'Heat It With Matchsticks'

Back to the Gallery build...

The painter did the ceiling yesterday. Took about an hour to spray it a flat gray called "Software" (must be a sweet job, "paint color namer.")

But there was a problem. Three hours later, the paint was still wet.

The reason? Shed's too tight. You put two gallons' worth of moisture into the air and after it loads the air with humidity it's got nowhere to go. The insides of the windows were wet with condensation.

And it was too cold in there, too. By then it was 38°F (3.3°C) outside and inside.

So I drove up to Tractor Supply and bought two ceramic space heaters (because one just seemed like it would be too weak). It was dark by that time. Put them inside the shed and turned both up to high, and went inside for an online meeting.

It was two hours before I got back outside, and guess what the temperature was inside the shed by then?

EIGHTY. 80°F! That's 26.7°C. After only two hours with two space heaters on! Man, Tyler the insulation guy was hardly joking when he said I'd be able to heat with matchsticks. Oh, and the air was much less humid by then and the paint was drying nicely. 

Drywall is next
To leave it overnight, I turned one of the space heaters off entirely. Here's a snap of the little $13 space heater that remained on, so you can see what we're talking about:

More to the point, here are the settings I left it on overnight:

And in the morning, with an outside temperature of 36°F and after a whole night in the 30's, with only that one little space heater for heat, the temperature in the shed was a comfortable 65°F (18.3°C).

Pretty dramatic, don't you think? At this point, I'm thinking the eight-foot baseboard unit we have planned might be overkill.

By the way, when they build whole houses this airtight and well insulated, they have to install air-exchange ventilating systems. Here's a link to a long video explaining one such unit (a Zehnder) in detail, in case you happen to be curious. With a single-room shed, air exchange will happen naturally with opening and closing of the single door to the outside, perhaps with a little help from the fan in the air conditioner. I'm going to have to keep an eye on it, though. This little building is as airtight as a bottle with a cork in it.

Anyway, the drywallers are in there now, my pool-team friend Charlie and his brother and their father. I'm inside staying out of their way.

I put the wires for the stereo in the wall right before they got here, so they can get covered up by the drywall.

That's the update for today, but check out the nifty pool table light I scored on Craigslist (seller's photo):

Handsome, eh? My friend Eric (the ceiling painter) and I have to drive to Buffalo to get it next week (it's a little too big for my back seat). I was going to build my own pool light, but when I saw this one I decided to go for it. It wasn't expensive. The owners just moved, and don't need it any more.

Mike

UPDATE Wednesday evening:

This picture shows you three significant things—the drywall up and taped; the two wire "tails" coming out of the wall where the stereo speakers will be; and, out the window, my other shed...which is what gives me that darned nickname...(see below...).

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Paul Martini, Bluff, Utah:

Christer Almqvist: "Be careful. The humidity is still in there. What was on the walls and on the on the inside of the windows when the indoors temperature was low is still inside the shed, only it is in the air and not on the walls when the air temperature is higher. Warm air can hold much more humidity than cold air. You can get the humidity out by letting (dry) cold air in and warm (wet) air out just by opening the door. Still better is two openings on opposite walls. (Called durchlüfteten in German, and is one of the methods to keep COVID out of the house). Do not keep door/window open longer than it takes to change the air. Do not let the walls get cold. And read up on absolute and relative humidity. Get a hygrometer. Avoid condensating humidity at all cost; the long term negative effect is not to be taken lightly. Healthwise, and financially."

Rob Spring: "Unless you ventilate the moisture will not leave. Warm air holds much more water vapor than cold so all you did by heating up the room was to drive the water from liquid to vapor. Be sure to crack some windows and try to induce a way for the moist air to exit the building. If you don't move that moisture out you will be in a situation where the vapor pressure in the building is significantly higher than outside. The moisture will find every crack and gap in your insulation system and believe me there are some. I have inspected many foam insulation installations like yours with an infrared camera and I have never found one that did not require quite a bit of touch up. There is no free lunch with energy. Super insulate with no air flow and moisture levels will rise. A dehumidifier may be your best option."

Mike replies: I'm all over it. This was in the barn, left over from my days in Waukesha, where the basement flooded two or three times a year.

Dan S: "So here’s a little secret about electric heaters: They are all the same. Regardless of the shape or size, their BTU output is limited by your home electrical system. There are numerous YouTube videos that explain this, but suffice it to say, it’s not the size that matters."

Mike replies: Well I'll be darned. I had actually noticed that, that every space heater in the store seemed to be 1,500 watts. (Link above in Dan's comment added by me.)

Zack S: "Did you include air conditioning in the build? Did not see that mentioned in your posts about your saga."

