warming up the garage

[Phoenix3dfx225]

Right well I spend alot of time in my garage which is attached to my ground floor flat that I rent. Seriously spend all my time in there when I'm home because its got 1) the car & 2) The pc and desk my two favourite hobbies (and yes I still hold down a job and a girlfriend!)

Well I am looking at giving the garage a refresh and install x4 150watt halogen lights in each corner of the ceiling and install x2 5ft tubes down at ground level in a cage. All in aid of providing lots of light for the winter and late nights whilst working on the car etc.

However the floor is always alittle nippy as well so was going to ask about eletric floor heating but thought I'd google it as well and came up with this!

http://www.pedarsonheating.co.uk/underf ... cation.htm

What ya'll think. I was then thinking about painting over it with garage floor paint rather than tiles.

A few rubber strips to stop the draft coming through the garage doors and ill have a nice snug home

[Scott]

you will probably find that you would need to insulate the floor as its just a solid block of concrete?

Once you do that, anything you put on top of the insulation will be wrmed up by the heating anyway , so wont need underfloor heating.

we put a radiator in dads garage, along with a new false floor (2inch thick polystyrene foam insulation blocks for the floor) and the floor was never cold, whereas previously it was freezing to work in there....

obvisouly a false floor might be a problem if you plan to stick a ton and a half of car on it :S

[C2K]

Old carpet on the floor ftw.

[618ireland]

Old carpet on the floor ftw.

That's what I was thinking too, specially in a rented place.

[chrislandy]

this stuff is the dogs danglies

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=217645

I got loads for my garages, it's not load bearing i.e. no engine cranes thank-you but is is warm, slightly bouncy, it is oil and water resistant (even spilt brake fluid on it and its fine) and when you drop that M5x10 set-screw on it you don't loose it in the carpet pile

Edit: also comes on sale quite frequently (£10-13 per pack)

[Cableguy]

I can make you soem jigsaw mats like the above for much cheaper than that if you wanted, can also do some load bearing ones in any thickness that will take engine cranes and cars.

[Phoenix3dfx225]

These are real poor pictures as they were done on a wide angle lense and the place is much cleaner that they are here. I also plan to fit bunch more shelves and get everything off the floor.

I'm still like the waffer think cooling solution though, but have noted I may need something down first as insulation so I'm not just heating up the concrete.

[benno_bro]

that I rent.

That would put me off the underfloor heating straight away. Look into Cableguys offer as he works for a foam company, and could arrange something to suit

[Mr_James]

You're all a big bunch of girls! Try working outside on the car in close to zero temperatures

[Vard66]

... In the p*ssing rain, or hail, like when I did the HG on the 214...

[radddogg]

Did Dad's HG in winter, picking my tools from on top of the bulkhead found two spanners stuck together with ice, lol.

[Din]

... In the p*ssing rain, or hail, like when I did the HG on the 214...

Gearbox in the cold...and rain... laying in a pool of rain water and mtf94

[Mr_James]

8Pm Finish work
8:30Pm Start changing the MR2's gearbox
7Am Complete gearbox change
9Am Back to work

[radddogg]

8Pm Finish work
8:30Pm Start changing the MR2's gearbox
7Am Complete gearbox change
9Am Back to work

Props, I thought I was Xtreme, lol

[Mr_James]

Last week I had to do the clutch slave cylinder on the saab went to bed at 3:30am then back up at 5:30am for work not sure how I do it at times lol

[Phoenix3dfx225]

Hmm we've all seem to pulled over nighters. A friend timing belt snapped on his fiat brava 1.2 within a space of a few days we sourced a new engine for sub £100 and then got new parts ready and pulled an all nighter into the early hours of the morning to get it ready.

Cheeky bugger has stop picking faults ever since though, oh it making this sound oh and this etc etc. Bugger doing that again for him! (for free!)

[russ220]

im alright, rent's house has got a car port infront of the garage which has about 12 downlighters built-in.

all i ever put down is this thick old rug to lie-down on or use the creeper

if its really cold/windy, then wear some thermals and a beanie

i remember last year refitting my gearbox morning after the works xmas party

-----

i'd go with putting down old carpet first, along with some rads or free standing heaters