Garage heating
Discussion
blitzracing said:
Off course a low temperature is not going to do any harm, so the lowest cost option is simply to spray all exposed metal with a maintenance spray- (except the disks obviously). This stuff works a treat as when it dries off it leaves a waxy residue that does not flash off like WD40 and the like and it washes off easily with a bit of engine cleaner.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-TT-Maintenance-Spr...
Ordered, cheers.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-TT-Maintenance-Spr...
I am still going to look at insulating the loft and the dehumidifier too.
Thanks for all the information - always appreciated.
I did have a gas heater and got condensation problems so I would avoid that. my final solution was to use 70mm thick insulated plasterboard and skim to the walls, insulation boards to the garage doors, draft brush strips top and bottom to the doors then finally added a large double panel radiator form the house central heating system and its lovely and toasty. Then stuck in a full kitchen with hot and cold water. Makes it a pleasant place to be for the winter refresh. The 43 inch sky TV also helps (-:
jesfirth said:
I did have a gas heater and got condensation problems so I would avoid that. my final solution was to use 70mm thick insulated plasterboard and skim to the walls, insulation boards to the garage doors, draft brush strips top and bottom to the doors then finally added a large double panel radiator form the house central heating system and its lovely and toasty. Then stuck in a full kitchen with hot and cold water. Makes it a pleasant place to be for the winter refresh. The 43 inch sky TV also helps (-:
That looks like a good place to work on the Griff. The first job on my list would be the removal of that spoiler (no offence 
).phillpot said:
jesfirth said:
my final solution was to use 70mm thick insulated plasterboard and skim to the walls
Nice but if I lined my garage with 70mm board I'd have to take the door mirrors off to even get the car in ... 
I'm in the process of doing my garage and workshop up. Its quite a big space with 6 bays and a workshop. Its an old barn with stone walls. The condensation, dust, birds and the odd rodent made me want to get it updated. We are putting in a ceiling (OSB boards) thoughout. It has fitted office carpet with rubber underlay. Four cars are in in veloce carcoons and one has a dust cover. I'm trying to get the doors better fitting and reducing drafts. I spend a bit of time in there working on them but not much really as I'm useless. Its more having a good environment to keep them and for me to go and look at them. I'm thinking about getting some electric heaters but not sure whether this will be slightly pointless.
Jonny TVR said:
I'm in the process of doing my garage and workshop up. Its quite a big space with 6 bays and a workshop. Its an old barn with stone walls. The condensation, dust, birds and the odd rodent made me want to get it updated. We are putting in a ceiling (OSB boards) thoughout. It has fitted office carpet with rubber underlay. Four cars are in in veloce carcoons and one has a dust cover. I'm trying to get the doors better fitting and reducing drafts. I spend a bit of time in there working on them but not much really as I'm useless. Its more having a good environment to keep them and for me to go and look at them. I'm thinking about getting some electric heaters but not sure whether this will be slightly pointless.
Condensation causes rust, if the barn is always cool and drafty then it’s possibly the best atmosphere to store the cars. As he said, stopping condensation is the key to preventing corrosion. A carcoon works by circulating air, so in that respect having a drafty garage isn't a bad thing.
That said, if you want to make it warm in the winter, then you have to stop the drafts or whatever heater you will have will be useless.
I have a large garage (it used to have 4 cars in, but now only 3 as it has accumulated too much clutter). It used to be more or less draft free, but one of the doors has dropped , so now there is a quarter inch gap above it.
I have always run a dehumidifier. That used to be on over night (timed for cheap electricity and on a built in humidistat). During winter it used to produce plenty of water, but hardly any during summer dry spells. When that dehumidifier failed (after 20 years, so not complaining) its replacement won't auto start on a timer switch. (should have checked before buying, Doh). So now I just put the dehumidifier on for 8 hours if I park a car in there wet, or if I am in the garage in the evening, I put it on for 8 hours when I leave (to make the most of cheap over night electricity).
I have an old storage heater on a temperature plug, which just comes on when the garage temperature drops to 3 degrees. I don't need frost protection, but I like the thought of a bit of heat in there when it is really cold outside and dehumidifiers don't like being frozen. I also have a fan heater which goes on if I am working in the garage in the winter.
I have never had a problem with corrosion in there and I am sure that is down to the dehumidifier rather than the heater.
That said, if you want to make it warm in the winter, then you have to stop the drafts or whatever heater you will have will be useless.
I have a large garage (it used to have 4 cars in, but now only 3 as it has accumulated too much clutter). It used to be more or less draft free, but one of the doors has dropped , so now there is a quarter inch gap above it.
I have always run a dehumidifier. That used to be on over night (timed for cheap electricity and on a built in humidistat). During winter it used to produce plenty of water, but hardly any during summer dry spells. When that dehumidifier failed (after 20 years, so not complaining) its replacement won't auto start on a timer switch. (should have checked before buying, Doh). So now I just put the dehumidifier on for 8 hours if I park a car in there wet, or if I am in the garage in the evening, I put it on for 8 hours when I leave (to make the most of cheap over night electricity).
I have an old storage heater on a temperature plug, which just comes on when the garage temperature drops to 3 degrees. I don't need frost protection, but I like the thought of a bit of heat in there when it is really cold outside and dehumidifiers don't like being frozen. I also have a fan heater which goes on if I am working in the garage in the winter.
I have never had a problem with corrosion in there and I am sure that is down to the dehumidifier rather than the heater.
Condensation occurs when the temperature changes rapidly, i.e. if there has been a cold spell and it suddenly warms up the air contains moisture that cold metal causes to condense. If you can reduce the rapid change in temperature and let the area warm up slowly condensation will not occur. The best way to do this is to insulate the space. I created a workshop in an agricultural portal barn and lined the walls with 2" of insulation covered in plywood. The ceiling is soft board( very efficient but will not stand knocks). The beds of the lathe and milling machine have never rusted in 25 years.
I used to have a dehumidifier running almost continually until a graph supplied with my Permabag that plots relative humidity against temperature indicated that there is a wide range below which corrosion does not occur. Now the dehumidifier is only turned on when the graph indicates a possibility of corrosion It is rarely needed in the winter and seldom in the summer and my electric bill has halved.
I used to have a dehumidifier running almost continually until a graph supplied with my Permabag that plots relative humidity against temperature indicated that there is a wide range below which corrosion does not occur. Now the dehumidifier is only turned on when the graph indicates a possibility of corrosion It is rarely needed in the winter and seldom in the summer and my electric bill has halved.
I have a standard draughty double garage, flat roof, 10 mm gap all way round behind the facia boards and two ill fitting up and over steel doors. The discs on my S have never rusted when laid up for 3 or 4 winter months. I have a small stock of steel, sheet, plate and tube and they have never shown rust apart from some minor surface dusting which would be removed using a cloth. Located in Teesside so not much in the way of warm sunny dry days 
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