Need to warm 40' x 60' pole barn just enouugh to take the edge off.

[sixdogs]

Need to warm 40' x 60' pole barn just enough to take the edge off.

My 40 x 60 pole barn with concrete floor gets soaked with condensation during the winter when the temperature changes a lot in a hurry. There's no insulation so I can't heat it but I would like to heat it enough during these temperature changes to stop or slow down the condensation and dry things out.

What should I try or should I forget about it? How about a couple of big salamander heaters? Maybe something propane? Remember, I don't want to heat it often or very much...just enough to take the edge off when the temp starts to fluctuate. Any ideas appreciated.

 

[George2615]

Salamanders will do the job whether you get propane or kerosene fuel type. My experience with salamanders is they are usually quite noisy when running.
I opted for a used mobile home furnace (80,000 BTU) for my garage. Usually a home heating furnace service technician has used ones available cheap. I paid $100 for mine. I use a 15 gallon plastic container to supply kerosene to the furnace and added a little exhaust flue pipe out the back wall and I have all the heat I want when I need to work in the garage. The furnace runs a lot quieter than a salamander. My garage is insulated. If at all possible I'd insulate even if you only do a little at a time. Eventually it will get done.
Another choice would be wick type kerosene heaters. They don't usually have a fan but just radiate heat. You would need a few of them since the BTU's they produce are way lower than a furnace or salamander.

 

[dave1949]

Heating it is setting yourself up for the next condensation event.

If you aren't working in the building and it's not heated anyway, let more cold, dry air in with ventilation.

If you are working in the building occasionally, the hot air furnace sounds good for heating for a day or whatever. Then cool it off.

 

[Coyote machine]

Make sure you have adequate fresh air inflow to offset the exhaust fumes from whatever you use....
Remember CO is odorless, colorless and tasteless poison gas which will kill you if given the chance, and it is cumulative in the bloodstream too, so even short exposure over long time will have same deadly effect.

 

[nybirdman]

Salamanders with choke you out,even the propane ones.

 

[RoyJackson]

I suggest you build a small "office" of sorts rather then try to take the edge of the entire building. Most of the heat from a space heater (salamander or equivalent) will rise and probably not help you too much. You can heat the office with a small electric heater or something of that nature.
Now, using a salamander or other type heater when working on a piece of equipment in the building is another story...just drag it over and go to work.

 

[westcliffe01]

Any heater that vents into the structure will cause MORE condensation since burning ANY fuel results in the production of H2O (water).

The solution is to use a VENTED heater of whatever type you can afford. You need dry heat to raise the temperature and lower the relative humidity. The old pot belly stoves or barrel stoves were great radiant heaters and the radiation would raise the temperature of those interior surfaces, thereby further reducing condensation.

The correct answer of course would be to have some spray on insulation put on the interior surfaces, particularly if metal. Even a half inch would substantially reduce the condensation from metal panels compared to them being "naked" . You really can't do the same thing with foam board since there is no effective way to get a comparable air seal and without that there will just be trouble (condensation on the metal then running behind the foam board to cause all sorts of issues and mold)

 

[Coyote machine]

Any heater that vents into the structure will cause MORE condensation since burning ANY fuel results in the production of H2O (water).

The solution is to use a VENTED heater of whatever type you can afford. You need dry heat to raise the temperature and lower the relative humidity. The old pot belly stoves or barrel stoves were great radiant heaters and the radiation would raise the temperature of those interior surfaces, thereby further reducing condensation.

The correct answer of course would be to have some spray on insulation put on the interior surfaces, particularly if metal. Even a half inch would substantially reduce the condensation from metal panels compared to them being "naked" . You really can't do the same thing with foam board since there is no effective way to get a comparable air seal and without that there will just be trouble (condensation on the metal then running behind the foam board to cause all sorts of issues and mold)

The above idea would work, EXCEPT to stop the dew point from forming as cold outside air passes to warmer inside air, 2" minimum is what is needed for the closed cell spray foam install. Alternatively, you could cut out double foil faced foamboard and place it in between wall studs and then hand spray the perimeter of each section to create the needed air infiltration barrier. Kits of two grill sized propane tank chemicals and hose with spray nozzle are available at most building centers, and can be done by a handyman/you. This would cut down on hiring pros to do any foaming needed.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Propane has a really wet stack gas. Just use a milk house heater and ventilate. It won't warm the space much, but it will stop condensation. A wood burning shop stove would work the best, since the flue carries water out continually. Wood heat will really dry a building out.

 

[charlz]

The steel is colder than the air so you would have to heat it enough to warm all the steel.... or you could do what Dave suggested and open it up so the steel reaches ambient temps more quickly during temp change events. If you want to keep it closed up then fans (ceiling?) and a big dehumidifier might work to always keep the inside air dry.