Welding in walk-out basement

[OSULemon]

I have an open 1100 sqft unfinished basement that I use as my workshop. One of my potential winter projects would involve welding (Locost-type build), but I did not consider the ventilation issues, since I'm a total newbie when it comes to welding. I haven't purchased a welder yet.

The area I would work in has a large double pane window (which opens) on one side, a smaller window on another, and in the middle of the long wall, a pair of double doors that both swing open. See pictures.

Combined with a ventilation fan of some kind, would this be enough to be able to MIG the pieces that I need to do? Or should I start learning TIG...

This is only one corner of the basement, too.

 

[readhead]

Some kind of exhaust is in order. I noticed duct for the house in the photos. If there are any unsealed joints in the duct the welding smoke will be pulled into the system and spread into the house. A fan to the outside with a flexible duct that you can place by where you are welding would minimize backdrafting the house.
There are really a lot of issues but that is the quick answer.

 

[rsanter]

You do not want air motion right around where you are welding but you want to move some air in the room in general. Open a couple of windows and put a fin blowing in or our of one of them but not directed at the area you are welding
Unless you are doing tons of welding you will be fine.

Be sure to have a couple of fire extinguishers and be sure there is a fire proof barrier between any areas that have flammable stuff and where you are welding

Bob

 

[OSULemon]

Some kind of exhaust is in order. I noticed duct for the house in the photos. If there are any unsealed joints in the duct the welding smoke will be pulled into the system and spread into the house. A fan to the outside with a flexible duct that you can place by where you are welding would minimize backdrafting the house.
There are really a lot of issues but that is the quick answer.

I do notice that when I spill gas or start motorcycles down there, I can smell it when I go to bed later, as it comes through the vent in my floor. It's pretty faint, but I can smell it. Maybe turn the heat/air off before I start welding, and leave it off until the room is ventilated enough?

 

[readhead]

Unless you seal off this room completely it is just like working in your living room. That is why your garage has a fire wall next to the house and you are not allowed to heat the garage with the house system and the door to the house is sealed, or should be.

 

[fredybender]

As soon as you go negative pressure (lower than the return of you ducts) in that room, you should be fine;
I have a shop in my basement, and I re-purposed a Kitchen vent / hood over my workbench to blows outside with a very short distance duct; works great ; but be shure you get enough CFM rating to go negative pressure.
HTH
Fred

 

[readhead]

Negative pressure is the problem within the building envelope. To much and you will backdraft the furnace and water heater and put CO into the building.

 

[jhn9840]

Put a fan in the window near where you are welding. Be more concerned with fire hazards than anything else.

Jhn9840
John

 

[jason74]

don't forget that home owners insurance wont cover the house in the event of a fire if a welder is found in the basement.

 

[APEowner]

I don't know about the home owner's insurance thing (you might want to check) but welding in the basement scares the **** out of me. I might do it with a TIG welder (although I doubt it) but there's no way I'd MIG or gas weld in there.

If you do decide that's the only option I strongly encourage you to keep a very clean work area isolated by welding blankets from all the other stuff that accumulates in basements. I'd also want 5/8" fire code drywall on the ceiling and a fire stop of some sort at the tops of the walls.

Everybody should be in the habit of wandering out (or in the OP's case down) to the work area an hour or so after the welding is done to make sure there's nothing smoldering.

 

[OSULemon]

Maybe it'd be best to either use the one-car attached garage to weld, or have a table that rolls outside when it's time to weld something.

 

[readhead]

I think you'r on to something. That would solve all the problems almost.

 

[PugetDude]

Outside the double doors would be best, IMO... You can keep the welding equipment inside, just run the leads out the door. Roll-out table is a good idea, too. Much better for grinding, and no way would I ever use a cutting torch inside...

For occasional welding jobs, I'd rather put up with working outside than risk the smell, smoke, and fire danger from welding underneath your couch. Maybe put up a little shade cover over the walk-up to the double doors to keep you dry and out of the sun if that's an issue.

Good luck.

 

[theknurl]

OSULemon;
>insulate, drywall and tape the ceiling.....
>rewrap your heater ducts
>put a box fan in the highest window, sucking air OUT of the basement as far from the doors as possible
>turn the fan on BEFORE starting the bike or welding

MIG or TIG outside ***** if there is the slightest breeze.....do it indoors....
O/A cutting outside is fine

like Bob said have a big fire extinguisher handy, I'll add make that a CO2 one NOT dry chemical

if you have to use the extinguisher, when the fire is out, reverse the fan to blow the CO2 out, we don't want you suffocating

 

[mike13u]

No basements where I live. But, I fail to see why he cant open those double french doors and weld away just as most of us have done in our one and two car garages (attached) since hobby MIGs where available to us. If weather is nasty, I would even lay a few beads and then get up and open the doors and let it vent out with regular fan perched in door immediately after welding then close doors again and go back to work.
I wouldn't have anything to do with MIG or TIG welding outside. The gas flow can easily be blown away by breeze

 

[readhead]

As mentioned before most garages are sealed off from the rest of the house. That is not the case here. A low CFM exhaust system would work well in this case. We use them at permanent benches and they do not effect shielding gas. I am ok with welding in this enviornment but would suggest sealing the room and duct from the rest of the house and being mindfull of the fire implications. This is not really any different than having a garage under the house.

 

[03protege]

Personally I wouldn't want all of the nasty **** that comes off during the welding process living with me in the house. Which it will find a way in being that the entire ceiling is unfinished.

If you have children or other people that live with you then you need to not go through with this.


I think your best alternative would be building a nice squared up table on wheels that you can roll right outside the doorway and do your welding and then roll it back in when your done. You can finish out the room and that would certainly make it safer but I disagree with the notion that it would then be as safe as a garage. Reason being is that garages typically have attic space above them and not the actual dwelling.

 

[readhead]

A lot of two story homes have living space above the garage. The garage is still treated the same with rated drywall adjoining all the occupied spaces and no ductwork in the garage space.

 

[yhprum]

Flux core mig welding smokes more than using shielding gas mig.

 

[mike13u]

On Miller website a guy welds an entire car body in his enclosed basement
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/Home-DIYer-TIG-welds-Lamborghini-Countach-in-basement.
Doesn't even have the double doors you have until his entire project is complete and a contractor punches through the wall.

 

[OSULemon]

On Miller website a guy welds an entire car body in his enclosed basement
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/Home-DIYer-TIG-welds-Lamborghini-Countach-in-basement.
Doesn't even have the double doors you have until his entire project is complete and a contractor punches through the wall.

Doesn't mention if he has an exhaust system.

I'm renting and I have a roommate who doesn't seem to mind my strange hobbies, but I'll still have to consider my options here.

 

[cousin eddie]

i too have my shop in my basement, and im building a 16"x30" welding table on wheels to take outside so i can weld. cant really go bigger with my table because of the door opening. my big problem is outside the door is a ramp up to the sidewalk. so, im building the table with adjustable legs so i can level it on the ramp. also have to keep weight down (for the table, its too late for me) plan to do all grinding outside also. so, does it sound like a mickey mouse setup? yes. does it **** to drag table out, level, then put away when im done? yes. but, it keeps my family and my house safe, and i can still burn metal, weather permitting.