Darryl --
Without trying to write a book -- you're dealing with BTU's -- and it takes "X" amount to "heat" your shop... Your water heater is rated in BTU's... probably like 100,000 ?? Most slabs that are going to be heated - have foam insulation barrier - so your heat doesn't all get soaked up by the ground underneath. Do you know if you have a layer of this in your floor?
Is the heater electric or natural gas?? In the Pacific NW - our electric rate is pretty "cheap". I have a 30X50 Shop with 21' ceilings. I heat it with just leaving the fluorescent lights on. I have 12 - 8' long - double tube H.O. T12 bulbs. My electric bill runs about $300 a month in the winter. That includes all the other electric stuff going - compressor - welders etc.
Something that might help to get you up and running... try leaving all your shop lights on 24/7 -- Fluorescents actually put off some decent heat... if left on to help out they might add a heat level up high in the ceiling - which lets the heat from your floor not dissipate so quickly.
Once all your toolboxes and the cars get up to "temp" they'll also act like heat sinks - helping keep the shop toasty...
Just a thought is all.
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