Drop ceiling or open

[islandtees]

We purchased a building that we are fixing for our new shop. It has open 14ft ceiling in the center and goes down to 8 ft on the ends. We want to a/c the area(about 3600sq ft) We don't know if a 8ft drop ceiling would feel cramped. I like a drop ceiling myself or we could spray foam the roof deck and leave open. Those that have a 8ft ceiling , do you feel cramped?

[TCT]

Yes! We don't have 8' they are 14' but I see some pics of shops in big warehouse spaces and get SO jealous! 
Higher ceilings also gives the heat a place to raise to. A large exhaust fan at a high point is also a plus.

[mimosatexas]

I have 10 foot ceilings and find I OFTEN wish they were a little higher.  14 would be awesome.

[islandtees]

My concern with the higher ceilings is the A/C. It would take a lot more tonnage than the lower ceiling and much higher electric bill.

[TCT]

Your money may be better spent enclosing your dryer in a "room" with lots of insulation. This will reduce a lot of heat and also save on your gas bill. We actually wrapped our dryer in extra insulation a few years ago, it helped but also made many of the plastic knobs brittle. A surround made out of 2*4's and insulation with a exhaust fan up top will do volumes. It is hard as hell to A/C a shop...

[gtmfg]

We have a drop ceiling in out shop. I pulled every panel out this summer to hopefully get some relief.  We have AC but the dock doors are still always wide open in the summer

[islandtees]

We have a drop ceiling in out shop. I pulled every panel out this summer to hopefully get some relief.  We have AC but the dock doors are still always wide open in the summer

If you have a/c, why did you remove the panels. I don't understand?

[gtmfg]

We have an old Raypaul. 12' of heat which equates to hotter than hell.  Shop is about the same sq. footage as yours
The AC never keeps up with that size of dryer. Plus we print a lot of fleece which ends up being like mounds of heat sinks everywhere in the shop

[islandtees]

Since the a/c units are not installed we would be going with 2 units and can up the tonnage for heat gain. We just cant deceide on a drop ceiling of 8 feet or leave it open at 14 center and 8 on ends. I have to sacrifice height for less tonnage of a drop ceiling, that's why Im asking those with 8 foot drop ceiling how does it seem . We have auto and manual machines. I just don't want to feel like were in a cave.

[Gilligan]

If it's an option, go with expanding spray foam insulation.  It is expensive on the front end, but BIG savings later.

I have open cell in my storage unit and it does well.  I have a client that probably has closed cell on the underside of his homes roof and he keeps his av equipment (amps and such) in his attic because it doesn't get higher than like 90 degrees.  Keep in mind everyone's attics around here push like 150+ as we are in southern Louisiana!

Now that I own my building I'll likely be looking to get open cell sprayed on my roof... Even with the radicure and a quartz flash back it gets a bit warm.  I'd rather spend ~$3k on insulation vs $1000+ on a mini split and trying to find or add another electrical box to fit it in.

[TCT]

8' is too low in my opinion. Is your dryer and flashes under the current 8' sections? What dryer are you ruining? Even if you finished off more of it with a lower ceiling and left a spot open going all the way up, a good amount of your heat will collect there, then you just need to get a way to get it out of there.

A/C or no A/C 8' is just too low if you have other options.

[tancehughes]

Leave it open!


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[Prosperi-Tees]

I was thinking the boomerang dryer from M&R would be cool to wall off in the hot side and have the shirts return to the cool room.

[islandtees]

If it's an option, go with expanding spray foam insulation.  It is expensive on the front end, but BIG savings later.

I have open cell in my storage unit and it does well.  I have a client that probably has closed cell on the underside of his homes roof and he keeps his av equipment (amps and such) in his attic because it doesn't get higher than like 90 degrees.  Keep in mind everyone's attics around here push like 150+ as we are in southern Louisiana!

Now that I own my building I'll likely be looking to get open cell sprayed on my roof... Even with the radicure and a quartz flash back it gets a bit warm.  I'd rather spend ~$3k on insulation vs $1000+ on a mini split and trying to find or add another electrical box to fit it in.

If we go open ceiling we would also go spray foam. I agree, that stuff is amazing. If I go that route(very expensive because I would have to get the fire proof coating because it would be exposed) than I would also need bigger a/c units for the additional volume. Im trying to weight all out. Are you talking about the foam inside the roof deck or outside the building on the roof. I was looking at inside foam.

[Gilligan]

Inside... Underneath the roof itself.