Best Heaters For Uninsulated Garage: Stay Toasty
Your garage has no insulation, and it gets way too cold, so which heater do you need? Whether you’re trying to work in the wintertime, or it’s just a cool evening, the chill makes it slow and uncomfortable. Luckily, you don’t have to freeze. Instead, grab a great space heater and stay warm. The weather can’t stop you from getting things done.
Cold hands and fingers can be a nuisance. However, when it gets seriously chilly, the temperature can become painful. Lower circulation in your hands can cause nerve damage, or just make it difficult to work. Shivering is a waste of energy, and jackets only do so much. Stop torturing yourself and get toasty with one of the best heaters for an uninsulated garage.
You Need a Heater in an Uninsulated Garage
Having the best heater for an uninsulated garage isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. When you first get cold, it’s uncomfortable. Distraction isn’t helpful when you have things that need to get done.
When you get chilly enough, you start to shiver. More than annoying chattering teeth, this is a bad sign. Unfortunately, all those shivers are wasting your energy. Furthermore, shaking hands are useful for cleaning up or any other activity, but it can get worse.
Once you reach a certain point, the cold causes your body to go into survival mode. Sadly, your skin doesn’t know that you can step back into the house. Plus, if you’re the type to push through the discomfort, it could cause serious problems.
As you get colder, your body starts to pull blood from your extremities. This is good because that means your core and vital organs are protected. However, it won’t be long before your fingers and toes get numb. That leads to accidents and injuries.
Unfortunately, gloves can get in the way, so they’re not the best solution for your uninsulated garage. Lack of proper blood flow can cause nerve damage, primarily if you work in that freezing space often.
Worst Case Scenarios
Finally, you can get frostbite when temperatures drop. Although we don’t often think of a garage as dangerous, they certainly can be if you get too cold. The illusion of warmth in the house isn’t part of what you’re doing when you work in the cold. Ultimately, it’s not worth risking fingers and toes just to finish a project.
Even if you’re not out in the snow, nerve damage or frozen extremities can land you in the hospital. Although it doesn’t seem important at first, staying warm indoors is just as essential as when you’re outside. You don’t want to spend hours treating frostbite.
People often mistakenly try to rub the warmth back into the skin. That helps if it’s just a little chilly. However, when the skin starts to freeze, you can cause a worse injury just trying to stay warm. That’s a whole lot of pain and drama just because you don’t have a high-quality heater.
I recommend avoiding the problem entirely. The cliche about working smarter, not harder, might be overused, but it’s still true. Taking a simple step like ordering a little heater for the garage can save you a ton of trouble over time.
Additionally, if you think it’s going to cost a fortune to heat, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Most small heaters don’t use very much power. Particularly when you only need to be in the cold garage for a short time, there’s no reason you should avoid kicking up the heat.
Other Cold Problems
Your body isn’t the only thing that works differently in a freezing garage. Metal tools can sap the warmth from your body. Ultimately, if it’s cold enough, sweat from your palms can even stick to frozen tools and equipment like a tongue frozen to a pole in winter.
Beyond what it does to your body, the things you work with change in the cold. A proper seal in winter can shrink in warmer months, leaving gaps around container edges. Liquids that begin to freeze expand. Sadly, that can cause things to crack and leak fluids.
Even when you’re not working with metal or liquid, the temperature affects how equipment moves. Damp screws can freeze, and rubber liners might crack under pressure. Resultantly, it doesn’t matter what you’re working with. Low temps bring new dangers to working in an uninsulated space.
The Right Heater for a Garage
There are several vital questions you need to ask before you can find the best heater for your uninsulated garage. The size and setup of your space matter a great deal. For example, a single car attached garage is nothing like a separate building designed to house four or five vehicles.
- How Big- Does your garage have one car and a few shelves, or is it a much larger space? Unfortunately, a tiny heater won’t keep you warm if you have too much extra space around for heat to dissipate into.
- How Tall- Is your garage a single story, or does it have high ceilings? The further the roof is from the floor, the more space you have for heat to rise. Naturally, that can cause issues with the size of your garage heater.
- Attached or Separate- Does your Garage share any walls with a heated space? When your garage is attached, it gets a small bit of heat from a warm home. Luckily, this can help cut down on heat loss through the walls as well.
