28x30 New Shop! What heat?

[Leeboy20]

Hi everybody.... My names Lee. Just happen to find this by googling. Some good reading here.....We are building a new 28x30 stick building 10 foot high ceiling, 2x6 studs. R-20 in the walls and blown in insulation in the ceiling. We are pouring the 5 inch slab next week, so i was looking for ideas on how to heat it. From December to march, we can go down to -30 celcius in Kamloops B.C. If i was to run a gas line, it would be about a 100 feet run.....I have 220v power out there.....But im lost . It will be for working on my race cars in the winter.Few evenings a week...weekends etc.... (and beer drinkin and watchin hockey games away form the family...) So, any ideas would be great, since i have to make a decision very soon. Please let me know what i could do? Thanks alot, and great forum.... Lee

 

[tdkkart]

If you haven't done the floor yet my vote is for raidant in the slab, especially since you mentioned working on race cars which can end up being alot of time on the floor.

If you're tempted to go this way, do a search for radiant in this forum, you'll find a ton of info.

 

[krooser]

Floor radiant powered by a water heater would work great... 2nd choice would a gas fired radiant tube heater.

 

[Thomarann]

Hey neighbour! What car do you drive?

Living in northern Alberta, I put in a gas-fired boiler for in-floor heat. Works great - some details are in the link from my sig.

Marc

 

[Leeboy20]

Thanks gang, i havent done the floor yet.....Well, i am at the point where i just packed it down on thursday. We will use 4 1/2 to 5 inch slab. On one side i would like a two post hoist. So, this radiant floor heating, would it heat the whole shop all around? Do i need a gas line running out? How much is it to buy the supplies..My buddy ran baseboard heaters in his insulated 24x24 shop, and he said its $300 a month extra on hydro in the winter. ..I cant afford that....If something is efficient, i dont mind spending a little more for start up......."IM GOING CRAZY" tryin to decide...Please keep the ideas comming.....I have 3 stock cars, but Novas are my fav...heres the one i drove this year....

 

[tfi racing]

I would run the gas line,whether you go floor heat(the best for a garage IMHO)but pricey or overhead heater.That electric bill is a killer when it hits minus 20,not such a worry out here on the island.We were likely at Vernon at the same time last year,I usually steal a couple of Matt Stephenson's crew for spotters!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Man do I love my wood burner. Seems nobody on here likes to burn wood?

 

[D.J.]

Hope you have checked and read your insurance policy as some insurance companies frown on wood burners in the garage. Unless you are talking about the remote variety that set out in the yard and are boiler types that heat the water and then run it across a coil like a lot of A/C systems. Just a thought here. Wouldn't want you to have a unfortunate event and find out you wern't covered by insurance company. Lots of good photos and info. D.J.
________
Avandia help

 

[Thomarann]

The infloor will heat the whole shop evenly.

If you are thinking of it, you could always lay some pex in the floor to be hooked to boiler down the road. If you are thinking of a lift, plan on at least 8" where the lift goes and avoid putting the pex lines there.

Marc

 

[kenfath]

Don't forget the under the floor insulation.

 

[Leeboy20]

Well, me and my framer/builder decided against the infloor radiant heat......( he talked me out of it). What about an exterior wood furnace? I heard they are good. I am going to get a quote on running a gas line out there now...What do ya think?

 

[judgethis]

Like Marc said at least lay the pex tubing in the concrete for future use. I ran the pex and just routed it around were the lift was to be bolted down. I got the demensions and plotted it out before the concrete was poured. I took pictures and measurements and after the concrete was poured I knew where the lift was to go.
At five inches you will be good with a lift. Bendpak(the brand I went with) recommened 4 to 4.5 inches with 3500psi concrete. Mine is 5 inches. I talked to a local lift installer and they said the same thing.
I was going to use gas as a source of heat but didnt like the idea if Im using tourches out there. Im going to use electric for the source of heat for the radiant heat. It may cost a little bit more but then Ill just work a couple of hours overtime or some side work to pay for it.
I also put a 2 ton wall unit that does heat and A/C just to heat up the inside quick or cool off in the summer.

 

[skinanbones]

if you want to do a woodstove in a garage the canadian code currently is that the stove has to be protected from being struck by anything moving i.e. steel bars laged to the floor and about 36" tall. The second thing differant is that they have to be 18" off the floor so they don't ignight any fumes. The rest of the codes are the same as if it was going in your house.
Another option would a wood pellet stove, very even heat, small clearances and potential for large btu in a small stove

 

[Leeboy20]

Has anyone ever done an exterior woodstove? How much are they to get set up? (stove, parts..etc...) Or maybe that is a bad idea all around... Lee

 

[djd99]

Floor radiant powered by a water heater would work great... 2nd choice would a gas fired radiant tube heater.

Would you need some kind of pump to circulate the water through the water heater and lines? How does that work? Or do you use some type of antifreeze in the system?

 

[djd99]

Northerntool has their heaters on sale currently. I would choose Mr heater for a heat source if it were I looking. If a gas line Is out of your budget some members hook up 2 40 gallon propane tanks and just refill them as needed. You can get these in natural gas or propane.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200307961_200307961