Gulf states and other Humid People

[Brian Kent]

Gulf states and other Humid People…

Southern California is having its hot and humid spell. I can handle woodworking in the garage about 20 minutes at a time.

How do you people in humid places do it????????

[Mike Lassiter]

lots of sweating! I lost 13 lbs here in 2 days due to heat and humidity being high. Drank 3 gallons of water one of those days.

[Mike Henderson]

I lived in Florida (around Tampa) for over 17 years. For about 9 months of the year, it's HOT. You can't go outside for more than about 15 minutes without getting sopping wet from sweat. You go from air conditioned home to air conditioned office via an air conditioned car. It was pretty miserable.

For the three months that it was a bit cooler, we were inundated with "snow birds" who, for reasons known only to them, always went somewhere via car during rush hour and drove 15 miles per hour.

Mike

[Oh, and it rains a lot.]

[Dick Latshaw]

I lived in Florida (around Tampa) for over 17 years. For about 9 months of the year, it's HOT. You can't go outside for more than about 15 minutes without getting sopping wet from sweat. You go from air conditioned home to air conditioned office via an air conditioned car. It was pretty miserable.

For the three months that it was a bit cooler, we were inundated with "snow birds" who, for reasons known only to them, always went somewhere via car during rush hour and drove 15 miles per hour.

Mike

[Oh, and it rains a lot.]

That about sums it up, although you didn't include the twice a year love bug problem (they are here right now).

My gar..er studio, has insulating panels in the door, lots of insulation in the ceiling, and a 5000 BTU window A/C unit. I'm a comfortable 75F all Summer long, which does not end Sept 21 here.

A/C is the only answer.

[Brian Elfert]

I have to deal with high humidity by taking it in short doses or simply staying in the air conditioned house. I would like to air condition my eventual new shop, but economic realities will probably mean dropping the air conditioning. When I was in high school and college and spent 8 hours a day outside in the summer I got used to humidity although a really bad day meant as much time at the truck getting water as actually working.

A few years back the dew point was something like 82 degrees here and I just about melted being outside in that heat. I checked the dew point that day in Reno, NV where I go every year and the dew point was only 32 degrees!

[Charlie Velasquez]

I would like to air condition my eventual new shop, but economic realities will probably mean dropping the air conditioning....

I would counsel to include the A/C if at all possible.
The cost of putting it in during initial construction is not that much more when looking at the project's total cost, and is extremely small compared to trying to do it later if you change your mind.

The major cost is actually using it. That is something you can control by keeping it off. But, I bet there will be projects that will be time sensitive where having a space you can work in comfortably will make it all worthwhile.

To paraphrase the adage, "Pay early and cry once, go cheap and cry every time you use it."

[Brian Elfert]

I would counsel to include the A/C if at all possible.

The garage I plan to build will be at least 1,500 square feet and maybe as big as 3,000 square feet with 16 foot sidewalls. Air conditioning for that space would be a major cost. I might put in walls to isolate the shop portion. I was thinking about storage on top of shop portion, but I would want 10 feet ceilings in the shop so not much height for storage. I won't have the money for the garage for a few years and just the building alone is going to be hard enough to pay for. With open walls the A/C shouldn't be much harder to install later. My entire electric bill for my house for last month include running the A/C at 75 degrees the whole month was only $85. I can't imagine the shop/garage being more than $50 or $60 a month properly insulated.

Insulation only helps so much without ventilation. I've been in insulated buildings where it was hot outside during the day and cool at night. The building will still be fairly warm in the morning as the insualtion did not allow it to cool down. It may not get as warm during the day, but that doesn't help the humidity.

[Dennis Peacock]

I typically close my shop for woodworking at the end of May and I don't open it again until mid to late September. Just too hot and humid to work in the shop with the high humidity and temps inside my shop hovering around 119 degrees. I prefer to work in the winter because I do have heat in the shop.

[David Cramer]

Brian,iInsulate, insulate, insulate I was given that advice years ago and took it. I also put house wrap on the outside.

I'm "almost" exactly 2 degrees below you, south, in latitude. Our weather is quite similar, although your winters may be a tad colder for longer periods.

When people enter my shop in the muggy summer months, the first thing I hear is how cool it is inside and where's your air conditioning unit? I don't have one and don't need one. My shop has 10.5' ceilings and it still stays cool.

You don't need an air conditioner for your shop in Minnesota

David

I have to deal with high humidity by taking it in short doses or simply staying in the air conditioned house. I would like to air condition my eventual new shop, but economic realities will probably mean dropping the air conditioning. When I was in high school and college and spent 8 hours a day outside in the summer I got used to humidity although a really bad day meant as much time at the truck getting water as actually working.

A few years back the dew point was something like 82 degrees here and I just about melted being outside in that heat. I checked the dew point that day in Reno, NV where I go every year and the dew point was only 32 degrees!

[Rick Moyer]

Currently 62 at 9:00am. Forecast for 82 and sunny, 50% humidity and winds light and variable. Think I'll stay right here!

[Brian Elfert]

I don't understand why shops that aren't generating large amounts of heat don't install air conditioning for really humid days. High humidity causes work to slow to a crawl. I suppose they figure the really bad days in Minnesota are only a few weeks a year so they just deal with it.

[Mark Blatter]

Most NBA players don't want to play in Utah, but with 30% humidity, and mostly mild winters, the place has much to say for itself. I still prefer Montana with the same humidity and lower temps, fewer people, more animals, though colder temps.

I find myself chuckling when I read about folks fighting rust on their tool tops. The only time I get rust is when I open the garage door after it has rained and a bit of water drips on them.

Of course we do get the occasional Mormon Crickets which are about the size of a small hand and they travel in packs of thousands.

[Bert Kemp]

I live in AZ a good part of the year and most the time its very dry, but when we have heavy rain storms the humidity jumps up real high and it's really unbearable for a few days till it drys out again. I also spend part of the summer in NH and believe it or not we have a bunch of hot very humid days were all you do is sweat, my relief here is to jump in the lake and just float around

[Rick Moyer]

I live in AZ a good part of the year and most the time its very dry, but when we have heavy rain storms the humidity jumps up real high and it's really unbearable for a few days till it drys out again. I also spend part of the summer in NH and believe it or not we have a bunch of hot very humid days were all you do is sweat, my relief here is to jump in the lake and just float around

I hope not from someone's suggestion, Bert.

[Rick Potter]

I remember once, while visiting relatives near OK city, I went out their front door to get their mail from the box about 100 feet away. 95 degrees, 95% humidity. I was sweating heavily by the time I got back in the house.

Continuing same trip, stopped at a campground in North Carolina. Changed out a Power Steering hose on the car, and thought I would melt before I got it done.

Near Johnson City Texas, it was so hot and humid we could not run the air on the car without overheating, and stayed at a private campground for two days simply because they had a pool, and we had no AC in our small trailer. News reports on TV were frying eggs on sidewalks in Dallas.

Then we arrived at Florida. Looked at a new housing development where they put in concrete terrazzo floors. When we asked why not carpeting, we were told it was to avoid mildew.

When we got back as far as Lake Havasu AZ, we stopped at midnight and stayed in a campground. At midnight it was still 99 degrees, but low humidity. We slept until noon. It was the first good nights sleep we had in weeks.

Memorable trip.

Our next trailer had AC.