How hot was it in your shop today?

[Peter Elliott]

Mine was a whoping, 95 degrees.:mad:

I serious need some relief, fans are cutting it.

Shop is a 2 car attached garage, 11 foot ceilings. ceiling fans and other fans.

I am thinking of mounting a normal A/C unit (window) on a stand with a drip pan. At some point maybe something more permanent. Any done this? I saw a picture of one somewhere.

Expected same weather in Maryland for the next 3 days!

stay cool...
Peter

[Jim Becker]

I'm sure it was a little warm--I never set foot in the place!, but I keep the shades down and that helps a bit.

I did a window A/C unit for my shop and it provides some comfort. I don't know that putting one on a stand is going to fly, but hopefully someone is more familiar.

[Jay Knepper]

You'll have to exhaust the a/c outside. Otherwise, you will end up adding heat to your shop.

My solution to summer heat is a big greenhouse vent fan mounted as high as I could get it. It gets the temperature in my (metal) building close to ambient and provides a breeze. The fan cost about $500, but it makes it possible to work in the shop in summer heat.

[Matt Meiser]

Big window AC here, but it wasn't on today. Looks like the high temperature out there today was 84 degrees. When I was working outside an hour and a half ago, it certainly felt at least that warm at 9PM with the humidity.

[Larry Fox]

Window unit here. In SE PA today, not to sound cliche, but it is not the heat but it is the humidity. It is rancid out - you can actually see the air.

[Dave MacArthur]

112 degrees outside today. Afternoon sun on the west facing garage doors... probably 120 inside there... scorching.

[Floyd Harper]

insulation.
My shop was not insulated at first. I added insulation and it feels much better. I still run the AC though.
I would suggest one of the portable units. I think that you can use something similar to a dryer vent for exhaust. They are more expensive though.

[Alan Greene]

112 degrees out today. I work in a two car garage. Had an Evaporative cooler that worked quite well until the doctor told me I could not use it anymore. Picked up a Sharp portable 10.000 BTU AC unit from the Borg (display model marked down $150.00). The "shop" started out at 100 and came down to about 85. Made it tolerable for a couple of hours. I also had the doors and ceiling insulated. The portable AC unit was vented to the outside through the garage vent and seems to work well. The newer portables are supposed to be a lot more energy efficient than the window type. As Jay stated, they have to be vented.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Outside temp today 94F, inside temp 76.4F. No AC, but well insulated. When I built my shop 27 years ago I sheathed it with 1" thick styrofoam, the blue stuff. No other wall insulation. Overhead doors are insulated. Had to special order then back then. No windows, personel door is half glass (insulated) Ceiling is R-19 and R-30, two differrent sections. I'm working on installing AC to control humidity though. On cool mornings, I raise doors, and let fan pull in cool air. When temp outside is greater than inside, process stops and doors are closed.

[dan moran]

today the "shop" was my uncles roof. until about 1 pm it was pretty hot up there around 95 or so, then some clouds moved in and it cooled off and made the afternoon somewhat comfortable..

[Andrew Williams]

basement shop, 70 degrees

went for a bike ride with a friend and the temp was 98 in certain spots. the house is hot so i am sleeping in the living room. It's 86 upstairs, 78 down here.

[Don Selke]

Peter:

Do not know where you are located but it was 112 here in Chandler today. I have a window AC unit mounted in the wall of the shop that I use from 6AM to 10:30 AM when I have work to do. It is a 20,000 BTU unit. I am out of there by 11AM. When it get's to 115 to 120 I do not work in the shop at all, save the electric for cooling the house. During July thru Sept. night time temperatures are 95 to 100 for a low. But, it is a dry heat!!!!!Ha,Ha,Ha.

[Reg Mitchell]

Not sure what the temp was but it was hot. I have been thinking about the greenhouse fan for the main part of the shop though. The machine shop part has drop cealing and I will assume when the doors are put up to deviede them off I can cool it with a window unit. I will insulate the wood shop this winter and put in heat. It is a bit warm but if I close my eyes and tap my heels 3 times I can almost feel it snowing
Reg

[Pat Zabrocki]

My shop is in the basement on the end that is underground. It was 90 and very humid but about 70 in the shop. During the winter, it can be 20 below out but the shop is about 65. It works out well except for all that natural light.......not.

