# Workshop insulation



## Elaine (19 Oct 2012)

Hi all
I am looking to insulate my wooden workshop for before the winter. two questions

1. Insulation - polystyrene, reflective insulation, rolls etc. It has a breathable membrane fitted.

2. heater - does a workshop fan heater blow dust about? what do others have in there work areas?

Cheers , have missed the forum been to busy working but now got some time to join in again and you are always very helpful


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## woodyturner (19 Oct 2012)

Hi I have insulated my workshop with rockwool loft insulation and use a small oil rad and to be honest it gets to warm in a very short space of time and I have to turn it of but I would never use a fan heater as dust would be permanantly air born and you would be breathing it in all the time you are out there I hope this helps


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## loz (19 Oct 2012)

Elaine":3km44whu said:


> Hi all
> I am looking to insulate my wooden workshop for before the winter. two questions
> 
> 1. Insulation - polystyrene, reflective insulation, rolls etc. It has a breathable membrane fitted.
> ...



I wanted to have an oil filled electric radiator in mine, turn on 30 minutes before i start to give a chance to warm up, but the vent-axia 8" fan on the wall would dump the warmth outside in a minute. i now just wear a body warmer.

I'd rather be dumping dust out than keeping heat in.


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## Grahamshed (19 Oct 2012)

I think it depends how big your workshop is. I have celotex insulating the roof of mine and the walls are double skin brick. Internally it is 24 x 11 feet and I am about to put a woodburner in there. I am just hoping that is a good idea


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## nev (19 Oct 2012)

Insulation, as you will soon discover is not cheap, so you may well decide for the amount of time you spend in the shed insulation may or may not be worth the investment.
I'd go with draft proofing , sensible clothing and an oil rad or IR heating for the hands (http://www.greenenergy-eu.com/infrared-heating/)
Thick rubber mat under your feet helps a lot if you've a concrete floor.
Avoid Calor gas type heaters, they cause a great deal of condensation and the fumes get to you after a while. DAMHIKT.


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## loz (19 Oct 2012)

nev":zunrf5u3 said:


> Thick rubber mat under your feet helps a lot if you've a concrete floor.



absolutly ! - i have two of these ( from onother store ) 

http://www.target.com/p/comfort-foam-fl ... loor%20mat


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## woodyturner (19 Oct 2012)

Personally I wouldn't use any form of heating with naked flames to me it is asking for trouble with all the dust turning produces even with extraction of whatever type you use as for rubber mating it is a very good idea I have covered the whole of my workshop flour with the industrial type not only as insulation but to help prevent fatigue (poor ol git LOL)


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## Elapid (19 Oct 2012)

You can buy 8x4 sheets of polystyrene cheap on ebay.


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## Neil Farrer (19 Oct 2012)

I work in the construction industry designing buildings to part L of the building regs which is to do with thermal insulation. I would suggest that you stay away from polystyrene for the walls, makes a big mess and isn't very dense. Celotex is one of the better products tha you can use. I'm in the middle of kitting out a wooden office building and so far have used jablite 50mm thick polystyrene on the floor with 18mm thick caberboard on top. If you are going to mount a lathe on top of it you will need to put a rafter between the floor and the caberboard or similar. On the walls I have put 50mm thick Celotex.

Reflective insulation really only works when reflecting heat from a soutce as opposed to ambient heat. Ambient heat will easily dissipate through what is otherwise a thin membrane. The thicker and the denser the material the better but you should way up the increased cost with the cost of getting the workshop up to a decent heat. If it is reasonably draft proof and you go in there often then a low wattage cylinder heater may be cost effective. Dont forget that the equipment and space that you have in the workshp needs to be warmed up before the workshop will hold the heat. By keeping the ice of the kit with a low wattage heater then you may find that it is easy to get a reasonable tempreature in the shop with a quick burst of a heater. Starting from cold each day willmean a longer warm up time and subsequent horror at the leccy bill.

I'll post a pic of the inside of the wooden office I'm working on at the moment tomorrow afternoon.

Celotex can be bought from the SIG group (Sheffield INsullation Group) who own the CPD group http://www.cpdplc.co.uk who have a branch in Manchester. Wave pound notes in front of the branch manager and negotiate and you should be able to get a reduction.


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## Elaine (20 Oct 2012)

cheers everyone. always so many options.Neil all that sounds great. especially warming it all up. From my experience last winter i couldnt stay in there for very long especially touching the steel, brrr. so plan a is underway. The floor is sound and has thick rubber tiles, its the sides and roof that need doing.


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## OldWood (23 Oct 2012)

Hi Elaine

A couple of opposite views !! If you are going to be in the workshop for any length of time, then warmth is essential. You just cannot handle metal based tools where the metal is at 5 deg C, and so on.

Starting on the floor, as suggested rubber interlocking mats. From Costco and others - about a tenner for 6 off 600mm x 600mm if I remember correctly. Not only do they keep your feet off the concrete but they present a soft surface and do protect anything you drop. They are also easy to sweep.

Walls/Ceiling - The cheapest is attic fibre glass. That's all that I was prepared to pay for. The downside it needs stapling in place and you have to wear a mask when fitting it. I suspect that the Celotex type material is easier to handle. Remember that you should have a membrane on the INSIDE of the insulation to prevent moist air condensing in the insulation, and it is better for there to be an airgap between the insulation and the outer wall.

Heater - I use a wall hung heater with a booster fan; because the air comes out at low speed dust disturbance isn't a problem ( eg http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HE2TCHT.html - the feet aren't fitted). And it heats up the workshop quickly!

Rob


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## pip1954 (23 Oct 2012)

hi i too used attic insulation in walls and roof i also used small fan heater on work top only has to be on a very short time and i get toasted so turn it of. work shop is concrete garage with stud wall inside lagging between works a treat no or damp
last year at this time b&q had it for £3-00 a large roll this year £15-00 if you look around you may find cheaper.
all the best
pip


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## Lightweeder (24 Oct 2012)

OldWood":2d1db4il said:


> Starting on the floor, as suggested rubber interlocking mats. From Costco and others - about a tenner for 6 off 600mm x 600mm if I remember correctly. Not only do they keep your feet off the concrete but they present a soft surface and do protect anything you drop. They are also easy to sweep.



This is interesting, but I sweep the floor less in the winter. Standing on a good layer of shavings helps.

I tried running an oil-filled rad. but our energy supplier thought that might be why our bills had gone through the roof.


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## OldWood (24 Oct 2012)

Lightweeder":3lpjzna4 said:


> OldWood":3lpjzna4 said:
> 
> 
> > Starting on the floor, as suggested rubber interlocking mats. From Costco and others - about a tenner for 6 off 600mm x 600mm if I remember correctly. Not only do they keep your feet off the concrete but they present a soft surface and do protect anything you drop. They are also easy to sweep.
> ...



Obviously a wood-workers workshop only ! Mine has to be general purpose and such a floor would be a dead loss when a 'ping-fuckit' is being dismantled.

Rob


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## Lightweeder (25 Oct 2012)

Hah - You are right!


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