bunch of soffit vents, added several batts of attic insulation in the attic over the garage and it now stays about 20 degrees F cooler.

FWIW, today's forecasts: "Partly cloudy. High of 108F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20%." Similar to yesterdays weather and tomorrows weather. My garage usually runs in the mid to upper 80's on these days. I do use a couple of floor and box fans to help me stay cool.

Flys... I hang a few fly coils and replace them as needed. They work very well. I don't have any wasps inside but I spray and knock down any nests I find outside.
 
My garage is in the basement, so it stays a little cooler if I can leave the doors shut. I use a fan to move the air around a bit if it gets too hot. The garage is also cramped, so it's still PITA to detail in.

If you have clearance, maybe a ceiling fan or two would help. Bug zappers and fly strips are a good idea.
 
This summer has been so warm and ahead of schedule I just purchased a portable AC for the garage. Shows up today.
 
I was planning on building a custom sauna this year....but I don't think that's going to be necessary any more with this year's humidity and daily 100+ degree weather.
 
My wife got me a garage makeover for Christmas. I had the walls and ceiling insulated and installed a 12K btu SPLIT UNIT HEAT PUMP. . I can get the temp and humidity where I need them in about 15 minutes. Total cost was ~$3700 but worth every penny to an old fat #######!
 
Just thinking, in a small garage, would a window style AC unit mounted to a homemade support shelf work and blow cold air? As, I have access to one of those window boxes for free. I know it would drip water. But, does it need outside air to work??? Can anyone think of a reason, assuming the BTU rating is correct, why one of these needs to be in a window to work? It may be more pleasant to deal with dripping water on the floor than 120 degree heat in the garage.
 
Old Tiger said:
My wife got me a garage makeover for Christmas. I had the walls and ceiling insulated and installed a 12K btu SPLIT UNIT HEAT PUMP. . I can get the temp and humidity where I need them in about 15 minutes. Total cost was ~$3700 but worth every penny to an old fat #######!
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:urtheman: JIM!! :props:
 
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