Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 05, 2000 06:42am | #1

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   Have you poured the slab yet? I'd argue for radiant FLOOR heat. That's what I did in my garage it's great, especially in snow country. With the heat coming up from the floor, there will be very uniform air temperatures, the car will thaw very quickly, the melt water will evaporate very quickly, and the large, warm surface area will allow a quick recover after opening the gargae door to -20F outside air.

   If you can't go that route, then forced air does get into the shadows a little better, but radiant lets your body be comfortable a lower (cheaper) thermostat setting. Also comes on quick if you keep it at 50F until you go out to work in the garage. Hot water baseboards are another retrofit possibility - no duct work to run, just 3/4 pipe around the perimeter. -David

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   Guest_ | Aug 06, 2000 02:10am | #2

   *GordonJust remember that heat rises. With radiant ceiling heat, the upper part of your body will be warm, but your lower body will stay cold in the winter time. It depends on what part of the country you live in.In areas of the country where you have a lot of days at or below freezing during the winter, I'd opt for radiant floor heat (make sure that your slab is thick enough to handle the weight of your vehicles). In mild winter areas, the cost does not justify the expense. Best all around is forced air. Just remember that woodworking creates a lot of sawdust. Don't hook up to your main unit in the house since you will need to have a return duct from the workshop to the main unit (this can pull in not only sawdust, but chemical odors, etc. and spread it thruout the house.)Check with your local HVAC conctractor and see if they have any older units that they have removed while doing upgrades. It can sit in the corner of the garage and only be used when necessary.Vince

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   Guest_ | Aug 06, 2000 06:19am | #3

   *Radianti hydronicheat in a garage floor? Or did you mean electric? Isn't it much more likely than inside a residence that you'll have a combination of subfreezing temperatures, an open garage door by mistake and a thermostat off by mistake? Or do I worry too much?Jeff

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   Guest_ | Aug 07, 2000 07:25am | #4

   *Jeff: Yes, hydronic heat, water in my case (gylcol for the exterior radiant sidewalk), but you could use gylcol inside if you're worried. It takes a long time for 50,000 pounds of concrete to cool down - more than 4 days to drop 15 F in the case of my house when it is -25F outside. Probably a week or two to get below freezing. I see your point and, during a project in the summer, I sometimes forget to close the garage door at night. Hard to imagine not closing it as quickly as possible in the winter, though. Definitely heat water with natural gas - for me, it's 1/6 the price of electric heat. -David

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   Guest_ | Aug 08, 2000 01:40am | #5

   *We have a wood heater which burns sawdust, wood scraps, plywood, etc., everything but MDF. Being in CA, we only use it in winter. Can't beat the price.

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   Guest_ | Aug 08, 2000 05:16am | #6

   *I had already poured my slab, otherwise I think looking back I would have tried hydronic heating in my floor. I've read about guys who after pouring the slab, retrofitted hydronic heating by installing the tubing on top of the slab, installing wood sleepers on the slab, and then nailing a wood floor on top of the sleepers. They claim it works well. I installed a forced air gas furnace system instead. I reasoned that it would be cheaper than a retrofit system. It was, and this forced air system has performed very well to date.The furnace I installed is a 90% efficiency; requiring no chimney, just a 3 inch PVC pipe extending through the sidewall. If you garage is being used as a woodshop, I would recommend that you do as I did and purchase a gas furnace that contains a seperate, enclosed combustion chamber that does not rely on inside air for combustion. Sawdust can be explosive, so why take the chance. My furnace has a seperate air intake which again is a 3" PVC pipe that brings fresh outside air into the combustion chamber. The only ductwork on my furnace is a large vertical plenum, with several heat registers cut into it. When the blower kicks on, there is plenty of heat. The furnace is 50,000 BTU and is located in one corner of my shop, which is 864 square feet. I leave the thermostat set at 50 degrees when not in use and "hike it up" to around 70 degrees when I'm out there working. This set-up cost me around $1200.Keep in mind that a 90% furnace releases condensate; which must be routed to a drain or else pumped to a holding tank ( such as a 55 gallon plastic garbage can) and be disposed of later. This condensate is mildly acidic water. On average, I will collect about 1-1/2 gallons of condensate daily. Davo.

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   Guest_ | Aug 09, 2000 02:24am | #8

   *Make my vote for Forced Air with Air Filtration. For a Garage/Workshop it can't be beat. It heats the air and filters out all the dust and stuff that interferes with your lungs and decent finishes.Any other heat you need to install a separate air filtration system.Of course, you will need a bagging system on your tools. But a lot of stuff still gets in the air with them.

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   gordon_thomas | Aug 09, 2000 02:24am | #7

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   I a trying to decide between radiant overhaed heating or forced air for my garageworkshop. I have been told that radiant heat is rather like being in the sunshine - you are warm, and in the shade - you are cool. Is this true?
   Any comments will be appreciated.