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My husband keeps threating to put me in the basement because of the mess it makes in the kitchen and there is always something in progress because I want to be sure that I am putting out a great product.

SO my question is do you think it would be ok to make candles in the basement, and store my supplies down there.

I live in NC and in the summer it feels pretty good down there but in the winter it can get down right cold. Would this effect my candle supplies or candles in any way to store them down there?

Help please before I am sent to the hole??

:shocked2: :shocked2: :shocked2:

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Wish I could be of help, as far as difference in basement and kitchen. I have my candle work area in my basement, and have been making containers down here ever since. I haven't done any in kitchen so I can't tell a difference, but I have had good results and no complaints from my few customers so far. It definitely is warmer in kitchen, but it is not that bad in my basement. I tend to have a hotplate with water going for reheating wax in pour pots, and have two Presto pots on in close proximity. I should get a thermometer to check the temp.

You could try pouring some candles down there and up in kitchen, and see how different they may come out.

HTH! geek :)

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Im in the basement and love it. The only think I miss is the sunlight which they say gives you more energy and sometimes I need that. I would rather be in the basement and at home than have to go to a shop and spend all day there. Temp in the winter gets to about 60f in my unheated work area and then in summer it dont get above 80F when I make bunches of candles (Im in Missouri). Thats an ok range for me to work in, I always think about all the peeps that work outdoors in all kinds of weather and that keeps me in line. I have a nice tv down there, going to get a fridge, have a sink and plenty of room for about 10 thousand jars, some empty and some full. You want to find some shelves, not really the cheap ones. I went to a store auction and the shelves were going for cheap, you could buy a whole isle of shelving for like $5.00 !!! Oh, a dehumidifier works great to keep the summer temps feeling better also. Like I said it sometimes feels depressing to have to go down there and make candles, but it beats having to get out and go somewere else. Bruce

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I for one have to stay in the kitchen - so I can keep my eyes and ears on the kids... However - in my basement - I probably would have a problem with the temp... My husband too built an area for me down there - but theres no moving me out of the kitchen... Its just more convenient too for me with the computer set up here in my dining room - to acces my website while I am making the candles..

Heather

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After about 6 months in the kitchen I needed to go to the basement, it was just to hard to keep the kitchen clean and to time consuming to take everything out each day and put it back at the end of the day. That was almost 5 years ago, it was a wise move. You continue to accumulate more and more as time goes by, and you'll be happy you have the space.

I have to agree with Bruce, it is cool in the winter, and just right in the summer. But I'd rather be there than leaving home to go to a shop.

As far as quality of the candles, etc..........they are fine, never had a problem due to the chill in the air. The only thing I still make in my kitchen is my whipped shea cause I don't have a frig down stairs, so it's easier just to do it upstairs.

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I would go happily in the basement, cleaning the kitchen every time you have to eat (don't know about you, but I have this bad habit!!) is depressing and time consuming.

But winter here is very cold, we can go to an outside temp of about 30*, 50* in the basement.

So I need to find a way to keep basement warm without spending too much money, I don't think I can work down there at this temp, and I think my supplies and finished candle will suffer.

Besides during summer when outside the temp is 104* the basement is a little cooler, so pouring could be ok.

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My husband moved me down to the basement too - we call it the candle cave. It's a nice finished room about 10X10. I find that my candles cool and set much better down there. In the winter, when I was in the kitchen, I think they cooled too fast, because they were right near a window. He just recently added a cd player to my cave because it would drive him crazy that it was so quiet down there. Never bothered me though lol.

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We work out of my basement as well, and a good thing cause it has become a mess!!! LOL! We pour only at night when the kids have gone to bed and then it's a marathon, I don't put the time aside to clean it up! We have a work area that my husband built for us when we started, have already out- grown that, and between cases of wax, foam boxes for cooling, and all of the other boxes of supplies, shelves for pour pots and FO, I cannot imagine doing this in any other part of my home!

We did most of our pouring in the cold last year- probably 50-some degrees as well, but this year we tried to finish up while it was still pretty mild out-we are in SE PA. We slow cool everything in styrofoam and haven't had any problem yet-we do containers and votives.:)

HTH!

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I agree about the mess...I'm not quite as careful as I would be when working in the kitchen...I have a pair of birkenstocks I only wear when working in the "Candle Cave" <--I love that term!. That way when I come up the stairs I dont bring the wax with me....

Now if only I could teach everyone else in the house the trick of taking their shoes off when they come in....lol

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I started out in my kitchen but moved to the basement after getting gel boogers in our dinner! :D I have a propane heater that keeps the basement at a comfortable temp. My FO's are kept in a cart with wheels and 5 drawers and my wax is kept under my work bench. Got a TV and a beer meister too so I'm set. LOL!

Trae

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I am looking forward to one day moving to the basement. Our son is using it as his "bachelor pad" bedroom right now, but once he's gone, I'm taking over! My kitchen is a disaster area and I've already lost one entire cupboard to FO's and smaller supplies, not to mention all the other things I have stored in closets, spare bedrooms, etc. I bet you can make a nice little workshop down there with a little effort and some ingenuity. I envy anyone who gets to set up shop in the basement.

