# Solar Gary Re: Shop solar heater



## Jerry in MN (Dec 2, 2007)

Solar Gary,
In builditsolar.com the Mother Earth News and Home Power articles tell about the solar-air collector you built on your shop. Regarding the vertical outer frame members which appear to be installed against lap siding, how did you seal them up? There must have been some big gaps to fill. Did you seal on both the inside of the frame and on the outside?
Thanks!
Jerry


----------



## RayG IA (Jan 22, 2008)

On the one that I am building, I used a piece of 1/2" plywood on the back. I used 1" blue board as insulation on the back and sided.

I'm making a slightly different version that you are thinking about, but the idea is the same. 

The one that I'm building is meant for a window, therefore it takes cool air in from the room through the back side of the heater and then up the top side and back into the room. I also use 1" blue board as insulation between to the back and top side.


----------



## Jerry in MN (Dec 2, 2007)

Solar Gary, please see question above.


----------



## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Jerry in MN said:


> Solar Gary,
> In builditsolar.com the Mother Earth News and Home Power articles tell about the solar-air collector you built on your shop. Regarding the vertical outer frame members which appear to be installed against lap siding, how did you seal them up? There must have been some big gaps to fill. Did you seal on both the inside of the frame and on the outside?
> Thanks!
> Jerry


Hi Jerry,
Sorry I missed that earlier.

The gaps are just sealed up with silicone caulk. For my siding, the gaps are not really that large, and did not take a lot of caulk.
I think I just caulked the outside, but I'll take a look tomorrow, and make sure. I'll also take a look at whether there is any sign of gaps developing around the caulk.

If I have thought about the collector before I built the south wall, I would have put the collector frame right against the plywood sheathing, and then sided up to the outside of the collector frame. This would have been a little more tidy, and would also save the cost of the siding under the collector, but the collector was an afterthought.

The collector is still doing the job just fine -- I think this is the 4 th winter. No maintenance at all so far. 

Gary


----------



## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi Again,

Here is a picture of the caulked joint between the side frame and the siding:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Caulk.htm

My siding only leaves about a 1/4 inch gap to be filled -- I suppose that some lap sidings would leave a larger gap.

I did actually caulk on both the outside and inside of the frame. I'm not sure this is such a good idea if you live in a climate where moisture can be a problem in that it makes a sealed pocket between the two caulk joints. I guess I must have been thinking that having a good air seal was more important.

Gary


----------



## Jerry in MN (Dec 2, 2007)

Gary,

Thanks for posting the picture. Your idea of not having siding behind the collector seems like a good idea if you have thicker lap siding, which I have.

Jerry


----------

