How cold is too cold?
 

Ok, before anyone else says it, I'm a wuss.

That said, it was 17 frigging degrees here this morning with a high below freezing. Chilly by most standards.

My shop is poorly insulated...about R12 in the ceiling and nothing in the walls...drafty too.

I don't keep the heat on when I'm not there because it would cost a fortune.

I have three sources of heat: A vented 120,000 BTU forced air gas furnace (much of the heat goes up the vent pipe), an 60,000 BTU infrared gas heater hung from the ceiling in the lift room, and a heat pump which is really almost worthless if the ambient temperature is under 35 degrees.

This morning, I went out and turned on the infrared and gas furnace and came in for breakfast. An hour later it was up to 50 degrees in the shop but EVERYTHING I touched was still very cold. After an hour or so I gave it up and came in the house.

Of course, not HAVING to work makes the difference between staying in the shop and deciding to take a day off.

All that aside, at what temperature will you work in your shop/garage?

It's always 68 degrees and sunny at C.A.R.S.

Of course I spend about $2500.00 a year on L.P. gas :mad:

In the frozen area of south Mississippi where I live the temperature usually isn't too cold to work. I have worked in my shop even when the temperature get in the mid forties, sometimes I even have to wear a light jacket.

BTW, you get no days off when you retire.:lol::lol::lol:

I learned a long time ago that insulation was the best bag for the buck I could spend on temperature control. So about ten years ago, I insulated my small shop, then 6 years ago when I added on, I did it again. Of course I burn wood out there, but have been working without it up until the first of the month. Lowest was right at 50 deg inside, but this morning, it's was 21 deg outside and the shop was 64 before I started the fire.

But, Kerry, you're right about the cold lingering. All that concrete and steel takes a long time to warm back up. Even if I'm not working out there, there's a fire if it's cold outside. I recall pre insulation when I just couldn't take it, wrapped up in so many clothes I could hardly move. And I had the same wood burner going. But I gave up back then when the inside temp was over 100 deg's too.

I watch the forecasts and may burn all night in the winter or open it up in the summer and run fans to help control the inside temp.

You're not a wuss Kerry, I'm a wuss. That's why I live hundreds of miles south of the "Deep South" where it's fairly warm (I'm about 600 miles south of you). It was around freezing here this morning and right now it's 52°. It was 58° in the shop this morning and I had a sweat shirt on until noon. I would decline to work if it was in the 40's inside. I'd have to fire up the meager heat we have here and wait for it to warm up.

This is too cold for me. It much rather see highs in the 60's as a minimum. We get into the 20's here for the low but it's rare and it does a lot of damage.

cold
 

It got up to almost 20 degrees today. My shop is well insulated so it only took a half hour to bring it upto 65. I hate the cold and would not stay in the shop if I was`nt comfortable. And you are right about the equipment holding the cold.

My wife's Christmas present to me this year is an insulated ceiling in my shop. I've still got to get the walls insulated, but that'll have to wait until summer :)

On days like to today, it's colder in my shop than outside.

-Shane

Don't hate me but this weekend it was 86* here in San Diego. This doesn't happen very often in the winter so don't everyone pack up and move out here.

minus 3*
 

Only -3* this morning high of 13* Keep the shop at 60* over night up to 68* during the day.

Donn't like the cold up here but can't stand the heat & humidity down south.

I can work at 55-60 but I will pay what it costs to be comfortable, & stay healthy.

Ya I'm a wuss tooo!!!!!:lol::lol::lol:

The "new" half of my shop has in-floor radiant heat (hydronic). There really is no "turning the heat down" on the nights or weekends. It is much more efficient to just let it stay at a preset temp.

Once all the cars, booth, tools, etc get up to temp in the fall, the recovery time if I open the door is pretty quick. Just like Kerry's tools stay cold forever, mine stay warm! But like I said... it's not cheap.

Sad thing about living in MN is the negative temps right now and in 6 months I have the A/C on to fight the heat and humidity. Why can't it just be 65 all year round???

Yesterday was in the mid 60s here along the front range of Colorado. Today about 59. I put lots of insulation in the shop. It stays cool in the summer and comes up fast when I turn the heat on. I can gloat because it was an expensive pain in the arse that seemed to take for ever to finish. Glad I did it now but last winter as I was handling all that glass I kept thinking that maybe I should have my head examined. This morning a guy came over and gave me a bid to blow r-38 on top of the r-11 that's in the attic in the house. There is a tax credit and state and federal rebates that will pay for about half of it. I think that time is about to run out on that deal. Worth looking into. I hope to install some hot air solar panels on the south side of the barn before next winter. A couple of PV panels to power some DC muffin fans to blow hot air in during the day. Looks easy to do.

It got soooooo cold today in California that I had to put on long pants and a sweat shirt :lol:

Way too cold up here to do anything in the garage for a few months, we're running about -10 C up here tonight (not sure what that is in farenheit), and the cold weather isn't even here yet. Fortunately, my metalshaping shop is in the basement, so I can do pretty much everything but weld without going outside.

Ken

Here in upstate NY it gets pretty cold. My garage is uninsulated, and insulating is at the top of my "project" to-do lists. I have a 4000 W Infratech infrared heater (like they use in outdoor restaurants) mounted on the ceiling over my work area. Throw in a couple of 1000 W halogen work lights, two layers of thermals, and I changed the clutch in my car two years ago when it was 4 degrees. It was kind of like swimming in a very cold lake; hard getting in, but not bad once you were in:lol:.

Still gotta insulate. The problem is, when the weather is nice, who wants to work on the garage instead of in it?

Got the wood stove going... Might use three cord of wood this year...
40'ss when I go into the shop... 70 by lunch..

The 3 phase unit heater in my hangar fried a component or two last week. So far the interior temperature hasn't dropped below 50.

My previous industrial electrician retired and left the area so I need to find someone else to fix it. There is no way that I'm going to play with that 70 amp 208V service. Any suggestions for a good electrician for the Everett, WA area?

Chilly
 

Last winter I got to work and one of the doors was left open. Our in floor heat wasn't working and so we were using Herman Nelson heaters. It was -40 that morning and the shop was brutally cold. Needless to say I didn't get much done that day. It's been damn cold so far this year, I try to keep the bay doors closed as much as possible.

Insulation is the way to go. I keep 1200 sf warm for $60-70 a month with propane ceiling heater. Keep it on low 50's when I'm not working, so everything is fairly warm-bump it up to 65-68 when I go in the shop. Nothing ever rusts, either. :)

John

5-10degrees F
A couple days ago I went to the PO to ship an order to Finland.
While there, two mormons wearing just suits (said so on their id badges) and 5 monks in saffron robes and sneakers trouped in.
made me cold just looking at em.

The shop is usually at about 50 - 55 though it drops to 40-45 overnight.

I burn wood and only heat half the space.

I agree with both the insulation opinion and with keeping the temperature up. I try to keep above 50 all year long. The biggest reasons are no condensation, no rust or corrosion, no freezing!, no damage to temperature-sensitive paints, liquids, etc.

Additionally, things are comfortable to handle, parts, paint, etc. dries more quickly, etc.

Last, and probably least, since my roof insulation is modest, it provides a minor amount of assistance in helping prevent massive snow accumulations on the roof.