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Thanks for all of the ideas and stories I am rof. See my hubby set me up about a 10x10 room in the basemant for my scrapbooking. He said something about me splitting the room up and I told no because the wax and colors and fo could spill it would be just a mess.

around here it gets in the 20's and low 30's sometimes. I can't finish my basement either hubby said it would cost too much.

So I was just wondering what the consenses was.

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Im in the basement and love it. The only think I miss is the sunlight which they say gives you more energy and sometimes I need that. Bruce

I saw on HGTV one night when at work that theyhave these cool basement window things that bring in more natural light to the basement...i'll have to find the link for it...I hope to do this someday!

Edited: I found a link, basement windows with wells, they let in more light...

http://www.boman-kemp.com/search_systems.mv

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I just need to say that I second the part about being able to be as messy as I want - my carpet is so pretty now with all the little drippings! I told my husband that when we sell the condo, and I'm a famous candlemaker, the property value will go up with the "original drippings" on the floor! :D

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I love living err working in the basement.

I get to make all kinds of messes and not clean it up until I am ready.

Usually when my kids come home to stay. Even then I'm not ready lol

My basement is heated tho so don't know about the no heat part.

But I love it down there. Nice and quiet and no one bugs me but my cat.

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If your basement is totally below ground, it shouldn't get much below 60 down there. It won't take much to raise that by 10 degrees. Presto pots and a stove will put out quite a bit of heat, when you're working.

Also, in my area, we have some used appliance places where you can pick up a used stove for something around $75. Doesn't take much to run a wire for it, if you have 2 empty spaces in your breaker box.

Also, while it may be exspensive to actually 'finish' the basement, it doesn't take much to build 1 wall accross the width of the basement.

If the basement is 25 feet wide; it will take about 20 2x4 studs that cost around $3 ea. Drywall runs about $3 per 4x8 foot sheet. You'd need 13. Figure another $40 for the header and footer lumber. The footer has to be treated lumber, BTW. You could prolly pick up a door for $100. Maybe less. I'm guessing that you could insulate this wall for under $100. You can get a set of drywall finishing tools, in a kit, for about $15 at Wal-Mart. Finishing drywall is pretty simple, it's just like spackling nail holes, on a larger scale.

All together you can get out for less than $400, doing it yourself, and it can be done in stages, if need be. Frame it this month. Drywall one side next month. Insulate on the third month. Drywall the other side the fourth. Hang the door the fifth month. The frame work will take the longest and it can be done in a day with one man working... two days if his wife helps. :cheesy2:

If the floor joists are visible, you can staple up some plastic for a makeshift cieling, til you get around to doing something else.

It will give him an excuse to buy some tools, too. ( The one that shoots nails into concrete is about $20. ) Plus some bragging rights down at the corner bar.

Later, if you like, you can finish the rest of the basement in stages. It will add resale value to the house.

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I am jealous of all the people with Basements. There are not so many basements here in Dallas....or in my area anyway...but I think that it seems like a perfect enviornment ! I usually have to add a minimum of 1.15hrs for "clean-up" time.I do not pour a large volume of candles, so I don't usually mind too much. I am at a "crossroads" with my Candlemaking where I have to decide if I want to jump into this "whole hog" and turn this into work...or keep it like it is and only supply my store at the school for our Fundraisers. I have had some interesting opportunities to grow....just not sure I want it to turn into something I "have" to do instead of something I "want" to do. I guess at some point I have to make a decision...is this going to be a business or a hobby. I kinda have the best of both worlds now.

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I store my supplies in the basement. For me it's too cold to work down there (it's 50* in the winter and 60* in the summer) at least in the winter. Also, the setup is such that if someone is in the basement, the bathroom can't be used (too complicated to explain but that's the setup). If your basement has a better setup than this, then why not try it out. It would sure beat having to clear the kitchen surfaces and shoo everyone out each time.

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My wonderful hubby built me a craft/candle making room in the garage with radiant floor heating (the entire garage has this, we use the rooms as recreation rooms actually with my teenage sons have a room of their own out there for a place to hang out work on things and play darts and music. Anyhow, it stays around 55-60 degrees when it is very cold out in Northern Ohio. I turn on an electric heater if I get cold out there while working but not when I'm not in the room. I use a presto pot and a hot plate and it works out well. I cool the candles in a box to slow the process. I don't see any difference then when I used to work in the kitchen.

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I can't wait to get totally organized in the basement. :smiley2:

Its been a long time coming, perhaps by spring it might be done.

I have been lugging small stuff down there, and if I happen to get one of my male friends over here I put them to work- carrying things for me.

I have a rough plan drawn up- how I want the counters built, etc~ there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day. But it is wonderful to keep most of my mess down there out of sight.

To have my house back.. oh just priceless!

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I will try to say all of that to my hubby. In my scrap area I was crafty. I bought those bamboo shades and inbetween rafters put them up so as to have a little space to call my own.

You see he has a building for lawn mowers and such and a garage almost the length of the house.... :shocked2:

Now mind you we live in the city so we don't have room for anymore buildings etc. for me but he sure did come out like a fat rat!

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