Storing Your Treadmill In A Garage?

It can be difficult to find an adequate spot to put your treadmill inside your house due to a multitude of reasons. This leads people to default to where they put most other things that don’t fit inside the house; a garage or a shed.

This is a super convenient place for storage, but can a treadmill actually be stored in your garage?

Can A Treadmill Be Stored in a Garage - 3 Things to Consider

It is actually safe to store most standard size treadmills in the garage in most states of the United States despite the range of temperature and humidity levels that occur throughout the year though most manufacturers of the treadmills do not cover the warranty of the treadmill if it is in the garage.

Table of Contents

Can A Treadmill Be Stored in a Garage - 3 Things to Consider

1. Size:

2. Temperature & Humidity Ranges:

3. Is Storing or Using a Treadmill in a Garage a Good Idea?

Pros of Having a Treadmill in Your Garage

Cons of Having a Treadmill in Your Garage

Yes, it is actually safe to store most standard size treadmills in the garage in most states of the United States despite the range of temperature and humidity levels that occur throughout the year.

1. Size:

Let’s go over some quick measurements.

Most standard 1 car garages are 12 feet wide by 22 feet deep, but other common sizes are 14 x 22, or 16 x 24.

This compared to an average size of a good treadmill, which for our case we will use the NordicTrack T 8.5 S, which is 78.5 x 35.5 x 59 inches (roughly 6.5 x 3 x 5 feet), there should be plenty of space to store your treadmill in the garage, especially if you are leaving your car outside.

Can a Treadmill Be Stored in a Garage? : Yes, it is actually safe to store most standard size treadmills in the garage in most states of the United States despite the range of temperature and humidity levels that occur throughout the year.

If your garage is as cluttered as mine, then we both have a better chance fitting the treadmill in our actual house, but nevertheless, we have established that it is possible to store a treadmill in your garage if you have enough space to do so.

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2. Temperature & Humidity Ranges:

The ideal temperature a treadmill should be used is between 50-105 degrees °F. If the treadmill was exposed to below freezing conditions (32 °F), it is recommended that the treadmill be kept in room temperature (68–72 °F) for a minimum of three hours before using it.

According to USA.com, 30 of the 50 states in the United States average temperature outside is over 50 °F. So if you live in the lower temp 20 states it might be a good idea to either insulate your garage or keep it inside.

During summer months, National Home Contractor RE Williams shares the your garage can be 20 degrees or higher than the outside temperature. So this means that during those hot summer months that touch over 100 °F during the day, your garage is potentially 20 degrees warmer.

The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) published a study that 2020 was an above average temperature year for most states in 2020. The chart below shows the data related to the study.

"Most of the contiguous U.S. experienced above-average temperatures during 2020. Ten states across the Southwest, Southeast and East Coast had their second-warmest year on record. There were no areas of below-average annual temperatures observed across the Lower 48 during 2020."

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/202013

All of this to say that it might be a good idea to insulate your garage if you plan on storing your treadmill there. This is a great way to keep a fairly consistent temperature. Amazon shares a simple kit that I installed in my garage.

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Heavy Duty Double Sided Tape (Must peel liner and let tack up) (instructions will explain in detail)
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3. Is Storing or Using a Treadmill in a Garage a Good Idea?

So even if it is possible to store a treadmill in your garage, is it actually a good idea? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Here is a list of the Pros and Cons associated with storing your treadmill in a garage.