Pat

[Chris Kalkowski]

Alan - why can't you use the evap cooler anymore? - was going to buy one soon. AZ here too------------- DRY HEAT at 112 is HOT:)



112 degrees out today. I work in a two car garage. Had an Evaporative cooler that worked quite well until the doctor told me I could not use it anymore. Picked up a Sharp portable 10.000 BTU AC unit from the Borg (display model marked down $150.00). The "shop" started out at 100 and came down to about 85. Made it tolerable for a couple of hours. I also had the doors and ceiling insulated. The portable AC unit was vented to the outside through the garage vent and seems to work well. The newer portables are supposed to be a lot more energy efficient than the window type. As Jay stated, they have to be vented.

[Rob Will]

Mine was a whoping, 95 degrees.:mad:

I serious need some relief, fans are cutting it.

Shop is a 2 car attached garage, 11 foot ceilings. ceiling fans and other fans.

I am thinking of mounting a normal A/C unit (window) on a stand with a drip pan. At some point maybe something more permanent. Any done this? I saw a picture of one somewhere.

Expected same weather in Maryland for the next 3 days!

stay cool...
Peter

Peter,
I would turn off that ceiling fan and let the heat rise normally. As others have suggested, a high mounted exhaust fan may help.

Yes, an air conditioner must vent outside to remove indoor heat.

Depending on your attic config, you may want to consider installing a radiant barrier. I did one a couple of years ago using foil faced bubble wrap from the BORG($$:eek: ). Stapled it under the rafters while leaving room at the top and bottom for air to move (roof ventilation). Radiant barriers work best if one side of the material is free air and not touching anything. Otherwise, anything you install simply becomes a heat conductor.

Rob

[Jason Beam]

Boy am I glad I insulated this spring ... it was 101 on my outside thermometer in the shade .. in the, closed up tight for 3 days, shop the thermometer read a nice 87. That is the stale, 5pm, baked all day temperature. I've also got a window AC that would have brought that down another 5-10 degrees within an hour or so.

I sympathize with all the folks stuck in hot shops. Last year, it was backwards - 95 outside, 120 inside. I used to get up 4 hours before work just so I could get a little shop time in that day. It was horrible, and the reason i decided to take the plunge and insulate/drywall the shop this winter.

The weather hasn't been hot enough to really test it, yet. But i've seen enough to feel pretty confident that things will be great now.

[Jude Kingery]

Hey Peter,

Our shop currently registers a mild 80 degrees, but it's fairly humid outside. Better for our gardens this way, better for the shop when it's normally very dry here. We vent up through the attic with a turbine and leave the attic stairs open out there (attached garage shop) and sometimes use a fan. Mostly I turn at night after it's cooled off during the summers. Jude

[Joe Jensen]

113 outside in Phx today. 105 in the shop when I pulled the car in. I'm seriously considering the installation of a mini split heat pump. But, I need to run a larger subpanel to the garage to do it. And, I'd need to insulate the garage doors.

[Joe Jensen]

Alan - why can't you use the evap cooler anymore? - was going to buy one soon. AZ here too------------- DRY HEAT at 112 is HOT:)

Don't use an evap in the shop. Evap coolers work by blowing air with a ton of evaporated water into the air. This will swing the humidity WAY up in the shop which will do weird things to your wood. Wood doesnt' like wild humidity swings. Also, the rust free AZ we love will disappear and you will have rusty saw tops...joe

[Tony Ward]

Mine was about 6 C, with rain in the air!


Blue Mountains
Australia

[Alan Greene]

Chris,

I have several medical conditions, some involving my lungs, and take medication that puts me at a high risk for infections. The doctor feels that, in my particular case, using the evaporative cooler could cause or aggravate an infection. I would not hesitate to use one again (except medically) as it was effective and efficient except during the Monsoons. You do need plenty of airflow for it, I had the garage door open about 18 inches and that seemed to work fine. PM me if you want any more info.

