Hangar Dreaming

[Laird]

OK, so I'm dreaming of the hangar I'll someday build in the NC/SC area for my RV.

Probably a 40x50, so I can fit a guest airplane in and have an enclosed/environmentally controlled workshop for building RC airplanes, etc. Toolbox, welder, shear, bandsaws, drill presses will be outside of the workshop in the hangar.

Being from SoCal (and wanting to get out asap) I'm not familiar with yearly SE weather patterns. I have an idea, but would like insight from locals about what is done in regards to heating or cooling/dehumidifying a hangar that is is used pretty much daily.

Do tools sitting outside in the open hangar area get a thin coating of rust after a while? Is some kind of heating required? A porta-cool necessary for summer?

Or is an un-conditioned hangar perfectly acceptable for 95% of the year?

Just asking stupid questions while dreaming of a new hangar for the (hopefully) soon retirement.

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks,

Laird

 

[BobTurner]

Like you, I live in CA but have many relatives in GA. (Close enough to SC/NC). You will find the humidity unbearable. I’d plan on AC, sized to get the humidity down - more important than the temperature.

 

[MED]

I am in Aiken, SC. My airport hangar gets HOT in the Summer, particularly after noon when the sun starts hitting the hangar doors. I just work in the morning when a floor fan is usually adequate. In the Winter (typically late December through late February) the hangar is cold in the morning - usually 40s. I use a kerosene heater (running Jet-A) as needed. Everything that can rust, will. Things can get soaking wet in the hangar when we have a warm, moist frontal passage after it has been cold. I use an engine drier continuously in hopes that will make a difference.

 

[MarkW]

There are different environs in those two large states.
I think your biggest concern might be humidity.
Nearer the coast can get unbearable in a metal building during the summer.
https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/images/humidity-02.png

 

[Carl Froehlich]

I'm a little north of you at Fredericksburg, VA.

I have a 48'x48' hangar. The side and rear walls are 2x6 studs on top of a 3' poured concrete hip wall.

The secret to a comfortable year round hangar is insulation. The side and rear walls have R-19 covered with drywall. The ceiling is standard 4' wide steel siding (much easier to install than drywall). The ceiling is R-60 or so blown in insulation. The Wilson bifold door has 1" rigid foam insulation from Lowes. This is glued onto the inside of the door with Liquid Nails.

I looked at installing a split system heat pump but the prices are too rich for me. I ended up buying Lowes biggest 220volt window air conditioner. With the addition of ceiling fans the hangar is below 75 degrees on the hottest summer day.

For winter I have three plug in space heaters. After 3-4 hours of running the hangar is in the mid 60s.

While not airtight, the hangar does not "breath" like typical T hangars. I do not have a problem with tools rusting and such (going on 20 years now).

Neither air conditioner or heaters are run when not using the hangar. My average hangar electric bill is less than $20 a month.

Carl

 

[n6233u]

I have lived just outside Charlotte, NC for 30+ yrs and everything said above is true. It is HOT and HUMID (80-90%) in the summer and can get quite cold in the winter. I have a 44x46 shop at the house and two hangars at the local airport. But both states have diverse climate areas from the ocean to the Smoky mountains.

Some things to consider:
1) The closer you are to the ocean the higher the humidity and greater your chances of hurricanes
2) Mountains are cooler in summer but they aren't called the "Smoky" mountains for no reason, many days are low IFR
3) Coastal areas get crowded in the summer as tourists arrive to enjoy the beaches
4) Major snow storms shut down everything until the snow melts
5) You get up early in the summer to work in your hangar when it's cooler and quit around noon, or retreat to an air conditioned smaller workshop
6) You wait until the sun hits your hangar in the winter to pre-heat everything
7) I swear you can watch metal rust in the summer - LOL!

The good news is there are many airparks in the NC/SC area, so you should be able to find someplace that suits you, and if it doesn't work out you can easily find another airpark that does.

 

[fixnflyguy]

Central NC PIREP

I have lived in central NC near Winston-Salem for 40 years. It is hot in the mid-late summer and high humidity at times. Winter is fairly mild, but is cold enough in Dec-Feb to make unheated space uncomfortable. If you cant build a hangar that is fully HVAC controlled ($$$...), at least plan for a shop area within the hangar that is controlled. I rent a fairly large hangar at 8A7 that is un-insulated and I deal with heat and cold best I can, however, I put a 12X12 insulated room in the corner that has a very simple HVAC and De-humidifier system. I keep all my tool boxes and supplies in it, and have a bench area for fiddling. Its not ideal, but its better than nothing. Several friends have full enclosed areas across the entire back hangar wall area, some with 2nd story shops that use mini-split HVACs and they are perfect. There are a few local airparks that have houses come and go, which would be ideal if you can swing it. best part is, there are no SoCal rules to follow !

 

[Carl Froehlich]

We have a couple of houses for sale at Dogwood Airpark (VA42) if you want to move just a little more north.

