[Gotspiccoli]

Ok so this is not exactly woodworking but it will allow me to continue wood working. Here in Upstate NY it gets really cold in the winters. In addition to that I am a 5 minute walk from a huge lake. I would like to heat my garage (aproximately 20ft by 20ft) during the winter to keep my projects going. I don't need it to be shorts weather and I can bring any of the projects to my basement for finishing in a controlled temperature. I was thinking propane would be nice for storing extra fuel but I notice the salamander style heaters blow through a 20lb tank in 14 hours (that seems excessively expensive). Anyone have any suggestions on size, fuel type, things I am not considering? This is my first year wood working and I would like to keep it going during the winter.

 

[Bill White 2]

I don't have to deal with the extreme cold as you, and my shop is well insulated (doors and windows), caulked tightly, and attached to the home.
I use oil filled radiators (elec.), and can keep the shop at 60 degrees easily. If it gets goofy cold (in the 20s) which sometimes happens, I turn on the second heater.
I am just too nervous about open flame around dust, finish fumes, etc.
The radiators are not expensive, and thermostat controlled.
Might be an option if ya have a pretty tight shop.
Bill

 

[Fred Hargis]

Considering the cost of a small bottle, can't you get a bulk tank? Here's how I would evaluate it: electric has a low install cost, but very high operating expense. LP will have a higher install cost with lower (maybe) operating expense. But with LP I wouldn't go with a ventless heater. My experience with them is that the moisture they release is very tough to deal with. Instead I'd go with a vented ceiling hung heater. Some of them can be had in direct vent (draw outside air for combustion) configurations. Last year in my 24x32 shop, I used 150 gallons of LP heating it it....but it's 50° at night and 65°when I'm in there (retired, so that's most days). But's it also pretty well insulated, and I'm sure it's not as cold here in NW Ohio as it is where your at. If your electric rates are manageable, try to get by with a couple of space heaters. That would certainly be the lowest install cost.

 

[Steve Neul]

A shop that small I would heat with a wood stove. It's not as cold here in texas but my shop is 30x42 with 12' ceiling and I heat with wood. The bad thing is you can't just turn it off if you decide to spray some paint.

 

[BernieL]

Chiming in from NH with a 24 X 24 shop. My shop is under my barn and has 1 wall plus 2 half walls underground (= good insulation). The exposed walls are well insulated. My heat choice was and is and will be propane. A wood stove would have required a chimney and a chimney would have reclassified my workshop space into "living space", thus seriously affecting my property tax bill. Besides, like Bill stated - wood stoves are a risk with woodshop atmosphere.

My heat source is a wall mounted space heater vented out through the wall. It works well for my circumstances.

 

[mics_54]

Depends on your budget.
I like hydronic 94% efficient, dependable, low humidity, direct vented, NG or oil.
A wood fired secondary wouldn't be bad too. Nice way to dispose of scrap.

 

[yank]

I have a wood stove in my shop, gets rid of scraps not good for anything, and does a great job of warming up fast for me. I have a fan mounted behind the stove and it blows the heat off the stove and into the space.

 

[burkhome]

I had a similar situation in Indiana in the past. I ran a heat duct and return air from my furnace into the garage. This effectively held the temp around 60 in the winter and tapped into the airconditioning for the summer. I had natural gas heat so it didn't hit me in the wallet that much.

 

[Gotspiccoli]

Thank you all for the great advice, I guess I missed a couple points here. My garage is not insulated at all, it is not a unique situation for the day time temps to be in the teens during the winter plus combatting 3 - 4 ft of snow that is on the ground. Also, my wife and I are looking to sell our house in the next year or two so a permanent instalation would not be a good thing. I would love the idea of the wood burning stove (cheapest option) but the problem is the chimney. there is a safe spot for one but running through the roof means the new owners would have to like the set up. I was wondering if it would be possible to run the chimney through the side door then just tear it out and have a spare door on hand when spring rolls around. I am not even sure if that would work lol. Well I have tons of spare time today so I am going to let the internet do its thing. Any more advice would be great.

 

[Gotspiccoli]

Oh yeah (oops) one more thing, With all the tools that I am running in my garage I am pushing the electricity to the max in my garage. I fear an electrical heater and my table saw and my radio and my lights all going at the same time would probably consistently blow a fuse.

 

[reynoldston]

I in your neighbor hood so I know what your weather is seeing we both get the same weather forecast. I have tried propane gas and its just too expensive. I have found that wood heat has worked out the best for me. Wood is cheap fuel and a good place to get rit of saw dust and scrap wood. Also see that we live in the same part of the state I have found out that it is illegal to heat your shop with type of fuel. The insurance company and town ordinance want nothing to do with it. I am at the same point you are right now? I am thinking of taking my chances and heating my shop with wood anyways seeing that is the way I heat my home. What dumb law its ok to hear your home with wood but not my work shop.

