Paint interior walls in winter as long as the room has the right temperature and humidity for your paint. Ventilate the space without letting the temperature drop below 50°F (10°C). Keep walls dry, regulate indoor temperature, and choose water-resistant paints like acrylic or latex. Open doors and windows for natural ventilation, cycle fresh air, and prepare your workspace.
When preparing for an interior paint job, take the time to build a frame with 2×4’s or zip poles, and put a small space heater in the area to warm the building surface and air. Avoid making the area too hot, as foul smells can indicate danger, such as toxic gas, rotten food, or something burning. Paint fumes may not smell awful but their scent is strong and can be considered a fire hazard.
Indoor painting is fine as long as the temperature stays between 10 and 30 degrees Celsius and good air circulation is maintained. This includes opening windows and doors or purchasing a fan/blow heater. If painting in colder temperatures, warm up the surfaces by turning up the heat or using a space heater. Most exterior paint will cure down to 35 degrees, and adding an electric heater when done can help cure the paint. Oil-based paint fumes are flammable, but not quite as flammable as gasoline. A pilot light on a water heater might be able to ignite them.
To dry paintwork in bathrooms and kitchens, use as many electric heaters as necessary to achieve the desired temperature. The ideal is thermostatically controlled oil-filled radiators to keep the temperature up generally, with fan heaters in work areas. Turn a heater on to let the room warm up before starting the paint project and decrease drying time.
Don’t paint in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, as cool temperatures will result in longer dry and recoat times with paint. Give enough time for the paint to dry before applying a second coat. Place the heater outside the area you paint and use fans to pull warm air in.
📹 How to Paint a Room Like a Pro | Ask This Old House
Cost: $300 Skill Level: Beginner Tools List: Paint brushes in a variety of sizes (https://amzn.to/32XWhIl) Paint roller …
Does paint dry better in heat or cold?
The evaporation of paint is accelerated by heat, but high humidity impedes this process. Dry heat is optimal for the curing of paint. The process is influenced by a number of factors, including ventilation, humidity, and temperature. To accelerate the drying process, it is recommended to install a heater if the room temperature is below the optimal range, and to close windows and utilize a fan or air conditioning system if the room is excessively humid.
Does a heater help paint dry?
Dry heat helps paint dry and cure faster, while factors like ventilation, humidity, and temperature also impact the process. To speed up the process, invest in a heater if your room is too cold, close windows, and invest in a fan or air conditioning if your room is too humid. If you’ve painted onto plaster, the paint may get absorbed or have problems adhering, causing the paint to peel off in sheets.
This is a common mistake and can be fixed by waiting for a few days and allowing the paint to dry fully before repainting. To prevent this issue, apply a mist coat of 70 water, 30 paint onto fresh plaster, as it’s perfect for the porous nature of plaster. Once the paint has dried, you can continue painting over the top.
How to air out a painted room quickly?
To eliminate paint smell, follow these simple steps:
- Keep the room well-ventilated by opening windows and doors, using fans and air purifiers to improve ventilation.
- Maintain a cool indoor temperature after painting to reduce the potency of paint fumes. Turn on an air conditioner or let in a cool breeze to lower the temperature and reduce the scent intensity.
- Use baking soda to absorb paint smells, allowing you to use your space sooner. Leave it in the room for several days and replace it regularly to ensure continued odor absorption.
Does heat affect painting?
Using scorching conditions can cause issues like improper flow, leveling, wrinkling, blistering, and peeling. However, it’s important to apply paint within the optimal temperature range (40°F to 90°F for oil-based paints and 50°F to 90°F for latex and acrylic). Avoid high humidity, as it can cause condensation, streaks, fading, poor surface adhesion, or mildew. Start painting in the late morning on a muggy day before peak temperatures hit. Timing is crucial, as direct sunlight can push surfaces 20°F-plus above air temperatures, causing poor adhesion, premature drying, and bubbling.
What temperature is best for interior painting?
Drying paint at low or high temperatures can cause imperfections such as bumps, blisters, and fading. Oil-based paints should be applied between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, while latex-based paints should be 50 to 85 degrees. Some innovative paints can dry at lower temperatures, even as low as 35°F. High humidity levels can affect painting, as it takes longer for water in acrylic or latex paint to evaporate. This can slow down drying times and compromise paint adhesion.
