@WarDamnEagle there is a moisture barrier under the slab. The temperature stays reasonably comfortable in the shop. We have been below freezing for a few days and last night the shop temperature was 52*. The dehumidifier is definitely helping.
Okie dream man cave!
- Thread starter greenbeast
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Been following along on this for a while, very well thought out. I grew up just south of Tulsa and I'm now in Stillwater. Just had my small pole barn built and now I need to plan out my office/gym/shop space and how I'm going to heat it.
@GreyGooseFJ congratulations on the pole barn….i waited around 46 years to get one. Of course for heating, I probably should have laid out a sort of radiant floor system before pouring the concrete and even if I had waited to connect everything, it would have been a great source of heat distribution. No clue on costs but better than trying to stuff something into a full building. My new plan is electric radiant suspended from the trusses. I never really believed I would spend the time inside as much in the winter, but here I am
Thanks @knuckle47 , I'm pretty excited about it. I think I may do a combination of radiant heaters, suspended from trusses, and a wood burning stove of some sort. I never thought to do a dehumidifier but may run one of those as well to keep moisture down.
You might at least price out a heat pump with a simple, central plenum running down the center of the ceiling. My 4 ton keeps my 40x40 with 16' walls at any temperature I set and humidity hasn't been a problem. Several photos in my shop thread. I keep it at around 50 in the winter but might kick it up to 55 or so if I'm in there working.
As I screw around in the house after an 11 degree low last night it's great that I can control the two heat pumps in my shop from my computer or even phone. And given our Alabama climate, by this time next week I'll be able to turn on the AC!
We have a small heat pump for the apartment we built in my metal shop building; I have never had one previous to this. I am amazed at how efficient it is - costs very little to run, heats and cools. What has surprised me the most is that it still produces heat, even in single-digit outside temperatures. It just takes longer to warm up the apartment.
Great… just to add to my confusion…we are not talking about a split unit? I was originally thinking of something like this 4’ wall hung a/c…heat pump units. it would run about 2700 to 3000.00. I have heard some users say it is very efficient for heat and the a/c cooling works very well. Unit longevity seems to suck at an average of 5 years. I had abandoned this idea as the summer was not really hot or humid and last winter was like an early spring.
i do realize that another year older the winter seems cold to me… tomorrow I am 71
and I don’t like the current options in aging as I am learning them. I always knew there would be limits, I just never thought I would reach them this quickly 
I can see a 1 1/2 or 2 ton type of a/c combo heat pump with a single vent probably doing a good job..I just never thought about so many options and I would really enjoy making the right choice…once!
i do realize that another year older the winter seems cold to me… tomorrow I am 71
and I don’t like the current options in aging as I am learning them. I always knew there would be limits, I just never thought I would reach them this quickly I can see a 1 1/2 or 2 ton type of a/c combo heat pump with a single vent probably doing a good job..I just never thought about so many options and I would really enjoy making the right choice…once!
I've got two 5?-ton heat pumps in main part of my shop. Single units outside, each with single duct in and return. They were probably 10yrs old when I bought the place and just had to replace one last year ($6200). They work well summer/winter. Small side of shop has mini-splits but they don't work as well. Heat pumps are great at maintaining temperature and seem to be best in moderate climates so NJ is about the limit of recommended use. For shop use though that may not be an issue since you're probably not trying to get it to house temp. Just keep in mind that cranking up the heat kicks on heat strips and you can hear the meter spin.
BTW Jon, I have a Val 6 on the way. The ETA is today, but I doubt it will be delivered with all of the ice on the streets here. Thanks for the recommendation.
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- #311
Michael
Don’t think you will be disappointed! Been some excellent posts regarding other sources of heat thankfully if I consider anything else it will be for next year.
Been watching temps closely with this blast of cold air. Have not seen where the shop has dipped below 44 degrees each time I checked although it may during night.
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I usually monitor the temp every morning. We have had two consecutive single digit overnight lows and the lowest temperature observed was 48*.
I don’t like to hear the meter spin… in fact I pride myself in seeing the bill under $15.00 average for the last year
although for me, I spend a few hours on the weekend and an hour or two a day?
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- #314
Sheet rock in on the east side of shop. I need to paint next weekend and it got me thinking, what's best paint (not color) for a shop?
Prefer something which can be wiped down easily over time. Don't really want to do it again in this lifetime even if the flat white or whatever i choose goes out of style like wallpaper with flowers did years ago!
Prefer something which can be wiped down easily over time. Don't really want to do it again in this lifetime even if the flat white or whatever i choose goes out of style like wallpaper with flowers did years ago!
Running around hospitals for many decades I have always seen the maintenance guys touching up or painting with Benjamin Moore paints. In fact, I asked one guy a few years back about it. He told me you can’t beat it’s durability in a building where the walls are heavily abused and trafficked
Good luck
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- #316
Thanks Al, how's that knee progressing?
In my opinion…and we know why, but the fall set me back 2 weeks easily. I am walking ..the pain is JUST starting to subside after 32 days. The sensation of the skin being sanded to the bone is minimal and I can reach a 105 degree flex in therapy as of Friday. Using the cane outside the house.
If this was a need for the other knee, it would have to have it be almost as painful as the first two weeks after surgery before considering that option. Thank goodness that side is normal….
Thank you for asking !! And thank you for your expertise on that mri report. Made for a less stressful weekend before seeing the doc
Regard to you
Definitely get something at least in semi gloss. Much easier to clean. Flat paints don't work well in shops or in a house with a 4 and 6 year old.
I recommend either semi-flat or eggshell finishes.
I have to agree for a shop but I prefer flat or eggshell in a house environment. The other reason to use semigloss in a shop is so that you get the reflected light. I would also recommend the classic white over gray walls (or some version of that) with a split anywhere between 3 and 6 feet. I think my split is around 4' but I have a 7" stripe combination between the two. I used Benjamin Moore Decorator White (slight tinge of gray) over a gray that they mixed to match the gray color of the wall outlets.