The Home Improvement Thread

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Go to https://www.polymersciencecorp.com/ and get a much better product. They'll be able to recommend the right thing for you. It'll be double the price of Rustoleum, but way better. I did my garage, and it's an easy enough DIY project.

This is for mech room, not a garage (already did my garage with a polyaspartic product). But I don't mind a bit of overkill for the mech room, so I'll check this out.

Thank you

[Fuzz]

Ya, I think they have different product options for basements, industrial applications, garages etc. I don't know what they best option would be, but they probably do.

[Engine09]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Two places I'd try. I don't think this'll be expensive.

1. Acrylic Concepts, 403-974-3240
2. GE Polymershapes, (403) 250-1670

Acrylic Concepts have what I need and the size I asked for was only $36. Going to pick up tomorrow, thanks, good tip.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Did Telus finish in your area? I heard in some areas they abandoned the work because of geological issues.

I hadn't heard that, but they at least finished in front of our place. We're "this close" to having better internet!

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Ya, I think they have different product options for basements, industrial applications, garages etc. I don't know what they best option would be, but they probably do.

Checked this place out and I just can't justify it. My mech/storage room is not even 500 sq ft, and they were looking for about $1300. Their product is made for industrial or commercial applications.

I think I'm gonna go with the Rustoleum 2-part epoxy. I don't need something that uber durable for a storage room.

You can come back in 10 years and quote this post when I complain about delaminating.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Checked this place out and I just can't justify it. My mech/storage room is not even 500 sq ft, and they were looking for about $1300. Their product is made for industrial or commercial applications.

I think I'm gonna go with the Rustoleum 2-part epoxy. I don't need something that uber durable for a storage room.

You can come back in 10 years and quote this post when I complain about delaminating.

Wow, that's crazy. I was definitely under $800 for my 700 sq ft garage. Sorry for the crappy advice!

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Engine09

Acrylic Concepts have what I need and the size I asked for was only $36. Going to pick up tomorrow, thanks, good tip.

Glad to hear it worked out. In general, it never hurts to ask. I've started noticing that custom orders can occasionally be cheaper than off the shelf type of orders. Worst case, you just say no thanks.

Not to mention, in some scenarios, you can ask about some options that are cheaper.

I forget what we were asking for (probably stone counter tops) but the price for what we wanted was a bit high. We told the store and they asked us to wait a week. A week later they showed us some samples for the size we needed and said they could offer a pretty good deal if we agreed to take the remainder of the stone from a different project when they started cutting it in the coming weeks, which we agreed to.

I used the same concept when I did my own home. I asked them how much extra material there was and what it would fit and how much it would cost for them to put it in other parts of the home and I got a pretty damn good deal on all of the stone by taking the extra pieces for a bathroom, laundry area and wet bar.

I was chatting with someone who manufactures cabinets. I said what I thought it would cost to do my whole kitchen and he kinda just looked at me and said if I wasn't as picky on style and willing to wait on specific large orders, he could basically do my kitchen for 60% of what I thought it would cost. I've yet to take him up on the offer and I assume prices have skyrocketed to or exceeding what my original estimate was, but I was definitely surprised at the custom cost of some of these things. It was almost the same as the cost of doing IKEA, but a much more premium product.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Checked this place out and I just can't justify it. My mech/storage room is not even 500 sq ft, and they were looking for about $1300. Their product is made for industrial or commercial applications.

I think I'm gonna go with the Rustoleum 2-part epoxy. I don't need something that uber durable for a storage room.

You can come back in 10 years and quote this post when I complain about delaminating.

You'll be golden with the Rustoleum. I did that in my garage, like, six or seven years ago and it's holding up awesome except for some hot-tire pick-up where I park. Wouldn't use it again for a garage, but a storage room? You'll be in perfect shape.

I did do my Canmore garage last year and went with the commercial stuff for that, but it's not necessary for inside your house IMO.

I'd take the time to add the high gloss coat on top. It's one more step, but super fast and easy and levels you up to look so sick.

[Sr. Mints]

For a garage heater, what kind of BTUs should I be looking at to heat an attached 20x20x9 garage? Is 45000 adequate? Just looking to keep the garage above freezing, like ~5 to 10-degrees, not host Christmas dinner out there (although I'm not against the idea of placing a kids table out there.)

Uninsulated garage door, styrofoam beads were pumped into the attic recently, FWIW.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

For a garage heater, what kind of BTUs should I be looking at to heat an attached 20x20x9 garage? Is 45000 adequate? Just looking to keep the garage above freezing, like ~5 to 10-degrees, not host Christmas dinner out there (although I'm not against the idea of placing a kids table out there.)

