I am going to build a 12x24 garage that will connect to my house by an 8x10 mudroom. Both the garage and mudroom will be properly insulated. Both will have 8' ceilings. The garage will be home to my wife's car, my workbench, and some of my tools. Since the garage is small I will have to move the car out before working on any projects... but I'm okay with that.

My thought was that the mudroom would need to be heated all the time and he garage would not. I was thinking that the heat in the garage could be turned on in the morning for only a few hours before my wife goes to work or when I'm working on a project.

At first I was thinking about installing electric baseboards but then I thought they might get dented or crushed. I've also read about using natural gas to power a forced hot air or an infrared unit.

Since this will be a new structure, what is the best, most efficient way to heat these two rooms?

Thanks,
Logan

For your application, I would suggest an electric baseboard in the mud room, and a gas unit heater hung from the ceiling in the garage. The unit heater will heat the space the most quick since you only plan to heat the space sometimes.

You could install baseboard (if you don't use the gas heater) half way up the wall if windows aren't in the way, and put it on it's own zone.
I kept tools in a garage that was minimally heated and many of them rusted.
The garage door will let out heat and let in damp cold.
If your mudroom opened into a storage area with doors between there and the car, you could let the mudroom heat keep the tools dry.

I wish I had the room to keep the tools separate from the main part of the garage but I can't make that happen. I like the idea of a small electric baseboard in the mudroom because it will be a small room. If I go with the gas heater in the garage will I be able to put it on a programmable thermostat?

Since I don't want my tools rusting out what temp should I set the garage to? Do you think that 50 degrees will be good enough?

The overhead door place might have some ideas about dampness/heat and keeping tools from rusting. I live in a damp area in the north, so each locale is different.
I would think that the most efficient way to heat new spaces is to extend your current heating method out there on it's own zone. Do you have gas already or will you install a tank just for the ceiling heater?

Yes, you could use a programmable thermostat. As far as keeping the tools from rusting, you got me there. Never seen anyone have this problem in a garage, heated or not. Course there are a lot of things I haven't experienced.

I have a natural gas forced hot air furnace to power the house but the brand new furnace is not sized to heat the garage too. If I chose he natural gas unit I would tap into the gas line that's in my basement.

What do you guys think is a good temp to keep the garage?

The temp you keep your garage is strictly personal preference. As long as you keep it above freezing (32 degrees f) it will keep things from icing up. 40 t0 50 is what I usually see people set theirs at when not in use, but I also see people with well insulated garages keep theirs set at 70. I would personally set mine at 42f and turn it up just shortly before I plan on occupying the garage. With a gas ceiling hung unit heater sized correctly, it will literally warm up the space in less than fifteen minutes or quicker.

Great... thanks for the advice.