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How Cold Does Your Shop Get ?

3K views 47 replies 30 participants last post by  HowardsMF155 
#1 ·
I went into the garage this morning with the outside temps. at 24*f and the unheated shop was still at 38*f I didn't think that was too bad . Too cold to work without heat ( at least for me lol ) Tonight it's going to 12*f so I'm sure it will be colder in there but what kind of temps are your unheated shops ? Does it take long to warm up when you try heating it ? I know once the floor gets cold it takes a long time to get warm even with the oil fired hot air furnce going , Al
 
#3 ·
Since mine has 2 sides open to the world, pretty cold!
 
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#6 ·
The shop where I do the wrenching, is concrete floor poured on bedrock. It never goes below

freezing, and in winter, barely above 10*c (50*f). There's only a small oil stove in there.

I have rubber mats everywhere on the floor. Cold concrete just drains you, and is bad

for the legs.

My other shop, where I do my painting, is well heated/insulated, so I can keep it at what

ever I want.
 
#7 ·
My shop is just a metal building, so its usually the same temp as it is outside, but I live further south than most of you, so we don't get as cold. However, any time it drops below about 50, I have a 175,000 btu diesel powered (jet engine) as my kids like to call it, that I use. If its 30 in the shop, the heater will warm it up to 60 in about 30 minutes, and my shop is 40x60. :thumbs:

Matt
 
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#8 ·
Unless it's below freezing or I'm painting, I usually work in my shop without the heater turned on. I don't mind cold nearly as much as real hot weather. When it's cold enough I have to work with gloves on because of the cold tools/metal, then I turn on the heat. Just too hard doing much with thick gloves on.
 
#10 ·
As long as we get updates of what sidetracked you!
 
#12 ·
Right now I have a small shop with aluminum siding and it is usually about 10 degrees or so warmer then it is out side in the winter and reverse in the summer. I have one of those oil radiator type heaters and I'll go out turn it on and come back in and have a cup of coffee. By the time I go back out it will be comfortable.
 
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#14 ·
I do have a basement shop that is heated but you can't get GT's in there, at least not in one piece. The garage is unheated and uninsulated so it's too cold to work in from November to April. I'm considering insulating it this summer or adding a insulated addition for working in the winter.
 
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#15 ·
The basement work benches at the house are at about 50 degrees, maybe a bit colder when temps dip below 0 f. The garage at the in-laws is uninsulated and open to the roof, with a wood stove at the back wall, it is pretty much whatever outside temps are, and this week that is going to be cold, wood stove will bump things up about 10-15 degrees in an hour or so. Don't plan to work when much below 20 f as my hands just won't take it for long. Of course when things break ya just do what ya gotta do......
 
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#16 ·
My shop is pretty much same temp as outside was the nite before. Warm sunny day, walk in and still cold from night before. Once open in warm weather, can come out later in eve and still about same as day was for awhile. Must be the insulation! Have Modine type ceiling heat, 75,000 btu and can warm up real fast if I wanted. Cement floor is always wet if cold in garage and open to nicer warmer day. It sweats a lot in spring/fall that way. With heater if starts to sweat, yet gets dried out as heat flows around if you stay out long enough. Still fairly cool at floor tho if I wana get down and low for stuff. Never put plastic down under slab, probly should have. Using foam like I have seen others do might be a good idea too. Course warm water in tubing flowing would be great, but have to keep it on all the time and expensive to build.
 
#17 ·
it normally stays in the 30's in the winter it takes a lil while to get it up to where i can work comfortably not being insulated might have something to do with it and im only using a kerosene heater right now. onec the shop is finished however ill have my lil wood stove hooked up.
 
#18 ·
My building that I built this year is all wood. Its suspended off the ground with a complete pressure treated floor. The building is 15ft wide by 10ft deep and 12 ft ceilings. It's not the biggest but does the trick. I insulated the ceiling with pink panther sheeting in between the rafters and sealed all the corners (and wherever else) with 3" thick foam insulation strips (curtesy of my buddies employer..lol). I also ran a strip across the top and bottom of both barn doors. It doesn't get too awful cold in there but when it does I use a 10lb propane tank with a 2 pod heater on top and it gets damn near 80 if I don't kick it back to low after the first hr or so. That's from 15-20 deg outside temp.
 
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#20 ·
My shop has no heat or insulation. It is 6* outside now and I bet the shop is 15*. I do not mind the cold at all. The wind we have right now is what I don't care for. It is 20-25 mph. I have new insulated doors to put in spring and then hopefully insulate the walls and roof. No heat planned, I have a wood stove but no space to put it.

Geno
 
#21 ·
I lied this morning. It was -6 outside and +6 inside the shop when I went out there. Suppose to be -18 tonight so the shop will be -2 in the morning. I'm afraid it is going to take some air pressure in the waist oil tank to get the oil to flow for a while. Dang that is going to be cold.
 
#22 ·
My shop is a 650sq.ft. uninsulated garage/concrete floor and overhead door and is usually equalized to the outdoor temp before I pull the door up. I generally don't feel the cold because I dress for it (seems I've always dressed for it plus I love the cold) including several different pairs of fingerless gloves. THEY make all the difference. If you can keep your core, feet and hands warm, the rest is up to attitude.:D

Years ago I bought an adjustable 80K btu "Mr. Heater" propane "jet engine" heater. It heats fine, 15 minutes on, 45 minutes off, but it is just too NOISY!!! It also makes everything W-E-T with condensation. I put it back in the box and went back to dressing for the occasion (but it's there if I ever need to live out there!:D). In absolutely worst conditions, like February with a 25mph wind and something that "just has to be done" I might get on the "Carhartt Tractor Cab", insulated coveralls.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
OK now that we had cold weather for a few days , I checked the garage before work 8*f outside and now 33*f inside , figure it was time to take the case of water that was in stored in there to work lol , Al
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Maybe two degree warmer than the outside world. So about 10*F this morning. That's until the heater is on. When the heater is on, it'll go to whatever I want it to be. Usually around 70 degrees Fahreinheit.
 
#26 ·
Al, like you, I'm from PA also, and experiencing the same temperatures. Only difference between you and I is, my shop is so cold, I have to keep my coffee outside, or it will freeze inside.

These past few days are just down right miserable. I leave for work at 5:45 in the mornings, and the truck just sits there asking me, "Really? You really want me to start in this weather? Why don't you just go back to bed and leave me alone."

Looks like they're calling for some snow Friday. Possible seat time, finally!
 
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