- Ventilation- Do you have vents or windows in your garage. While these are a source of heat loss, they also affect the type of heater you can bring inside. Although most garages are enclosed with only one big opening for a car and another to go inside, ventilated garages can use a different type of heat. Propane heaters are highly efficient and cost-effective. However, you must have proper ventilation to keep them safe.
Electric Space Heaters
Almost all modern garages have electrical outlets inside. Hence, they’re ideal for a small electric space heater. Choosing an energy-efficient option like a portable plug-in heater saves you space. Moreover, they’re relatively cost-effective.
Running a small space heater for twenty-four hours costs roughly three and a half dollars. However, you probably won’t ever be in your garage for a full day and night. Moreover, it’s essential to turn off space heaters if you’re not in the same room.
Additionally, most small space heaters only kick on when the temperature drops. This energy-saving feature keeps them from running constantly. Luckily, that means you can have heat without the need to turn it off manually every few minutes.
The Propane Heater Debate
Although propane heaters can be safe indoors, and make excellent heat sources for uninsulated garages, I don’t always recommend them. Primarily this is because not all propane heaters are safe indoors. Unfortunately, because people don’t tend to read the warnings on their devices, fires can occur.
If you have a smaller garage, particularly if it’s attached o your home, propane isn’t the best answer for your heating needs. Instead, I strongly suggest an electric heater. Ceramic is outstanding because it holds and radiates heat exceptionally well.
Additionally, you’ll find ceramic electric heaters have tip-over switches almost without fail, however, if you find one that doesn’t skip that heater. It’s not safe. An automatic cutoff if the machine tilts or falls can save you a lot of damage.
Propane heaters, particularly the tank-top variety, don’t usually have tip-over cutoffs. Naturally, this is because they’re attached to the top of a propane tank. The tank itself doesn’t need a cutoff switch because the gas inside only flows when you want it to do so. Mostly that means the tank is hooked up to something self-regulating that needs constant access like a grill.
Propane is a Great Heat Source
A propane heater is a perfect solution for a larger garage with proper ventilation. Because propane burns very hot and clean, it can save you money. Moreover, propane is easy to find. Storing it isn’t tricky, and it’s cost-effective to purchase.
Although broken and malfunctioning propane heaters can have problems, they’re very safe. So long as the gas all burns off as it should, it’s clean burning. That means there are no toxic byproducts in the air.
However, anytime you install a propane burner indoors, please put in a CO2 detector and a gas detector. This is your first line of defense against danger. You may not smell a problem leak, but the sensors will let you know before it becomes a health or life-threatening problem.
Also, you should bear in mind that propane heaters turn on and keep burning. While they frequently have both overheat and low tank sensors with shutoff switches, they don’t kick on and off like an electric heater. It requires a little more interactive monitoring if you don’t want constant burning heat in the garage. Plus, like electric heaters, you should never leave propane burning when you leave the garage.
Top Five Best Heaters for Uninsulated Garages
When you first start looking for a heating solution for that uninsulated garage, the sheer number of heaters available is overwhelming. Do you want propane or electric? Should you use a ceramic heater instead? Moreover, how can you tell which models are useful and which to avoid?
Don’t worry. I’m here to take the stress out of finding the best space heater for your garage. I’ve researched hundreds of options to bring you the top five best options. Any of these superb, high-quality heaters will help keep you and that cold garage more comfortable while you’re working.
1. Lasko Ceramic Tower Space Heater
Getting a high-quality Lasko Ceramic Tower Space Heater from Amazon will undoubtedly help keep that insulated garage warm. This model made the top of our list for several reasons. The LED display makes it extremely easy to see the settings.
Moreover, as an oscillating heater, it covers more space than a unidirectional option. If you need targeted heat, you can change the setting to blow right at you or your project. With sixty-to eighty-five degrees, you’ll be able to work faster and longer than you would in the cold.
People who don’t like to walk into a cold room and those who forget to turn off their devices will love the remote control. Simply slip it into your pocket, and you can change the settings easily at a distance. You can keep up to three hundred square feet toasty warm without ever touching the tower itself.
The self-regulating ceramic element won’t overheat. With automatic protection, you can rest easy knowing you won’t burn out your heater. The thermostat gives you options so you can get as much or little warmth as you like. So you’ll be more comfortable without wasting power.
