What heating system to use in my new detached garage/shop?

David Perreault
David Perreault
Updated: June 29, 2021

Hi. I will build a garage/shop in my backyard next summer. It will be a 20'x30' on a structural concrete slab with around R-35 wall and R-40 roof insulation. There will be a south facing wall with a window section of 18' long x 8' high.

I want to take advantage of the passive solar gain with that window section and the concrete slab. But I want to have a radiant floor and I am not sure what to install. I can go with hydronic floor or electric. Hydronic is about 3300$ and the electric, around 2000$.

I will keep the garage at a low temperature (around 12C) and will also have a small wood stove to heat up the space when working in there.

My goal is to use as low electricity as I can because I won't use it everyday and it is detached to the house. I like electric radiant floor because it is cheaper but I also like hydronic because I could try to retrofit other system with it in the future, like passive solar water heater.

What is the best choice? Or are there better options that I didn't think about?

Thank you for your help and keep up the good work!

David

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