Insulation for shop ceiling

[ovrszd]

Well I just finished insulating the ceiling in the shop. What a huge difference. So far it has consistently stayed about 10° warmer in there without running the heater. When I do use the heater it heats up very quickly and holds the heat very well. Much nicer than my old kerosene torpedo heater. I thought I'd post this picture of another idea I came up with. I have a fan from an old furnace that I tore out that I had recently replaced the motor in. I mounted the fan in the ceiling of the barn to act as a ventilation fan. As I have it set up it should suck air out of the barn and push it into the attic. I thought this would be handy on hot days. I'm thinking it will draw hot air from the ceiling and push it into the attic and that should force some of the hotter air allready in the attic out the vents.

Nothing wrong with a ventilator fan in the ceiling if you have a way to close it off when not in use. If it's not closed off, right now it's letting heat out of your building and will continue to do that every second. Furthermore, this warm air from your building will now be condensing on the cold surfaces of your roof. Better to have that fan installed in the end of your building to exhaust outside. Even then it needs to be sealed and insulated in Winter to stop heat transfer.

You'll figure all that out as you go.

 

[KennyG]

I would put the fan in the attic eaves and just pull through the attic. After I insulated my pole barn I was amazed at how cool it stayed all summer, just from the concrete slab. I never felt a need to add any ventilation or even open the windows. Of course, we don't get hot for too long in the summer.

 

[ovrszd]

I would put the fan in the attic eaves and just pull through the attic. After I insulated my pole barn I was amazed at how cool it stayed all summer, just from the concrete slab. I never felt a need to add any ventilation or even open the windows. Of course, we don't get hot for too long in the summer.

Yep. Right now he simply has a large hole in his ceiling insulation.

 

[tman1020]

When I installed it I cut a square piece of thick foam to the exact size of the opening in the attic. I have it covered for the winter but it is right by my access to the attic so it's no problem to go up there and open it come summertime. I'm thinking about building it on a hinge so when I turn on the fan it blows it open and then when the fan is off it flops down. Otherwise I'm afraid I may forget to put the foam block back on it at the beginning of winter.

 

[ovrszd]

When I installed it I cut a square piece of thick foam to the exact size of the opening in the attic. I have it covered for the winter but it is right by my access to the attic so it's no problem to go up there and open it come summertime. I'm thinking about building it on a hinge so when I turn on the fan it blows it open and then when the fan is off it flops down. Otherwise I'm afraid I may forget to put the foam block back on it at the beginning of winter.

Good thinking. You'll figure it out.

I weld a lot in my shop with no fan. Just can't make myself cut a hole in my very efficient structure.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I weld in mine too. Sometimes I just open the door a little maybe a window too for a few minutes.

 

[ovrszd]

I weld in mine too. Sometimes I just open the door a little maybe a window too for a few minutes.

Yep, me too.