I need some advice. I have an unheated two car garage that I use to paint in the summer. I would like to paint this winter, the temprature drops into the 20s and 30s here in Ohio. What I need to know is what is the best type of heater to use. I'm concerned about causing a fire with the fumes from the over spray. I have a small radiator style heater now but it isnt enough to heat the garage. Would heat lamps be an option?
Thanks, greenb98

i'm thinking of getting two of this heater.

http://www.heater-home.com/product/L4000.aspx

Do you think it is safe with paint fumes? I always worry about it even with my fans. I've never heard of anybody blowing themselfs up but I really dont want to be the first! I was thinking if I could heat up the garage to about 75 degrees, cut the heater (actually move it from the garage) shoot the paint and give it about twenty to thirty minutes for the majority of the fumes to be blown out by the fans. And then bring back in the heater. What do you think. Anybody?
Thanks greenb98

it should be safe cuz it's an electric heater but i don't know.

cut the heater (actually move it from the garage) shoot the paint and give it about twenty to thirty minutes for the majority of the fumes to be blown out by the fans. And then bring back in the heater.

The problem you may have is that the fan is going to suck out all your warm air, and where are you going to get your fresh air from....outside air will be pretty cold.

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Gordon

You might be able to build a small shed outside a window or doorway and heat the air inside the shed. Posistion your fans so its sucking the hot air out of the shed for fresh air into the shop? Preheat the fresh air entering the shop.

Pre-heating the incoming air seems like the best choice. Since I don't know how you have your incoming air set-up, all I can do is make a suggestion. You could make a temporary shelter, like a tent, with a good heater in it, where the incoming air is at. With my garage, I have 2 different rooms. In the larger area, where I don't paint, I have a torpedo type of kerosene heater. In the winter, I have it set-up so the incoming air is from that room, where it is warm. Of course, the warm air is going outside when the exhaust fan is running, but I have heat coming in too. I also have one of those radiator type of electric heaters going to help maintain the temp. Of course, being in Virginia, it doesn't get as cold as Ohio either.

As an added note, you also will need to warm up the place for quite a while before spraying. You need the metal temp up when you spray the paint on to it. I will normally maintian 70-75 deg in the shop for 2-3 days with the car in there, before painting.

Aaron

I use a contstruction heater like Evolution showed but I doubt you would need two of them, they kick out heat really well plus it's a 30 amp unit (some are 20) so you need to wire in a big plug similar to a dryer plug so doing two is twice the hassle. I shut it off while I'm painting though, I don't know if it's necessary but better safe than sorry.

can you recirculate the air through a filtration system during the colder months?

I use a 110,000 BTU space heater. Been doing it that way for 20 years. haven't blown myself up or started a fire yet.

I set the garage door down on 3 box fans to suck the fumes and overspray out of the garage. I blow the heater away from the fans so the heat goes into the garage before the fans suck it back out. I have no trouble keeping the garage between 70-80 degrees even wit the door open about 2 ft. and fans sucking the heat out. When I'm done spraying I shut the door, turn off the fans and run the garage up to about 105 degrees for a couple hours for the paint to "flow" out. Works like a charm.

Keep in mind I built this garage myself and insulated the crap out of it. Even the garage door is the insulated type. I also have ceiling fans to push the heat back down from the 16" ceilings. I put the high ceilings in because I was going to use a hydraulic lift.