Cold Winters - Do I need a "hot room" for Storage?

[beartoothweb]

Lots of questions to ask, and everyone has been really helpful. I searched for about 30 minutes on this question, but couldn't find an answer.

We're in Montana, and it gets cold here, sometimes 30 below in the winter time. My garage will be insulated, and I'll be heating with a wood stove (can't afford a $25/day propane bill, and wood is basically free here).

I won't have the heat on every day of the winter, but almost. The insulation will likely keep it pretty warm in the garage, just from sun radiant heat through the metal walls and black asphalt roof.

I'm concerned about paint, lubes, etc. getting too cold, and the wood stove guy recommended I build a small heated room that I just use a wall mounted bathroom heater to keep from freezing.

I thought about building a small 6x6 room and putting my compressor and other storage up there.

Does anyone else do this? If so, how big of a room? I hate to waste valuable floor space if I don't need to.

What are my options? Thanks so much!

 

[6768rogues]

If you insulate the building, radiant heat from the winter sun will not provide a great deal of relief. Paints can be sensitive to cold, especially latex paints. Lubricants will get thick, but as long as they are sealed up and not exposed to lots of moisture, they should be ok. I would be worried more about radical temperature changes, as in going from extreme cold to warm when the wood stove is burning, then back to cold. That will cause condensation that will rust your tools and equipment. Drain the air compressor or put a little drygas in the tank to keep moisture from freezing. When it is cold it might strain to start. How about a heater that is just enough to keep the building at 34 or so degrees all the time, then supplement with wood.

 

[beartoothweb]

How about a heater that is just enough to keep the building at 34 or so degrees all the time, then supplement with wood.

That's not a bad idea. I'm not sure what it'll cost to do that. Unless I'm gone, I can pretty well keep wood in there all the time, one or 2 logs will go a long time if the damper is set right.

Moisture tends to be something we want here, relative humidity is super low, in the 35% range at times. I can't remember the last time I've seen condensation on a glass (probably when we lived on the East coast.) Don't get me wrong, it's still a concern like you say, but probably less of one here than in other parts of the world.

 

[1320stang]

Get an old refrigerator and put a 100w lightbulb in it. It should keep whatever you put in it above freezing. Also, the more you have in there, the more mass to hold heat. You can even just fill old milk jugs with water.

 

[Kevin54]

Get an old refrigerator and put a 100w lightbulb in it. It should keep whatever you put in it above freezing. Also, the more you have in there, the more mass to hold heat. You can even just fill old milk jugs with water.

Ditto. You can't get any better insulated than that. Or just rig the refridgerator bulb so that it stays on.

But you won't know THAT after you shut the door, and if you open up the door to see then it WILL be on. Then you will lose sleep wondering if you rigged it right or not. After many nights of losing sleep you will have to see the doctors for expensive meds, psychiatrist, etc, and still will be wondering if that damned light is burning when the refridgerator door is shut.

 

[cj7jeep81]

Ditto. You can't get any better insulated than that. Or just rig the refridgerator bulb so that it stays on.

But you won't know THAT after you shut the door, and if you open up the door to see then it WILL be on. Then you will lose sleep wondering if you rigged it right or not. After many nights of losing sleep you will have to see the doctors for expensive meds, psychiatrist, etc, and still will be wondering if that damned light is burning when the refridgerator door is shut.

don't know what, but that struck me as really funny this morning.

i had never thought of the refrigerator idea. that would be a perfect way to store all the odds and ends of aersol cans and other tubes of stuff. and i'd bet you could pick up a non-functional fridge for free on craigslist.

 

[djjsr]

I built a 2' x 6' wood wall cabinet that I keep all of the "freezable" stuff in. Heat it with a single 50 watt halogen. I turn the bulb on whenever the garage temp gets below 40 degrees. It has worked great for about 7 years, but I'm thinking about lining it with some of that thin foil faced insulation. I'd like to get a line voltage thermostat to controll the light but haven't found one that works at that low temperature range. BTW - keep combustibles away from the bulb.

 

[PAToyota]

A somewhat "safer" option than a lightbulb would be one of the "heat rocks" they use for reptile cages. Wouldn't have to worry about it burning out and especially with solvents and paints you wouldn't have to worry about the off chance of it breaking and igniting vapors.

 

[D KRAGER]

I use my bathroom as my "hot room". All my plumbing comes up inside of there. I have one of those oil filled electric radiators on the lowest setting works great.

 

[malibu101]

I use my bathroom as my "hot room". All my plumbing comes up inside of there. I have one of those oil filled electric radiators on the lowest setting works great.

Yep
When a buddy of mine put up his garage (with plumbing) he built the "bathroom" a little bigger to house temperature-sensitive products. Because he wanted to use the bathroom during the winter without fear of the pipes freezing he heated it. He also houses the compressor in there. Keeps the shop quieter and keeps the compressor warm so if he needs to pump a tire on a 10 degree day the oil is warm.
He put a little electric heater in the wall in there. The bathroom stays (not much) above freezing all winter.
He claims the little electric it uses is invisible on his bill.

 

[beartoothweb]

He also houses the compressor in there. Keeps the shop quieter and keeps the compressor warm so if he needs to pump a tire on a 10 degree day the oil is warm.

I was talking to a buddy of mine that sells high end compressors, he said to be really careful about this, and make sure that you don't put your compressor in an area where it can't breathe a lot. A small room would need great ventilation if you put it in there, else you can risk it overheating, even in the winter. Just a thought.

 

[SteveU]

Don't worry about the compressor being in a cold area, I use synthetic oil in mine & it sets in a unheated (except when I am working on something) shop & I have ran it down to 0*F no problem. Only thing you have to watch out for is the drain at the bottom freezing up.

 

[JohnZ]

I'd like to get a line voltage thermostat to controll the light but haven't found one that works at that low temperature range.

Check these Ranco thermostats out - I just bought one to solve my setpoint differential problem. Range goes down to -30*F, and they have both 120V and 24V models, any of which can also control a line voltage circuit.

http://www.rancoetc.com/?gclid=CPDXmpiQi5MCFQ4yGgodyVlCgw

 

[Pritch]

I have a working fridge in my shop that I keep all the stuff I don't want to freeze in.

 

[z28toz06]

don't know what, but that struck me as really funny this morning.

i had never thought of the refrigerator idea. that would be a perfect way to store all the odds and ends of aersol cans and other tubes of stuff. and i'd bet you could pick up a non-functional fridge for free on craigslist.[/QUOTE]

my buddy is a welder. he keeps all his welding rods in a fridge with the light bulb on all the time. Keeps the rods dry. he just cut the ****** off the switch. of course the compressor is disconnected.

I used to keep my tools in an unheated shed. (northeast) my son left a spraycan on top of the open box. it got frozen and exploded all over my box and tools. little *******.

 

[sizzler90]

used to keep my tools in an unheated shed. (northeast) my son left a spraycan on top of the open box. it got frozen and exploded all over my box and tools. little *******.

If it was paint that would be a quick way to mark your stuff.