[Greenbuilding] ventilating a tiny shop space

[RT]

I think that it would be a mistake to not provide exhaust and make-up air  
capacity for the shop.

It's not just particulate matter that needs to be exhausted.

ie Sometimes when using carbide cutters & blades on hardwood, smoke will  
be generated.

     or

If you ever use sheet stock (ie plywood, PB, HDF or MDF) then those  
materials are going to be off-gassing, and moreso when being cut)

    or

If your dust collection system is not a HEPA type, then there will be  
particulate matter of the worst sort in the air you breathe

    or

If you use that shop to apply liquid finishes or steenky adhesives, well,  
you know.

Even working with "real" (soft) wood, they will off-gas VOCs into the  
indoor air environment.
(CMHC's  "Healthy Homes" program recommends that softwoods be avoided for  
interior finish work for this reason, if any of the home's occupants are  
afflicted with MCS.)

Since the shop is in a basement former "cold room" (ie concrete walls,  
floor and ceiling) providing good exhaust capacity should not result in  
any severe thermal discomfort due to heat storage/buffering capacity of  
the (well-insulated ?) thermal mass, if the exhaust is operated only  
during "pollution" events.

In the shop that is in my own home (as opposed to the one that is separate  
from) I have an awning-type insulated (R-20) vent on which a squirrel cage  
blower (salvaged from a furnace) is mounted. In winter when I need to  
exhaust, snap open the sash lock, crank open the insulated awning oand  
then turn on the blower. The air is sparkling clean & fresh within moments.


-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
< A r c h i L o g i c  at  Y a h o o  dot  c a >
manually winnow the chaff from my edress if you hit "reply"
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com