During these hot summer months it is not unusual for the temperature in your garage to be a few degrees hotter than the outside temperature. A hot garage is not only bad for the items you have stored in your garage, it can also be damaging to your garage door and its mechanisms.

Here are some ways that you can keep the temperature in your garage down this summer:

Keep the garage door partially open. Depending on how you feel about this recommendation, it might be something you only do when you are at home or, if you have a neighbor keeping an eye on your home. Allowing your garage door to remain partially open during the day though will allow air to circulate in and out, which will assist in keeping things cool. You can also set up a box fan inside of your garage and run it while the garage door is open.

Finish and insulate the ceiling. Most garages in homes across the Country are exposed beams when you look up. But, in essence this space is akin to the attic space in your home and is the perfect place for heat to be trapped and act like a large heating cloud – keeping the temperature in your garage hot. Instead, invest in having your garage finished and that space insulated to keep the heat from rising and being caught in the attic space.

This is also true for the walls of your garage. Adding insulation and sheetrock to the walls of your garage will help to keep the hot air out, and if you are constantly running a fan in your garage the insulation will help to keep the cool air from the fan inside the garage.

Install vents in the roof. As mentioned, the ceiling area of your garage is where all of the hot air moves to and gets trapped. Having an exhaust system or, stationary vents installed in the roof of your garage will dramatically help with hot air being able to move out of your garage, thus cooling the temperature.

Following these simple tips for keeping the inside temperature of your garage down will not only help your cooling and power bill but, it will also help to protect your garage door from sustaining any damage due to the high heat temperature being trapped behind it.