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A hot question
By:Paul G. Jacobson
Date: 10/16/2003, 11:37 pm

: What do you think about methods of heating the hoophouse.. .

1500 watts of electricity will produce 5180 BTUs of heat. Calculate the volume of your hoop structure and you can try to figure out how many 100 watt light bulbs you need to heat things :) Or, you can try using a hair dryer, which is usually about 1200 watts and use that for 10 to 20 minutes as a test. The hair dryers also circulate the warmed air. I have a "milk house" heater for my enlosed porch. Functionally it is the same as a hair dryer--a fan and a heating element--but it is quieter and designed to operate for months, not hours.

Heating a hoophouse to room temperature for extended periods of time can be expensive. You have a LOT of options, though.

If you plan to have one end of the hoop abut your house, you could frame the other end with wood, and use off-the-shelf fittings to safely install a woodburning stove, or a vented kerosene, LP or natural gas heater. Try to avoid the unvented heaters as combustion produces water vapor, which would build up unless you vented the structure -- and that would lose your heated air, too. There are also forced air (torpedo) heaters which burn kerosene or LP gas and kick out a heck of a lot of heat. A freestanding kerosene heater can warm up the workspace for a dollar or two a night.

With ANY heating system that involves combustion be certain that you have a fresh air vent and good air circulation to avoid carbon monoxide problems. Better to be drafty.

: . . . daytime/nighttime temperature fluctuation on curing epoxy, besides that I
: should plan to allow temp to fall as epoxy cures? Does outgassing become
: less of an issue the more cured it becomes?

Build the boat first, then we can talk about epoxy :)

Once the first coat of epoxy is on you should have no problems with outgassing. If your wood has a high moisture ontent when you apply resin to the inside of the boat, effectively sealing all sides of the wood, then you might later have a problem with that moisture trying to evaporate on very hot days after the boat is left under direct sunlight. But this is rare. and you can't do much about it anyhow.

: . . .What will be key to making
: this work over the next few months, where outside temps are going to
: average 10-30° below minimum curing temps? Should I just wait til spring
: to do this project?

Hustle. The sooner you get started the more likely you are to have good (warm)weather when you apply the resin.

Good luck with your project. When does the kit arrive?

PGJ

Messages In This Thread

Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Thomas -- 10/15/2003, 9:42 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Paul G. Jacobson -- 10/16/2003, 9:52 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 10:38 pm
A hot question
Paul G. Jacobson -- 10/16/2003, 11:37 pm
Re: A hot question
Thomas -- 10/17/2003, 12:21 am
A bit late to comment on but...
Robert N Pruden -- 12/12/2003, 6:27 pm
Re: A bit late to comment on but...
Thomas -- 12/12/2003, 9:09 pm
Re: A bit late to comment on but...
Robert N Pruden -- 12/12/2003, 11:46 pm
Re: A bit late to comment on but... *Pic*
Thomas -- 12/13/2003, 10:35 am
Bug Control ... ?
Rehd -- 12/13/2003, 11:57 am
Re: Bug Control ... ?
Robert N Pruden -- 12/14/2003, 9:54 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 12:58 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 1:07 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 1:42 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Larry -- 10/16/2003, 12:32 am
Dampness
martin -- 10/16/2003, 2:30 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 12:48 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside ... should work..
Rehd -- 10/15/2003, 11:35 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside ... should work..
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 1:02 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside ... should work..
Rehd -- 10/16/2003, 1:43 am
Alternate roof.
Paul G. Jacobson -- 10/16/2003, 11:05 pm
Re: Alternate roof.
Rehd -- 10/16/2003, 11:46 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside ... should work..
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 3:01 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 12:42 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 1:07 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 1:10 am
Outgassing is preventable.
Paul G. Jacobson -- 10/16/2003, 10:09 pm
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Grant Glazer -- 10/16/2003, 1:30 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Thomas -- 10/16/2003, 1:37 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside Setup Planning
Rehd -- 10/16/2003, 2:00 am
Re: Shop: Building Outside--'hoophouse' question *LINK*
Tony W. -- 10/15/2003, 11:11 pm