[Per Swenson]

How hot was it?

It was so hot, the pores of the wood opened and

sweat grain filler.

:eek:

Per

[Nick Clayton]

92 outside 70 inside when I checked; thank heavens for tall pines.................

[Peter Elliott]

Yes, I made a big mistake not insulating the garage this past winter and I am paying for it.

I do understand the AC units need to exhaust hot air out.

Could swear I saw a "yankee" invention with a old Window Shaker AC on a rolling stand with a drip pan/hose and exhaust.

Been thinking about the portable unit for this year, maybe look for a used one.

Maybe some better fans. I am going to replace gable end power exhaust fans with the mushroom type.

Maybe a split/AC unit for next year alongside good insulation.

At 8am EST, in Maryland it's 79degrees and the shop is heating up.

Stay cool!
Peter

[Quinn McCarthy]

About 65

That is the nice part of living way up north. We get about 2 days a year that break 90 degrees.

Quinn

[Dan Hodkinson]

40F every morning, 80f in the day. Thats life in the mountains.

[Rick Gooden]

Nothing beats insulation. My shop is around 550 square feet. Up until about a month ago my walls were insulated but not my ceiling/roof (mansard roof). Decided to air conditioner and decided on 15k btu. Did some research on heat loss with my uninsulated ceiling and found that I needed 20K btu to do the job. With insulated ceiling that number dropped to 8.5K. That convinced me. So far have experienced 95+ degree days with high humidity. Working conditions in the shop are now a consistent 74 degrees with comfortable humidity.

[Jim O'Dell]

Don't know for sure, because battery is dead in the electronic thermometer, but not bad out. Just wet. Guestimate would be mid 70's in the shop. I have one of those inside/outside guages with the outdoor probe mounted up by the cyclone moter in the roof rafters. Works pretty good. Jim.

[Art Mulder]

This is the thread were those of us with a shop in the basement -- ahhh blissfully cool -- get to do a little gloating.

...art

[Grady Cowardin]

Mine is an attached 2 car garage that is drywalled but not insulated unfortunately. The west wall is brick on the outside so after work hours are very hot inside. The previous owner cut a section of drywall out above my work bench area to run some wires so I am planning on installing a attic fan there to draw cooler air in from the garage door and up into the attic which will also keep that area cooler and hopefully reduce the run time of the a/c to save some cash. I will box it in with a new piece of drywall and cover it with a louvered vent of some sort. Does anyone have any experience with this? Fan will be approx. 1500 CFM rated and fit in between two joists. The whole house fans work much better but they are 3 times as expensive. This is the fan that comes in a tube of sorts. Easy to mount. The heat pours in from that gaping hole so anything has got to help. Had it blocked off for a while and even that made a difference.

[Montgomery Scott]

It's been about 60 degrees in my two car shop this week. Very nice temp for woodworking in shorts and a t-shirt. In August it will get up to 75 and in January it will get down to 45.

[Paul Canaris]

105 degrees I imagine. But who cares, I'm at work, it's 68 degrees in here.:) :)

[Al Willits]

Yesturday was prob only mid 90's but the heat index hit at least a 100 I'm told, may not be the 112 you in AZ have, but remember we have a average temp in the 40's, plus the fact it rained off and on make it extremely uncomfortable....I hid in the basement after work, hard to finish wood while your sweating all over it..:)

Al

[Aaron Montgomery]

It was about 90 degrees yesterday with high humidity. My fully exposed basement shop was a cool and comfortable 72 degrees. :D

[Rob Diz]

I have one word for you COSTCO.

I picked up their largest window unit last year and ahve never regretted it. With the humidity in my area, if I am working on a piece of "fine furniture" (compared to ply projects) I will often run my a/c continuously so that the wood acclimates to similar conditions that it will have inside my house.

The great thing about costco is the return policy. The first A/c i purchased had a recall. I just brought it back and got a new one. No hassles at all. If I had purchased an undersized model, I could have also exchanged it without a problem.