For interior painting, cracking open a window can help avoid inhaling VOCs and speed up drying time. The best drying temperature is between 40 and 70 percent humidity. Weather trackers provide humidity percentages for the day, and average percentages can be found throughout the year. Planning ahead and adjusting humidity levels can help ensure a smooth and long-lasting paint job.
Does heat damage paintings?
Hanging your painting above a mantel, near radiators, heaters, or in bathrooms and kitchens can cause damage to the paint layer and support. Excessive heat can cause creases, warping, weakening, and breaking of fibers, as well as cracking and losses in the paint layer. Even specially made frames cannot guarantee that heat from a fireplace or other heat sources won’t affect the painting. These damaging effects also apply to radiators, heating vents, stoves, and other heat sources.
Is it safe to paint indoors in winter?
As people become more aware of the risks of chemicals and long-term health risks, they are increasingly asking if it is safe to paint inside in winter. Interior painting can be safe even when windows are not open to ventilate the area. Regular latex/acrylic paints can cause some odor, but these fumes have not been associated with any medical issues. To control the smell, use a fan or dehumidifier, keep interior doors open, and clean with water and dish soap.
For a more pleasant winter painting experience, choose a low-VOC or zero-VOC paint formula, which are virtually odorless and come in all colors and varieties. Zero-VOC paints are ideal for pregnant or new parents, and are also suitable for repainting projects in healthcare and elderly-care facilities, ensuring minimal odor for residents and patients.
What is too hot to paint interior?
House painting requires a temperature range of 50-85 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-27 degrees Celsius, with an ideal temperature being around 67 Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature for interior painting is 10 to 27 degrees Celsius. In cold weather, it’s crucial to monitor both interior room temperature and interior surfaces like trim or walls. To warm up surfaces in colder temperatures, turn up the heat or use a space heater. Modern paints have significantly improved over the 20-year-old acrylic or latex paint used in the past. Ensure that the air temperature and surfaces are within this range when painting.
Is it safe to paint indoors without ventilation?
Proper ventilation is crucial when painting indoors, as paint is made from chemicals that can cause fumes that are dangerous for people, especially children. Open windows and doors to improve air flow, and take breaks frequently to minimize fume effects. If you feel dizzy or light-headed, leave the room and get fresh air. Paint furniture outside where ventilation is not an issue. Consider whether the room has a ceiling fan or a standalone fan for better air circulation. If painting during colder months, use a portable heater to keep the room from getting too cold.
Can you have heating on while painting?
To paint indoor projects in cold and rainy weather, it is essential to monitor the surface temperature and ensure that the room temperature is higher than the minimum temperature listed on the paint can. Different surfaces, such as tiles, gyprock, wood, brick, and weatherboard, have different temperatures, so it is crucial to keep the room temperature above 10 degrees Celsius. Different types of paint may require different drying times.
Patience is key when completing indoor projects in cold and rainy temperatures, as paint will dry slower and may require a longer recoat process. To accelerate drying time, open doors and windows, use fans and blow heaters, and plan your project accordingly.
Starting your project too early in the morning or working late into the afternoon is essential to ensure optimal conditions for the weather. As there is less daylight during the day in colder months, it is expected that your project will take longer to complete due to the slower drying process and the need to restrict the amount of painting done in a day.
📹 Do Propane Heaters Work – Are They Safe for the Garage?
I’ve been putting off buying one of these for a long time because I was wondering if they are safe or not. In this video, I share my …
Hi Mauro, you mentioned rolling the walls with a 9″ sleeve but here’s the secret! 2 sizes of sleeves I use on all my paint projects. 13 mil for walls and a 19 mil for ceilings! 2 major reason they carry more paint and avoid lap marks especially on flat ceilings! Don the gooseneck guy professional painter Ottawa Canada! I do not recommend a 10 mil. Cheers!
Test to see if old paint is oil based. Never put latex on top of oil without priming. Save final coat on baseboards till after wall painting, otherwise splatter from roller and drips happen. Most rentals in my area use flat on walls easy touch up from original bucket. Sheen paint touches can show even from same original bucket. Sheen paints are more easily washed, and usually used in personal homes, not rentals. Also if your walls are rough like old repairs, trash or uneven studs then the higher the sheen, the more you will see the roughness. Every job is going to differ depending on its situation. But, article was right on topic and educational. Yes, I know this was not a rental.
There are several types of rubber or plastic spouts and can rim spout that make pouring paint out of the gallon into another container so that the paint doesn’t drip down the side of the can and also doesn’t sit in the rim of the can which is unecessarily time consuming and sloppy. The purpose of these articles is to show how to diy. TOH always seems to have the latest gadgets but a simple thing like a paint can spout ( available at any box store) isn’t used
Great educational article! Check out the new Richard 2 1/2 gooseneck flexible paint brush extension for your ceiling cutting. Super light brush! Don’t need to go up and down a ladder! Now you can use this unique brush to reach the unreachable hard to reach places! Would be nice to a article using this new innovative tool. Cheers!
Or you can get a roll of blue Painter Tape and put them on the window themself and perhaps save more money instead of buying a product to the window you have to wait to dry for like 30+ mins before you can start painting the window trim You could always just paint as normal, and if you get some paint on the window themselves. its just called get a razor blade and remove the paint from them after they dried. Easy enough. Dont need some fancy Masking Paint that takes more time to apply and wait to dry. Who cares if it takes extra time to remove the paint from the window. Its part of being homeowner. People should just stop being Lazy and thinking of the easiest way to do stuff. Your Overthinking it. Just Paint the window. Scrap the extra off. Its not that Hard to do. It really isnt.
Liquid mask….*shudders*….Paint the sash, if you wipe out the plastic on the jamb, just run the window up and down and wipe it off with a rag. You can razor the glass after, to clean up the line….I stopped perusal after the liquid mask…It should be noted to NOT wipe out the sash with the liquid mask as it could drastically affect adhesion….*sigh*
Im sure this guys is a pro and everything but there was soo much there I just didn’t get (I paint a lot). The masking agent is pointless, either tape it or just don’t do anything and then use a scrapper to get any paint that gets on the glass….it’s glass, paint will do nothing to it. Why paint the radiator with latex? It’s fine if you sanded, primed and then finished but straight latex finish onto metal? Peeling within a year. Never push the brush, always pull it unless you absolutely can’t. “Professionals” might not need tape, I don’t either, but spending the few minutes to tape means I can go quick and be less worried about perfect brush control. I just wouldn’t use this as a guide for any DIYer. Even the pile of roller he used seemed wrong, it’s drywall, you don’t need that much pile.
I have so many questions… 0:55 But why? 3:37 Why is he pouring paint out of a different side of the can than it has already been poured out of? (3:39 Cut to him pouring out of a different can.) 3:51 What paint additive? 6:44 I agree pros don’t need tape, but then why not also freehand the windows? The liquid mask might prevent paint from adhering to the edge of the glass (which seals the junction), and if you get it on the sash you’ll have to touch up when it’s removed.
Blue tape is easier and heck of alot cheaper whats he got against Tape not evenon the thermostat Then she spend hours goin super slow on the window edge Some of us have other things to do in our weekend than spend 2 days painting a room Trim 1st or wall first ya still beed to frog tape the edge So why spend money for window mask
I’ve just painted my first room and can tell you the following. 1) Cutting with a brush is very time consuming and in my opinion does not get you a better finish than taping. Get some frog tape and put the effort in to tape off all the edges, its expensive but the finish will be pin sharp! 2) If the walls are already painted, get some sandpaper, a large sanding block and lightly sand everything you will be painting to allow the paint to bond easier and not streak. 3) Unscrew your sockets and paint behind them, dont be lazy and just masking tape them up, the finish wont be nice and its dead obvious.
dude is supposed to be a pro but he missed a bunch of steps. he didn’t caulk sand or wipe anything down. the client wanted a different finish but he made her pick a finish she didn’t want. some people don’t like shiny paint you can’t make them use a paint finish they won’t like. the right way to paint a room is ceiling walls then trim why trim last because when you paint walls you get allot of over spray which is a mist the paint roller throws when rolling the walls. I always clean the baseboard with a wet rag after I roll a wall. also they seem to have used latex on the trim, I really prefer to use oil base enamel on trim because it’s tougher paint holds better and lasts longer. its strong smelling and can be kinda a headache to paint but it’s worth it. and that liquid tape bullsht he used that’s a waste of time and money just use painters tape if you can’t cut in but if you got a steady hand and can cut straight then go for it if you get paint on the glad it will clean easily. I can’t believe he made her do the cut in while his scrub ass rolled the walls. smh professional yeah right.
Some things left out, IMO to qualify as “Pro”: – clean trim and any stains or dirt on walls with sponge and TSP. – Scuff up trim with 220 sanding foam block – Patch and sand any imperfections. – Caulk any cracks in trim. – Prime patches and caulk with oil based primer. – Wipe off dust with damp sponge. – Remove hardware like thermostats. – Paint walls – Tape – Paint trim As shown, if you paint trim with semigloss and no tape it gets on the walls. Then when you cut the walls you end up painting over the semi gloss that got on the walls, which is not ideal since it can peel. Best to never paint over gloss or semi gloss paint that hasn’t been scuff sanded with 220 first.
For a pro he didn’t teach her some basics. Never start cutting at the edge with a full brush. Begin 5-10 cm from the edge and then go back to the edge with a drier brush. For the same reasons when he began painting the wall with the roller. He didn’t start at the edge he began one roller width away from the edge. Correct technique.
This article is great for diyes, but is no where near for the professionals thou it did have some great stuff. The I have never seen that liquid mask you applies to the windows, will definitely need to check that out. I am so glad you did not tape, taping is for noobs. So why isn’t this article near the professionals, your rolling. You say never roll out of the can, and I notice you use a paint tray. Real professionals, who paint multiple rooms/buildings/houses a day would not use paint trays. They simply are to much of a mess, to long to clean up/dispose of, and worst of all they cost to much. Yes you can get paint trays for cheap, and you can get paint tray liners for even cheaper, but if you multiple that cost over a dozen or so paint jobs a day, and multiple coats on a job, you/your company will be spending thousands of dollars every year on those. So how do actual professional painters paint? Straight out of a 5 gal bucket. Not a joke! when the bucket is the full you gently skim the roller across the top. It will pick up paint, and the surface tension of the paint will act as the solid bottom of a paint tray. Hold it sideways a second for it to drip, flip a full 180, then straight to the wall. It takes some practice, but after some quick practice you can easily do it with out dripping any paint. Don’t believe me. Note my statement above “when the bucket is full”. So what do you do when the buckets starts to empty? There is a think they make called a bucket screen. It is a screen that clips on the side of the 5 gal bucket, and actually sits on the inside.
Doesn’t matter what anyone says the truth is all these heater should only be used in emergency or out doors . They all make me dizzy . Garage cracked window open for air . Yes you will be nice and hot and warm . But I did not enjoy it when I’m dizzy . Any kerosene here honestly should be use out side they work but smell . Everyone in my home way dizzy even the kids . That was with following directions left the windows cracked for fresh air any every one was still dizzy . I put that shit in the trash . The only one that helped us stay warm in how with window cracked for fresh air was the Mr buddy propane . It didn’t make anyone dizzy. The one that works best for us . Is the China diesel heater . No smell at all . Leave the entire unit outside and I bring the flex hose through the window . Instant heat no fumes in house . And no one is dizzy . That’s the safest one for my wife and 3 children . And that’s our emergency heater if our furnace goes out and nothing beats electric heaters hooked up to a generator. Leave all that carbon monoxide and fumes outside . Diesel kerosene propane keep all that shit outside they all give out fumes . 😂
I just bought a Chevy with a Cummins in it opened up my garage door and sat in there for a couple days. I’ve had no poems with it until my sister came over her boyfriend and picked up Her dog to school but the teacher got sick and forgot she had a math test so I ended up going and getting a brand new 2023 Ford raptor with the pride package And I tell y’all Don’t ever eat the chocolate from the floor at a park because it turns out out it’s not chocolate
I recently purchased a Mr. Heater 30,000- 60,000 BTU Heater for my 10×16 work shed ( not insulated). I bought a 100# tank and mounted it outside, with a small hole for the hose. In 20 degree weather, I let it run for half an hour with a cracked window open 2 inches. Good working weather for about 2-3 hours.
I just bought this exact unit. Ran it three hours and my doors were closed…I couldn’t exactly explain how I felt maybe a lil drunk? I’m talking minor impairment. I just figured on how drafty my old garage is I’d be ok but after going in the house and breathing Good air for a minute or two I felt way more coherent. Yeah I feel dumb typing this but this was my experience.However this thing boosted the temperature on my 25×20 garage tremendously well.
I bought a 35K BTU Mr Heater unit that’s the same shape and style of Tahoe Steve’s. I smoke cigars in my 3 car car garage. Right now, (I’m near Chicago) it’s not terrible. In a month or so it’ll be so cold it’s stupid. Every single time I want to fire up the Mr. Heater, I think of my son in law. He’s a fire chief in a suburb nor far from here. He says don’t do it, it’s a big no no…blah blahblah. The thing is, he went to school for all this stuff and other than these vid’s like Steve’s here, I have nothing to go by. I’m sick o ffreezin my but off, but that’s a good thing. LOL, otherwise I’d be well, dead from CO2 poisoning.
I know this is a pretty old article but, I went along the same routes as you did. First, one, then two 1500 W radiant electric heaters, Second I added (to the first) additional 30 to 60,000 BTU propane Mr. heater salamander. Third, 5000 W electric shop heater and removed the Mr. heater salamander as it was adding too much moisture into the air. Fourth, I installed a SRP 30,000 BTU overhead radiant tube heater and removed all other heaters. Fifth, I was happy with the fourth but I installed a ceiling fan. I sold the Mr. heater salamander for $100. Half the price I paid for it. I sold the 5000 W shop heater for $125. Half the price I paid for it. The two 1500 W radiant heaters stopped working after three years. Trash. The SRP 30,000 BTU natural gas radiant heater has been running flawlessly for five years. $1300 for the unit, $800 for the installation. Best solution ever. Growing pains. When installing the SRP, I also replaced my garage doors Press board, with R12 Doors with triple vapor seals. $1500. I keep my garage at 68°F all winter long.
I just bought Carbon Monoxide readers for my home. They all said the same thing — the meter will read zero until gases get about 30 ppm. I don’t believe most of these are an actual gauge that will indicate ANY amount of CO. They only trigger past the safe amount threshold, meaning zero doesn’t mean zero.
I do drywall taping and use mine mostly when I do basements and never had a problem with co2 but some propane is dirtier and burns the eyes. I always have every basement window open half an inch for air flow and to get rid of the moisture from the drywall mud. I also use mine in the garage and no issues other than running out of beer lol.
I have worked as a carpenter and tradesman on job sites and also my own garage for near 40 years using heaters just like that one. To each his own I say. Presently, I have a burner type that is attached to the bottle itself, and it is noticeably quieter, and works very well. To those that have to troll and be complete asshats about a man sharing his situation with you is his choice…and when I checked last, this is still America.
People are anal retentive about CO. Propane and NG burn very clean and you would need a very air tight space to build up CO, and even then some units will shut down because CO at high levels will displace oxygen. In any space larger than a sealed closet you are safe. People are afraid of everything these days.
I used those torpedo heaters for years, loud but work well. I’ve since switched to a radiant type that attaches to the top of the bottle, easy to move around, no hose, and a cheap box fan to circulate the air. I do crack the garage door a couple inches and have a bathroom exhaust fan above my bench, nice and toasty, quiet and half the fuel consumption of the torpedo.
The biggest problem with these is lack of a thermostat. I know the higher dollar models will have a thermostat, but the cheaper, I mean more economical, do not. Theywill blast you out of a two car garage in no time, even with the door up a foot or so. You regularly are turning it on and off to regulate the heat. Still, beats being cold…
I’m on my second blower, I use it whenever it gets cold and I need to spend time in my 2 car garage or my unheated basement. I’ve been using it for more than 20 years. I’ve got a high ceiling and have run it with the garage door open about 6 inches or so. Nice and toasty. Just this fall I was doing some bodywork and had it running for at least 4 hours. never had had a problem. Do need to make sure you don’t point it towards combustible materials and It is loud, but at least its not cold.
So I just bought a diesel version of this, if you read the instruction manual its perfectly fine for indoor heating provided you have the appropriate fresh air vent. It gives you the sqft needed for your unit. Not ideal, but safe. lets face it the best would be something like a wood or pellet stove. There are also things called yukon stoves that run of of diesel.
Main dangers of unvented heaters, whether kero, oil, LP or gas. MAY produce dangerous CO if poorly ventilated / in a small space/ or if burner is improperly operated/ adjusted. BE CERTAIN in a garage (or anywhere) that there are not combustibles/ combustible vapors. CHEMICALS such as cleaning chemicals, bleach, photography, paint/ bodywork product MANY chemicals when run through a fire become very toxic. LPG/ nat gas leaks are another concern. DO NOT run these when sleeping, ill, or unattended.
I have an upright canister propane heater for my garage, when im using it i have the garage door open about 2 inches from the floor, that is sufficient for fresh air to circulate in this space according to the instructions given with this heater, Always have a source of fresh air comming into your space. ALWAYS HAVE FRESH AIR. IT IS WRITTEN IN THE INSTRUCTIONS…….
I had one in my garage years ago, yes it heated up the space quickly but it was not the answer for me. 1. as you found out, it was too loud, 2 there is no way to regulate the heat, it was either full on or all the way off. so I was spending too much time messing with the heater and not enough time with my project. I tried a kerosene heater and that was better but it was smelly and it was expensive. it took longer to heat up but at least i could to some degree regulate the amount of heat I was getting. personally I do not want my shop at 70 degrees, 60 is just fine. I am working not relaxing. I have decided that insulation is more important that a big heater. I have been toying with the idea of building a heater from a old clothes dryer. I could regulate it and I do not have the worry of an open flame in the shop. I do a fair amount of woodwork so the idea of flying dust and open flame is not attractive to me.
Carbon Monoxide is lighter thn the normal air you breath – it goes straight up with the heated gas and stays there. Sensors are placed on the ceiling for that reason. In a large, unregulated volume I would place the sensor at least ten feet from the floor AND add a small extraction fan at the highest point in the space.
My model is similar but has a valve button that the instructions says to hold for one minute upon start up. If I don’t do this there is a propane smell. For more than 10 years I have run it for hours in the shop especially if it is 30 or 40 below. Then, when it gets warm enuf I change to a 220 contractors heater. I guess I should get one of those C0 testers. But, obviously I haven’t had any problems, and no windows or doors open.
You are reinventing the wheel. I parked the rocket in 1992. Get the wall heater, gas& ox sensor built in. It is all hopless with out a ceiling fan on low setting. Wall heater has thermostat and makes zero noise. worked in my Northern il garage mid 6os to now. 25 years to get it right, 31 years to use wall heater. I set it to 60, enough air leaks around overhead door. dont forget the fan!! the first 4 feet off the slab will be cold without it.
Thanks for the article Steve. I have a 40′ x 30′ garage shop. The attic has 8″ of blown in rock wool insulation. The 2″ x 4″ walls on 16″ centers have pink R-19 batting insulation and are covered in the inside by 1/2″ sheet rock. The ceiling is 5/8″ sheet rock. The outside walls and roof are delta rib tin sheets. The inside ceiling is seven feet tall, with one south facing three foot double pained window and four panel garage doors (three on the north side one on the southwest corner). I have a 220 volt electric heater in the northeast ceiling pointed south southwest. I have it set at the lowest setting in freezing weather and it keeps the garage around 50-60* If I’m working out in the shop I turn that electric heater on to the half setting and I’m nice and toasty in twenty minutes. I don’t use flame producing heat in my garage. Electric heat is expensive if used for primary heating but I prefer the safety aspect of it vs. the risk. I’m 73 and enjoy flipping a switch for heat instead of fooling around with a big production. Good luck from Yakima Washington 🙂
The byproduct of burning propane is carbon dioxide, and water. That said, your meter likely isn’t checking for that, and they aren’t usually an instant reading. What kills people with these propane heaters is not the creation of carbon monoxide, but oxygen depletion. Saw people falling sick time and time again every winter when I was a firefighter, no matter what appliance was left unvented. Vent it, no matter what it is.
I use them in my 42×60’ Pole Barn to keep as warm as I could if I must work on a car in the cold. Pole Barn Roofs are vented. I use to use Kerosene Torpedo Heaters in their also until Kerosene got so expensive. A waste oil heater is the best thing to have with Chimney vented out side. Had one for 9 years. Older now not spending as much time out on my Pole Barn doing things like I use to. Definitely the way to go if you have enough waste oil to keep you going. Most of them will also run on heating oil also but like kerosene it is costly.
