Greetings everyone,
This is my first post and I am new to the forum, thank you for providing such a great resource. I need some advise on my new workshop. I just bought a home near Minneapolis, MN with a detached 30 x 40 foot stick building - it is built like a regular garage. I am moving from Southern CA in 2 weeks to my new home and the cold weather is completely new to me. I need to insulate and heat my workshop quickly before the winter sets in. I know how to build in CA, but I am completely confused on building in MN. I want to insulate the shop on a budget, so I want to put in bat or blow in, and not foam. I am completely confused on the vapor barrier/humidity/cold issue with insulation, not thinking about in in Southern CA as much, and I have read the MN residential code and remain confused. Does anyone have any advise on how to best insulate my workshop? Do I need vapor barrier on the walls and/or on the ceiling? I also don't have the ceiling figured out. It is 8 feet high and I prefer not to drywall it because I don't want to feel claustrophobic. Is there a way I can insulate the roof directly without causing moisture problems? I prefer open rafters in my shop, even it costs me more to heat it the space. I think I will definitely drywall the walls, but yes, would like to keep the top open.
That brings me to the other question, what is the best way to heat this thing using natural gas? I don't know the BTU size or best way to do this. As far as I have read the hanging furnaces will be a code violation because I don't have 8 feet of clearance. I was thinking also that I have an old force air furnace in the 4000' house (could be to big and I don't know the BTU on it?) that I want to replace because it's old. Can I just replace the home furnace and put the old force air one in the shop as a ducted forced air unit? I could move the old house A/C in with the old furnace. I think my wife would like this option, free home furnace and A/C upgrade without spending money on the shop heating.
Thanks, woodworking in the frigid north is a new one to me!