From: wolverine01@charter.net   
      
   On 2/7/2026 4:48 PM, Ted Heise wrote:   
   > On Thu, 5 Feb 2026 12:18:10 -0600,   
   >    sticks  wrote:   
   >   
   >>   I was able to retire at 53 years of age.  One of the benefits   
   >>   was that I was able to help so many of my friends get things   
   >>   done they needed help with.  I didn't want money for my time, I   
   >>   just liked helping them.  In almost every case a big part of   
   >>   the fun was when they realized they actually could do what   
   >>   needed to be done.  The pride they felt when the job was done   
   >>   was exactly what I got involved for.   
   >>   
   >>   I am working at just paying people to do things, mostly because   
   >>   of the failing body parts.  The tile job I had this past summer   
   >>   is a good example.  I've done them many times, but didn't want   
   >>   to put the stress on my knees.   
   >>   
   >>   Gas pipe is really a very easy thing to do, but I can   
   >>   appreciate thinking it might be better to just let a pro do it.   
   >>   In the end, you still better check their work for leaks.   
   >>   
   >>   Same goes for putting in the piping and flashing for the heater   
   >>   thru the roof.  Very simple to do once you have the right   
   >>   things.  You do the alignment, and cut the hole.  It helps to   
   >>   have a shingle or two extra. You clue down and then nail the   
   >>   proper vent flashing.  The top 1/2 then gets covered over with   
   >>   the shingles.  Trust me, once you've done it, it is pretty   
   >>   simple and doing it yourself can save a lot of money.   
   >   
   > All makes sense, but I've started fretting about what my gas bill   
   > would do if I try to heat the whole garage.  It's darn near 1000   
   > sq ft.   
      
   That is big.  I thought mine was a good sized 3 car.  It's 25 x 35 and   
   about 875 sf.  You don't have to keep them as warm as I do, and I   
   suppose most people don't.  I think most people probably keep them at   
   about 50-55F.  No reason you couldn't also go way down to upper 30's if   
   you just don't want paint freezing and can turn it up when you use it.   
   But I'm out here all the time, and I want it "comfortable" when I go in.   
      
   That said, even keeping it warmer than I should, I doubt it adds more   
   than a buck a day for the few months i heat it.  If it's double that I   
   still don't care.  I just want that garage heated.   
      
      
   > My handy neighbor suggested hanging a floor to ceiling   
   > curtain around the smallish space I really would like heated,   
   > ptobably about 90 sq ft.  If I throw insulation onto the space   
   > above the ceiling of that part I bet my space heater would work   
   > well enough--and a whole lot less expensive.   
      
   You could always try that out for a year and see how you like it.   
      
   --   
   Science Doesn’t Support Darwin. Scientists Do   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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