heating a shop

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

I have a small wooden barn I am going to use as a shop. Its old it has cracks and holes in the wood and a tin roof. I am patching up some of the bigger holes. I was wondering what is the way to heat it for the cheapest. It doesn't have to alot just enough to get it up to 50 or 60. Any help is appreciated

JayinNY · Jan 28, 2014

Woodstove with a double wall chimney, just be careful with it.

paul · Jan 28, 2014

It is minus 2 outside, so a building with holes in it would take quite a bit to heat up 'here'.

What kind of heating load do you need?

I would look at a infrared type that radiates heat onto objects, so it can warm you or what you are working on up. As opposed to n air heater, that will warm the air that will leak out of the building.

But either way, more patching, a d adding insulation will do a much better return to cost than just getting a bigger heater.

Propane, diesel, kerosene, electric all seem to have a pretty good price and seem to want to go up, not down. And you need to buy over and over.

Wind proofing and insulation you only have to pay for once.

Paul

evilboweivel · Jan 28, 2014

git a roll of visclean and hang it from the rafters, drape it along the walls will stop the wind and make a big difference.
used a two barrel wood stove way back in a 16 x 36 two story barn.
would warm it up pretty good. espically as the upstairs was a wood shop, got down right comfortable up there. downstairs was fair would hang a box fan behind the stove to blow across it if working downstairs.
Good luck

Anonymous-0 · Jan 28, 2014

Any chance of insulating it? An uninsulated building is just not a nice place to be.

Glenn F.

Adirondack case guy · Jan 28, 2014

Not enough info.
What size is it. Does it have a ceiling? Is there any insulation in it. Do you live in Florida, or MN ?
Loren, the Acg.

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

I'm still working on it and patching it up. It has no heat right and is all wood I'll look into getting insulation. Cause last couple days it been below zero here. So haven't got much work done on it. I'm kinda liking wood heating but might use a torpedo for now. I have to be careful what kind I get because its all wood

gene bender · Jan 28, 2014

You can use foam sheets on the inside that will take care of the holes if you dont want to fix siding then fiberglass bats and cover with plywood then you will have a nice interior. You cant heat a building with holes in the siding.

Royse · Jan 28, 2014

Where are you located?
Couldn't heat a building like that around here lately.
Insulation would be a must. Spray foam may be easiest.
It would also help seal out wind. Just watch what type.
Some of it is quite flammable, as is an old wood barn.

There are some plans floating around for a simple underground
heat exchanger that will keep a building at around 50F.
But you have to bury the tubing at least 4 ft underground.
That wouldn't be easy this time of year either.

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

I might get some foam insulation. It has a loft for half the top but no ceiling the end of the loft has a beam that rotted through from the cover not being on roof it was half a pig barn they wood fill the loft with corn and under the loft they wood keep pigs the other half was just storage with a sliding door at each end. At the one pig door the beams have rotted away at the bottom. I would replace the be as but don't have the money. I think the barn is 20x15

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

I live in north central ohio

showcrop · Jan 28, 2014

My shop here in NH is 40x50x17, and I keep it usually at 40 degrees and bump it up to fifty when I go in. It costs me about $400.00 per year and I don't haul wood. How would that work for you?

Royse · Jan 28, 2014

Anything you can do to stop the wind will help.
Wrap it in Tyvek for example. Spray foam is expensive stuff.
I'm not a big fan of the styrofoam board, but its better than nothing.
Blown insulation is pretty cheap if you can keep it in the walls.
Maybe Tyvek the interior, then plywood the inside of the walls
and blow it in between the two.
I have a metal pole barn with no insulation. It's COLD in there!
But at least you're out of the wind.
I lit my torpedo heater out there the other day, couldn't really
tell it was on without any insulation.

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

That sounds good hauling wood is not a problem. It doesn't
have to be real warm just enough to take the chill off and i
don't have to bundle up in it.

Alan K · Jan 28, 2014

Just to add to all the replies, if the building is to be insured, make sure the chimney and stove pass insurance inspection so you dont lose out if something does happen.

Nick167 · Jan 28, 2014

Its not insured nor will it be

casenut1 · Jan 28, 2014

Depending on where you are at in north central Ohio i might be willing to look at it . Can't do much in this cold weather.

MarkB_MI · Jan 29, 2014

It kind of depends where you are and how much you're willing to spend. It's pretty difficult to heat up a building that's not insulated, and insulation gets expensive quick. If you want to go really cheap, close off part of the barn with plastic sheeting and just heat that portion.

Bret4207 · Jan 29, 2014

Just going with sheet plastic covering the walls and forming a ceiling makes a difference. Stopping the wind is the big thing. If you really want to heat it you'll need real insulation of some sort.

Nick167 · Jan 29, 2014

Thanks for all the replies I'll do some more work on it this weekend supposed to up in the 50's.

NNP · Jan 29, 2014

Exterior side at least the prevailing wind side.
depending on you and where you live...wind..neighbors, etc...
side it with whatever you have.
I like big torpedo heaters.
You can aim them to 'fool' yourself into being warm.
And you can turn them off when doing fire hazard stuff.

With that said, sometimes you have to give it up.
I haven't been in my shop in a couple days.
Tomorrow, it's supposed to get into the 20's, so
I'll get back out there.

Nick167 · Jan 29, 2014

Thanks I think a torpedo is what I'll use now. I'll get out this
weekend its supposed to be 50's and 60's

Ken Macfarlane · Jan 29, 2014

If working in just one area of building a radiant propane heater is nice and cheaper to run than a torpedo on propane. Terrible choice if you aren't standing in front of it though.

Nick167 · Jan 29, 2014

It would be nice to heat the whole building but for the rest of this winter I could block part of it off. I look at a propane.

heating a shop

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads