Freezing cold garage

[Gordon T]

Hello all, I am a newcomer to this forum, but have been reading the entries for some weeks.

I wonder if anyone has come across my current problem?

I use my brick built,steel doored ,single garage as my turning workshop, and spend hours in there most days.

Today due to the cold, and having lost the feeling in my extremities, I decided to insulate the up and over door. I fastened some fibreglass blanket wrapped in polythene and foil , from b&q, to half of the door. So far good, then I opened the door and it promptly shut itself!!

The insulation weighs next to nothing, but is clearly too heavy for the door.

Result....I am still freezing, and I have a heater already

Has anyone come across this before?

Thanks...Gordon

 

[DaveL]

Hi Gordon,

Welcome to the forum.

Which half of the door did you insulate? If you did just the bottom then you have moved the centre of gravity for the door.
Adding any weight will affect how the up and over works, some have springs that counter balance the door, may be you could adjust these if you have this type to keep the door open.
A cruder solution is to have a prop that you use to keep the door open when required. :shock:

 

[Gaz_XB9R]

Hi Gordon,

I intend to do the same with my garage but was gonna go for 25/30mm kingspan sheet insulation.

You can add extra tension to the horizontal spring along the top of the door. It usually has a thing like a thick washer round the middle of the spring that has holes drilled in from the sides.

Insert the end of a close fitting bar and test to see which way tightens the spring. Then using two pieces of bar move the disc round by one hole at a time and secure again.

Be very carefull though. I've seen one of these bars ending up as a projectile. Make sure they are close fittin in the holes.

Gaz

 

[Gordon T]

Hello Dave and Gaz,

I insulated the left hand side fully, then ran out,oops. The springs are in the door jambs on either side and do not look like they will adjust.

I have just spent the last few hours researching this subject on the workshop forum, and have found people who have insulated their doors with rockwool and boards!!!!!!!! I only used light as a feather stuff, perhaps I need a new door.

Thanks for the replies

GT

 

[CHJ]

Hi Gordon,

Welcome to the forum, any chance you can give us a picture of the spring tensioners and linkage (just one side), may be able to advise on how to increase or supplement the counterbalance to cover increased door weight.

Mine for instance just has a concrete block running over a pulley.

 

[Blister]

Gordon

This time of year sorts the men from the boys :wink:

Cold ? What cold :lol:

 

[Gordon T]

Hello Chas, sorry, no chance of pic...takes me all my time to get this far on this infernal machine.

Hello blister, it was minus 4 up north last night, and with heat I managed to keep my garage/workshop up to a whole 5 degrees. Having just spent two hours in there, I am typing sat on top of the fire in an attempt to thaw out.

In an ideal world I would like some of those wooden 2 third split doors,as replacements, but that is going to take a whole lot of saving up, I need to sell more pens!!

GT

 

[OLD]

I purchased a infrared heater from focus i think some time ago, it heats you not the air and as you are standing at the lathe it could be the temp. answer.
Polystyrene in 8x4 sheets cut with dowel trimming jap saw will help for the doors and roof also the elimination of drafts temp. closing of ventilators, checking out ventilation of roof etc.

 

[Gordon T]

Hello old, thanks for that. Earlier this year I insulated the roof with 4 inch kingspan, the door and the draughts round it are the last challenge. Well the constant challenge is improving my turning, but not freezing to death would help. Thanks for your comments!

And finally, Chas, I took a peak at your gallery, very impressive, in quality and quantity, and I thought I did a lot.

GT

 

[gasmansteve]

Hi Gordon
Not heard of Kingspan?. I have a concrete garage and pondering how to insulate the corrugated roof. The only supports are thin angle iron beams about every 2m the length of the garage, does the Kingspan support itself or is it like fibreglass the type used for lofts?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Russell]

Gasmansteve

I insulted a coregated cement board roof buy building a frame over the roof with 3 x 2 and covering that with metal roofing sheets. I put rock wool between the two total cost for a garage was about £220 and a days work. I hard no choice because the coregated cement sheets had some cracks in and wasn't water tight.

 

[PowerTool]

Not heard of Kingspan?

Kingspan make expanded polyurethane foam insulation,a lot of it foil-backed.Easy to cut and handle - less itchy than rockwool :wink: (At work,we deliver the isocyanate to the Pembridge,Holywell and Castleblayney plants)

Andrew

 

[Taffy Turner]

Gordon,

I have the same problem as you, as my workshop is unheated, and is a bit bracing (!!) at this time of year. Using a scrollsaw is particularly challenging when you can't feel your fingers!!! I have a 2kw fan heater which I put on the floor behind me wherever I happen to be working, and the warm air blows up and around me. After about 20 minutes, I can turn it down to 1kw and am still nice and cosy.

B+Q and Focus are both having a bit of a blitz on heaters at the moment - you should pick up a 2kw one for about £10 to £12 I think. Make sure that you get a fan heater though, and make sure you don't put it where it can suck in sanding dust , or the results can be "interesting".(DAMIKT!!!!!)

As regards your door, why not use a bit of rope to tie it in the open position when needed - not exactly an elegant solution I know, but simple and effective, and no chance of the door dropping on you or your car when half way through!

Regards

Gary

 

[Gordon T]

Hello all again,

Steve, your question has been answered, but it is used to insulate between wooden roofing joists and walls, I cut mine with a old panel saw to fit between each joist, it is foil covered front and back and comes in various thicknesses. I also copied Russell this year and covered my flat roof with a timber frame and metal panels. The kingspan also deadens sound for the neighbours.

I have decided to spray gap filling foam over the back of the door, better than nothing, and use old carpet to cover up gaps around the door.

Thanks to everyone for their interest

GT