river garage -- insulate or not? A/C?

[RiverForUs]

Just wondering if everyone with places out at the river have their garage walls/doors insulated or not? Is it worth the extra 2k? I'm not really looking to keep the cold air in as much as keeping the hot air out! Will this help?
I remember being at a buddies house in Havasu standing in the garage and feeling the heat just radiate off of the steel roll-up door. This was from a couple of feet away. I want to get the insulated doors even if I don't have A/C.
While we're on the garage subject, how about A/C in the garage? Overkill? Worth another 3-4k? The builder says once you open the roll-up door ALL cold air is lost and you have to start over. He suggests a mobile swamp cooler. Not looking to keep it cold all week--just want to cool it down as I clean up the boat before heading home.
So, a mini 2-ton unit, window A/C, mobile swamp cooler, or nothing?

[djunkie]

I have my garage and doors insulated. It does help to keep the temps down in there. But as soon as you open the doors its pretty much instantly gets as hot as it is outside. I would definately get the garage insulated. If you are going to store your boat or toys in there it will help to keep them cool while your not there. I haven't put a thermometer in there to check yet but I would say during the summer it is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler with the insulation. Doesn't sound like much but you can definately feel it. :D

[Flying Tiger]

Swamp cooler in the garage, with a spring loaded "UpDux" that will exhaust it through the homes attic.
It will really remove the heat load from the home and cool the garage too at a fraction of a/c's cost

[Mrs.Racer277]

We are going with the insulated garage and swamp cooler. :D I am hoping the swamp cooler will do the trick. :D

[H20skier]

We didn't get A/C or a swamp cooler for the garage and boy are we sorry now!

[BoatPI]

My neighbor has a large insulated garage. He initally installed a swamper. Everything began to RUST. Out it went, and he gets by with a large window a/c unit. High ceiling, insulation, and insulated doors. It works well. The best set up I have seen, is the insulation, doors, and a mini split A/C unit. It keeps a garge cool so u can put in a set of bar stools, TV,etc. Go with the mini split.
I have the insulated doors (steel both sides) at my beach house, with the furnace in the garage it is warmer inside the garage than the house in the winter.

[RiverForUs]

Swamp cooler in the garage, with a spring loaded "UpDux" that will exhaust it through the homes attic.
It will really remove the heat load from the home and cool the garage too at a fraction of a/c's cost
Can you do this with a wall mounted swamper or does it have to be on the roof? Trying to avoid the roof mounted unit if I go with a swamper.

[wildbillg]

I would say insulate the whole thing to keep out the heat and do the wall mounted swamper and up drafts in the attic..... the up drafts in the attic will flow the cooler air from the swamper in the house attic and in turn will cool the ac working to cool the house. there are times out here when (if) you dont run the ac at all and just run the swamper to cool the house, so you may want to look into gettng a swamp/ac unit for the house to......

[Havasu_Dreamin]

We have the insulated doors and they work great. We insulated the walls of the garage but did not have any insulation added to the attic over the garage as that is how the heat escapes from the garage. That being said, we ahve thought about adding an a/c or swamp cooler to the garage. However, in order to wash the boat at the end of the day, we have to keep the door open so it would not do any good in keeping it cool while working with the door open. So, not sure what we're going to do.
For any A/C work in Havasu, call Kool Wave Air Conditiong. My neighbor, more like brother from another mother, works for them.

[Cas]

$2K to insulate a garage? how big is your garage and what kind of insulation they going to use? That sounds awfully high.
The addition I just did was 380sf, I charged the customer $900 which included the bathroom walls and the floor.

[RiverForUs]

$2K to insulate a garage? how big is your garage and what kind of insulation they going to use? That sounds awfully high.
The addition I just did was 380sf, I charged the customer $900 which included the bathroom walls and the floor.
The standard 2-car is 20' x 24' that we are going to make at least 26' deep as well as add on a 3rd car stall that is 14' x 48' for a total of almost 1200 sq. ', maybe even go to 1300. The 2k figure includes insulating all of the walls as well as the 3 doors.

[surfer2001]

During the summer, we're only in the garage to get the boat. I would not turn on the AC even if I had it.

