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Heating a Garage - Paint Under Carriage

dm289

Member
After a summer of family commitments, looks like I may have time in the winter to work on my car up here in Northern Ohio. Can anyone recommend the best way to heat a small un-insulated 18' x 20' garage such that I can blast and paint the undercarriage / engine compartment? I currently have a small Kerosene Torpedo Heater - it warms the garage, but I have never tried heating it extended with it. Any tips would be appreciated.
 
NOT a good idea to use a fuel fed heating device if you are intending to spray anything in the area. The open flame and highly flammable fumes are not a good combination.
What I have done is built a temporary structure* around my car, heated the garage up to temp and then did my work. I used an electric heater on the outside of the sealed enclosure to maintain enough heat in the outer area (and thus the inner sanctuary) for the paint to do its thing.

*I used conduit to build a framework above the area and secured poly sheeting around it to hang down to make an enclosure. I sealed off the top and used a box fan to blow the fumes through a channel out a door.
 
Painting with varying degrees of temp and humidity (not heating said area after you are finished but paint needs to set) might be a problem.
 
As long as you get the "room" up to adequate temperature and keep it there for the paint to initially cure you will be fine. Cooler temps and humidity only extend the flash and dry times. Unless you let it drop to really cold temps paint will be fine. Just read the specifics on whatever you are using.
 
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