 

[Medevack1]

Im in NC and we do get some cold weather and ICE. I just finished building my Woodshop and one of the first things i got was a old wood stove. (poybelly) they tell me it gets HOT!!!!!:furious:

 

[reynoldston]

Seeing you are from Rochester I didn't read all the post till now. Seeing your shop isn't insulated at all its will be impossible to heat it with anything. If you do plan to heat your shop do something with the celling, if its no more then just plastic. This will keep some of the heat to a lower level to where you are working. I can well understand you not wanting to buy a chimney $$$(pre foot) or insulation $$ (per roll) because of the cost. As for my shop I have it insulated and dry walled and when I am heating with wood it gets so warm I need the outside door open to be comfortable.

 

[Medevack1]

A woodstove alone will heat up the crap out of your woodhsop. My Woodshop is 26/18 and i was told ill hvae to open the doors with that woodstove in the winnter. My Aunt had a woodstove and she used to heat up her entire HOUSE (Colonial style) in Buffalo NY

Here are some i found near you and CHEAP!!!!

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/atq/4073287420.html

http://fingerlakes.craigslist.org/for/4086137371.html

http://ithaca.craigslist.org/for/4087876956.html

http://rochester.craigslist.org/for/4113390330.html

http://rochester.craigslist.org/for/4081834636.html

 

[reynoldston]

A woodstove alone will heat up the crap out of your woodhsop. My Woodshop is 26/18 and i was told ill hvae to open the doors with that woodstove in the winnter. My Aunt had a woodstove and she used to heat up her entire HOUSE (Colonial style) in Buffalo NY

Here are some i found near you and CHEAP!!!!


http

We have the same weather as Buffalo and I have tried to heat buildings without celling's or insulation and I found that the heater can be red hot and if you walk 10 foot away its not comfortable. You will never get the floor warm. This is the reason I have found you need some kind of a celling if no more then just plastic sheets. Yes I heat my house with wood and its the best heat there is and no problem keeping the temp in my house in the high 70's to low 80's.

 

[Medevack1]

What i found out on YOUTUBE!!!!! lol Is to use some PINK insulation foam... on the inside of the shop specially the inside ceiling.

 

[Hackberry]

I have a 5000 watt hanging heater. It raised my electric bill $100 a month. What I use now is a vent less LP heater and shut it off when I work. It will stay warm for quite awhile. My shop is 24x24 garage 10' tall at the ridge. Middle of Iowa. It is insulated mostly. South wall has two over head doors with no insulation.

I was hoping to keep the shop at 40 to 50 degrees to keep condensation from rusting surfaces. Instead I use lots of wax on the saw, jointer, drill press, etc.

If you have good sun exposure there are plans for welding pop/beer cans together (top and bottom cut out) to form tubes painted black enclosed in a box. A small fan forces air in the bottom and out the top into your building. Reviews are good that is works well. I have not done this as I have no good sun exposure and with IA can deposit it will cost me about $300 just for the lost can deposit.

I have also used a dehumidifier with these heaters as you can seed the cast iron surfaces start to get covered in water after awhile.

 

[J Thomas]

My primary is a wood stove and I have a salamander heater to take the chill off till the stove gets heated up.
The clear kerosene (no fumes) is spendy but 10 gallons will do me for the winter.
I load the shed with scraps & cutoffs as well as about 3/4 cord of hard wood & I'm good to go.
Sorry bout the screwed up laws.. We get a few of these up here as well but most folk ignore em and there's zero enforcement till someone stirs the pot.
Then, if they're fortunate, they get their car plowed in for not minding their own darned business.
..Jon..

 

[Brian T.]

I live in a little mountain village at 53N. We have serious winter.
Step one is insulation. Step two is insulation. The foam sheet stuff is really easy to put in.
Step three, look at all the glues and finishes that you are likely to be using. What do they say about
minimum application temps?

I use a little 1,000/1,500 W electric heater, sits on the concrete floor, shop is about 15 x 20 basement.
It's in the cold air return system so with the door curtain drawn, can be 45 - 50F.
I can move the heater around so the room begins to warm up and I don't get cooked in the process.
As a wood carver, if I can't warm myself up, I'm not working hard enough. In any case, warmer clothing helps.
By the time the heater shows 65F, both the sweater and the heater are off!
I do all finishing and glue-ups in my downstairs kitchen (Italian-style house design) where the pellet stove sits.
The kitchen is rarely below 75F with the stove running in winter.

 

[reynoldston]

My primary is a wood stove and I have a salamander heater to take the chill off till the stove gets heated up.
The clear kerosene (no fumes) is spendy but 10 gallons will do me for the winter.
I load the shed with scraps & cutoffs as well as about 3/4 cord of hard wood & I'm good to go.
Sorry bout the screwed up laws.. We get a few of these up here as well but most folk ignore em and there's zero enforcement till someone stirs the pot.
Then, if they're fortunate, they get their car plowed in for not minding their own darned business.
..Jon..

This is all well and good, but if you have a fire or problems just what will the insurance company say. I have my shop insured.