Here is my Charger Garage Build thread.

[PocketThunder]

Hey PocketThunder,
       congrats on the new garage build!!!I will give you my input as I have radiant floor heat in my garage.
    First let me just say it is the cats a$$ for heating a garage!!!Knowing I was going that route,I dug my floor to be 6" thick because the thicker it is the longer it is going to hold the heat.The insulation I used was a 1/4'' bubble wrap type for this application,besides it being the insulation it is also my vapor barrier.Next I used 6''x6'' 10ga.screen to tie the tubing down,and also be my guide as it was designed to run 12'' on center as best you could.I used 1/2'' Wisbo Hepex tubing and per my design,ran 5 -250' loops.In the middle of the slab I set a electrical box and ran a conduit back to were my pump station is,this is for the slab mounted bulb sensor to set your temp.T-stat is a Wirsbo dual,slab,air or to set on slab/air.I just use it on slab,set it and forget it.
  Next,my heat source.For my application because I have various other things around my house to feed,I went with a Weil-Mclain Ultra 155 high effeciency modulating condensing boiler(NG).I made my own pump station rather than buying the expensive wirsbo made unit,and being my loops are within 20% in length of eachother,no balancing was needed,via circuit setters.
  With that said,once my system was up and running,here was my experience,started it around the first week of Nov,avg was 45-50 deg that week,set my slab temp for 57 deg,and at that it took almost a whole day to bring it up to that.Also have to add,the water temp I am sending through the floor is around 85.When winter and the cold temps hit these were the avg run periods I noticed it did.When the t-stat called for heat and turned the pump station and boiler on,it would run for around 5-8 minutes to satisfy and shut off,thats it!!!!Now the big kicker is talkng about how efficient it is for radiant heat,I noticed it would turn on as as little as every 3 hours and as far as every 6 hours depending on what the temp was like outside.Was worth every penny I paid to do this!!!
  On another note,take an infrared thermometer,everything in that garage was my slab set temp of 57,the walls,the tool box,wrenches in the tool box,the seats in the cars,the engine block in the cars,etc!!!!!This is because the radiant heats objects,NOT air!!!!Not to mention that your feet and ankles are'nt killing you when in there during cold days.Main thing is get it where you want and leave it.
   Now as far as your garage,a couple of things,my noticings are that you are detached,so first I would strongly consider running glycol in the system,and don't know if you are aware of this,but this type of system is not a closed loop like in your car where you fill it and put the cap on and you're done,but needs a continuos water make up w/regulator to drop from your water supply pressure at the pump station ready to add to the system if neccesary.Basically you would need to run a pipe out to that garage,plus would benefit having water out there.The elec instant boiler is a good idea for your source of water,just make sure you put in an expansion tank as well.You can also go with a reg water heater too.And obviously the more you insulate that garage ,the better it will hold your heat.
   One more thing that suprised me and is not rocket sience,this spring all my vehicles batterys were just as I shut them off last year,fully charged with no battery tenders or additional chargings.Can't tell you how many spring times I had dead batterys in all the cars before it was heated,pain in the ...!!!Another perk to the system!!!!
  Once again ,congrats and good luck with your build!!!!!

Good to know!  Thanks for the input and i'll bounce some questions off you when i get to that point, probably this fall, if you dont mind.  I never would have thought about putting the thermostat in the floor.  Maybe i can mount one down close to the floor under the work bench or somewhere.

Now if i could only get you to trade Chargers with me i'd be all set! 

Paul

[69 OUR/TEA]

No problem Paul,glad to help you.

[green69rt]

Something else to think of is the electrical system.   When I built my garage I used all 20 amp circuits as opposed to the 15 amp normally found in residential construction. You need 20 amp breakers, 20 amp wire and 20 amp outlets and switches.  Added cost is almost nothing and you'll be glad to have the extra power available if needed.  I also added a 220 volt circuit for a big welder or compressor.  Didn't need it for my car work, 110 works for everything.  Added lots of outlets, at least two on each wall, so I wouldn't be running extensions everywhere.  I also put lots of lights in (20 amp circuits made this possible.)  I have 6 48 inch light fixtures with four 32 watt tubes per fixture for general lighting and 2 more over my work bench.  I also wear a radiation monitor when in the garage .

[DonC1]

To add my 2 cents on radiant flloor heating...

I built a 24x32' shop, 4" slab, 2" foam and 3/4" oxybarrier radiant tubing run lengthways about 18" apart , zip tied to rebar. The radiant tubing goes into my 60 gal water heater set at it's lowest temp of 150 degrees via an expansion tank. I have a thermometer in the garage set at 55 degrees. This is a closed loop system and I use glycol. I had a few naysayers who insisted you had to use a boiler and it had to be an open loop system. My set up works great
when its 20 degrees outside and balmy inside....helps when your painting a car too.

[69 OUR/TEA]

To add my 2 cents on radiant flloor heating...

I built a 24x32' shop, 4" slab, 2" foam and 3/4" oxybarrier radiant tubing run lengthways about 18" apart , zip tied to rebar. The radiant tubing goes into my 60 gal water heater set at it's lowest temp of 150 degrees via an expansion tank. I have a thermometer in the garage set at 55 degrees. This is a closed loop system and I use glycol. I had a few naysayers who insisted you had to use a boiler and it had to be an open loop system. My set up works great
when its 20 degrees outside and balmy inside....helps when your painting a car too.

