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Thread: Heating an unfinished basement shop

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    Question Heating an unfinished basement shop

    Hi folks -
    My shop is in an unfinished basement area, adjacent to a finished section. It's 300 sq ft, 2400 cu ft. In the long cold New England winter, it tends to get down into the high 40's at worst. Right now, I heat it only when I'm going to work using a couple of 1500W heaters - a fan-forced electric heater on the floor and a radiant heater on the ceiling.
    It takes a good hour to get comfortable, and even longer to be evenly heated. Plus the floor heater is always in the way.

    I've been trying to find a better means of heating it.

    One possibility is some kind of more industrial heater, mounted high on wall - I've seen 220V models that were reasonable. I'm thinking something like that could bring the temp up faster if it had a good fan.

    I've seen Envi heaters advertised in FWW - but they're only about 500W, and since they use convection, they aren't going to bring it up fast. I suppose I could use a couple of those to keep it a bit higher so it won't take as long to bring up to comfortable temp.

    Breaking up the floor for some kind of radiant heat is not an option.

    What do others do?

    Thanks,
    Michael

  2. #2
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    Something fan forced will heat way more evenly than just radiant or convection. You want the air to move around so everything gets warmed evenly.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    A lot of options. Since it's adjacent to a finished section, could you just install a fan in the separating wall and another return vent (with filter) and circulate air from the finished section?
    Do you have forced air heat in the finished section? If so, you may be able to extend a duct, perhaps with a booster fan, to the shop area.
    I have a 5KW fan forced ceiling mount heater in my two car + fully insulated garage, probably double your area. It takes an hour or two to warm the space from 40 to 60 in the NE Ohio winter. Not an issue for me since it's not my shop space and I only heat it when I will be working out there for a while. If I had to do it over again, given the inexpensive mini-split options available now, I would probably go that route. You could certainly use a mini-split in your basement.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  4. #4
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    Add a run from your finished area ducting, put a damper or vent to control the amount of airflow into the room. Simple and cost effective.
    A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.

  5. #5
    I'm in the same boat, same area. A mini-split heat pump is the solution, best bang for buck.

  6. #6
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    Waterford, PA
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    Radiant heat doesn't have to be installed in the floor, it just works best there. Older homes in our area sometimes had radiant heat in the walls and/or ceiling. That said, it doesn't play nice with the temperature being turned up/down. If you go the radiant route, you need to set the temp and leave it alone as response times are very slow.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
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    Insulate. Better bang for the buck. Rigid foam on the walls, spray foam in the joist bays (the Borg will sell you a spray kit about the right size to do all the bays on a small house-- it's fun!). If you have the clearance 2" of rigid foam on the floor topped with an appropriate subfloor. Your need to add heat should pretty much disappear.

    Run a 6" duct from your closest furnace trunk if not.

  8. #8
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    Rather then rigid foam look at mineral wool. It is cheaper and almost as good. maybe spray foam to seal the leaks then wool over that. Mineral wool is the only insulation that does not burn. It also does not hold water so if it gets damp and drys out it will not support mold.
    Bill D

  9. #9
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    I would insulate if you are staying in the building. Doesn't matter what fuel you get your heat from, uninsulated basement walls will suck heat and cost you money.

    Second, does the air temp in the area go up and down over the dew point? Are you getting condensation on your edges as is?

  10. #10
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    You didn’t mention humidity. Is the unfinished part musty?

  11. #11
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    Mini split. What I did for my basement. I had three drops (one in bathroom and one on either side of the bathroom) all in a 8ft area in a 1600 sft basement. I added two more by tapping into ducts, but even doing that, I couldn't keep above 65f in a roughly 32f and above outside temp. When it hit -8f here last year I was down to 45f. Which if you are trying to work 8 hours there, is cold. Added mini split and it heats. Not entire basement as I didn't add one for that, but it heats over 500sf area easy.
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  12. #12
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    I hung a 220v heater in my 900 sq ft, uninsulated shop. I'm in southeastern PA, and I can get my shop to a comfortable 60 (dry) degrees on a cold day, and the heater does not run constantly.

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  13. #13
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    My wife offered to get me a 220 7500 watt heater for my garage last winter I turned her down. I get my warmth from having a break from the kids. Not completely true, Im very warm blooded so im ok with 50. Any less I will run a propane heater for 20 minutes before I go out and get it to 55 or so Open the garage and close it quickly to eliminate the propane fumes the concrete will hold the heat for a little while. with the kids being little I only get 4 hours a weekend

  14. #14
    I just finished my shop with a sub floor as a member named Charlie suggested, I can already tell the difference not standing on the concrete floor. I would start their, and run a new duct as suggested

  15. #15
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    Agree if you will be staying in this shop, insulate. An inch of foam then drywall will not eat up much space and will make the shop much nicer and warmer.

    It is critical that you keep shop dust from getting out into the rest of the house.

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