Heating a large(ish) studio - any ideas!

Ian Boichat

Ian Boichat

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Well the good news is I'm moving into my new studio next week, the bad news is there's no heating. It's a converted barn around 1600 sq ft, just wondered if anyone had used propane heaters or something similar. I think in the long run will fit underfloor heating but can't stretch to that for now!
 
1st of all make sure the insulation is up to scratch.

UFH is about the most expensive way to heat a room, the initial outlay costs are tremendous.

It all depends on what you have at the moment. Please give more details ie; Is it a concrete floor? How high are the rooms? Any windows? How many doors? Do you have ventilation?

Answer some of these for a more definitive reply.
 
Concrete floor, roof is insulated but high 25' so looks lovely but big cubic space to heat, no windows. Walls not insulated though, if all goes to plan will look to make some more improvements but if they had already been made the rent would have been too high to start with! I factored in that temporary heating wouldn't be cheap. I was thinking of some infra red panels for the workstations as they just need local heat but again not sure if that's the way to go. Hope that helps, will post a pic later.
 
Sounds like a space heater would be the way to go - instant heat, portable and easy to sell on once funds allow for a better solution.
I don't know much about the different sorts but when I worked in a garage they were a joy on those cold winter mornings. However, the only ones I have seen burned diesel or kerosene so there will be emissions to think about - maybe a propane one can be used in an enclosed space ?

Just to give some sort of ideas -

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/s...p-heaters/type/any/module/shopcategory/page/1
 
Thanks for the recommendation Steve, that was what I had in mind I just haven't had any experience with them. Need to work out if there's somewhere I can store a barrel of fuel as it looks like they would burn quite a lot per day between £10-20 worth for the size I need, maybe I will just save it for when clients are around and stick with an extra jumper when I'm there on my own!
 
How about getting one of those cheap marquee tent things, about ten by twenty, a brilliant white enclosure with a volume you could heat with a fan heater at about a hundred quid. No white backdrop to buy, can shoot through a window, you can light it from outside(y)(y) then you can take it home when you get a bit flusher with cash(y)
 
Withs such a high ceiling heat from conventional convective radiators, and to a certain extent fan heaters, will just convect upwards and disappear, it would take a lot of energy to build the temperature gradient such that its 18 -20 at floor level.

Long term solution: underfloor heating
Short term: infra red radiant heaters directed onto people, patio heaters?

Or use constant tungsten lighting :D
 
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The cafe I use is a fairly big building and I've seen them use a small propane space heater.

I was impressed at the amount of heat from it and how well it worked. I'd suggest you hire a couple of these before buying and see how they perform.
 
What about a log burner? Cost of fuel would depend on your access to wood, if you could find a free/cheap source of that you could be onto a winner.
 
Any of the propane heaters are expensive and kind of fumey. Big log burner is a good idea as it is the kind of heat that makes people feel warm just from looking at it.

It just will be rather cold. Might be cheaper to kit everyone out with warm jackets, wooly hats, fingerless gloves and heated boots!

A false ceiling at a more normal height/indoor tent would help. Friends lived in a converted school and they had fans upstairs to push the hot air back downstairs. Was still chuffing freezing most of the time though as they also had two storey windows.
 
Take a look at these. We use one in our workshop. We obviously get the fuel for free, but I'm sure a local garage would give you a 205ltr drum of waste oil every now and then.
The heat output is excellent.

waste oil heater

Kev.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, need to make sure whatever I use isn't a fire hazard! A wooden barn wouldn't take much to go up in smoke. (which would be a shame as its been there for around 300 years!) probably will put a lower ceiling in above the office area eventually and I did think about getting some branded fleeces to hand out. Will google some of the other ideas.
 
Here are a couple of pics - get the keys on Tues!:)



The_Stable_Barn_-_Interior.JPG
 
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