# Heater & Insulation Done!



## gi_984 (Jan 24, 2016)

Finally got the heater and insulation done in the shop.  Expensive and a pain in the butt, but it was 
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
 worth it.  No more fumes from kerosene or torpedo heaters!  Details:
     Approximately 1,100 sf.  Heater is a natural gas Reznor UDAS-45.  Separate combustion chamber so you don't burn any of the crap in the air then breath it in.  45,000 BTU.  Came with the vertical chimney kit that pre-warms the fresh air intake.
     R-13 fiberglass rolls in the walls then 5/8 drywall.  Ceiling has the 5/8 drywall with plastic sheeting for a vapor barrier.  Blew in 28 bundles of fiberglass.  The loft is not quite R-60 in the attic.  The roll-up doors are R-22 if I remember right. 
     All this is controlled by the Honeywell thermostat.  Has a fan only setting if I just want to circulate the air.  I keep it at 40 degrees all the time.  When I want to go out and work I just set the thermostat to 65.  It warms up to temp very quickly.


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## jpfabricator (Jan 24, 2016)

A comfortable shop temperature = more shop time!

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


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## mzayd3 (Jan 24, 2016)

Blown-in insulation sure makes the job quicker and more bearable! Nice work.


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## kvt (Jan 24, 2016)

Pre warm fresh air,   anything like that helps to increase cost effectiveness is a good thing.   Only thing I wander is about condensation with the change of temp.


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## gi_984 (Jan 24, 2016)

Condensation was a real problem for me when I first moved here.  The concrete is high psi with the fiber reinforcement.  But I'm not sure if there was a vapor barrier put under the concrete.  We are not the original owners.  We have a lot of moisture in the air regardless.
     After the first stage (insulation in walls, drywall) made a big difference in the temperature swings.  The new insulated doors was the next step.  Last summer was the decision point on the heater.  Did a lot of reading online, including here.  Had to get the heater installed with the gas & electric lines before I could do the final stage-the blown in insulation.  I would have had it done much sooner except the HVAC contractor I finally settled on (out of four) flaked out on me and backed out at the last minute.  This is after I already had the heater drop shipped to me and sitting on a pallet.  Luckily I found a great HVAC company in a nearby town that does excellent work.  Great guys to work with and did a first class job.  The bonus was they did it for only time and materials.  Wound up being almost 25% cheaper than the other contractor.  By the way the original contractor was one of the highest rated HVACs in the area as rated by Angie's List.
     The thermostat was recommended by the contractor because it has the fan only setting.  So it will help circulate the air and prevent condensation on the machines.  I've heard from several folks that a ceiling fan will do the same.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 26, 2016)

dang, that's a nice set up - your shop is better insulated than my rented home! one day, one day I'll be able to do the same. In the meantime, I just bought a thicker coat from the charity shop for $4 which helps me down to 20F


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## gi_984 (Jan 31, 2016)

Don't worry.  You'll get there if you want it.  When I first got into machining we were in a little house with a "two car" garage that was uninsulated and no power outlets at all.  Calling the garage a two vehicle was being generous.  We could fit the wife's Toyota Four Runner comfortably but that was it.  I could barely park my Chevy 1500 truck in there with nothing else in the garage.    Had to park outside year round.  Really sucked in the winter up here i the great white North.  With only the wife's vehicle parked there I was barely able to fit a little Burke Millerite vertical mill in the corner and a little Craftsman 12X36 lathe along the wall with a stack of Craftsman tool boxes.  Had to pull the wife's vehicle out to do any work.  And I froze my butt off out there during the winter! 
When we decided to move, a shop or a big garage to make a dedicated shop area was high on my list.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 31, 2016)

thanks man, good things come to those who wait! I just wish we didn't have to wait quite so long


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## ebgb68 (Feb 3, 2016)

Congrats it will be worth it. I did my barn last winter and I haven't recovered fully from the spending but it's nice and warm where I work now.

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## Aardvark (Feb 15, 2016)

That's an investment that will pay itself off many times.  I'm very thankful for my unit heater.  My garage is insulated, but I'd like to add insulation in the attic to similar levels as your.  Also, new weather trim on my doors will help eliminate air leakage.


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## gi_984 (Feb 16, 2016)

New seals/trim will help.  Are insulated doors  for garages common in Canada?


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## Aardvark (Feb 16, 2016)

Insulated doors would be pretty common in heated garages in Canada.  Mine are insulated.  Due to cost of heating, I don't see too many heated garages though.  For me the choice is to heat and enjoy my work space, or wait till spring.


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