I too am on the Chicago area, (2 county's south) and around here firewood is plentiful.
And there is always at least 1 big storm around here a year in warm months. With piles of cut up logs by the ditch line in front of people's houses shortly after.
I have a pretty good pile behind my shed from the tree limb that landed on my house.
In my detached garage I have a 100k BTU Modine "unit heater". 30x36 X 10' ceilings, well insulated walls, but an open hole in the ceiling above the lift, walk up attic with no insulation up there. I think an old ceiling fan or 2 up inside the gables would help distribute the heat a lil better, it gets HOT up in the attic.
I have the Modine in the NW corner facing SE. Directly in line with it it gets quite warm, alongside it or in the NE corner where the toolbox is, it is noticeably chily
