Fire place in garage/work shed...bad idea?

[bpu699]

I live out in the country. Have a nice seperate work shed thats 2 stories, about 1500 sf. I heat the area with electric infra red heaters when I work on the car.

Works ok, takes 3-4 hours to heat the space to a workable temp in the winter...

I also happen to have an extra high efficiency fire place that I tore out of an older building. I was thinking that would be a great way to heat the space up. Plus, I have all the firewood I could ever use...

My mechanic thinks its a bad idea. Lots of flammable liquids in the space (oil/paint thinner/vapors/etc). He suggested that the risk of a fire might be high...

On the flipside, the electric heaters could also start a fire, no? I also weld in the area, and that could also set off a fire, etc.

Any thoughts on this? I can't be the only one thinking about it or who has done it... Also, even if I put in a gas furnace... that still has a flame!

[porsche4life]

It's done all the time. Don't be an idiot about and you'll be fine.

[VincentVega]

I worked in a shop for years heated with a wood stove. I wouldnt use open flame but if you are careful you'll be fine. Lots of potential for issues if you arent careful though.

[VINMAN]

I would have to agree with your mechanic.

.

[ckelly78z]

You mention that it is a "extra high efficiency fire place" (did you mean an enclosed woodstove) and to me, that means an open flame that is crackling and spitting sparks occasionally, which would not be safe at all in a garage with flammibles. I have burnt firewood almost exclusively in a high efficiency woodstove that is well sealed in my house for 20 years now with no problems. It becomes too hot to stand in front of for more than a few seconds, but it is on a raised tile hearth with fireproof metal wall shields on two sides, so it is as safe as can be.

In a garage setting, I would still have the metal wall shields with a 1" air space behind each one, and I assume, it would be sitting on a concrete floor. Where most fires start is where the chimney gose through the roof. I used a metalbestus stainless steel chimney that goes through the wall with a metal spacer that keeps the hot chimney pipe 6" away from everything in the wall to prevent heating up . I run a wire chimney brush through the pipe 3-4 times a year to get rid of any buildups, and help prevent chimney fires. Bottom line is that this is safe if you pay attention to what you're doing, and be diligant about eliminating the risks.

[Tobra]

Insulate it better instead

[GH85Carrera]

I would be leery of an open flame in a garage workspace. I do have my water heater and central furnace out in my garage but they are elevated off the ground to code and enclosed behind a door and in a room of their own. I have an electric 220 heater up close to the ceiling for heat of the workspace.

I try real hard to never work with gasoline or flammable solvents and paints if the garage doors are closed.

[turbo owner]

Fumes and flames are a real bad idea

[LakeCleElum]

Vapors hang near the floor. Code requires the burn box to be mounted high, at least 24" from floor......It can be done safely as long as you keep flammables sealed. Paint and oil are not a concern. Gasoline and paint thinner is; I stored those outdoors when I had a wood stove in my 1650 sq ft garage.....

Best thing I did was a 80,000 BTU ceiling mount propane heater......Can warm from 30 degrees to 50 in 10-15 minutes.......Woodstove took hours to warm up a garage....

[bpu699]

Thanks for the input. Never thought about mounting 24 inches off the ground...

The electric heaters I have warm the space well (to 55 or 60 degrees) , its fully insulated. The issue is that the floor is concrete and exteremely cold. That doesn't heat up at all, for the limited time I am in the garage... The space near the floor is cold, the cieling is hot...

Need ceiling fans too...

[GH85Carrera]

put in some ceiling fans. I have three and I will run them on the slowest setting pumping air downward. That helps a lot. I found three mismatched ceiling fans from people upgrading to newer fans. The did not cost anything.

[fastfredracing]

I heat my commercial repair garage with wood in the winter months . ( I also have other heat sources) .
Been doing this for 15 years. Have to use common sense. and always be aware . I never do any fuel system work anywhere near it, and nothing that could ignite is stored near it. Have fire extinguishers handy in all areas of the garage just in case.
If you are going to be doing a lot of painting , maybe not the best idea, but I have also seen body shops use a coal, and or wood furnace in the past.

[pete3799]

I use a wood stove to supplement the radiant heat in the floor of my garage.
If you mean wood stove (as in air tight) rather than "fire place" ( as in open flame) you'll be fine.
Just make sure your chimney and stove pipe are correctly installed.

[J P Stein]

I have had a wood stove in my shop, about 900 sqft, for about 15 years.
No problem but ya gotta be careful. My welder (& the bozo running it) is a bigger danger.

[diverdan]

A few years ago I needed to do some extensive work on my car in rural Ontario and lucked out finding a place to do the work. It was a 2500 square foot steel building well insulated with a concrete block room off the back. In there was a steel barrel stove with a blower to move the hot air into the shop. He painted show cars inside without any problems. That was a great solution.

A poorer solution was discovered down near Nashville, Tenn. when I looked at a Bricklin in a 1000 square foot shop heated by a wood stove. The body of the Bricklin looked like the Atlantic Ocean due to the extreme heat from the stove.

Forget the "high efficiency fireplace." I've got one in my home and before I spend another winter there it will be replaced by a real wood stove as the fireplace is nowhere as efficient as the stove.

[FLYGEEZER]

Pot belly stove & ceiling fans. i don't paint or work on any fuel issues when in use. My garage is small, about 700sq. ft. Keeps me "shirtsleve" toasty warm on any cold day.

[DanielDudley]

Call your insurance agent and building inspector.

[72doug2,2S]

Yeah, check with your insurer first.

[Mark Henry]

I welded 28" legs to the bottom of an airtight fireplace insert and heated a 1800ft shop for around 12 years. I painted and fixed cars, etc Insurance was fine with it till one day they asked me to replace it by the next winter.

I replaced it with a real nice direct vent gas furnace, installed it myself.

[porsche4life]

Guys, how many shops use diesel or kerosene space heaters? Tons! We used them all the time in dad's shop, they have for 30 years and still do. They have an open flame in them too!

Just don't be an idiot! Going to get gas everywhere, shut the heat off! Painting? Shut the heat off! Don't turn it back on until you've vented all the bad fumes out and fresh air in.

I'll agree that wood may not be the best shop heater, but is it inherently less safe than other heaters? Not necessarily, just don't be an idiot.