First, let me start with what a nice garage/workshop you have there. The wood is warm and inviting, I think I would be in there quite a bit! But....looking at the walls, I'm wondering about if there is any insulation at all? Looks OK for ceiling fans to be added. As far as closing off the upstairs, a well cut sheet of 2" blueboard foam insulation should fit the bill. Just stick it in the opening at the top of the stairwell blocking off the access to the 2nd level. With those ceilings. it would kind of restrict the function of a radiant tube heater, no? I think you would have to be below the cross beams that are supporting the joists. I found another heater form northern tool this morning and will include a link. I've also included a copy and paste from the questions and answer section of the product info. If the garage is not insulated, the 50KBTU may not be large enough. 2 answers Which unit 50 or 80k btu for a 1000 sq ft garage? My garage is two car, pretty well insulated, and just under 1000 sq ft. Is there an advantage to going with the 80k btu unit? Which would be more efficient to keep it around 60 degrees? by tde111 - PA August 31, 2016 Was this question helpful to you? Thank you for your inquiry. The 80K BTU unit would turn on and off and run for short periods of time, but the 50K unit would run for a longer period of time to heat up the garage. The 50K is recommended for 1000 square feet, but an 80K can work. by Mr. Heater, Product Expert September 2, 2016 Was this answer helpful to you? 1out of 1found this answer helpful. The 50K BTU Maxx heater would be recommended for a 1000 square foot garage. by ProductExpert5 August 31, 2016 Was this answer helpful to you? Here is the link to the page. Mr. Heater Big Maxx Natural Gas Garage/Workshop Unit Heater 50,000 BTU, LP Conversion Kit, Model# F260550 | Natural Gas Garage Heaters| Northern Tool + Equipment
Thanks, we really lucked out, it’s a great shop. The previous owner told me there was an insulation layer between the interior wall and exterior but I don’t know what R value. I agree that that center beam would be challenging for the tube heater and the Mr Heater model would be good in the back corner.
Good for the insulation. I bet its a rigid foam....? Maybe there is a way to measure the thickness of the wall and judge the r-value form that. Just kinda nice to know.
The radiant tube heaters made me nervous to get for my garage because I didn’t want to heat up the paint on a car parked beneath it. I’m not sure that’s a valid worry but they do require a considerable distance to the floor. Re: the 50k vs 80k Mr Heater I went all obsessive researching it and ended right where the Northern Express answer above is. Either will work but the 80k will heat the garage faster. I thought that would be beneficial since I don’t want to heat 24/7 and I will occasionally open the 9 ft doors.
I think the radiant tube needs more clearance based on the pictures you provided.. As was said previously. They work great but you don't want them hanging down at 7 feet. Mine is up at 16 feet. Whatever you decide I would go larger BTU, as you want something to heat up a cold area quickly. My buddy has the Menards unit and I like it a lot. It's quiet....
For those that have installed the Mr. Heater models, I’m looking at the horizontal vent and the kit from the same vendor is as much as the heater! Can you just get B vent pipe, the wall sandwich piece and outer rain cover?
I'm sure that would be available at any supplier that sells such supplies. We called the wall sandwich piece a "thimble". If you go with this type of horizontal vent, be sure to pitch the horizontal to the outside so the moisture in it will flow out, not back to the unit.
This one wants the vent to pitch up. I think the theory is that the water will evaporate before it runs back to the heater. Must be more important that it drafts up. I bought my vent for ~$110 online from a supply place in VT but I can’t find the info now.
As I’m researching more of this - it seems the tube heaters are a nice option as well as infrared. It’s also been suggested that because of the woodworking and saw dust, it should be a closed combustion unit - how difficult is that to find and what are the things to look for?
