A First For Me.

Cache

Surprisingly, this is the first time I've gotten myself into this situation. Drywallers set to come hang, tape, and mud over the next couple weeks. Inspector dragging his feet didn't get the 4-way passed and clearance sent to the gas company until today. Gas company now telling me that it'll likely be the first week in Jan. before they get the meter set. They reserve the right to take up to 30 days from receiving the inspection notice.

So I can't heat the place up. 4200s.f. and the outside temp last night was 2*F. I've always just had the furnace ready to go by this point.

How should I heat the house from a drywaller's perspective. If it was just my guys framing I would just tell them to bundle up, but I'm pretty sure the joints are gonna pop if they tape in this cold weather. I also can't just heat it up during the day and then let it drop to 10* at night. Again, joints will pop. I've heard that the propane/kerosine/diesel heaters make the environment too humid, even though that is the most economical approach. The other issue is that the 170,000BTU fuel heaters can't really be left on all night.

I don't really have $1,000 bucks right now to drop on a big electric heater. I could spend about $500 on several smaller electric radiant heaters that might just be able to keep the place above 50* at night.

What do you guys think? Any suggestions would be nice. I'd rather not put the drywall on hold for 2 1/2 weeks.

oldrivers

How come you cant leave the heaters on at night??? can you make a deal with a neighbor for power?? hook up a temp furnace and offer to pay the neighbors electric bill until you get hooked up.

OCRS

I think he's already got power. Just no heat source.

oldrivers

i think you can convert a furnace to run on propane well i know you used to be able to. but yeah i would stay away from kerosene heaters, propane isnt such a big deal you'll find the mud will cause alot of humidity anyways.

rbsremodeling

Pull a meter off an old abandon house, slap it on the one your working at.

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Bodger

taper71

Just run propane. It is a pain and does cause humidity , but it is better than nothing. The Drywallers should understand that all is not perfect in our world.

Preacher17

Propane heaters are fine. Its a wet heat so it takes a little longer to dry but its fine.... at night just plug in a couple electric heaters 220 and you will be fine. Just make sure it doesn't go below 10C.

Drywalller

If you have access to a rental company,Go and rent a big electric heater for awhile,No need to buy one.

thom

You could swap out the orifices in the furnace for propane ones, run it off bottled propane until the gas meter is in place, then switch the orifices back.

Tim0282

Fostoria makes a great portable electric heater that won't put moisture in the house and dries great. You can easily heat a two story house with 2000 sq ft on each floor. Takes a one hundred amp breaker. Fantastic heater, runs quiet and pulls the moisture out.

AARC Drywall

We are finishing a house and it has wood heat, but it cant keep up, so we have put in 4 220w electric construction heaters...many is florida in there...shorts, sweat..not to mention the mud dries fairly fast. and its -26c outside.

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CNC

cant you get a tank of gas for the furnace in place?

neolitic

Did some one change something
and not send me the memo?
I,ve used kerosene and propane
sallys as well as propane radiant heaters.
Maybe my finishers didn't know any
better?

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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

Darren@Partners

We use propane salamanders eqiupped w/ thermostat. Can be run about 1 1/2 days per 100# LP bottle. We use kerosene over the hangers as easier to transport. That size house normally use one heater per floor and a smaller one for garage. Had a newer LP mushroom almost burn down a house once so make sure GL paid up. Crack a couple of windows to let the humidity out or will never dry. Can also use fans to help circulate heat in dead ends.
PS: use 12ga electric cord or thermostat won't cycle right!!!!

Cache

Thanks for the responses guys. I would really love to be able to run a big electric heater but as I said before, I don't have $1,000+ $600 for electricity. Those things suck juice like crazy. I called around to see if anyone rents them around here, but no luck. Everyone just rents the propane salamanders

I suppose running the propane sallies all night isn't bad but it sure makes me nervous. Those things will torch a house faster than anything and insurance won't cover fire cause by those heaters.

I'd thought about sticking the sally outside and ducting the heat in to help me sleep better at night, but everyone says that is a no-no also.

JonM

Hire someone to fire watch...then you can sleep better. Give them a cot and a fire extinguisher.

boman47k

What about some those round units that screw on propane tanks. I have used them in a house once, but it belonged to us, and I do not remember how low the temp got. Set in middle of room and hope no one messes with them.

boman47k

*****

Adam in BC

wire up 2 of the 220 electric heaters, to the stove outlet and the dryer, there only $100 each and you can use them on the next job