Making my garage warmer: covering holes in lintel

[thesheep]

We have an integrated double garage which has no insulation, and lots of gaps down the sides of the garage doors, etc. Gets very cold and dusty. Since I want to relocate the freezer in there, I need to raise the temperature and make the space generally nicer and cleaner.

Was starting to research insulated garage doors, when I realised that the catnic lintels we have in there are full of holes. Not sure if these are actual vents or just holes to make the piece of steel lighter? They vent horizontally and then downwards to the outside.

Does anyone know if I need these holes to be there? Any reason I shouldn't cut a panel of Celotex and slot it in over the inside surface? Or is there something more effective I could do like fill the lintel with foam? (Not sure that I can get access to it)

Thanks.

 

[Londoner2]

Not worth faffing around, just buy a new freezer that operates in lower temps (suitable for outbuildings).

 

[phatboy]

Adding some Celotex there won't make the room even a tiny bit warmer. If you want it warm, spend a few thousand fully insulating and heating it.

Otherwise, as above, get a garage freezer. As for the dust, fill the holes you find. But you want some ventilation still, or in a single skin garage, damp is likely in the cooler months.

 

[thesheep]

Think I'm going to fill it with expanding foam then cover the holes with a panel. Then once I've fitted a door with a proper seal, at least I won't have the north wind blowing directly into the garage space. I'm pretty sure that is making it colder! More insulation on the other walls will need to be added later.

 

[phatboy]

Think I'm going to fill it with expanding foam then cover the holes with a panel. Then once I've fitted a door with a proper seal, at least I won't have the north wind blowing directly into the garage space. I'm pretty sure that is making it colder! More insulation on the other walls will need to be added later.

It will make it a bit colder, but being an uninsulated, single skin building, with no roof insulation either, will be the main causes. If you want it to be a useable room, you will spend thousands to do it all properly.

Honestly better to get a garage grade freezer, and build a base from 4x2's, and 18mm ply on top, to keep it out of the dirt.

Don't waste expanding foam filling a lintel..... if you think loads of air gets through it just cover it with something.... anything..... an Amazon cardboard box would do the job.

Unless you fully insulate the garage, it's going to make no difference at all.... and if it's just a garage it's a waste of money tbh.

 

[thesheep]

Hmm, maybe. But it is an integrated garage (with direct access from the kitchen), so the roof is warm, as are 2 of the walls. So doesn't seem too much of a stretch to insulate. But yeah, the floor is a heat sink. We also have a really nice, very expensive Miele freezer that we bought a few years ago that we now need to move, so buying a new freezer isn't that appealing right now! Maybe blocking the holes and installing a small bar heater will keep off the chill enough for a year or so with the freezer in there until I can insulate it properly.