Winterizing my shop
Posted by woodworker on October 30th, 2006
My workshop was converted from a 2-car garage, with some space reserved for a washer/dryer, the “All Refrigerator” and a small freezer, and a set of shelves holding garden tools. I insulated the walls last year, and as the weather got colder, added an overhead quartz heater. Radiant heat only warms objects, not the air, and as long as I’m one of these objects, it works fine. Walk away from the target area and you’ll know how cold it really is in the shop.
I don’t really have to do much to winterize. I watch the temperature of the shop, using one of those remote sensors that sends its info back to a clock/thermometer in my living room. I’ll open shop windows if it looks like it will be warmer than the current shop temp. That insulation can cause the shop to stay cold over several days of warm weather.
Once it gets consistently cold, I plug in one of those electric oil-filled radiators, set it to its lowest setting, and just leave it on, so the shop doesn’t get below 40 or so.
If it gets really cold, and I have to be out there, I’ll layer up the clothing and turn on the quartz heater when I’m in the shop.
The biggest problem isn’t really the cold, but the humidity. All those metal surfaces can rust very quickly unless they are protected. I use Top Coat for cleaning and paste wax to prevent rust. Seems to be working.
Here’s pictures of the quartz heater, radiator and the remote sensor.