Pros of Having a Treadmill in Your Garage

Pros

Keeping the treadmill in your garage will keep further clutter from building up around your already bustling and crowded home.
If you have space, then keeping a treadmill in your garage is a perfect way to avoid all of the unpleasant distractions that could be taking place in your home, so you can focus on your workout!
The noise of a treadmill is a real variable to worry about. Even more so when getting in a really hard workout. Having a treadmill located in a more remote part of your home like the garage is going to offer a more quiet place to complete your workout without disturbing the rest of your family. You can just get into the garage and go about your business without worrying about waking up or annoying any other member of your household.
A treadmill is not exactly a piece of artistic excellence, so storing it away in your garage will mean you do not have to ruin your home’s decor with a huge exercise machine in the corner of your living room.
A treadmill is a great resource to use when the weather is unfavorable outside. Having a treadmill in your garage allows you to mimic some of the elements without having to actually deal with the snow, sleet, rain or wind. It provides a more controlled environment for your workout, and who doesn’t love that?
Having a treadmill in your garage can keep you and the treadmill safer from overheating. A hard workout on top of a treadmill motor can really generate a lot of heat in a room, but a garage usually runs much cooler, so you can stay more comfortable during your workout. Working out in a cooler environment also lowers the risk of either you or your treadmill overheating.
If you are a parent, then you know that storing the treadmill in the garage can be much safer than keeping it inside the house. Younger children often do not understand the danger of this kind of equipment, and they are not only in danger of using it improperly, but a treadmill inside the house means more objects that the child can run into or fall off of. Tucking your treadmill away is just a safer option when working around your children.
If you have ever had a treadmill in your house, then you know that smell that can build up as a product of a good workout. Keeping the treadmill in a garage allows you to better isolate the smell and humidity that can tend to accumulate.

So there are a lot of positives to keeping your treadmill in the garage, and oftentimes it really is a better option than the alternatives.

However, before you go throwing the treadmill in the corner of your garage, take a second to run over the possible drawbacks of this option.

Cons of Having a Treadmill in Your Garage

Cons

Oftentimes storing your treadmill in a garage or shed will void your warranty. I am not sure if there is any way to prove or disprove this to the warranty provider, but just know this may be a condition you’ll have to deal with at some point if you seek to call in the warranty. If you opt to buy a used one most warranties are expired.
As mentioned a garage usually intensifies the extreme heat conditions that go on outside. So extreme heat or cold can sneak into your garage and this can be damaging to the machine as it just stays out there. On top of that, extreme heat or cold in your garage can make it more difficult for you to actually get a workout in during this time, which may be one of the top reasons that you got a treadmill in the first place, right?
Extreme cold, heat, or humidity can damage the treadmill if it is unprotected in your garage. It can damage the surface but also mess up the functioning of the motor, belt, frame, and screen. This is something to consider when deciding where you want to store your treadmill for the long haul.
Most of us do not tend to keep the garage clean, neat, and tidy at all times. dirt, grass and dust accumulates all over the place. Over time this can all sneak on and into your treadmill and damage the motor, belt, and screen function of your treadmill. Best to keep it protected with a cover when you are not using it. Here are our favorite treadmill covers.
People are not as careful in the garage as they usually are in the house, even a second of negligence can lead to some lasting damage.
This might be an obvious one, but treadmill manufacturers usually strongly advise against storing your treadmill in your garage, especially the cold, unheated garage.
A less important con, but it's still worth noting that the garage is a pretty boring place. There is nothing to look at or keep you entertained while working out. If you can try to bring out a laptop, tv, or speaker to watch or listen to something to stay entertained.
Storing your treadmill in the garage means more maintenance. You will definitely have to make a point of cleaning all of the accumulated dust and dirt that builds up over time if you want the treadmill to have a normal lifespan.

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So, we have established that there are just as many drawbacks as there are positives. The decision you make will depend more on which specific items on this list apply to you and your situation.

You might find that one condition takes priority over all others, and that will be the deal-breaker, or maybe you’ll have to make your own list of conditions to make the right decision. My recommendation is to buy a used one off of Facebook marketplace or a swap site like Craigslist if you are truly worried about the range of temps in your garage

In any case, you now have the information that you need to make an informed decision on how you proceed with placing your treadmill in the perfect location to fit your needs.

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Hi, Jeremy Here,

I am the the guy behind Train for a 5K. On this site, I share everything that learned along my running journey. The content I create is the running training I wish I had before we started this journey. About Me.

Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API