Uninsulated garage door, styrofoam beads were pumped into the attic recently, FWIW.

It depends?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

I have this heater. It's rated at like 5100 BTUs. If I run this for around 20-30 minutes when it's -20C outside, the temp in my double garage is just slightly above melting. I usually do this for around 45 minutes to an hour to try and melt off the excess ice from my car if I get vibrations and I can't get to a heated parking garage within the next few days. I think as long as wind isn't blowing through the seams between the garage door I would assume you could probably hit 5-10C after around 45 minutes to an hour and then slightly higher if you kept it on? I think a few other posters do something similar with timers and wall mounted heaters.

I have heard of some people who during Covid would have those umbrella patio heaters inside their open garage to stay at a reasonable temperature. Maybe that could be an option too? Obviously, don't close the garage door completely with those gas heaters on.

[sa226]

Theres some calculators out there if you search for them, but 45000 is more than adequate.

I have a 27x30x8 garage and I have a 50000btu heater. I would say its a tad undersized. Maybe. The advice is usually don't go too big because it becomes much less efficient. You don't want the heater kicking on and off a bunch of times per hour

[Fuzz]

Mine is 50 000 for a 22x32x9 with vaulted ceiling. 2x6 insulated everywhere(including door). It has absolutely no problem with keeping it at 5-10, and can heat to 20 in 15 minutes. I think that would be fine for you. I barely notice it on my gas bill, so I'm not even sure it runs that much.

[DoubleF]

How long would 45000+ BTU heat up a garage from -20C to 5C? Like 5-10 minutes or something? (Assuming Fuzz saying 20C in 15 minutes is accurate).

Seems overkill for my purposes, but if I was working on my cars regularly in the winter and occasionally needed to open the garage door to move vehicles around, it makes a ton of sense.

[Fuzz]

20C from somewhere between 5 and 10, not -20. If you have an insulated heated garage there is no point in letting it get below zero. Moving vehicles around isn't a big deal, because everything is already warm. Sure, you get a hit of cold air but it clears up quickly.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

For a garage heater, what kind of BTUs should I be looking at to heat an attached 20x20x9 garage? Is 45000 adequate? Just looking to keep the garage above freezing, like ~5 to 10-degrees, not host Christmas dinner out there (although I'm not against the idea of placing a kids table out there.)

Uninsulated garage door, styrofoam beads were pumped into the attic recently, FWIW.

In our climate, ballpark required sizing for a house furnace is about 60 BTU/h per sq ft. A garage can be an energy suck because of crappy insulation and sealing, but >110 BTU/h⋅sq ft is yuge.

A gas-fired 36,000 BTU/h input unit should still output >28,000 BTU/h, which should be more than enough.

[CroFlames]

One thing I came to peace with is spending money on natural gas to keep my garage toasty.

I have a programmable and wifi thermostat, so in the mornings during the winter, I program it to reach 19 degrees for a good 30 minutes before I am set to leave. Then I crank her all the way down the rest of the day.

IMO - money well spent. And its paying myself back for all the winter mornings over the years I've had to scrape and claw my way into my vehicles through mountains of snow and layers of ice, then proceed to freeze my ass off on the way to work.

[Brendone]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

One thing I came to peace with is spending money on natural gas to keep my garage toasty.

I have a programmable and wifi thermostat, so in the mornings during the winter, I program it to reach 19 degrees for a good 30 minutes before I am set to leave. Then I crank her all the way down the rest of the day.

IMO - money well spent. And its paying myself back for all the winter mornings over the years I've had to scrape and claw my way into my vehicles through mountains of snow and layers of ice, then proceed to freeze my ass off on the way to work.

That’s really the only thing holding me back. We had the gas and electric run, so just need the heater and vent installed, but not a fan even even higher utility bills. Sure would be nice to use the garage all winter though.

[Fuzz]

There's no reason to heat it to 20 degrees though. 5 or 10 is fine, your windows will stay clear and your vehicle will heat up quickly.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

There's no reason to heat it to 20 degrees though. 5 or 10 is fine, your windows will stay clear and your vehicle will heat up quickly.

There's no "reason" to heat your garage at all then. I got by for years not even parking in a garage.

I like the vehicle to be warm when I get in, so sue me. It's at 20 degrees for a total of maybe an hour a day, then it comes right back down. The beauty of a programmable stat.

[Fuzz]

It wasn't a critique. Do what you want. Brendone was worried about extra costs I was suggesting you don't need to heat it that much to get most of the benefit of a heated garage. No frosty windows and quick engine heat.