Well, now that winter is coming upon us... any of you fucks have workshops/garages and if so, what methods do you use for heating them in the cold months? I've got a large shop in my backyard that I spend a lot of time in and I'm having a hell of a time keeping it warm. I did a bunch of insulation work over the summer and it's a bit better but still not great... currently running a 4800-watt, 30-amp heater. I've heard good things about infrared heaters but haven't pulled the trigger yet...
Any ideas?
ps - fuck u
Heat
Re: Heat
Pretty tall, I would guess at about 20'... part of why I'm having such a problem. It's actually a really old barn-style garage. The floor is 26'x26' and it's two storeys up, although there is no floor up top so it's basically just a giant open room. Realistically I would probably need another heater like the one I've got for this big of a space but I'm already getting ass-fucked by electrical bills with just the one... I have a hard time believing infrared would work well for a large space.
Re: Heat
Only part of it. Also a layer of "natural board" (IE: fibre board). Putting up all that shit on your own on a ladder and/or standing on rafters hoping you don't fall 10 feet to a cement-floor death is tricky biz... Also, vapour barrier is tons of fun on the ceiling 
Feck, guess I'll have to finish it off next year...
Feck, guess I'll have to finish it off next year...
Re: Heat
look for weak spots in the rooms insulation. if you have a shitty door, it wont help with insulation. Cracks between doors/windows and their frame doesn't help either. What's the floor made out of? lay down some rubber mats or some other cheap durble/cleanable insulator.
Last edited by Tsakali on Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Heat
Actually, good call on the floor... it's a cement slab. Probably the worst fucking thing for heat possible, aye. I actually went around the entire room and filled every single crack between every single wall board with non-hardening caulk... that took forever. I think I must've gone through 30L of caulking FFS
Gas heater would be nice but I have no gas line out here, just electricity.
I always have a thermos of coffee out here in the winter... only thing that keeps me going.
Gas heater would be nice but I have no gas line out here, just electricity.
I always have a thermos of coffee out here in the winter... only thing that keeps me going.
Re: Heat
yeah, you'll have to spend money to fix this issue... but should pay for itself in the long run.
If it comes out to be beneficial, see if you can find a gas operated device that can be hooked up to one of those gas tanks. They should have refillable areas around your area.
If it comes out to be beneficial, see if you can find a gas operated device that can be hooked up to one of those gas tanks. They should have refillable areas around your area.
Re: Heat
This will help you.. Knocks the chill down, but dont expect to walk around in a t shirt.
You will be able to drop the gloves tho and work with what you need, barring your hand tools are not ice cold.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... er&ctype=2
You will be able to drop the gloves tho and work with what you need, barring your hand tools are not ice cold.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... er&ctype=2
Re: Heat
Is there any reason it needs to have a 20 foot ceiling? Could you build in a second floor for storage?
Yea those things are top notch. My dad used them in the winter out in our barn or on job sites.ForM wrote:This will help you.. Knocks the chill down, but dont expect to walk around in a t shirt.
You will be able to drop the gloves tho and work with what you need, barring your hand tools are not ice cold.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... er&ctype=2
Re: Heat
Natural gas. 
BTU heaters pump out a good amount of air, so it keeps the heat circulating. Helps keep a steady temp without too much energy. My parents installed one of these in their garage a couple years ago. Works like a charm.
When you say there's no gas line, do you mean there currently isn't one to your shop, or that you don't even have a gas line to your house? If you have gas to your house, it's not that big of a deal to run a pipe to the shop, too.
ps... fuck electric heating for large spaces. Waste of money.
BTU heaters pump out a good amount of air, so it keeps the heat circulating. Helps keep a steady temp without too much energy. My parents installed one of these in their garage a couple years ago. Works like a charm.
When you say there's no gas line, do you mean there currently isn't one to your shop, or that you don't even have a gas line to your house? If you have gas to your house, it's not that big of a deal to run a pipe to the shop, too.
ps... fuck electric heating for large spaces. Waste of money.
Re: Heat
Wood pellet stove? I heard that they are incredibly energy and cost efficient (other than initial cost of installation). Most U.S. states have a 30% tax credit and fuel is often tax exempt. They are electronically controlled with a thermostat which takes care of fuel consumption, etc. and they have a forced air vent so they can be easily installed without chimney. I'm not sure if these will work for the space required, but it'll probably be cheaper to maintain than electric heaters, something you may want to inquire about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellet_stove
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellet_stove
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