Winter Workshop in Michigan

[Chip Byrd]

I have a shop question. I am a noob to woodworking and began building my shop this past spring. My shop is in one of our two-car garage stalls. It is the one closest to the house and it stays a bit warmer than the other. However, I am in Michigan and it gets cold. I would like to share my general plan and then ask a question and invite helpful criticism.

I am insulating the walls and putting in a space heater that should allow me to keep the temperature around 45-50 degrees. Michigan has low humidity in the winter so that shouldn’t be a problem. If I notice too much humidity or condensation I will throw my dehumidifier in there. Although I will generally store my wood in the garage, but before beginning a project for the house, I will bring the wood inside for a week or so to acclimate.

How does this sound so far?

Also, what are my limitations for finishing in the winter months?

Thanks for the help,
Chip

[Duane Meadows]

1. Insulate the ceiling also... heat goes up! My shop had no ceiling insulation when I bought this house. I blew in cellulose and it made a HUGE difference.. rarely gets above 80 degree in summer, takes minimal heat to hold 40+ degrees when not in use, and takes only a short time to be comfortable to work in. I am in north central Ohio.
2. The dehumidifier won't work well in 45-50 degrees. It will likely cycle on and off with the de-icing switch. Will still remove some moisture that way. But not very good for the system.
3. Finishing will be somewhat problematic. Read the recommendations on your particular finish!

[Jason White]

Make sure you insulate the floor!!

Also, I used a pellet stove when I lived near Boston and it worked great. The only part of my body that was ever cold was my feet because I never bothered to insulated the cold, concrete floor.

I have a shop question. I am a noob to woodworking and began building my shop this past spring. My shop is in one of our two-car garage stalls. It is the one closest to the house and it stays a bit warmer than the other. However, I am in Michigan and it gets cold. I would like to share my general plan and then ask a question and invite helpful criticism.

I am insulating the walls and putting in a space heater that should allow me to keep the temperature around 45-50 degrees. Michigan has low humidity in the winter so that shouldn’t be a problem. If I notice too much humidity or condensation I will throw my dehumidifier in there. Although I will generally store my wood in the garage, but before beginning a project for the house, I will bring the wood inside for a week or so to acclimate.

How does this sound so far?

Also, what are my limitations for finishing in the winter months?

Thanks for the help,
Chip

[Jamie Buxton]

While you're insulating, look at the air leakage around the garage door. Big gaps just let the heat out. The top is usually a problem.

[David G Baker]

I keep my pole barn at around 50 degrees in the Winter and turn the heat up when I work out in it. All of the metal items. wrenches, etc actually hurt my hands when I use them. Insulate the ceiling and the floor. The floor may also be a major source of moisture if you have moisture in the air and heat the area. This does not happen in my out buildings but my attached garage will have water puddles on the floor once in a while.

[Derek Stockley]

I live around Toronto, and in addition to finishing, you need to think about what the cold will do to your glues.

Aside from avoiding freeze and thaw cycles on them, some glues don't cure properly below a certain temperature. Also worth noting, heating the shop up above that certain temperature, doing a glue-up and then turning off the heat and leaving it to cure doesn't really cut it, because the temperature that matters is the temperature of the glue and the boards being glued, not the temperature of the air. With the yellow carpenters' glues I use, I'm not confident in the result unless everything is at about 15C/60F. So you might want to consider setting your minimum temperature a little higher.

As for finishing, oils like danish oil and boiled linseed oil cure considerably slower around those temperatures. In the winter, I do one of three things: A) bring things indoors to finish; B) use dyes, shellac and wax; or C) wait until spring.

I've been trying to find an electric heater that I'm comfortable hard wiring with a thermostat and leaving it on all the time, but having found horror stories on the internet about construction heaters melting down, I haven't found one (that I can get in Canada) that I'm comfortable with yet.