: Hello All,

: I am freezing in my shop 20ft x 18ft, 3 double pane windows, 2
: large swing-out doors, peaked roof stick built shop, non
: insulated. I plan to staple 2 layers of cardboard on the inside
: walls this spring.

: Went to the internet and found "Mr. Hero" cordless
: (internal re-chargable battery good for 8hrs-recharge fully in 5
: hrs.). 35K BTU. runs 12.5hrs on 20lb tank. This unit comes
: 10ftLP hose and regulator.
: It sells for $151 plus $8 shipping.
: I like this model because my shop is not wired. I run extension
: cords. When my lights are on, 2 heat dishes and a power tool,
: the power quits one me. i believe I can work longer with proper
: heating
: and not worry about power shutting because of overload. Heat dishes
: are worthless for heating a shop.

: Need your experienced input for shop heating. Does above heater
: meet the needs of heating the shop or are there better options?

: Thank you,
: Douglas

Hi Douglas,
Insulate. Right now if you can.
If by "stick built" you mean a wood frame construction with an external (and internal?) skin, you can fit insulation there quite easily between the framing. Do the roof space first. Heat rises.

Make sure you can draft-proof the doors and as they swing out you can hang a "blanket" over the opening inside the shed to help keep heat in. If the windows give off cold inside, hang curtains on them.

That heater will heat that space fairly easily, the size of the shed (uninsulated) would need about 15,000btu to heat it.
Insulate and the heat will stay in longer. :) The heater is a gas fired one so I'd be careful to maintain ventilation in the shed. Oddly enough, an insulation blanket hanging over the door with the door open a bit will supply ventilation without losing much heat.

Hope this helps,
Mike Savage
South West Cork

ps, Did I mention insulation? :D