could I use a force heater in my fully insulated 3 car garage about 630 sq ft with 8 ft ceilimgs for Christmas? I have a pool table in there and we will probably be playing pool during Christmas. I have some gaps around garage doors and also a 3 to 4 gap under door that goes to yard. So I don’t know if this will be enough ventilation? I know force heaters are loud but we will have the music playing:) eventually I will get probably a Mr cool 18000 btu minisplit system to heat and cool garage. I also have a gym in there. I live in Clovis ca with a zone 9b I think
yes they do work well especially if the garage is not insulated, however if its not rated for indoor use it problably should not be used i say this from experience the indoor rating is the thing thats mostly overlooked. on really cold days opening the door almost defeats the purpose of heating the garage this way as well as the 15-20 dollars you need to spend for the 20 pound tank you need and this cost continues 2-3 times per week if you are working in the garage often. you cannot run one of these with the door closed please dont as was said .
I’ve been using one of these for 20 years in my garage, used it to heat my entire house one winter when the power went out. As long as you’ve got electricity or can make electricity there is no better emergency heater. You can’t cook on it but you can roast marshmallows and hot dogs on sticks. I did not know there was such a concern over a proven technology that is used by thousands of construction workers to stay warm in the winter while working in a building with no heat.
Well if the garage is open that kind of defeats the purpose of running a heater just to open the door and let the heat escape. I guess propane heaters are not a viable option for the garage ( unless you open the door and let the heat escape while trying to heat it). I want a way to heat my small garage and was hoping for a propane type heater, I guess I will keep reading info on them. Thanks for sharing.
My opinion, the problem with any heating source that produces water vapor as part of the combustion that is NOT VENTED is that cold tools, like that cold drink on a summers day will sweat no matter how little, and start to rust. Unless you keep the temperature constant most of the time it will be a problem. A ceiling mounted electric blower unit would be better….constant fuel source, no water vapor, no CO, in a long run will be cheaper to operate.
I have a little bullet heater like this and it sucks the propane tank dry pretty fast. It heats up the garage pretty quick but I also have a box fan on low to push the air and I have two propane tanks left from a grill I used to own. My wife comes out to the garage once in a while but the smell (fumes) give her a headache. Only run it for a few days a years and I am not getting rid of it but get an actual mounted heater for the garage if you can afford it.
great article… we have been using propane heaters (different than yours) indoors on sites for 30 years with no carbon problems at all… we were using readers at first by after about 3 years they never went off so we stopped using them.. houses that do have carbon alerts never have gone off when we use them…we also use kerosene heaters sometimes but propane is way cheaper and less messy when traveling
i have a mr heater big buddy. my father is a fireman hes tested it with his meter an i have my carbon detector. so far its working great. heating my shop. but he told me. just because its functioning optimal one day dont mean it will be functioning optimal the next. make sure you have alot of ventilation cause the flame burns o2 an well air is good to have
Been using these things indoors for over 10 years now. Multiple CO2 sensors at different heights around the shop, never had a single reading from anything–but a motorcycle. As long as your garage has a little chimney stack and isn’t a absolutely airtight vacuum you’re fine. The lack of insulation just means that there’s more airflow coming in, burning up oxygen creates a suction that pulls in more air anyway because atmospheric pressure is a thing.
Taking a reading one foot from the floor is not a reading unless you plan on laying down all the time. You being in a garage with normal ceiling height you will be fine. I had a ventless in a storage shed 12×20 well insulated and had to remove it. The odor coming from it was making me sick. Guess I had to small of a space for it.
Hey Steve, think back to your H.S. chemistry: Combustion, fire, (or as they say in the Nuclear Energy Industry “rapid oxidation”) produces three bi-products: Carbon monoxide (CO) (from incomplete combustion), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). Propane, aka Liquid Petroleum Gas, produces very little carbon monoxide. That’s why it is used as a fuel for indoor fork lifts. A propane heater also produces very little carbon monoxide, so your detector wouldn’t have a problem with it. Before the ‘high tech’ advent of solid state combustion analyzers (to determine the composition of combustion gases) HVAC techs used to use a mirror to identify leaks in a furnace heat exchanger. If it ‘fogged’ a mirror, there was humidity, aka water vapor; presumably along with the other dangerous gases. Danger! However, that having been said, there are two other factors you need to consider: carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the room air. Combustion consumes oxygen. I have seen a Honda 7000 generator crap out and quit during a power failure because the owner ran it in a closed garage (out of fear of theft) and the spark plugs fouled-out from oxygen starvation. Also, don’t forget the astronauts in ‘Apollo 13’: piecubed.co.uk/apollo-13-co2-lessons/ Carbon dioxide levels above 15% impair human functioning and eventually lead to death. This emphasizes the need for ventilation to atmosphere (fresh) air. Also, the final bi-product is a real pain in the assets: Humidity; H2O. Everything; absolutely everything with any iron content will rust: Your drill press, your floor jack, every tool in your tool chest and even the clips on your suspenders.