Carl

 

[Pilot135pd]

I’d plan on AC, sized to get the humidity down - more important than the temperature.

BINGO !! I'm currently building a 60x60 hangar and I'll have A/C plus a BigAss fan (a generic one but same size and CFM so it's thousand$ cheaper ) to move it around. The A/C is expected to just remove the humidity and heat the hangar in our mild winters. This year we had 100+ temps in Texas for over a month when it's usually about 4 or 5 days a year, and since the humidity was low it really wasn't that bad compared with 90 degrees and high humidity.

I'm also going to install a solar panel system so that A/C will be running full time because once you open that hangar door it'll have to start all over again

 

[Grum.man]

As others have mentioned it can feel vastly different depending on what part of the state you are in. No matter what rust will be an issue in the summer time. There are occasions where the humidity is so bad the concrete floors will be damp. I used to live near Bill and now live 2 hours further east. It's noticeably warmer here in the summer due to humidity but winter feels about the same. I didn't really have a problem working in the hangar with nothing more than a fan but you will be hydrating anything you are standing over. The winter I can't deal with. If I was building a hangar it would have to be heated but I could suffice with a bunch of fans or a small conditioned room like Bill has in the summer.

 

[RV8iator]

This year we had 100+ temps in Texas for over a month when it's usually about 4 or 5 days a year, and since the humidity was low it really wasn't that bad compared with 90 degrees and high humidity.

I grew up in central Texas and I never saw any summer that didn't exceed 100 degrees for numerous days, way more that 4 or 5. It's hot in Texas in the summer. Always has been and always will be...

That said, as for your hangar, insulation is your friend. A metal roof will radiate the heat downward for hours after it cools down. That and ventilation will be your friend for all but the hottest days. Have opening doors on at least 3 sides and a BA Fan...

I now live on the coast in southeast Georgia and rust is the problem. I lubricate and coat everything in my toolbox. Constantly watch fasteners on my engine and airframe.

All in all, it's worth every ounce of energy to be able to live in such a wonderful place.

 

[Pilot135pd]

I grew up in central Texas and I never saw any summer that didn't exceed 100 degrees for numerous days, way more that 4 or 5. It's hot in Texas in the summer. Always has been and always will be...

I've had flying jobs in West Texas (Lubbock), Central Texas (Canyon Lake & San Antonio), South Texas (Victoria, Corpus, Houston) and East Texas (Tyler, Athens, Ben Wheeler) and I posted about my experience living here in the last 17 years in East Texas. We have trees, wind, less humidity, and clearly a cooler area of the state.

 

[jclark]

Ditto on insulation

I grew up in central Texas and I never saw any summer that didn't exceed 100 degrees for numerous days, way more that 4 or 5. It's hot in Texas in the summer. Always has been and always will be...

That said, as for your hangar, insulation is your friend. A metal roof will radiate the heat downward for hours after it cools down. That and ventilation will be your friend for all but the hottest days. Have opening doors on at least 3 sides and a BA Fan...

I now live on the coast in southeast Georgia and rust is the problem. I lubricate and coat everything in my toolbox. Constantly watch fasteners on my engine and airframe.

All in all, it's worth every ounce of energy to be able to live in such a wonderful place.

Per Widget's comments, INSULATION really IS your friend.

I have a very large hangar that is insulated and it is SEVERAL degrees cooler than the other "regular" hangars here in Columbia, SC. We used to use the tagline "Famously Hot!". Now, I think, it is "The Real Southern Hot Spot!"

Insulation plus a big fan works. In the center of the state (Columbia), you have more heat and probably a lot less moisture than the coast. More heat and probably less fog than the "Upstate".

If you are ever in the area, "give a holler and stop by".

 

[raabs]

Central FL here, hour from each coast. Very similar to NC /Charlotte in summer for heat and humidity..I think it was hotter in NC this summer. Colder in NC/SC in fall/winter. I have 40x50 hangar, spray foam insulation under roof and on hangar door. All block construction. Have A/C/heat pump and work all summer long any time of day or night. No moisture in hangar, no rust, epoxy floor and good lighting. Very nice place to work/hangout. Elec bill is $50 in fall/winter/spring and hotest summer month is $150. It's on 81 when not there and down to 75-76 when working with.4.ceiling fans. Worth every penny I spent on the A/C. I wouldn't / couldn't work there after 10am in summer without it. Temp right now is 81 with 43% humidity. It's excellent.

 

[gbitzer]

Laird I live in an airpark just north of Atlanta (6GA0) - Stoney Point). I built my -6 in my 40x50 hangar and added a 1100 sqft shop onto the back of the hangar for better building environment in the hot / cold months. I began with a 220 vac window AC unit and have now moved to a full packaged HVAC heat pump. Happy to share what I've learned over the past 20 years with my hangar. It's my favorite place to hang out.