# The Garage Workspace - in Winter Weather



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

this blog says that the solar heating of the garage door raises the temperature from -20 to 70F. I'm not sure if there were other heating strategies going on but, in theory alone, it has to make a big difference. LINK


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## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

If it is South facing just paint them

black. It will soak up the heat during

the day. If I remember what my

teacher said. 

Jamie


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

a cheaper strategy!


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

IMO I believe the Cansolair would be a much better alternative. In addition, you can build it yourself on the cheap.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

from what I cuold see Deppie its just about getting sunlight into the garage 
I think its just those newer low energy-thermowindows we have here in skandinavia too
and has become the norm today so the factory´s don´t make the old two-layer thermowindows 
unless they are special ordred

like can build sun to air heater it only generate heat to the room when the sun is there 
and can´t store the heat in a tank like a waterbased system

but I like the solution becourse how often do you need to open the garageport if the garage is a shop

if we take the picture from the blog he wuold be better served by having both solarpannels and sunpannels
on the roof instead

at the moment I have one square meter sun to air heater build of cans set up to give fresh dry air 
to the basement since we still have a little moister in the walls from last year flooding 
that also keeps the electricity bill down from using the dehumidifier after all that one alone 
use 500W pr hour

if you want to go green there is alot about it on the net and may vidio´s on you-tube to get
inspired from 
going green isn´t that easy if you want the best for you , everyone need to gain knowledge about it 
if they want to buy the things … since there is some crap on the market 
but if people make it by themself … they get the knowledge …. 

take care 
Dennis


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## Kookaburra (Apr 23, 2012)

This has appeal to me as my garage is south facing. I have two separate garage doors - a double door for where I park my car and a single for where my shop is. If I could replace just the singe with this, I know I would get less heat advantage but I would still get quite a bit. More importantly I would get a flood of daylight without having to suffer through an open garage door. I have two widows on the shop side of the garage, but they face east and are not especially large. I have never done anything this, well, big before so I think I would need an assistant.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Used to have a 2-1/2 car garage as a shop. Both doors faced North. Went to the local Farm supply store and picked up a kit. I also got a 55 gal oil barrle from work. Made the required holes in the barrel with a sabresaw, and a dozen blades. Made the required hole in the metal roof, and ran the stove pipe. Set the barrel on it's side, attached the legs, set it onto some old concrete blocks, and hooked it up to a stove pipe. Opened the door, placed the grate inside, and some old newspaper, and a few pieces of scrap wood. In a little bit, I had the garage a nice toasty 80 degrees. Cost? Kit was $30 (back then) stove pipe was about $15 for the four sections. Barrel was free. IF the stove pipe wore out, I just replaced it. If it was just full of creosote build up, a couple blank rounds from an M-16 worked. Toss them into the back, right under the pipe opening, with a fire going. Wear earplugs! BOOM! Big black cloud comes up out the top of the stove pipe! Pipe is now cleaned out. Carry on!


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## A10GAC (Dec 21, 2009)

I have a set of south facing glass patio doors in my dining room and, while I will admit, the room is warmer than the adjacent living room it will not heat the area all on its own. I do think the added light would be welcome year round and if it could be fitted with screens for the summer it would make working in the garage on a summer night pretty awesome.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

It won't help much to paint a door black if it's an insulated door. You also have to consider that the sun is much further south in the winter and solar gain from passive collection will be pretty minimal. You would be better off tightening up the space you have and using a supplemental heat source.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Not needed down here Deb. LOL


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Bandit, That method of creosote removal from stove pipes sounds entertaining (but probably not OSHA approved!)


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Those glass doors don't look very good to me. Show the world the shop is full of tools and there aren't any cars parked at the site. May as well put out a sign saying ,"Free tools here." ;-(


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## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

sometimes I wear a sweatshirt… Central California does have some upsides after all. But if I had to worry about my garage temperature, I would start with insulation before I tried to add heat. How insulated are you?


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## SpaceCowboy74 (Aug 31, 2012)

I use an Infrared heater i got a BB&B for a decent price. Makes the walls radiate heat but no exposed flames to ignite anything.


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

The doors to the south do help. My workshop on the farm had a 20ftw x15ft high door facing south. On sunny days i could open door in winter and work in doorway (welding, etc). The key to using free sunshine can also bite you if not designed properly. Free heat in "WINTER" but also "EXTRA HEAT" in summer. What we were told is to extend an overhang over door, in mid CANADA the sun is directly overhead in summer and is lower in Winter. The summer heat is deflected by overhang in summer and is captured in Winter ! In my case I could NOT rely totally on sunshine for heat, I did supplement it. I am saying it did help cut costs. IN a PERFECT world going geo-thermal floor heat is always the answer…


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