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I am building a detached garage in SE Wisconsin. Needless to say, its a gettin bit nipply out there. I want to get the wrap on and install the windows and doors this weekend. After that Trim (stained cedar) and Siding (vinyl) remains.
I am looking for advice on temporary heaters so I can pre stain the wood and cut the vinyl in the warmth.
Any advice or experiences you can share?
(I guess this q could be here or in Energy and Heating)
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Replies
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Portable forced air heaters...commonly known as "salamanders" are excellent for temporary construction heat. couple them with a thermostat and you can set the temp and go to work. I have three 155,000 btu heaters with thermostats that I rotate from job to job while we sometimes wait for permanent heat.
Good luck,
John
*I also rotate 3 heaters among jobs in the winter. I have a 200 BTU, a 165, and a small 65. The only drawback besides the fumes for long term exposure is the humidity. These things sweat every window, not condusive to fast paint drying(or finishing window trims)
*The salamanders are great but the problem is the fumes. If you have access to power put in a 240 volt 30 amp outlet and pick up what we call a construction heater. It's 4500 watts and it pumps out about 16000 B.T.U. I know it sounds small but these things are great. A buddy of mine is building a boat in his garage and needs to keep the garage at about 70 degrees to allow for the fibreglass to cure properly. If you want a more permanent solution try a tube heater. Basically a Long tube with a reflector to direct it into the room they install at top of the wall and run on natural gas or propane. They vent right outside.
*I was wondering the same thing for my 2 car garage. What are your opinions on:1- Kerosene heater? $110. I saw on the shelves of HD a 'no fumes odor' kerosene type fuel. Is the CO2 output from this type of heater too unsafe for a garage?2- Propane heater, about $90. CO2?Thanks!
*I bought a smaller propane salamander-type heater today. 35k btu. I will post my results/opinion Sat. eve. Thanks to those who responded.
*Be VERY careful with any of these. I had a good friend die from CO last year. He had 2 of these going overnight in a building. He walked into the building in the morning and died of CO poisoning in less than 5 minutes while checking the site.
*Thanks for the warning and I am sorry for your loss. No plans to run it through the night, nor when the "envelope" is fully sealed. Here's a question I just researched: CO is lighter than "Air". My garage design has clerestory windows. I will be sure to leave a window or two open while I am inside and the heater is running.
*Be sure your area is loose enough to replace the air going out the clerestory. Even though CO by itself is lighter than air you are dealing with a gas mixture, CO and other combustion products plus ambient air and concentrations will tend to equalize throughout the space.Jim N.
*Jim's right about distribution of gas mixtures. Obviously electric is safest because of CO reasons. It also reduces humidity instead of increasing it.Indirect heaters that have a heat exchanger (like a house's forced air furnace) are much safer than unvented burners. Either an exhaust vent is run outside or the whole unit sits outside and ambient, heated air is run in through a duct. They also avoid the humidity problem.Next best would be a catalytic propane unit. They have the most complete combustion but tend to be small (9,000 to 30,000 BTU/hour). They can be found in camping supply stores, hardware stores, and even at K-mart.Of the unvented burners, I'd lean towards propane over kerosene as it is cleaner burners. But I'd only use it with the windows cracked and some kind of monitoring. Most importantly, a CO detector. I'd also run my O2/organic vapor monitor because I have one, but CO is the big worry. Actually, I wouldn't and haven't used unvented burners. It is just too dangerous (and smelly), IMHO. And so easy to rent something safer or just buy some electric radiant heaters from the home center. Remember, you are just trying to take the chill off, not get the place up to 72F. You are going to working, after all. -David
*David's correct about the favorable level of safety with electric heat sources. Combustion and air quality become the issue with the other types. I've been on jobsites where crews have used an electric furnace, probably something that they salvaged off a job during demolition. On a more practical note, I've always used the small ceramic disc heaters- for reasons of economy and safety. This is the only heater I can confidently turn on and leave unattended.
*Most interesting rig I've seen is a small (60K BTU I think) Lenox pulse furnace which had been converted to a fine dust collector/heater by adding an auxillary cage blower and two additional large area filters. Burned propane and they and air/exhaust pipes through a piece of hardboard cut to fit a window opening. They said they got the used furnace from a pro installer really cheap, but they had to wait a couple of months to get one. But I've seen folks with a couple of heat-lamps and an oil-filled electric heater bring an awefully large space into the comfort zone.
*No doubt, the use of a converted, small whole house unit is the best option for a travelling work crew. I bet this thread will encourage some crews to start down that path this winter or next. On a recent TOH episode I saw they used a later model boiler with QD's on the water connections. A separate air handler that would go in the area that needed heating. Cleverly thought out, the pex tubes and air handler had qd's that retained the water, too; thereby removeing the need to bleed. All of the components were easily moved with a two-wheel hand cart (or better yet, a fridge dolly).I admire the forward thinking that Phill mentioned: using the air circ. part of a system as (add'l) dust collection. It is going to do it anyway (act as a dust collector), might as well plan on it and use a good filter.Since I am (was) looking for a temporary source of heat as I finish this personal project, that sort of investment is impractical. I knew I would most likely end up with a "salamander", I just thought I'd tap y'alls vast knowledge prior to pulling out my wallet. Perhaps there was something new out there or one brand would be held up as "the" unit to have. I admire and respect the collective expertise present at Taunton and on this site. I realize that there are the occasional fits of lunacy and mis-information, but for the most part, this is a good source of sound information and logical discourse.
*Jim, Just saw that episode of TOH. That was an excellent idea about purchasing a damaged air handler. Made me think about getting hold of damaged propane furnace and hooking it up to a 100 lb bottle using it in the garage with the ability to take it to the job when necessary.Scott R.
*I used a kerosene salamander last year and was surprised it didn't smell as bad as I thought it would. I just bought a Coleman 30-80K BTU propane heater and it's giving me a headache right off the bat.The Wood Doc
*I live in western CO. A colleague of mine in the plumbing industry rigged up an cheap boiler on a small trailer. He then pulls it to the job site and connects it to the radant tube when they are going to pour concrete. Extends the temp. window they can pour in out here.David Thomas, you impress me with your vast and ACCURATE knowledge. I can always count on you to give good advice. Don't always agree with it but it is always good. I appreciate that in you.
*I can't really handle the salamanders. Get headaches, and if it's a smaller area, like a garage, even dizzy.Gave mine away. Only thing it was good for was thawing out frozen stuff.MD
*Jimbo....buddy...I liked this...i I realize that there are the occasional fits of lunacy and mis-information...near the eddie in the stream,.
*I just call 'em like I see 'em. However, the rest of that sentence IS integral to the context: . . .but for the most part, this is a good source of sound information and logical discourse. I guess I could have also said: . . .and great for a laugh now and then
*What we are talking about has been a problem with tapers and painters for years .A heat that takes moisture away is needed for those jobs that require them to complete fast.