[Exaday]

I'm a first time home-owner and pretty new to living in house. All my neighbors keep their garage doors partially opened, just a foot or so. I guess they do this because it somehow cools the house?

I don't understand this. Does leaving the garage door open help in some way?

[squishy506]

I think they are just being weird. There are HOAs that have rules about keeping doors partially open. My garage is only open when we are driving in or out, and it's perfectly cool during most of the year and bearable during the summer.

[sheriwx]

One of my neighbors told me once it was so the cockroaches had an exit. Of course, I didn't point out that it gives them a rather nice entrance as well...

[von949]

I have noticed this in my old neighborhood. At least 5 garages were always open with the 5-10 inch open gap towards the bottom. In my old neighborhood there were several homes that had someone or more living in the garages. I would see a mix of beds, couches, TVs, carpet, pool tables etc...all spaced out as a operating living space. Maybe it was a game room...maybe it was a make-shift bed room...Who knows.



My current neighborhood has one violator of this and he is a NV state trooper. Im sure he will be getting a letter soon.

[trisha0608]

I'm only guessing to an answer, but I've seen it done in my neighborhood too. Our bedroom is right over the garage and I'm assuming there is no insulation in the floor cause the heat just radiates up into the bedroom, A lot of the houses in the neighborhood are the same style lol, rest of the house stays cool. The garage tends to feel like an oven specially after you put a car in there. Maybe they are letting the heat out?

[Buzz123]

It's definitely for circulation. Maybe they keep the garbáge in there, or maybe a dog that's too big to get under the door spends a lot of time there. I think it makes it easier for burglars ...and roaches ... to get in. I followed the smell of death to a bucket in my garage one time, and found a dead Geico insurance salesman. So I close mine, and I insulated them with blocks of foam from Home Depot. It really made a difference.

[MomMom]

Buzz is correct. People leave their garage door open a bit to allow air in the garage and help cool it off. In my neighborhood, this is especially true for those of us that have West facing garage doors. The steel doors heat up with the constant sun beating on them, especially when the sun is the strongest in late afternoon.

And yes, sometimes it's because there's a pet in there (hopefully not) or stinky trash. Having cars parked in the garage when the engines are still hot, really heats it up in there too.

We had a company come out and put some type of insulation on the inside of the garage doors and that helped a lot, to not only cool off the garage but also the bedroom above it.

[uncle_el]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

It's definitely for circulation. Maybe they keep the garbáge in there, or maybe a dog that's too big to get under the door spends a lot of time there. I think it makes it easier for burglars ...and roaches ... to get in. I followed the smell of death to a bucket in my garage one time, and found a dead Geico insurance salesman. So I close mine, and I insulated them with blocks of foam from Home Depot. It really made a difference.

how easy was it to do the install of the foam? what section/area did you find the foam?

[dynimagelv]

I did my old house [now owned by my secondxwifewhatzername] with rolls of insullation in the garage. was EASY to do ....all ya need is a boxknife and a staplegun. I ran an extension off the AC duct to it for when I was n there and it was GREAT.....I hope her BF really got good use out of it :]

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by uncle_el

how easy was it to do the install of the foam? what section/area did you find the foam?

I got the foam panels from either Home Depot or Lowe's. I think it was Home Depot, and if I remember right it was back in lumber, or near lumber. I found this site for you, but I don't think it was as expensive as it is on this site. It's really easy. You just stick it in the panels. Foam Panel Garage Door Insulation Kits with Installation Instructions