Unfinished Storage Room/Garage

ytseman3 · Post by **ytseman3** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 7:09 am

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but..
My stove is located downstairs, half of the basement is finished and insulated the other half not (it is divided with a wall). If I were to open the storage room door which is right next to the stove, would I use a lot more coal? The basement is underground and the cement blocks have permalite inside (a foam type insulation). The stairwell which is used as the heat delivery and cold return is also right there by the stove and the storage room door (it's at the bottom of the stairs). Thanks for any input.

Scott

plumb-r · Post by **plumb-r** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 8:33 am

Have you tried to open the door between the two areas. It may ruin your air flow so heat doesn't get to the upstairs. Also your block may be insulated but it is still a big heat sink. Try it for a few days and see what happens.

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 8:49 am

ytseman3 wrote:Not sure if this is the right place to post this but..
My stove is located downstairs, half of the basement is finished and insulated the other half not (it is divided with a wall). If I were to open the storage room door which is right next to the stove, would I use a lot more coal? The basement is underground and the cement blocks have permalite inside (a foam type insulation). The stairwell which is used as the heat delivery and cold return is also right there by the stove and the storage room door (it's at the bottom of the stairs). Thanks for any input.

Scott

...so the stove is near the stairs, and that is the half that is finished? Is this the half with the permalite insulation? And how does the stairway act as both heat delivery and cold air return? The reason I asked is my stove is in my cinder block unfinished basement and I am blowing the heat into the cold air return duct and my basement stays at 60 -68. Because of my air flow the stairs are acting as a cold return because the upstairs is pressurized by the hot air pumping out of the return vents in the living space. I also have a basement window open 25% for fresh air for combustion. Mike.

oros35 · Post by **oros35** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 9:19 am

I have a very similar setup. I open the door to the unfinished half if it gets too hot. And every once in a while to keep that room in the 50-55 degree range. Other side of the basement is 70-75.

I also use the stairs to get the heat up and cold down from upstairs. I also have a 400cfm fan pushing air to the back side of the house. Curculates very well and the whole house stays within 3-4 degrees
I also keep a basement window slightly open for some fresh air for combustion, and it really improves my draft or lessens the effect the wind has.

No matter what your going to use more BTU's to heat that room. Depends on how hot you want it.

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 9:56 am

oros35 wrote:I have a very similar setup. I open the door to the unfinished half if it gets too hot. And every once in a while to keep that room in the 50-55 degree range. Other side of the basement is 70-75.

I also use the stairs to get the heat up and cold down from upstairs. I also have a 400cfm fan pushing air to the back side of the house. Curculates very well and the whole house stays within 3-4 degrees
I also keep a basement window slightly open for some fresh air for combustion, and it really improves my draft or lessens the effect the wind has.

No matter what your going to use more BTU's to heat that room. Depends on how hot you want it.

Agree, and I think it evens out my house by allowing the entire basement to get heat, I know the floors love it and so does the wife! win win.
Mike

ytseman3 · Post by **ytseman3** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 4:27 pm

michaelanthony wrote:
ytseman3 wrote:Not sure if this is the right place to post this but..
My stove is located downstairs, half of the basement is finished and insulated the other half not (it is divided with a wall). If I were to open the storage room door which is right next to the stove, would I use a lot more coal? The basement is underground and the cement blocks have permalite inside (a foam type insulation). The stairwell which is used as the heat delivery and cold return is also right there by the stove and the storage room door (it's at the bottom of the stairs). Thanks for any input.

Scott
...so the stove is near the stairs, and that is the half that is finished? Is this the half with the permalite insulation? And how does the stairway act as both heat delivery and cold air return? The reason I asked is my stove is in my cinder block unfinished basement and I am blowing the heat into the cold air return duct and my basement stays at 60 -68. Because of my air flow the stairs are acting as a cold return because the upstairs is pressurized by the hot air pumping out of the return vents in the living space. I also have a basement window open 25% for fresh air for combustion. Mike.

The permalite is in the whole basement block, but only half the basement is finished with fiberglass insulation and studded walls with paneling. It also has a drop ceiling. The other half is just the bare cement block and permalite inside the blocks. To answer your question about the stairs being both return and delivery... the cold air travels down in the lower levels and heat in the upper. It's going in two directions, I have verified it with a lighter holding it at floor level the flame points downstairs then as I raise it higher the flame changes direction pointing up the stairs. It probably isn't the most efficient way to do transfer the heat but it seems to work fine for my house. I was thinking of putting registers in the floor upstairs but I have the drop ceiling and insulation between the floor joists. It really works quite well for my house, as the stairwell is located direct center of the whole house. It's only 1250 sq/ft upstairs so it's not a big house, it's only 1 floor and the basement. I don't have any windows open downstairs, and I get a nice burn. I think my basement has enough air infiltration to keep up with the stove, it's not completely under ground there is about 2.5 ft above ground level and some windows for air to leak in (they are old).

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Tue. Jan. 15, 2013 9:38 pm

ytseman3 wrote:
The permalite is in the whole basement block, but only half the basement is finished with fiberglass insulation and studded walls with paneling. It also has a drop ceiling. The other half is just the bare cement block and permalite inside the blocks. To answer your question about the stairs being both return and delivery... the cold air travels down in the lower levels and heat in the upper. It's going in two directions, I have verified it with a lighter holding it at floor level the flame points downstairs then as I raise it higher the flame changes direction pointing up the stairs. It probably isn't the most efficient way to do transfer the heat but it seems to work fine for my house. I was thinking of putting registers in the floor upstairs but I have the drop ceiling and insulation between the floor joists. It really works quite well for my house, as the stairwell is located direct center of the whole house. It's only 1250 sq/ft upstairs so it's not a big house, it's only 1 floor and the basement. I don't have any windows open downstairs, and I get a nice burn. I think my basement has enough air infiltration to keep up with the stove, it's not completely under ground there is about 2.5 ft above ground level and some windows for air to leak in (they are old).

My house is about the same, I just took some pic's and I am about to download and post them. Now my basement is totally unfinished, the previous owner had a water pipe freeze so everything got removed except half bath in the center. I have a beautiful fireplace 6' wide 8' tall so I plan on refinishing. Have you thought of removing the insulation from your ceiling and using it on your walls and allow the floors above to warm as well. You can get light defusors that hang in the suspended ceiling wells and allow the heat to infultrate.

ytseman3 · Post by **ytseman3** » Wed. Jan. 16, 2013 7:23 am

I was thinking about tearing out the wall that divides the finished/unfinished half and finishing the rest of the basement... other projects keep popping up and pushing it off though.