A room above the garage, often called a bonus room, is a staple of suburban homes. They’re especially common with split-levels and ranch homes that were built in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s and are still popular today.
But, a common complaint about this part of the house is that it’s often hotter in the summer than other rooms. And, colder in the winter.
At first, it doesn’t make sense! The room looks just like the others. And it has the same types of vents. What’s the difference?
Actually, it’s not the room that’s causing these comfort issues. Instead, it’s what’s under it: The garage.
In this article, we’ll explain why bonus rooms are harder to heat and cool than the rest of the house. Then, we’ll explore how to fix these problems.
Why The Room Above The Garage Is Always Too Hot Or Too Cold
The three most significant reasons why the room above the garage is always too hot or cold are:
- Less Insulation
- On The Second Floor
- Far From The Furnace
1. Less Insulation
Most rooms on the second floor are above a part of the house that’s already being heated or cooled. They may also be in the middle of the house, with other heated or cooled rooms next to them.
But, the bonus room doesn’t have that advantage. Instead, the garage beneath it is not insulated at all. That means heat entering the room is drawn to the cold area just beneath the floor. And, you’re not getting extra heating or cooling from the area below it.
The result? A room that’s much harder to regulate than other parts of the house.
2. The Second Floor
Most rooms on the second floor already don’t get the same heating and cooling as downstairs. That’s because the thermostat is usually in the dining room or living room.
As a result, your furnace or central air turns on and off based on the temperature in that room. It doesn’t take the upstairs into account at all!
So, the heat or AC turns off when the first floor is warm or cool enough. But, the second floor might still be too old or too hot. But, without a thermostat up there, this problem never gets addressed.
3. Far From The Furnace
The further a room is from the furnace, the weaker the heating or cooling it gets. The air pressure weakens as the air travels through the house.
And, the room above the garage is often the furthest away. Not only does it need the most treatment, but it gets the least amount of heat or cooled air.
Mini Split Installations For Bonus Rooms Above The Garage
The best way to heat and cool the room above your garage is with a mini split installation. These systems have been popular for decades across the world. Now, more and more homeowners in America are installing them.
Here’s how they work and why they’re great.
1. How A Mini Split Works
A mini split doesn’t draw air from all over the house to a central source and then recirculate it like a conventional furnace or central air with ductwork.
Instead, you install an air handler in every room you want to treat. You can put one in just that one room — like the one above the garage — or outfit your entire home with them.
Each of these units has a line that runs a refrigerant liquid back and forth from a heat pump outside. That liquid carries heat into the house in the winter and out of the house in the summer.
Then, each air handler heats or cools the air in the room where it’s located.
2. Customizable Heating And Cooling
The big advantage here is customizable heating and cooling! Every handler has its own thermostat. So, when you put one in the bonus room, you finally regulate the temperature based on what’s actually happening in that one part of the house!
Now, it’s not relying on the thermostat in a room where the temperature is always much different. You can finally get the comfort you want in the room above the garage without affecting the rest of the house.
3. Fast, Easy Installation
Mini split installations are fast, easy, and non-invasive. Since there’s no ductwork required, there’s not a lot of construction or costs to design and fabricate the ducts.
Instead, your installer just mounts the air handler on the wall, places the heat pump outside, and runs lines through the walls to connect them. A single-zone system for one room takes less than a day to install!
More Benefits of a Mini Split
We looked at the main reasons a mini split is great for a bonus room above the garage in particular. Now, here are a few more benefits!
Energy Efficiency
A mini split uses much less energy than a space heater, baseboard heat or window air conditioner. In fact, they even use significantly less than a furnace or central air!
That means you’ll enhance the comfort in a part of your home that was never quite comfortable. But, you won’t pay more on your utility bills for it.
Whisper-Quiet Operation
Even when they’re working their hardest, you’ll hardly hear a sound from your air handler. There’s no constant hum from a window AC, and no roar of rushing air coming up from the furnace. Most people never hear it running at all unless the room is 100-percent quiet and they are standing right under it.
Imagine — feeling the comfort but not hearing it! And, not paying extra to finally have that one room in your home feeling just as good as the others all year-round.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
