Heating fur shed, workshop, etc

What do you heat it with? Do you heat it all winter or only when your in there? Debating between woodstove or propane heat.

Wood stove here for a few reasons: * I like to cut wood and I have plenty of free stuff to choose from (I also heat my house with wood so it works out). * Wood heat feels so much different than other heat sources (relaxing). * Wood heat takes moisture out of the air (important for drying fur) .Propane generally puts moisture into the air. * I don't have to rely on markets for my heat source ( I just keep a spare chainsaw).

But propane is easier to regulate temps if you just want to flip the switch and set the dial to what you want.

To each his own.

We built my fur shed when we added onto our house. With the addition I ended up with a perfectly good propane furnace so we put it in the fur shed. Having the ability to keep the shed a constant temperature has sure been nice for managing thawing/drying times. I can call things pretty close on when they will be done versus less stable heat sources.

Propane creates moisture, Wood heat is great if you have time to cut, split, stack, etc.

Hard to beat radiant electric if in a well insulated space.

Propane in fur shed and wood shop.

I heated my fur shed/shop with wood and generally only when I was working in it. Also had a fan circulating the air most of the time whether working in the shop or not. Temperature would vary from near freezing overnight to 65 degrees F when working there and never had a problem drying furs. The building was well insulated.

I built a new fur shed and insullated it real well and put two six foot 220v baseboard heaters in controlled by a single digital thermastat and it has worked really well. I also put in a couple ceiling fans to move air when I am drying fur.

I found an old potbelly stove. I use it when I am there. It burns about 4 hours if I pack it full and damp it down. It was $80.00 and I heat water on the top of it so when I'm down I can clean up and wash my counter off.

My skinning and fleshing room is small, just 8 X 10. Electric heat is good and when I turn it off it is OFF. Oh I have doors going to the overhead for when I use the winch but otherwise that is closed......jk

If you do go with propane, make sure it is NOT ventless. Made that mistake years back not thinking about it! Happy trapping! ScottW

Direct vent propane heaters create moisture, vented units do not. This is the vented unit that will be in my new wood shop by next year. It pulls fresh air for combustion from outside as well.

oil. got it for free.tank also.takrs about 3-4 years to burn a tank of oil.

Both propane and kerosene have H2O as a product of combustion. If not vented outside they will increase the amount of moisture in the heated space. Wood smoke has to be vented outside and so neither increases nor decreases the amount of moisture inside. In saying "moisture" I am talking about the mass of H2O in the space. This is different from relative humidity, which is the mass of H2O on a percent basis relative to the mass that the air can hold at that temperature. Raise the temp and the air can hold more H2O. When you decrease the relative humidity by raising the temperature it makes it easier for fur to dry. Ultimately you have to get that moisture laden air out and replace it with dry air. A wood stove or propane heater that pulls its combustion air from inside does that naturally because that air is replaced by dry outside air.

Talk to your local heating guy you can get a Nat gas or propane furnace for nothing when some home owner decides to up grade. Most of the tear outs will work just fine for your shed.

Im about to build a green house as a lean-to against my fur shed, kinda thinking about in the fall reassembling it to heat my shed.

Propane you can turn it off and on while you are in there

Wood heat it will keep you in shape

1938 estate heatrola...it’s a used oil heater. Thought I’d be puffing black smoke but not so. Only thing that screwed me up was I took about ten gallons of used fry oil from the dump and didn’t think about the effects of sub zero weather....gunked my filter up and had to clean it at negative 30..then had to take a propane torch to the line to get flowing again. Risky business there lol

I run a boiler for the house I have a 2nd pump on that to heat the fur shed it’s heated all trapping season just the pump and wall radiators down one wall so it’s cheap darn near free.

Depending on where I build my shead This is one option for me. But only if I build it close enough to the boiler. My other option is electric if I build it in the middle of the farm. I'm only planning on a small well insulated storage shed maybe 14x20 or so. If I build it in the mode of the farm it will be around 1/2mile from the house. By the boiler it will be 170' from the house. By the house will be easier for distractions (wife).

Mines a outside boiler you can run lines in any direction you need to.

We usually have high humidity here so in my case a wood stove is the only way to go. It will dry wet fur like nothing else, l can go from 90% humidity to 20% in a few hours.

I do a wood stove, burn it alot because its also the lure and bait making shop. I got a fan mounted almost as high as it go, and a blower on the stove . Regulate the heat by opening door, works good and plenty of wood around.

The advantage of the outside boiler is the fire is out of the building and the heat is dry also a fan keeps everything dry.

As is mine but I am limited to distance from the boiler. practical length of lines= $, heat lose per foot, and pump size.
I have a heat master c 375 165' from my house. If I'm going to heat the shed with it I'm going to want it as close to the boiler as I can get it. Less pipe, and work but due to lay out of property most logical. Unless I want to run another 170' of line up to an old out building. It needs a lot of work new metal on roof, new doors, windows and a sliding door boxed off but has electric all ready. I would probably be better off tearing it down and building a new pole barn in its place and heating it with the boiler. But that's getting into more cash than I want to let go of right now( more than I have) .

Not only do you eliminate the fire hazard but also the dirt, bugs,smoke, and having to split and cut you wood small. With 48" deep x 36 fire box with 24x24 door it saves a lot of work. Plus all those piced that are odd and wont split or fit in a normal stove fit no problem.


Edit to add: I forgot unlimited free hot water. 5 people take a shower back to back as long as they want and the one going 5th has as much hot water as the first. Also saves about 300$ on electricity when I shut off the hot water heater for 8-9 months.

If building new consider in floor radiant heat. I built 32’ x 32’ shop with in floor heat. Use a 40 gallon hot water heater and a 3 zone system. Maintain 60 degrees all fall/winter and have hot potable water all year. Use about 100 gallons of propane per year. I do have 24” blown insulation in the ceiling, 5.5 bat walls & 2” under the concrete. Not much wind load as I’m quite sheltered. Once the concrete is warm it is really nice.

I’m really happy with this system. Crazy but I still burn wood for the house; we just like wood heat better and I still have maybe 1000 ash trees to cut yet🙄

Propane.