Electric Heater Suggestions for old Ice House (hubby got a new office!)

I suggest a nice rug first Those quartz heaters work pretty decent, I prefer the ones with real thermostats built in.

 

Yep that concrete will just suck the heat out of there. Any electric space heater should do a good job. Don't fall for the Eden-Pure sales pitch.

Gary

 

That brand. I think the heaters work well, but the box store heaters work as well as the Eden Pure.

 

Don't spend too much. They are all the same 1500 watts.

 

Just my opinion but we had a Eden Pure heater, and it ran not stop through the winter for almost 4 years straight. Electricity bill was always low, and that thing kept the upstairs toasty warm. It finally gave up the ghost and I ordered a 70 dollar infrared heater from lowes. It is just not the same, and does not heat the upstairs as well. I will miss that heater, but I kept hearing everyone saying there all the same, so I tried out a cheaper replacement option, which is working just not as well.

 

I'm thinking Martha Stewart could come up with something

 

I use this one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200632947_200632947?cm_mmc=Bing-{adtype}-_-Heaters, Stoves + Fireplaces-_-Electric Heaters-_-45209 solely to heat up my bathroom either when it's 0F or colder (to keep pipes from freezing) and when I take a shower. This thing will heat a pretty small space when it comes down to it depending on what type of comfort level you are working for. Aside from that I'd say put a pellet stove in there or make him run on a treadmill for 10 minutes every half hour

 

I think there are a number of companies buying up a ton of them and re-badging them as almost all of them look the same to me. Some have a little bit different casings and button set ups but really they all do the same thing from what I've read.

I'd still hold out for a cheap used pellet stove if there is room in there, the quartz heaters (or infrared or whatever they want to call them) do still chew up more electricity than a pellet stove according to my electricity bill.

 

I think to get away from that slab say a 1/2" or better dense foam and then a 3/4" plywood over that for the floor carpet or tile on top. That should be enough to maybe keep the toes warm and not allow that slab to suck all the heat out. you could due the same for the block walls with some paneling over the foam. random thought if this is your own place.

 

Put down some DRIcore panels on the floor and whatever flooring you want over the top. If there's a lot of mud involved carpet may not be ideal...a sheet of vinyl or peel and stick tiles may be better. The DRIcore will have add some insulative value. They uninstall quickly if the landlord objects somewhere down the line.

If you want to heat it full time some electric baseboard panel are easy to install and pretty inexpensive. If you only want to heat it occasionally (i.e. when he's in the office for short periods of time) then look for something that will produce quick heat with forced air.

 

If it is a 10x10 square a sheet of vinyl will be cheap, easy to DIY, and clean up easy.

 

I agree with rigid foam. I'd try 1" rigid with just the carpet over it... to try it and see how it works. Then, as others have said, plywood over the foam. We used to stand on a chunk of that foam between our boots and the steel deck on our crane truck. That %^$#&@* deck would pull the heat outa your feet in minutes, no matter what you were wearing for boots.