Cracking The Garage Door Helps With Summer Heat, But There Are Downsides

As summer begins and temperatures rise, many homeowners are looking for ways to keep their homes cool. One popular ‘hack’ is to crack the garage door open to promote air circulation and evacuate hot air.

However, this solution has its downsides. A hot garage can stay warmer than the outside air for longer if there’s no ventilation, and it can heat up the shared walls between the home and garage, causing the air conditioning system to work overtime.

While cracking the garage door open can help, it’s not a long-term solution and can lead to problems such as unwanted critters getting into the garage, thieves gaining access, and strain on the garage door’s mechanisms and tracks. A better solution is to properly insulate the garage and ensure it has adequate ventilation.

If this is not possible, installing a fan and dehumidifier, keeping clutter to a minimum, and letting the car cool off in the shade before bringing it inside can help increase airflow and reduce heat. The downsides of leaving a garage door open, even partially, seem to outweigh the benefits, and homeowners should consider the potential risks before adopting this solution.