Unlike older space heaters, the Lasko is quiet. It won’t disturb you while you work so that you can get more done. Furthermore, at a mere seven and a half pounds, it’s easy to move this tower wherever you need it. No bulky, clunky old oil-filled radiator can compare to the ease of lightweight modern machines.
Additionally, there’s a timer option for the cautious or genuinely forgetful. Set the Lasko for one, two, or four hours and let it work. Plus, you’ll appreciate the design, which saves space offering you plenty of easy ways to fit this heater into any garage setup.
Get your remote-controlled Lasko heater right here.
2. Trustech 2-in-1 Portable Space Heater
The sleek black Trustech 2-in1 Portable Space Heater is compact and versatile. You can use it to heat your garage, and then take it in the house when you’re finished. At just under three pounds, this lightweight heater can go anywhere.
Adjustable angle circulation helps move the warmth around your space so you can work freely in an uninsulated garage. With three angle settings, you can aim the heat where you need it the most. Better still, since you can point it up, the warm air near the ceiling will flow more easily around your garage.
Staying warm is no joke. Fortunately, Trustech is a serious heater despite its diminutive size. Just nine point eight inches tall, this is a mighty mini machine.
In addition to its wintertime uses, you don’t need to put this little heater away during the warm months. Simply switch it on without heat for a great summertime fan. Especially in a garage without insulation, winter isn’t the only uncomfortable month.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to work around this super-quiet heater. Whatever the season, the fan won’t make loud and distracting noises. Regardless of whether you set it to low or high, heating, or merely air circulation, Trustech won’t draw your attention away from your garage cleaning projects.
If you have pets or kids who tend to wander in to see what you’re doing, then the tip-over protection is a lifesaver. Anytime the switch on the bottom releases, the fan, and the heat stop running. So, you won’t have to worry about clumsiness or curiosity, causing a fire in your garage.
With an ETL certification, you know Trustech Heaters live up to their reliable name. The automatic overheat protection will switch off the fan before any damage occurs, so you don’t have to worry about over-using your heater and burning it out.
See the Amazon reviews on this Trustech heater here.
3. Pelonis 360 Degree Fan Forced Heater
The Pelonis 360 Degree, Fan Forced Heater from Amazon, deserves to be on any top five list for heaters. For a quarter of a century, this company has been innovating and improving its heating and fan technologies. Although they often make industrial heaters, you can get this incredible portable model for your garage.
Trusted in industries like aerospace, and medical supplies, Pelonis is very serious about bringing you the best heat and airflow. It’s hard to find a company that works as hard. Meeting and exceeding quality control and industry standards is only part of what makes Pelonis so outstanding. These heaters come from ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified manufacturing facilities.
Additionally, Pelonis goes above and beyond in other ways too. They offer a blog, manuals, and even guides on how to find the right heater for you. If you love your garage heater and decide you need more, Pelonis will create custom heat and airflow solutions for you on request.
You don’t need to worry about oscillation when your heater already blows out in every direction. The brilliant design of this Pelons helps prevent a cold-zone. Since there is no ‘behind’ the unit, you’ll stay comfortable all around the garage.
You’ll love the user-friendly controls. Moreover, the carry handle makes it simple to relocate your heater if you want to take it with you when you head inside. Plus, the fan-only function gives you a versatile circulation fan for the warmer months as well.
A company that works so hard to be one of the best clearly also cares about its products, and it shows. Pelonis shows it in yet another way with a warranty. For a year after you order this incredible heater, it’s covered against any possible manufacturing defects. You have to admire that level of commitment to good heating.
Pick a Pelonis by clicking here.
4. Isiler Ceramic Space Heater
A classic looking box style Isiler Ceramic Space Heater from Amazon is ideal for your uninsulated garage. The outside may appear just like the old-school portable garage heaters you saw as a kid. However, the insides are a hundred percent modern, robust heating solutions for your coldest days.
Made of fire retardant materials, the Isiler is reliable, durable, and made for handling high heat. Ceramic heaters don’t use open flames. Moreover, thy don’t consume oxygen or put off any light.
Additionally, the shape helps keep this model stable on any flat surface. Square and solidly built, the raised front legs help prevent tipping. Set your Isiler on any heat-proof surface and let it go to work.
The quiet warmth will fill your garage quickly. Set this heater on the floor and let it warm you from the ground up, or you can place it on a higher surface to blow fifteen-hundred watts of cozy heat directly at you while you work. Plus, the low profile makes it easy to fit in smaller spaces.
