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Breezeway construction questions
First off, if you don't plan to heat it, why spend all that money on insulation and good windows?
You are not only wasting money, you're actually creating more problems.
The biggest enemy of an unheated building in a northern climate is NOT the freeze / thaw cycles per se, it is the moisture and related problem's caused by the temperature imbalance and the lack of a heat source to burn that moisture off. During the day solar energy captured by the building causes the temperature inside to rise, during the night it colls back down, this causes moisture to build up, without a means of removing it, it permeates into the drywall, insulation, everything! It is that moisture that is your enemy, it will cause the seams and fasteners in the sheetrock to pop, mould to start and grow, as well as a myriad of other problems.
Everything I have read and seen concerning an unheated structure was the same, don't seal it up, and don't put in insulation or other things that will draw in or hold moisture.
IMHO, if you're not going to heat it, use basic windows, lots of vents, both eaves and gable if there will be any, and keep away from insulation, sheetrock and carpet (unless it is indoor / outdoor or low pile nylon that won't support mould).
Best of luck.
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Breezeway construction questions
Ken, unless you get fancy, a "space heater" means electric heat, without some form of combustion you won't burn off any moisture.
It will however reduce or eliminate the temperature swings.
I have a 12' x 50' sunroom between my house and garage, it runs along the house, so the 50' side is against the house, it has 20' of the opposite side up against the garage (which is not heated, but shelters it) and an area of 12' x 12' of it is below my ensuite. With the exception of the glass, which is all good thermopane units, there is 6" of insulation on all outside walls.
Even with a heat exchanger from the house system, the 2 electric unit heaters run almost non-stop in cold weather to keep it at 50° F. in there unless the sun is out.
Best of luck.
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Breezeway construction questions
Frank, just remember that good ventilatis the key.
If you are going to leave the ceiling open, make sure however does the roof for you (you stay off ladders for now!!) installs the continous venting peak strips, and lots of ventilation under the eaves. A few vents at ground level, provided they're 'critter-proof' wouldn't hurt any either.
If you plan on putting up some form of wall treatment like panneling or something, be sure to leave some vent areas at both ground level and at the top plate. Trapped air in a wall like that will make it smell musty if nothing else.
Also, when you put it together be sure to include a door to the outside directly from the breezeway if it's to be built in an area that is used lots, two doors (one in each side) if it will cut off a route used very much. Going all the way around stops being fun real fast.
Best of luck.
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