That is correct,you don't need a boiler,I used one because I needed to supply hot water to other items around the house.That is odd that your water heater is at 150 deg being it's lowest temp,mine you can go all the way down to 70-80.The main idea behind this kind of system being effecient is running a low water temp.My system was designed to actually run 78 deg water,I upped it to 85-90 because I changed my mind on what temp I wanted to keep the garage.150 sounds way hot to be pumping into a concrete floor,JMO.Not to mention,now you are holding 60 gallons of water when not in use at 150 degrees.If you look at my pic you will see a thermostatic mixing valve that is ajustable from 80-120,and drop your temp to 100-120 even if you are happy with that temp,you might benefit as you will not be ripping 150 water out of the heater full bore,which would cause it not to light its burner so often and save some $$$.Just food for thought.

[Charger_Fan]

Have any of you guys done a heated driveway? In the middle of winter, this is always in the back of my mind as I'm out there shoveling the white crap. Just mainly curious as to how well THAT slab would hold heat. I imagine it wouldn't hold it very long & would end up being super expensive to heat.

[mopar_nut_440_6]

I have seen them in a few houses around my area. They appear to work well but I imagine they are very expensive to run!

[dodgecharger-fan]

The hotel where I worked during my college days had electrical heating in the sidewalks and the area immediately in front of the entrance.
"The Old Man" as we called the owner never allowed it to be turned on.
When he'd go to Florida for the winter, the maintenance guys would turn it on, though. Worked great.

[moparguy01]

hey paul, whats the concrete up to a yard now? someone told me it was up to 140 a yard for the reinforced concrete. please tell me its cheaper.

[PocketThunder]

hey paul, whats the concrete up to a yard now? someone told me it was up to 140 a yard for the reinforced concrete. please tell me its cheaper.

Nope,. no good news from me.  For the average guy like me and you (from Cemstone) for 4000# concrete its $143 yard + $7.50/yard for Saturday delivery + $9.00 per yard for Fibers + delivery and tax = $169/yard.      

[moparguy01]

ouch. man thats spendy.

[Steve P.]

hey paul, whats the concrete up to a yard now? someone told me it was up to 140 a yard for the reinforced concrete. please tell me its cheaper.

Nope,. no good news from me.  For the average guy like me and you (from Cemstone) for 4000# concrete its $143 yard + $7.50/yard for Saturday delivery + $9.00 per yard for Fibers + delivery and tax = $169/yard.      

It's looking great buddy. Keep to the plan and you can't go wrong..

Your crete is cheaper there than here in Florida. Our 2500PSI crete was at your added price 2 years ago. Now it's around $185. per yard.

[1969chargerrtse]

Wow that is awesome.   

[PocketThunder]

Well tonight i finished up laying one course of block.  I had some help from my right hand man the other day.   

Next up is framing day.  That will be either the 30th/31st, whenever i'm not at Mopars in the Park.  I hear moparstu will be in town to help.. 

[69*F5*SE]

It looks nice tucked away in its own little spot.   

[moparstuart]

Well tonight i finished up laying one course of block.  I had some help from my right hand man the other day.   

Next up is framing day.  That will be either the 30th/31st, whenever i'm not at Mopars in the Park.  I hear moparstu will be in town to help.. 

sure i'll come help , but them you will have to come down here and build me one also .  I really need a building like that in the worst way .

[PocketThunder]

Well tonight i finished up laying one course of block.  I had some help from my right hand man the other day.   

Next up is framing day.  That will be either the 30th/31st, whenever i'm not at Mopars in the Park.  I hear moparstu will be in town to help.. 

sure i'll come help , but them you will have to come down here and build me one also .  I really need a building like that in the worst way .

All you need is about $9,000.  thats what i hope to end at when i'm done.

[moparstuart]

ok , lets get started , when you coming down 

[PocketThunder]

ok , lets get started , when you coming down 

I'm not busy this afternoon.  And its a 3 day weekend comming up..     

[moparstuart]

ok , lets get started , when you coming down 

I'm not busy this afternoon.  And its a 3 day weekend comming up..     

cool you can say with me till thursday and ride back up together 

[PocketThunder]

ok , lets get started , when you coming down 

I'm not busy this afternoon.  And its a 3 day weekend comming up..     

cool you can say with me till thursday and ride back up together 

Or i can drive my camper special..     

[moparstuart]

ok , lets get started , when you coming down 

I'm not busy this afternoon.  And its a 3 day weekend comming up..     

cool you can say with me till thursday and ride back up together 

Or i can drive my camper special..     

better bring a trailer and you can have it free for the labor

[PocketThunder]

So after Mopars in the Park on Saturday i got home and started laying out the walls for this garage.  Everything was ready to go for today's work when a half dozen friends showed up.  Here is what we got done.

Paul

[PocketThunder]

Friday night we fired up that fire pit that i built just over 28 days ago.  It still has some moisture in it and it cracked in several places.  You can see the water running out of the cracks.

[moparstuart]

dude your the man