Wow, I did not think I would need a heater for my garage in the Florida panhandle. I am thinking one of the hanging ones with some kind of thermostat, but what is the "hot" setup? I am going to insulate the 18' garage door in case anyone has input on that. My garage is on about 400 sq. ft. with two windows, I have one of the little LG portable AC to install and hope it will cool next summer. Thanks for any information. jr
Is the ceiling insulated?
I used this r max stuff from lowes for insulating my garage door. The door faces west so it gets STUPID hot in the afternoons. This insulation worked amazing. as for heat, i dont really need it, but our dryer vent leads into the garage and we hang the hose outside to let the heat out. If its cold sometimes i run some laundry and leave the nice hot humid air in the garage to warm it up.
this stuff was pretty affordable and cuts with a razor blade, so with a straight edge and good blade, it goes up fast. I just tucked it into the door pockets and it hasnt moved. It is not adhered or fastened in place at all but i havent had it fall out even 1 time.
the attic above the garage will be insulated soon, i just finished 80' of double row LED lighting, maybe too much just don't look up.
I used a quartz element radiant heater for a while. 4 foot long and 240 volt. It worked well for keeping a small area decent, but not enough for winter here. It would be great in Florida.
Insulating the walls/ceiling is huge. I did the same thing as TJL on the garage door with great results. I still need to do something better on the side of the door edging as I have leakage there.
In terms of active heating I need to step up one of the smaller ventless propane/natural gas units. I've been limping along on a 2X3 electric hot oil heater for years which make the space tolerable if you start it 1.5hrs ahead of time. Given this is all in sub 20F Ohio weather.
I have an attached garage with a concrete slab roof. The roof is a poured slap on top of structural beams. Looking for some recommendations to insulate the roof and walls as it's very cold in winter. My main concern is promoting mold behind the insulation. The slab is painted and doesn't leak, and the walls are dry.
What's the best way to seal the side of the garage doors? Mine have old-school rails with a nice 1"+gap..
I live in Kansas where it's both miserably hot and humid and freezing ass cold - sometimes on the same day!
I have a 500 sq ft garage with leaky doors that's under the bedrooms (1960's split level house) My solution was a big ol window A/C unit that also has a heat strip in it. (That little 5K BTU A/C you bought won't do squat in Fla heat, just FYI) My A/C is 25K BTU and does a fantastic job of not only cooling the space but getting rid of the humidity too - on really cold days the heat strip takes about an hour to get the garage/shop from 40* to 55 or 60 where it's comfortable to work, but it's so worth it!
I think this setup is exactly what you need for your garage - you have the added advantage of garage doors that seal and are insulated too - but getting rid of the heat and humidity will be the main use.
I bought mine on Amazon for about $600 shipped and had to run a 240V circuit, which you would have to do for any decent sized heater too. The 110V heaters are about as much use as running a hair dryer to warm up the garage - remember, you're not just warming up the air, you're warming up everything that's in there and already giving off cold. Same thing in summer, everything in there is hot as hell, that's why a 5K BTU A/C won't do it unless you let it run 24/7 and never open the garage door.....even then I doubt it will get it comfortable.
Buy once, cry once.
Oh, and in summer my A/C adds about $20 a month to the bill if I use it a lot - well worth it. In winter it makes little difference as I don't run it that much ( advantage of being under the bedrooms, insulation on three sides of the shop) and we aren't running the A/C so our electric bill is low anyway.
I am in british columbia and I have insulated coveralls and an uninsulated shop. Its fine after the first few minutes.
When did The come back here??
Also watching this thread for learning.
This is a common topic on Garage Journal and the Middle Class Garages FB groups. I am almost pulling the trigger on a 7500W-10kW electric for my mid atlantic insulated, but still too cold, garage for 528sq ft. I think you could get away with some less in FloRida.
When did The come back here??
A couple of months ago I started sneaking a peak and I need to come up with a new automotive project, but first need to finish off the new double downsized workspace. The last project, M3 carbon roof track car came out well, sadly medical issues forced it's sale before I was able to test it. What to attempt next? I have no clue, baja bug, another E30 or some type of show car IDK, Just taking my time with this garage so far, 80' of double row Led lights (Overkill), 2 gallons of Kilz, 4, 3' power strips, 5000-Watt Ceiling Mount Shop Heater (Overkill), the little AC I have was left over from another project if it does not cool I may go to a split system.
At 62 slow and steady wins the race, good to be back on, GRM was always great for questions and support.
I just did this in my little single car detached garage, I insulated the cheap garage door like TJL and a ceiling hung 5 kW electric heater with a built in thermostat. It's rated for 500 sq-ft and I've got about 200 sq-ft so it warms up quickly (I only heat when I'm out there). The electric heat is dry and the fan isn't loud, I'm pretty happy out there now that the snow is flying up here.
The: I remember the M3 project. It did look really great. I knew that you sold it for medical reasons and am happy to hear that you're getting out in the garage again.
WonkoTheSane said:What's the best way to seal the side of the garage doors? Mine have old-school rails with a nice 1"+gap..
There are several flavors of off-the-shelf garage door weatherstripping.
glyn ellis said:I have an attached garage with a concrete slab roof. The roof is a poured slap on top of structural beams. Looking for some recommendations to insulate the roof and walls as it's very cold in winter. My main concern is promoting mold behind the insulation. The slab is painted and doesn't leak, and the walls are dry.
Spray foam insulation is by far your best solution
In reply to SV reX :
Thanks!
I knew about those, but good to know that's kinda the best available.
Cheers!
In reply to SV reX :
Is this a DIY job, or would I need a contractor?
In reply to glyn ellis :
Pretty straight forward for a DIYer
I am looking for some "cheap" windows I can install in my tin garage door, or something I can fab up plexi something or the other. I have 8 panels across, I have checked out shed windows, RV windows and replacement panels. Help me Santa.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Having vented dryer to heat a prior shop myself, I learned that tools and bare metal would rust as a result of the humidity....so stick to no-drying run time if you think this might apply to you.
I also gutted an old dryer, plus hvac air handler fan....nice portable heater, about 4400W or 15,000 BTU/hr.
I'll post a pic later....
In reply to The :
Mini-split heat pumps are cheap, efficient, easy to install...in the big picture.
A friend got a used motel thru-the-wall 1.5 ton ((18,000 BTU) for $150. 220V@20A supply. You need to mount thru an outside wall.
In reply to SV reX :
I have sprayed foam in my attic....fantastic.
Walls are ICF....VERY air tight and R-49.
This is a free-standing, purpose-built shop. Climate control was a high priority...
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