Bonus Room

Is your garage beneath it insulated? I'm assuming not. So you're gonna need to insulate beneath the floor as well.

Definitely insulate well. A single 220 unit in the 18K BTU range should cool that space off nicely. I have a 24K BTU unit in my ground floor man cave that is 850 sq. ft. and it cools it off set at 72 when I'm using it in the summer months.

For heat, I have a stand alone gas heater that looks like a small fireplace with the ceramic logs and it too cycles on and off with a built in thermostat. That one heater is all the space needs.

What area are you in, we have thought about adding on, who is your contractor?

Mitsubishi Mini Split

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I would consider installing a mini split. They are super efficient.

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I have one in my bonus room above the garage and would recommend going this route. It works extremely well. During the summer we leave the main thermostat on 74 and keep our bonus room door open with the mini-split on 72 and it keeps the whole house cool since the warm air funnels up to the bonus room.

I just did 2 mini split units for my bonus room and garage. Bought Daikin units online and hired an A/C guy to install. $3200 for the 2 units and $700 to install.

What made you go with Daikin over any other brand?

Definitely well insulated is key. Flooring as well, but may be difficult if not done prior to garage. Make sure they fill space as you cannot have air flow between subfloor and insulation.

Depending on the span of your garage, your joists may not be rated for the living space. My bonus room has engineered trusses instead of just standard 2x10+ joists.

A mini split works wonders. Just make sure it is properly installed and has a drain line. Mine is right next to a water heater, so the drain line is routed to the water heater pan drain and has a float switch on the pan.

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How much does one of those Mitsubishi splits cost plus install?

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I paid $3500 for the Mitsubishi 2T mini split installed with soldered lines (don’t just leave the ridiculous excess copper coiled up). I had already run the electrical to the cut off switch.