Do Steel Garages Get Hot? Tips to Prevent Overheating
A common concern raised over metal garages involves interior spaces baking from blazing sun exposure on bare steel walls and roofing. However, various speculative heat differences between metal structures versus wood or masonry prove marginal at best, especially when applying basic insulation and ventilation. Thankfully additional strategies also further promote cooler steel garages through scorching summer months.
Mitigate Thermal Transfer
While coatings help reflect sunlight somewhat, the primary culprit exacerbating warmer metal garage interiors stems from direct surface contact conducting heat inward. Start by installing vapor barrier-backed insulation like Reflectix or Dow Thermax sheets with higher R-values between all roof rafters and wall girts before interior finishing. This breaks up the steel’s bond with exterior temperatures. Mix in proper ventilation like louvered vents and ridge ports as well.
Strategic Exterior Shading Solutions
If foiling solar radiation before garage shell absorption suits your climate better, consider extending roof eave overhangs out 24+ inches to shade southern and western facing sides. A cost-effective option, retractable exterior awnings also cool selectively. More elaborate custom lattice, shade sails or adjustable louvered panels work too. All prevent thermal ingress by shielding the underlying envelope.
Smart Interior Circulation
Within garage spaces, strategic placement of circulation fans, vented attic runs and cool misting systems circulates air preventing stagnant pockets heating exponentially. Cooling efficiency improves further by circulating air at higher velocities optimizing convection dynamics. This sustains more consistent, comfortable environments.
By acknowledging outdoor sun exposure challenges upfront and applying solutions like insulation barriers, external shading elements and interior air circulation, steel garages perform identically cool to wooden counterparts. Proper planning ensures no storage or workspace limitations caused by overheating metal!