The self-regulating element will turn off if it gets too hot. Furthermore, it’s thermostat is among the most versatile around. Producing heat from forty-one degrees up to ninety-five, you can easily control how warm you need your space. Warm-up a little or a lot depending on the weather.
Only seven inches on the longest side, this tiny heater will surprise you. It heats over a hundred square feet quickly. Moreover, at a mere thirty-eight-point-eight ounces, anyone can carry this lightweight, ultra-portable heater.
You’ll be impressed by how much heat comes out of this surprisingly small package. Luckily, you can turn it down when you get too warm. Don’t let the size fool you. Isiler knows how to pack a lot of power into a compact machine.
Have and Isialer delivered to your door when you order here.
5. Brightown Energy Efficient Ceramic Heater
An ETL certified Brightown Energy Efficient Ceramic Heater will warm you up no matter how cold your uninsulated garage gets this winter. Naturally, it’s suitable for chilly nights, even when it’s not freezing. With a two-hundred square foot range, you can count on this option in more ways than one.
Don’t waste money on overpriced power bills that cheap knockoff heaters demand. Being energy efficient is like a superpower for heaters. Two different power settings let you use low seven-hundred-fifty watt power, or a higher fifteen-hundred for those extra cold days.
Like most on our list, the small, but powerful Brighton is an all-season machine. In the warmer months, you can use it as a fan to help cool your space keeping your garage comfortable all year long.
Although you can choose to set this heater from zero-heat up to a hundred and fifty-eight degrees, there’s no need to worry about the highest settings. With fire retardant materials, and sensitive tip-over protection shut off switch, there’s almost no risk. However, you should remember not to touch the heater after use, at least until it’s had sufficient time to cool down.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how fast the Brightown heater works to warm your garage. Ready to plug and power on as soon as you set it in the garage, there’s no set up beyond choosing the temperature you want. Adjust it to your liking as you go with easy to use knobs.
Additionally, when you’re done, just let it cool down and tuck this compact heater away wherever it’s most convenient for you. Since it’s less than nine and a half inches on the longest side, you won’t have trouble finding a place for it. Moreover, at just over three pounds, it’s not difficult to put it on a high storage shelf.
Learn more about Brightown on Amazon by clicking here.
Bonus Propane Heater for Big Garages: Mr. Heater Tank Top
Are you looking for a more substantial heating option or one that uses no electricity? The Mr. Heater Tank Top twenty-nine to forty-five thousand BTU propane heater is an excellent option. Big spaces need bigger solutions.
This model is best for open garages as it’s meant for outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces. You’ll find you don’t need to freeze your fingers just to do a big project in your oversize garage. Skip the discomfort, and choose the right heating solution to stay on the go in the cold.
Mr. Heater is a well known and trusted name in propane heaters. The Tank Top easily swivels a hundred and eighty degrees to keep your large garage warm and comfy at any angle. Moreover, the head has a three-hundred-sixty degree heat radius to get all the space evenly.
You can quickly mount this durable propane heater to a twenty-pound tank for hours or days of outstanding warmth. The push-button te Valve makes it simple to operate Plus, unlike some propane heaters, Mr. Heater has an emergency shutoff switch if it tips over.
Especially if you need to work with a bay door open in winter, as is often the case in bigger garages, this propane heater is excellent. Better still, propane burns clean and safe. Plus, it’s cost-effective and energy-efficient. What more could you ask for from a large-garage heater?
Keep in mind, when you plan to close up shop and work inside, open a few windows and vents for safety. Otherwise, you may need an indoor model instead. Luckily, the oxygen depletion sensor will help keep you safer. Still, you should always install carbon monoxide monitors when using real-flame heaters in your garage.
To heat a sizeable uninsulated garage, get this Mr. Heater from Amazon by clicking here.
Final Thoughts
You can’t control the weather, but you can keep warm in your uninsulated garage with the right heater. Sometimes it’s just not in the budget to handle that insulation job. Moreover, if you rent, then landlords might not let you make improvements. So it’s time for a smarter solution.
Keeping yourself comfortable so you can clean, build, or do repairs is essential. Wasting energy, or being in pain, will only slow you down. Plus, too many layers of clothing will get in the way of your work.
Take a sweater as well, but plug that heater in to get things done right. No one deserves to catch a chill so that they can clean their garage.