We are in negotiations with a builder for a new home, and there was one option presented to me that I am completely unsure about: natural gas heaters in the garage. They mount near the ceiling, and obviously the exhaust is ducted outside.
At this point in my life, I am doing very little hobby work in my garage so I don't feel there is much value in the garage being warm, except for the living space that's above it. There are two bedrooms over the garage, along with plumbing. (The home is in a suburb of NYC--so winters are cold, but not Buffalo cold.) We've never had a home with living space above unheated space like this, and my concern is uncomfortably cold floors and maybe even frozen pipes. Assuming R30 insulation in the garage ceiling, would garage heat be solving an imaginary problem? Or do you think garage heat is the best thing ever, and I'll kick myself for skipping it?
(Cost is about $3000, so not too significant in grand scheme of a house, but I don't want to waste money.)
At this point in my life, I am doing very little hobby work in my garage so I don't feel there is much value in the garage being warm, except for the living space that's above it. There are two bedrooms over the garage, along with plumbing. (The home is in a suburb of NYC--so winters are cold, but not Buffalo cold.) We've never had a home with living space above unheated space like this, and my concern is uncomfortably cold floors and maybe even frozen pipes. Assuming R30 insulation in the garage ceiling, would garage heat be solving an imaginary problem? Or do you think garage heat is the best thing ever, and I'll kick myself for skipping it?
(Cost is about $3000, so not too significant in grand scheme of a house, but I don't want to waste money.)