The most cost-effective way to control the garage temperature is to find and fix leaking air. Thermal leak detectors use infrared light to find temperature differences in the walls, doors, and windows. A big difference means the area is leaking. You can use insulation to fix the draft.
The best budget thermal leak detector is the Black & Decker TLD100. The numbers are easy to read, and the readings display quickly on the LCD panel.
You can see the leak detector on Amazon using this link.
Find and Fix Temperature Leaks
If the garage has thermal leaks, it will be colder in the winter, and hotter in the summer.
A thermal leak detector shows you what parts of your garage require insulation.
Does your garage door allow in the heat or freezing air?
Are there gaps in the door from the garage to the house?
Since you're going to fix the leaks with insulation, these articles will help you next:
- Garage Insulation Choices: Batt, Spray, or Blown?
- Is Batt or Rigid Foam a Better Choice for Garage Insulation?
- Should You Insulate the Garage Door? Read This Before You Do
The Best Budget Thermal Leak Detector
The advantage of the Black & Decker thermal leak detector is that it's relatively cheap and still very useful. The Black & Decker gives you instant feedback on the wall where you are measuring.
This means you don't need to look at the target and back at the screen again It uses the baseline temperature, then it shines green for everything also in that range. A blue light means the target is cooler than the baseline. A red light means the target is warmer.