Garage 88 degrees (yuck)

[jbrowning]

With all the heat we have been having, I'm finding it hard to work in the garage. The outside temp is in the mid to upper 90's and in the garage it is right about 85 degrees this was yesterday evening about 6-7 p.m. I was able to cut 1 race track out last night before I had to go back into the house with A/C. I do have a fan blowing on my back while I'm scrolling. Does anyone else have this issue and if you do how to you handle this to be productive but not the hurt your health? I was kind of thinking about looking at putting a portable air conditioner in the garage but I don't know how well it would hold up with the sawdust that I'm making.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The garage is a 2 car garage and is insulated, dry walled and taped. I will be looking at insulating the garage door (which faces north) this fall after I get a heavy duty garage door opener installed.

 

Thanks

Jim

[JOE_M]

I like it warmer so I usually just open windows on opposite sides and let the breeze go to work. But if it gets too bad I have a portable AC. I'm not a big fan of them because of the noise and the one I have is a little undersized for my workshop.

If you're worried about dust, just stick it by the cleanest window to vent. If the filter clogs too fast for you (they're washable) then you can go to Home Depot and buy their cheapest 16x20x1 HVAC filter and cut it into smaller parts and just tape it on the back on top of the air inlet. That's what I did when I was doing the drywall installation in 100+ heat. It was the only way I had to keep the mud from setting too fast in the heat.

 

[Rolf]

get one of the free standing AC units that has a vent tube to the outside. It has washable filter.

[kmmcrafts]

My issue isn't usually about being hot.. but being cold is.. LOL

I built a new 24 x 32 shop with a 14 x 32 loft shop 5 years ago... heat rises plus I have it really well insulated.. I work downstairs as the loft portion is where I have my photo booth and my storage boxes etc.. But.. I have yet to put in a heater.. I've worked out there is -7F before.. on average though it usually hangs in the mid - upper 30's.. I have a small LP radiant heater that I turn on if it gets any colder than the 30F mark.. Summer time if I keep it all shut up rarely gets to the mid 80's even if it's upper 90's outside..

I'm not sure how the AC would do with the dust..    

 

Forgot to mention.. it does get quite warm in the loft if I work up there.. but in the summer months I am not up there too much really other than taking new inventory up to the storage bins.. 

Edited July 18, 2017 by kmmcrafts

[Fish]

My garage is well insulated too.  Drywall and all.  I insulated the doors with fiberglass.  It definitely gets hot.  I only have a fan too   I deal with it as long as I can then I go back inside.   

[hawkeye10]

I have a window AC unit and a heater. Right now it's 68* and I love it. I can't stand the hot humid weather we have in Tn. nor do I want to be cold. I consider being comfortable while I work a top priority. I do wood working for the enjoyment I get from it and I want to be comfortable. 

[MTCowpoke22]

We've been experiencing the same heat wave here. Sounds like my garage is pretty similar to yours. Sunday outside temps hit 103 and the garage was around 95. I made sure I drank plenty of water and took a few breaks in the basement to cool off. I open both garage doors and the walk-in (no windows in the garage) and have two box fans going to keep the air circulating while I'm working. Other than that, I just sweat away. Someday, I'm going to build a shop with a climate control. Someday.....

[tonylumps]

I keep the garage doors open and use a large pedestal fan.It works great moving air.Now my garage is under the house .So the sun is not beating on it all day.Just late in the after noon it heats up in the driveway. 

[Iguanadon]

I'd be thrilled if it was only 88 degrees in my garage.  LOL  Mine is reaching 93, 94 with 80% humidity.  I just moved into this house 10 months ago, so this is my first summer and I am also trying to decide what to do, if anything.  I have an area enclosed in plastic where I do all of my scroll cutting, intended for dust control, but it also is great for cooling a small area with a portable AC (bought at Home Depot).  It's fabulous and I can cut in there for hours if I want to.  The rest of the garage is still unbearable, so any work that needs to be done outside the plastic area is done first thing in the mornings.

[tonylumps]

4 minutes ago, Iguanadon said:

I'd be thrilled if it was only 88 degrees in my garage.  LOL  Mine is reaching 93, 94 with 80% humidity.  I just moved into this house 10 months ago, so this is my first summer and I am also trying to decide what to do, if anything.  I have an area enclosed in plastic where I do all of my scroll cutting, intended for dust control, but it also is great for cooling a small area with a portable AC (bought at Home Depot).  It's fabulous and I can cut in there for hours if I want to.  The rest of the garage is still unbearable, so any work that needs to be done outside the plastic area is done first thing in the mornings.

Iggy Insulate that plastic hose if you havn't already Makes a big difference if you are venting outside.

Edited July 18, 2017 by tonylumps

[Iguanadon]

1 minute ago, tonylumps said:

Iggy Insulate that plastic hose if you havn't already Makes a big difference.

Yep, that things gets almost red hot doesn't it.  I have it mostly running out the garage door which I keep open and I do have it wrapped in insulation from when I used to use it in a garden shed at my previous house.

[tuner]

If it were me I would get a A/C. the cost to buy and run it is offset my better health and working conditions, as far as dust just cut and tape filter to front of the A/C. Life has enough problems my shop should not be one of them.

[trackman]

I picked up a window AC unit at a sale for $25 and it keeps the shop/garage around 75 when it is 95 outside.

[Woodmaster1]

Since I didn't insulate under my slab, if I keep the doors closed and run a fan I am comfortable most of the day. It is in the nineties outside and doesn't get in the eighties until 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

[hawkeye10]

1 hour ago, Iguanadon said:

I'd be thrilled if it was only 88 degrees in my garage.  LOL  Mine is reaching 93, 94 with 80% humidity.  I just moved into this house 10 months ago, so this is my first summer and I am also trying to decide what to do, if anything.  I have an area enclosed in plastic where I do all of my scroll cutting, intended for dust control, but it also is great for cooling a small area with a portable AC (bought at Home Depot).  It's fabulous and I can cut in there for hours if I want to.  The rest of the garage is still unbearable, so any work that needs to be done outside the plastic area is done first thing in the mornings.

I feel for you Iggy. This is just me but I would have bought an AC unit way way before a new saw. I remember a lot of years ago we went on vacation somewhere close to where you live and we came back to the room to get ready to out to eat. Well by the time we got back from eating I was dripping wet. We never went back there again. I just can't stand that humidity. The humidity must not bother a lot of folks like it bothers me.

[125 CSL]

It is just to hot to work except for very late. I sometimes get up early and do a little.

[Iguanadon]

11 minutes ago, hawkeye10 said:

I feel for you Iggy. This is just me but I would have bought an AC unit way way before a new saw. I remember a lot of years ago we went on vacation somewhere close to where you live and we came back to the room to get ready to out to eat. Well by the time we got back from eating I was dripping wet. We never went back there again. I just can't stand that humidity. The humidity must not bother a lot of folks like it bothers me.

LOL, well I'm thinking of having a wall built, my garage is a 2 1/2 car garage, literally 900 sqft and my workshop areas is in the "1/2"... I could build a wall with a door and probably be able to heat and cool it rather easily... but that's something I'll pursue down the road.

By the way, the entire Hawk saw thing is a bust.  I'll be providing details soon once I calm down.  ;-)

[tonylumps]

3 hours ago, Iguanadon said:

Yep, that things gets almost red hot doesn't it.  I have it mostly running out the garage door which I keep open and I do have it wrapped in insulation from when I used to use it in a garden shed at my previous house.

That hose is the dumbest thing i have ever seen .That is why a lot of people say (those things don't work). But once insulated works like any window unit I use it when my power goes out Room to room

[zimmerstutzen]

when I was a little kid, I went to visit an aunt in Green bay Wisc.   My cousin worked as a go-fer in the shop across the street.    We had several days near 100 degrees around July 4th.  The shop was lined with windows from waist high, but that roof with it's southern exposure really turned the shop into an oven.  Well one day, it was a cloudless blue sky, but the roof was wet already at 9 am.  the owner ran hoses and sprinklers across the top ridge of the shop and turned the water on.  My cousin claimed that kept the shop 20 - 30 degrees cooler on those days that the sprinklers were keeping the roof cool     I have done that on my pole barn when I had a several days project repairing farm equipment.  definitely helps

.  

[amazingkevin]

14 hours ago, jbrowning said:

With all the heat we have been having, I'm finding it hard to work in the garage. The outside temp is in the mid to upper 90's and in the garage it is right about 85 degrees this was yesterday evening about 6-7 p.m. I was able to cut 1 race track out last night before I had to go back into the house with A/C. I do have a fan blowing on my back while I'm scrolling. Does anyone else have this issue and if you do how to you handle this to be productive but not the hurt your health? I was kind of thinking about looking at putting a portable air conditioner in the garage but I don't know how well it would hold up with the sawdust that I'm making.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The garage is a 2 car garage and is insulated, dry walled and taped. I will be looking at insulating the garage door (which faces north) this fall after I get a heavy duty garage door opener installed.

 

Thanks

Jim

Jim in the heat down in Florida as long as the fans on my face and my face is dry i'm happy

[amazingkevin]

12 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

My issue isn't usually about being hot.. but being cold is.. LOL

I built a new 24 x 32 shop with a 14 x 32 loft shop 5 years ago... heat rises plus I have it really well insulated.. I work downstairs as the loft portion is where I have my photo booth and my storage boxes etc.. But.. I have yet to put in a heater.. I've worked out there is -7F before.. on average though it usually hangs in the mid - upper 30's.. I have a small LP radiant heater that I turn on if it gets any colder than the 30F mark.. Summer time if I keep it all shut up rarely gets to the mid 80's even if it's upper 90's outside..

I'm not sure how the AC would do with the dust..    

 

Forgot to mention.. it does get quite warm in the loft if I work up there.. but in the summer months I am not up there too much really other than taking new inventory up to the storage bins.. 

paper pleated filter for a.c,'s are tops

[amazingkevin]

13 hours ago, Rolf said:

get one of the free standing AC units that has a vent tube to the outside. It has washable filter.

washable filters you can pour flour thru

[amazingkevin]

12 hours ago, Fish said:

My garage is well insulated too.  Drywall and all.  I insulated the doors with fiberglass.  It definitely gets hot.  I only have a fan too   I deal with it as long as I can then I go back inside.   

Nice tree of life avatar!

[amazingkevin]

11 hours ago, hawkeye10 said:

I have a window AC unit and a heater. Right now it's 68* and I love it. I can't stand the hot humid weather we have in Tn. nor do I want to be cold. I consider being comfortable while I work a top priority. I do wood working for the enjoyment I get from it and I want to be comfortable. 

keep on scrolling,lol

[amazingkevin]

11 hours ago, MTCowpoke22 said:

We've been experiencing the same heat wave here. Sounds like my garage is pretty similar to yours. Sunday outside temps hit 103 and the garage was around 95. I made sure I drank plenty of water and took a few breaks in the basement to cool off. I open both garage doors and the walk-in (no windows in the garage) and have two box fans going to keep the air circulating while I'm working. Other than that, I just sweat away. Someday, I'm going to build a shop with a climate control. Someday.....

paint your garage any color with ceramic paint heat cannot go thru it .the shuttle uses ceramic paint and works great it's water base to.all white paint company in fort lauderdale sells it on 21st. terr.