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stewart

Established Member
Joined
16 Jan 2005
Messages
975
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Location
Sussex
Hi all
I've been lurking around this forum for some time now picking up some very helpful information. I need some advice about heating my garage where my tools and wood are kept. Can anyone tell me the best (and cheapest) way - it's rather chilly and a bit damp in there at the moment.
 
Stewart, if you can arrange to have all your tools in a cabinet or cabinets, then a good trick is to add a lampholder to each cabinet and use 12 Watt nightlights or 25 watt bulbs inside them to keep the air warmer inside than the surrounding air in the garage.

Naturally, warm air will carry more water in vapour form than cold air (we're talking atmospheric RH here(relative humidity.) Critically, the heat from the bulbs also keeps your metal tools warm thus reducing condensation tendencies from cold air coming into the cabinets and meeting cold steel, aluminium, etc..

That'll take care of your tools in the short term, or even the long term. I've been using this light bulb dodge for perhaps twenty years.

Regarding heating your garage, then the best place to start will be to look at insulation and draught exclusion followed by adding heating. After all, there's not much point in firing up the heaters if all the heat's just going out the roof and through cracks in the door and window surrounds.

And welcome to the forum, not that I've been around here for long or contributed much myself. Slainte.
 
Stewart, welcome to the forum, there was some discussion on the forum about this recently, I think the general consensus was oil filled radiators are best, that is what I use now and is much better than the fan heater I used to use. Causes less condensation on the machinery too.

The heated cupboard is a good idea, you could use an airing cupboard electric heater if you want to go the whole hog.

Keith
 
Hi Stewart

Wlcome to the forum

Defintiely insulate the walls etc. as first course of action - poystyrene is chepa and works pretty well. Clad over with thick particle board or similar.

I use an oil filled radiator in my garage with insulated walls and the tmeeratue is always a18-21C

good luck
 
Hi Stewart

Welcome to the forum.

I've insulated my walls, floors, door and ceiling. The difference this has made is dramatic.

Cheers
Neil
 
Newbie_Neil":31e3v6tx said:
I've insulated my walls, floors, door and ceiling. The difference this has made is dramatic.
Cheers Neil

Any piccys Neil? You must be well on now, with "the workshop refit". I'd be interested to see how you are getting along.

Adam*

*Who's started designing an Oak sofa and wonders where exactly it is he'll be able to assemble it :shock:
 
Newbie_Neil":27zz406u said:
I've insulated my walls, floors, door and ceiling. The difference this has made is dramatic.

Me too Neil, ages since we've seen anything.

Noel
 
Thanks for the help, and the welcome. Just to show my novice status, if i put a lamp in each cabinet will i need to include some kind of ventilation or will that not be necessary?
 
Stewart,

As unusual as this sounds but if you type the following into google "honey cabinet light bulb" you get loads of information about light bulb heated cabinets. In beekeeping a cabinet with a light bulb is the preferred technique for heating honey as its very gentle. The same information about bulb wattage, cabinets, etc applies equally to woodworking tools though! An old fridge, with a light bulb screwed in the bottom is popular with beekeepers, although you may wish to build a wooden cabinet!

Nice to see a fellow woodworker in Sussex!

Adam
 

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