I would also second the notion of insulation. There are a number of foil/foam/foil products that can quickly be put up on walls to add an R4-8 quickly.

[Howard Hanger]

I saw a unit a Cosco as well that was a 10,000 BTU portable unit that had a six inch exhaust hose you could vent outside. I don't have any windows in my garage (other than the overhead doors) but I think I will cut a piece out of a regular door to the outside and run the hose there. It seems to blow out a lot of cold air, something we in N. Texas will desperately need soon, that is, as soon as it quits raining.

[Rod Sheridan]

31 or 32C outside, 23C inside my basement shop in an air conditioned house.....Rod.

[Larry Conely]

My shop is in the basement so doesn't require air conditioning.

I did, however, purchase a 15,000 BTU no-drip portable air conditioner for a cottage. It has a flexible exhaust hose that feeds through a supplied window insert. I bought additional window inserts and can wheel the air conditioner around to different parts of the house. We have only used it for one weekend to date so the jury is out on long term usefulness. So far, it's great.

[Vijay Kumar]

It was 75 degrees in the shop. Natures a/c at work in this wonderful bay area of California. But it will get to about 100 degrees in about a month or so for about a week. The rest of the time it rarely goes over 85

Vijay

[Bill Wyko]

It was 108 yesterday. My workshop is 12x20 and I have a 15000btu window ac unit. Before I put insulation in it was usless. Now with it 1/2 insulated (on the sunny sides) I can keep it around 80 degrees in the hottest time of the day.

[Don Selke]

Understand your gloat this time of year Art but we in Arizona get to do that when the temperatures are -10 and below in the rest of the country. Work all winter here with the doors and windows open.:D :D

[glenn bradley]

My gable fan keeps the shop in the high 70's when it's much hotter outside. A good working temperature for the standard SoCal shop uniform; shorts and work shoes. It's those freezing winter temperatures in the 40's that give me trouble.

[Reg Mitchell]

I am toying with the idea of a drip radiator with a fan behind it for cooling. They had them at work and water drips down fins. The fan pulls air across the water as it drips and blows cool air. Would have to be in a pretty dust free area but the idea is nice
Reg

[Charles Wilson]

Easily over 100 as it is 96 F outside.

Chuck

[Don Morris]

I'm with all the guys who are smiling and saying around 70 and the a/c keeps the humidity fairly constant. Makes us happy about our basement shop decision because we are envious enough when you mention all those 20in production jointers & other large pieces of equipment I couldn't fit in a basement.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Mmmm about 70 degrees with the HVAC running.
I hooked up my two brand spanking new AprilAire dehumidifiers today too. Got a big one in the main cellar and another in the shop.

LEMEEETELLUUUU HVAC IS NICE~!!

[Rick Gibson]

Checked last night about 10p.m. it was 89 outside, 80 upstairs in the house and 68 in the basement shop without AC. Love the basement shop.

[Bill Wyko]

People ask me where I live. I say Tucson AZ, you know......30 miles from water and 3 feet from Hell.:eek:

[Bob Feeser]

First let me say that the one advantage of having a basement shop, as others have said, is that it is cool in the summer. Hauling 2x12's etc up and down the steps is not so hot, or drooling over some equipment that is too large to get down there also, like an old Powermatic lathe vintage 1960. Maybe this will lessen the heat...



"I made myself a snowball"


As perfect as could be


I thought I'd keep it as a pet


And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head
Then last night it ran away
But first---it wet the bed


YOU KNOW IT'S HOT WHEN...
Your electric bill is higher than your house payments.
You keep your refrigerator open just to feel the cool air
You cancel your Hotmail account because you didn't like the name of it
Your not even sure how hot it is because your heat thermometer only goes up to 120
Politicians begin to talk about the homeless
Politicians actually do something about the homeless


That is the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment. :)

[Joe Unni]

Don't know really. Circa 1800's textile mill - 2600 sf on the 2nd floor - 16' ceilings - all open. How humid...I just finished sanding the last of six dining chairs to 400 grit - smooth as a baby's butt. Ran my hand over a couple of the legs a while later and felt a few nibs!! :eek: So humid the grain was raised!!!