Mike replies: Yes, it'll get a small window air conditioner next Spring. There's a separate 20-amp circuit from the breaker panel.

Akhil Lal (via email): "Read with much interest your ongoing story re your new shed.

"Just curious, did you gave any thought to the possible outgassing of organic vapour from the closed cell foam insulation and its  long term health effects?"

Mike replies: It's difficult to research. Almost all the available data on safety is centered around application and the dangers during and immediately after application; SDS's (Safety Data Sheets) on some (not all) the constituent chemicals (and little on the two components after they're mixed); and cases of improper installation (which can be a nightmare—imagine having large swaths of your home slathered in glue and then finding out it's toxic and needs to be removed. There are cases where improper or inept application essentially ruins existing homes). 

Data about the safety of properly applied, good-quality spray foam insulation after it's in place is not easy to find. I've reached out to the EPA and to a green building specialist company for further links. We'll see what comes from that. 

The green building specialist claims on its website that over 85,000 materials and chemicals are using in building, overall, and that only 5–10% of them have been adequately studied for occupant safety after they're installed. 

Comments

[Jack Mac]

Great pool table light,
Jack

[schralp]

With that degree of structure tightness, you really should gat an HRV. Panasonic makes just the ticket in a unit the size of a bathroom fan that is whisper quiet and energy efficient. It will also eliminate VOCs from your spray foam off gassing over the winter when the windows are shut. It only requires a single small hole in the wall (supply and return combined) and will fit above your rafters. If you can’t find it online email me and I will send you the details of one I installed in a similar setup.

[John Krumm]

Nice. I would get a simple humidistat like this to leave in there when you first start using it, just to make sure things don't get up to the dreaded "mold" levels.

https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-TP50-Digital-Thermometer-Temperature/dp/B01H1R0K68/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&aaxitk=HN0LKDg-MhNb-Naa49O-FA&hsa_cr_id=9646085820601&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0

[Peter Komar]

Mike, I recall in your previous posts that you were considering painting the floor to save some money. May I suggest Epoxy paint typically used for concrete garage floors, it will hold up nicely and if you apply the colored specs while the paint is curing, it will add a nice effect when fully cured. I would then apply a coat of clear sealer to finish it off. These can be all purchased at a Paint Store and is simple to mix and apply, just a thought.

[hugh crawford]

Fun and useful fact for photographers: if you want to order a can of 18% gray paint, it’s name is “Trolley Gray” and you can get it at normal paint prices. I have never seen a trolley painted that color.

If you want a car that color so that you could use it instead of a gray card you could order it in Chrysler Vapor Steel Gray or Volkswagen Polar Gray.

Apparently 18% Gray is also known in the UK as Dulux (a paint brand) Urban Obsession.

The color naming racket sounds like a fun one.

[Robert Roaldi]

It's insane that we don't already build our houses this way.

[Clayton]

If you like your tables fast, a little heat under the table is said to be the way to go.

[Peter Williams]

Sounds like it'll be game over if you or your opponent fart in there during a game :-)

[Jeremy]

Hi. Just keep in mind that warm air has the capacity to hold more water vapour, so rather than decrease the humidity, you have just converted it from a liquid to a vapour. When your shed cools down or any surfaces cool below the dew point, the water will condense out again. You will either need to keep the shed's temperature above the dew point or use a dehumidifier.

[MikeR]

Re your 11/20 administrative note, suggestions for Black Friday:

I recommend the NEC MutiSync PA272w monitor. With its NEC-branded version of the x-rite i1 Display Pro, there's no rationale for working with an uncalibrated monitor.

My wife works with a pair of Dell IPS monitors, for which the stand-alone x-rite i1 Display Pro does a dandy job.

Based on your account a few years ago, I bought a Vitamix, which my wife uses to make her breakfast smoothies. Nice machine, but buy ear protection for yourself at the same time, because when that thing takes off, I leave the room.

[David]

Managing air quality is something you need to get a handle on, before you start hanging prints, specifically:
- Humidity
- Temperature
- VOCs and off-gassing from paint / insulation. (I've no idea with regards to your specific insulation, and don't want to presume either way if it's an issue or not).

I'm sure you're aware of this, perhaps a few words on how you'll handle it?

[James M Allen]

Paul Martini's comment wins the internet today! :)

[Tom]

"By the way, when they build whole houses this airtight and well insulated, they have to install air-exchange ventilating systems."

This is something we're struggling with now in the UK in our damp climate. Government insists we build homes as tight as drums and retrofit older properties to as high a standard as possible but we have next to no knowledge of these forced ventilation systems. You can get them, but most people have no idea of their existence and you certainly wouldn't find one in your new home. Result: windows streaming with water for half of the year and black mould everywhere.

Incidentally, warm air holds more moisture, that's why the paint was able to dry.

