Heating my pole barn (ND Edition)

[bigtiller]

When my 54x75x14 tin shed was built we also put in the finished ceiling with 15 inches of blown-in fiberglass insulation. Just having the ceiling insulated was really helpful. It was always warmer in the winter and much cooler in the summer. If you do nothing else, I recommend to insulate the ceiling to an R54 or higher seeing how you are further north than me.

4 years later we finished the walls off, which brings us to today.
There is still no heat out there but I think I can get by without it.

It has gone through 2 winters and it never has frozen out there yet.....
I record the temperature EVERY day at 3:00 pm~.
Summers are even better, It's never been above 80 degrees... at 3:00 pm.

So you may be able to get by without heat.

 

[grsthegreat]

When I heated my insulated 2-car garage to work on a Jeep, I really went through the propane. That was only heating to 60F with a 30,000btu modine type heater.

Part of the problem is 30,000 btu isnt much heat. My unit is either 125,000 or 150,000....i forget. but either way it bumps out the cold real fast. it does eat up some propane, but since it heats so high and fast, it doesnt need to run very long. within 30 minutes of activation, i can remove my jacket and shut off heater while continuing the work in shop at a comfortable level.

 

[RSR]

How much is your heating bill for the house? Are you willing to pay 2-5 times that to heat the shop (Just a guess based on relative volumes), not to mention the cost of installing the insulation?

I agree with other posters here. Decide what size you really need to have heated, then section that off, and insulate very well.

 

[Deere Dude]

Have you ever considered the cost of splitting the big shop up and how it would make it more difficult moving big equipment in and out?

I would consider the cost of just adding a shop on the extended eve end of maybe 28x32' or whatever size you would need for a workshop and keep the big shop open and used for what is in there now. Maybe even make it a full stand alone building. I doubt it would be any more expensive than carving your pole shed down.

 

[RSR]

I just went back and checked your original dimensions. That barn is roughly like trying to heat a 5,600 sq ft house!!!! (2,800 feet on two levels with roughly 7 foot ceilings). That is HUGE (and will be expensive).

As you've alluded to, distribution of any heat throughout that large of volume is going to be a major challenge too.

 

[grsthegreat]

if you heat it 24/7 all winter....than yes. but to take the chill off and have a comfortable work environment than no.

sectioning off the shop doesnt help if you want to work on your truck during the winter. I simply heat entire shop for 30 minutes, then turn it off. makes for a nice work space. if it gets too cold in a few hours, heat for 30 minutes again.

 

[RSR]

if you heat it 24/7 all winter....than yes. but to take the chill off and have a comfortable work environment than no.

sectioning off the shop doesnt help if you want to work on your truck during the winter. I simply heat entire shop for 30 minutes, then turn it off. makes for a nice work space. if it gets too cold in a few hours, heat for 30 minutes again.

How large of shop do you have?

If it's similarly sized, that may be an option, but he has a very large volume to heat. My point is he could section it to 1/4th the size (20 ft x 35 ft) and still have plenty of room to work on vehicles, etc.

 

[grsthegreat]

How large of shop do you have?

If it's similarly sized, that may be an option, but he has a very large volume to heat. My point is he could section it to 1/4th the size (20 ft x 35 ft) and still have plenty of room to work on vehicles, etc.

my shop is 30' x 40 feet , 14' rafters. 1/2 of side walls are all that i have insulated so far. will continue that this summer.

i understand your idea. it is just i know people in the dakotas. their winters SUCK. especially north dakota. if he doesnt get heat to entire shop, even a little heat, he wont use shop in winter.

 

[ericm979]

If you want to make it a shop space you really want a concrete floor. And you could lay pex in it for radiant floor heat. (as many others have pointed out).

Isn't the usual deal for pole buildings that the base boards make the form for the slab? If that's the case then you'll be saving that part of the labor. If you can do some or all of the prep work, insulation and pex yourself, you could save more.

Since air to air heat exchangers (i.e. mini splits) won't work for your kind of cold, you're pretty much stuck with gas of some kind. But I think that gas heating a radiant floor is pretty efficient. And adding a propane tank next to the shop won't cost that much. My wife was living in a house with heated floors when we met. It's really nice, even in coastal California where it doesn't get that cold.

Putting in a metal ceiling and insulation above it will be an inexpensive way to insulate the ceiling and would let you ventilate the roof area which will make the building cooler in the summer. It also would cut down on the air volume you're heating.

Some people leave spray foam bare but I think it looks terrible and would be a fire hazard. At a minimum it seems like it would collect dirt and be difficult to clean. You could line the walls with 29g ag panel, which is pretty cheap and looks good (to me anyhow).

Some metal building constructors won't warranty if there's spray foam applied to the inside. Others think it's fine. It's a hotly debated topic.

If you can find a way to swing it now you'll be set for a long time. The older you get the harder it is to get stuff done, and the sooner you do it the the more use you'll get out of it.

 

[ruffdog]

Would the OP pay more in taxes if the building is finished with heat? I know he would where I live. Unless he is going to make a bunch of money on that shop space, he may want to think about this some more.