# Down with the cold



## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

Okay everyone so if you live up north and by north i mean Nebraska area where it gets so cold you can spit and it freezes before it hits the ground (maybe a little exaggerated) you will feel my pain. So i live in an house that the garage is below my house and yes my shop is in there. Its a 2 car and i am quite tempted to never put my car in there and just use the other side as the shop…sucks in the winter but hey what ya gonna do. My real issue is that its still freezing cold in there and i have to keep going inside just to warm up. Once my shop does warm up i notice that there is condensation on the walls of my shop…can't be good for the walls or my tools…any suggestions? WWYD (what would you do)


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## Sanman (Dec 12, 2011)

Move South


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## VinnieP (Apr 22, 2009)

I live in Lincoln and i use an indoor propane heater hanging on my wall. I've never noticed a condensation problem. My "shop" is in the garage of a split level house.


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## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

VinnieP, do you have a finished shop? or bare concrete i only notice it on my walls that are unfinished. also what kinda propane heater do you have? i was thinking about buying one of them.


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## VinnieP (Apr 22, 2009)

The first 4 feet from the floor is the concrete foundation and from there to the ceiling is dry-walled. I'm assuming there is insulation behind the dry-wall. It always stays above freezing even in our bitter late january to february weather.

The heater is a remington 30,000 BTU. I got it on clearance last summer at menards. The only thing I don't like about it is there isn't a fan you can attach to it to blow the heat out. So, to prevent the heat from just climbing the wall i put a box fan in front of it to distribute the heat. Soon i'm going to build a sheet metal shroud to hang above it and attach a duct work fan. I've heard air filters hanging from the ceiling help move the air too but I don't have one.


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## toymike (Nov 17, 2011)

You should only get condensation on walls that are uninsulatied where warm air meets cold wall. As to the heater remember anything that burns fuel needs to be well vented, to much co2 and it ain't going end well.


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## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks guys, i knew the cause of condensation i just kinda worried it would hurt the cement or anything. I figure i should pry put a dehumidifier in there from what i have read online that seems to help a lot of people.


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## dankc908 (Dec 3, 2011)

Zindel-I do feel your pain. I live in Council Bluffs (Omaha is our largest 'suburb') and just do not go to my 'single-car' garage from about the 1st of December to the middle of March. I have lots of ideas, plans and projects but I use the months in between to cruise the 'net and check out all of these forums for 'good weather' ideas. Our single-car garage hasn't had a car in it for 15 years and we have no plans to put one in it! Have a good winter!

PS - How does one post pix of the shop to the forum here? Do I have to have a photobucket account?


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## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

Dankc, thanks for the comment, and to post a picture all you have to do is either in a comment or in a new post there is a little button that says img…this will allow you to upload a photo from your computer or if you have one from a website.


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## rlrobinhood (Feb 26, 2011)

What kind of heater do you have? I live in northern MT and it gets REALLY cold here. I heated my shop with a top hot type heater and had tons of condensation on everything. This type of heater is propane and all combustion goes into the shop. Probably not healthy.

After heating the shop a couple time like that I bought a hanging heater that exausts outside. This has basically elimated all the condensation issues I had. Probably more efficient and definately better from a health standpoint.


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## mrtoasty (Jan 13, 2011)

Get some insulation on those bare walls and make sure you vent any heater you use. Can you bring some heat in from the heat trunk line for the house? Are the garage doors insulated? The one side you never use could be framed in and insulated that way. If you leave the door in place it won't change the outdoor look.

Have you considered a wall between the two sides? Just throwing out ideas.

Les


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## zindel (Feb 22, 2011)

Les, i have not thought about closing up both sides but i don't think i want to do that as it would really limit the size of my shop. But yeah i will need to put something on those walls.


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## Stargazer (May 9, 2010)

Here got down to 50 here last night. Can you believe it, 50?

Rick


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## TimmyP (Sep 13, 2011)

Probably a vapor barrier will help, as well as using some kind of heater to try and get the temperature difference between outside and inside a little bit closer. Search on www.askthebuilder.com for condensation-related things.


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