[Crabby Umbo]

Wow, nice insulation story! Wish I had that in my apartment! I have electric baseboard heat in mine, altho I don't know why anyone would select that heating in Wisconsin (I knew I was going to get killed with energy bills, but needed to make a move after 6 months of looking). Even after covering the windows with plastic each winter, I can turn the baseboard heater on for an hour, and then off, and within the next hour, the heat is gone! I'm already amazed at how many places I've lived in had zero insulation, even tho they were built in the 80's! Viva more insulation!

[Michael Trupiano]

I had a similar experience with heating my studio space that was constructed with similar insulation as your shed. It was originally unheated. I installed a single, electric baseboard type heater. I splurged and purchased the one with a built in thermostat. I discovered I when I set it on low at 45 degrees Fahrenheit (or ~7 Celsius) the interior room temp reached 68 F or 20 C!

[Bryan Geyer]

That triple socket in-line lighting fixture is nice, given the purpose, but it's vital that you select a bulb that will (a) put out lots of light, preferably at a near daylight color temperature, (b) provide nice a wide beam angle, (c) present a short neck, so that it stays well recessed inside the shade, and (d) consume minimal power. (Don't use a halogen bulb! They run far too hot for the intended fixture, function, and environs.) A long operating lifetime would also be desirable.

So OK, here is that bulb: https://www.zoro.com/satco-13w-par30-short-neck-led-5000k-60-beam-medium-120v-s9424/i/G3409563/?q=Zoro.com%20-%20Satco%20%23S9424,%2013W%20LED,%20PAR30S,%2060˚%20flood,%205000˚K,%201k%20lumen.

This is a Satco #S9424 reflector-type PAR-30SN (short neck) LED bulb. It consumes 13 Watts, has a normal E26 Edison screw-base, puts out 1,000 lumens at 5,000˚K with a 60˚ beam angle; it's also dimmable, and exhibits a projected 25,000 hours of operating life (i.e., about 17 years if used 4 hours/day, every day). It's made in China, and sells for $10 ea. if purchased on-line from the Zoro website. (A great place to do business, despite their crummy search function.) You'll never come close to a better bulb for this application!

[hugh crawford]

@Bryan
I’m a lightbulb geek and I checked out the Satco #S9424. I found that you can’t buy them in California. I was curious as to why, and it turns out that the published color rendition index (CRI) is only 83 and below the threshold for being legally sold in California. The California standard is actually 80, but the bulb has to pass a test and 83 is kind of close to the limit.

I wouldn’t want to look at photos under 83 CRI lighting anyway.

Nice to know that California tries to keep really ugly lighting off the shelves.
Actually I would be happier if they simply made it a requirement to put the CRI index on the packaging along with a flickering index.

[Bob G.]

If playing pool was crucial to my mental stability, I would have made more of an effort to find a place in the main living space with nearby access to get up from working and go over and shoot... just saying...

[I made *every* effort, believe me. There is absolutely no room in my house or garage for a pool table, no possibility, none, nada!

And the fact that it requires a short walk outside is a plus, in my view. Gets me out of the house and into the blue light. It's why I keep the dog food in the barn.... --Mike]

[Frank Field]

Portable electric heaters top out at 1500 watts because 1500 watts is 12.5 Amperes at 120 Volts, about as much current as you should draw continuously on a 15 Amp branch circuit. Do take the advice about some sort of ventilation system seriously. In addition to the reasons folks have cited, I’d add concern about radon gas possibly building up in a tightly sealed structure. It is a potential problem throughout the Northeast.

[Is radon a problem in an above-ground structure? This rests on skids that serve to ventilate it from the underneath. I think radon loves the lowest open space, right? Which would be, in this case, open space. It's a very weird molecule, though, and I'm no expert. --Mike]

[Bryan Geyer]

@Hugh—I live in CA and I'm aware of the (Federal?) guideline restriction concerning CRI. In truth, that restriction is honored only by Home Depot (and perhaps some unknown others), so I place my on-line orders for this bulb (for home delivery) with other sellers. I have never experienced any delivery delay (3 separate orders).

I've never judged photos under the near-daylight 5,000˚K beam emitted by the Satco #S9424 bulb, but I can assure you that this lighting is absolutely superb for both reading and craft applications. I do a lot of DIY close-up electronic assembly work and I find that bulb's output to be far superior to all of the other specialty craft lighting (some was costly) that I've tried. I suspect that this CRI issue might be the result of some creative trade tinkering.

[Richard Parkin]

I’ve been puzzled by this 1500W business but have finally realised (thanks to Frank Field) it’s due to your weak leccy, of course we have proper leccy here in U.K. at 240V so we can have 3000W ;).