I’d be extremely more cautious than using 1 meter, have a few that read different particulates in the air, I’ve had the same heater setup used off and on over the last 2 winters and in a 36x36x12ft tall shop, it would make me sick, sometimes even the syomptoms would show a few days after not using it, those are specifically designed heaters for out door contracting work, don’t use them in doors period.
im planning on getting a 10kw one for my double garage basically you can fit 2 average sized cars in there (uk cars not usa lol) if it didnt have all the stuff in there lol. anyway ive got ventilation above the 2 doors (quite a bit) and a bit below the doors so im not to concerned about ventilation now that youve demonstrated yours here. i was a bit concerned but i will certainly buy a carbon monoxide tester glad you showed that (i have 2 in my kitchen) i think i will be doing what you do not that i need to film or anything but i will probably run it for 15 mins or something like you do. by the way how many uses do you get out of your propane bottle? and how much does the bottle weigh? we have different bottles but the one i want to get is a 13kg
A better idea is to run a large diameter hose from the outside to the inlet of the heater. In this way, the heater is only consuming outside air thus not depleting oxygen from the inside of the garage. I was in the military and we used this type of heater to heat tents during winter operations at minus 40 degrees and they were the only things that kept us from freezing our butts off. No one ever even got sick from CO. A lack of oxygen was the most concerning.
BE CAREFUL: CO is lighter than air. That CO monitor will not work right on the floor. The CO gas is up about 5′ ….very little, if any down on floor. Don’t be fooled….CO RISES. Now that said…..a C3H8 heater will ONLY produce CO if the combustion process is incomplete. A properly operating propane heater should pose little to no issue.
All Combustion makes CO! Including your Stove/Oven! I use to investigate CO. I think OSHA rule was 50ppm of CO in commercial buildings where fork lifts may be running etc. I want 0 ppm in my Home! My friend had a NG wall heater in his home Unvented and I measured 4 ppm. I also test 11 ppm in a row house where the CO was coming through the wall from next door. She was getting Head Aches! I would not Trust that as a Meter because you don’t know how high the Alarm is set at. So my friend had 4 ppm no head aches, a home I responded to 11 ppm had head aches. You must be Careful using Unvented gas appliances!
I did the same thing… after the COVID-19 hit… I ended up setting up in the garage. At first I was using a small electric heater and then found a very similar propane heater on eBay for $60 it works FANTASTIC…!!! We have an insulated garage door so that helps a lot. I would do the same thing run it for a while then turn it off. My carbon monoxide reader never posted any ppm either and it’s always mounted on the wall. Not worried about that… just the flammables… if I’m using any.
There are two reasons for leaving the door cracked. Both are due to the depletion of free oxygen. 1. Carbon dioxide (CO2) will increase. The chemical reaction of a good propane burn is: Three molecules of CH8 + five molecules of O2 are converted to three molecules of CO2 and four molecules of H2O (water vapor). Breathing as little as 7% carbon dioxide can cause unconsciousness. 2. The fire needs oxygen. If you run it in an enclosed room, the oxygen levels will start to drop. When there is insufficient oxygen, the propane does not completely combust, which will result in an eventual build up of carbon monoxide (CO). Breathing only a 0.02% concentration of carbon monoxide will cause confusion, fatigue, and loss of judgment, which could mean the person doesn’t realize what is happening to them in time to get out. If that happens, the CO concentration will eventually increase until the person dies. CO binds to the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin’s normal job is to carry oxygen, but it can’t do that when CO “highjacks” the blood cells.
I get the concept. I too want heat for a space in winter to work, but! What about open flames and gasoline in a garage? Gasoline while enclosed in a car tank which is vented should be considered, but what about leaks exposing the fumes? It wouldn’t take much to set off a catastrophic event. These type of heaters have pilot lights which stay on while operating.