-joe

[Wayne Watling]

I'm just north of Toronto Canada in a converted 2 car garage with OSB on walls and ceiling and fully insulated, no air conditioning. It is currently 86F outside and 76F in the shop, good insulation is the key.
At mid day the outside temp climbed higher than that and the inside was only 72F, this is because in the late afternoon the sun hits the garage door which has very minimal insulation.

Wayne

[Brad Noble]

Before or after I turned on my a/c? I put in all the insulation I possibly coould when I built it and it certainly pays off now. I can heat my shop with a 5kw electric hanging heater to about 55 degrees during our Ohio winters and then I can cool it to a WONDERFUL 70 degrees today. 90 plus degrees outside and 70 inside. Almost too cold.........

Brad

[Jude Tuliszewski]

In the Tampa Bay area, outside 92 in the shop/garage 97 and very sticky:eek: . Even a fan dose little this time of year until the sun gose down. Soon as I walk out of the house the sweat starts. A/C is the only thing that would help.

[Tom Solomon]

Was a whopping 99 here in Fla today with a heat factor of 106. then the rain came and cooled everything off..

Stay Cool Guys..

[John Lucas]

72 inside; 89 out. I am too old to be uncomfortable working.

[Jim Becker]

97º F here at the house this afternoon and you could cut the air with a butter knife. I didn't venture into the shop, however...but I bet it was "warm". The upstairs probably was like a sauna...

[Steve Clardy]

My shops actually been cooler this year, with the new roof, ceiling, and lots of blo insulation. :D [Thanks Creekers :D :D ]

But today I was working in a duplex installing cabinets, with the comfort of A/C :D :D :D

[Colin Glenn]

I was thinking about this when I visited my mom in sweltering Oklahoma a few weeks ago. In half the country I'd need to stop doing something I love during the winter, and in the other half I'd need to stop in the summer. Made me appreciate the 72 and sunny I get along the coast in Southern California almost year round.

Regards,

Colin (an average but passionate cyclist, tennis player, and woodworker)

[Brad Naylor]

Well here in NW England it hasn't got above 65 degrees for a month and it hasn't stopped raining for a week. Summer is cancelled.

Global warming?

Yeah right!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I can be a little anal at times. When I built my shop, I insulated the walls to R-19 and the ceiling to R-40. Well here in north Idaho we typically have a 3-4 week period in late July and early August where the temps will get over 110 F. I've even seen 120 F here. I was dramatically surprised that the insulation made about an 18 degee difference between inside temperature and outside temperature. I can work in 80 degree temps better than 98 degrees temps!

[Art Mulder]

Well here in NW England it hasn't got above 65 degrees for a month and it hasn't stopped raining for a week. Summer is cancelled.

Global warming?

Yeah right!

Brad, one of the points I've read is that Global Warming will likely result in England, and parts of Europe, getting colder, not warmer. The problem is that an ocean current brings warm water (which warms the air) up from the south and against your coastlines. With Global warming, this current may falter, which will be bad news for old Blighty.

[Bill Wyko]

Just thought I'd let you know that 4th of july is supposed to be 113 degrees here in the Ol' Pueblo, Tucson AZ.:(

[Brad Naylor]

Brad, one of the points I've read is that Global Warming will likely result in England, and parts of Europe, getting colder, not warmer. The problem is that an ocean current brings warm water (which warms the air) up from the south and against your coastlines. With Global warming, this current may falter, which will be bad news for old Blighty.

Thanks for making my day, Art!

Seriously though, you are right about the theory that the Gulf Stream may get turned off by melting Arctic ice.

The theory goes on to suggest that our climate will get colder in the winter and hotter and drier in the summer.

Like, er...

Canada!

Cheers
Brad

[Ron Crusee]

Doors/windows open including roll-up garage door. 5 fans going. Comfortable 98F.