ᐅ Workshop Heating and Dehumidifying

Hello everyone,

I have set up a workshop in an old agricultural barn and am now looking for a good solution for heating and dehumidification.
The floor area is 32m2 (344 square feet) with a ceiling height of 3m (9.8 feet).
Two walls are exterior walls made of 36cm (14 inches) brick, and the two interior walls are constructed with OSB panels and 10cm (4 inches) insulation.

In winter, the room temperature has never dropped below 0°C (32°F) so far.
I only want to heat the workshop when I am working inside, and preferably heat it up quickly. However, I don’t need it to reach 21°C (70°F)...

What worries me more is the humidity... Currently, I have 81% relative humidity...
This is not acceptable for my machines and tools.

For heating, I could imagine using an air conditioning unit...
Would that work well combined with decentralized ventilation to control humidity?

Perhaps someone has similar requirements and can share experience or recommendations.

Best regards,
Tom

Are the walls completely solid on the inside, or is there a door to the other room? Is air passing from the living area into the workshop? If so, you won’t be able to reduce humidity without heating the workshop similarly to the living space.

The building stands alone and has no connection to the living area. The workshop is only separated from the rest of the former stable. The other section is used for storage.

Regards
Tom

I think I would consider using a basement ventilator for this. It basically ventilates automatically as soon as the absolute humidity of the outside air is lower than that of the indoor air. Versions with heat recovery are also available.

In any case, I would definitely consider a ventilation system WITH heat recovery to keep the indoor humidity at least reasonably under control over the long term. It can be installed with relatively little effort and has low fixed costs. Additionally, if possible, install a fireplace or workshop stove for quick heating while working.

Hello,

Oreider schrieb:

What concerns me more is the humidity… Right now I have 81% relative humidity…

That is probably about the same as the outdoor humidity… Ventilation won’t really help you in this case. You would just be exchanging the indoor humidity for the outdoor humidity. This only works if it is very cold and dry outside. In typical damp winter weather, it won’t be effective. In other words, without heating, you likely won’t be able to reliably reduce it.

I would also consider a split air conditioning system. These can provide around 2-4 kW of heating and also dehumidify the air. Plus, you don’t have to deal with a chimney, inspections, or chimney sweeps like you would with a stove.

Best regards,
Andreas