[TheForge] Re: insulated shop floor

[Dan Scheid]

Since I started this thread I thought I would ask one more question . What
is the ground temp at 3-6 feet ? and is it different from area to area I'm
in So. Ca 
Dan Scheid
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:theforge-
> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of GHS
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:04 AM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: insulated shop floor
> 
> Dann Johnson wrote:
> 
> >
> > We always put "frost footings" under all our outbuildings, even on the
> > edges of poured slabs.  We do this  to keep rodents, and digging
> > animals like skunks & wood chucks from underminining  the concrete. I
> > can understand styrofoam on the exterior of the footing, but not under
> > the shop floor.  My 50 cents, is that unless you are using the
> > concrete floor as 75 degree temp, people- living space, that the heat
> > loss through the floor won't be significant.
> > I insulated & sheetrocked the walls of garage, and then blew a foot of
> > insulation  in the attic.  Even in the unheated garage in a North Iowa
> > winter, the floor never froze. (Provided that I remember to shut the
> > garage doors).  Almost always before, we had ice on the garage floor
> > from November to March, from water that dripped down off cars after
> > parking in the garage. Past couple winters, after the insulation,  the
> > water that dripped down off the cars, to the floor actually dried up,
> > rather than froze.
> > There may only be a few degrees different from the average ground
> > temp, to the average shop temp.  I can't imagine heating a shop to
> > shirt sleeve temps.  55 or 60 degrees is pretty confortable when you
> > are working, especially when the forge gets up to temp.
> >
> > Dann Johnson
> 
> Dann, part of the resaon is just the heat sink factor.
> 
> Some folks think I am nuts for putting away my aluminun scaffolds during
> the winter and using wooden planks, until they spend a day standing on
> sthe wood. The calves stop aching because the chill is gone. Even a few
> degrees make a difference.
> 
> As far as insulating the whole floor if you should decide on the in
> floor radiant( I would not for this application) insulating the whole
> floor beneath the heat seperates it from the heat sink of the soil.  In
> that type of system you just want to heat the concrete. It is cheaper
> that way.
> 
> Personally, I would use a unit heater with ceiling mounted electric or
> gas fired radiant over critical work stations where comfort was an
> issue. Keep the whole place at 45*F  or so and then toast myself at
> times when I am doing detail work that doesn't require much excertion.
> 
> Mike Graf
> 
> Mike Graf
> 
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