[RiverForUs]

During the summer, we're only in the garage to get the boat. I would not turn on the AC even if I had it.
I currently have my boat stored in BHC and when we go to put her away it takes between 1-2 hrs to thoroughly wash, vacuum, wipe down interior, and unload all the wet stuff. I was just thinking that I'd rather do this in a garage that's 90 degrees vs. 110! Just spittin out figures here but you know what I mean.

[dirty old man]

look at costs of swamp over AC then choose. difference between $/cents per day. never had rust problems, (?) but my boat is made out of fiberglass. Wall/window mt, vent thru attic best. use timer, no need to run after dark or off season. insulation preferrable, spend the bucks

[SLOWMAN]

I currently have my boat stored in BHC and when we go to put her away it takes between 1-2 hrs to thoroughly wash, vacuum, wipe down interior, and unload all the wet stuff. I was just thinking that I'd rather do this in a garage that's 90 degrees vs. 110! Just spittin out figures here but you know what I mean.
You have the setup I have with the boat and house in BHC. I have a 40 ft. bay for the boat and a two car garage. I insulated the garage and the garage doors and installed a 24,000 BTU window a/c, through the wall. The 24,000 BTU unit will keep the garage comfortable to clean the inside and outside of your boat. Keep in mind comfortable, I personally like rooms on the cold side, with this set-up I was able to clean the boat. It takes me 3-4 hours to clean my boat I can can do it with this set-up. This summer I going to get a large fan in the garage to move the air around, the air circulating in the garage should make even more comfortable.
Good luck..

[surfer2001]

I currently have my boat stored in BHC and when we go to put her away it takes between 1-2 hrs to thoroughly wash, vacuum, wipe down interior, and unload all the wet stuff. I was just thinking that I'd rather do this in a garage that's 90 degrees vs. 110! Just spittin out figures here but you know what I mean.
I have "Others" clean and unload the boat, and they do it outside. I do the supervising and inspecting. hee hee

[BoatPI]

What little you will use the electical use is minimal. GO with the mini split, rmemeber when it gets humid during monsoon, the swamper is useless!
And go with ac and Phoenix or a master cool for the house, all integrated. Slide up to Souchak Drive (or other strets in the area) in LHC, look at the houses, they all have these systems. But like i said, a friend who runs a framing crew (so he knows heat,) put this mini split in his new garage.
Works perfect. the small ac unit is outside, and a wall mounted system with fan is mounted inside, add two ceiling fans, and you have the perfect set up. Swamper is a few dollars cheaper, but it will rust items in such a close area, like your harley chrome, etc. Up drafts are a good idea too, but in a garage I think some contractors stay away from that.
And on contractors, Kool Wave and Mercury are both first rate companies.
I have used both. the latter might be cheaper for a ca$h deal.
I have 7 tons of A/C in the house, plus Phoenix. Works great.

[RiverForUs]

...One of the reasons is because it gets very warm in the garage :) .
That is why I'm considering A/C.
Swamp cooler in the garage, with a spring loaded "UpDux" that will exhaust it through the homes attic.
It will really remove the heat load from the home and cool the garage too at a fraction of a/c's cost
Can you do this "UpDux" with A/C or is this something you only do with swamp coolers?
I have "Others" clean and unload the boat, and they do it outside. I do the supervising and inspecting. hee hee
When the house is done I will then have others to help. Now, on the last day of the trip it's off the lake at dark (8:15 in summer), drop off gear and people at the hotel, and then onto to the storage unit where my wife and I take care of everything till about 11 p.m.
And go with ac and Phoenix or a master cool for the house, all integrated.
Are these brands? Or some type of system?
Thanks for your help everyone!

[BoatPI]

Phoenix and Master Cool are name brand high capacity air cool systems, and in low humidity environment with temps below about 105 they will generally cool a house.
Besides the added humidity they add whichs to me makes me sleep a bit better (no dry throat) they run for about 10%-20% of the energy used by A/C. If you are building a new house in LHC area, this is the wise way to go. Swamp coolers operate on the same principle, but are much less efficent and are constant maintance issue. Like I said, look on the roofs for two units, one will be AC, the other a Phoenix type system, all with a common ait inlet duct.
I even had my Phoenix unit set up with an electric wter inlet valve so when the unit is off, NO water can enter the holding well inside. This reduces corision and prevents an accidental water floww and paying for water to run down the overflow 24/7.

[faster]

I insulated and put in AC, wouldn't have it any other way now.