If you’re using your shed for anything other than storage, such as converting it into a games room or using it as a workshop, it’ll be far more comfortable with a little boost to the temperature letting you use the shed any time of the year. It can also be cheaper to insulate your shed than to wire it up with electrics to run a small halogen heater, which would cost a lost to run because without insulation, heat would be lost.
It’s estimated that up to 40% of heat in a shed is lost through the floor alone. For that reason, it’s worth considering underfloor insulation which will need installed when you’re laying your garden shed base. The easiest to install is damp-proof membrane and a layer of carpet over the top of it. However, if you are using carpet, be cautious as they can become damp if the membrane fails so it’s a good idea to use quality membrane that’s thick and perhaps double layer it for added protection.
Insulating the Walls of Garden Sheds
The cheapest insulation for the walls on garden sheds in Glasgow is bubble wrap. Plain, simple and cost-effective. The bubble wrap will need cut to size to fit over each post on the shed’s framework. Do not staple or tack the bubble wrap directly to the cladding because there needs to be an air gap to prevent damp problems. Using a stapler, attach the bubble wrap to the framing.
Once it’s installed, it won’t look pretty but it will do the job of keeping more heat in your shed. To improve the appearance, you can panel off the walls using MDF to cover the bubble wrap. Like before, the MDF needs cut to size and attached to the framework.
A higher quality material is foil-based bubble wrap. This takes advantage of bubble wrap and tin foil so you could DIY this if you wanted as it’s essentially two sheets of tin foil with bubble wrap sandwiched between them. Unlike traditional bubble wrap that needs an air gap between the cladding, foil-based bubble wrap can be cut to size and fitted directly onto the cladding with no air gap.
Another insulation option that’s a little more expensive but more effective is to use Celotex insulation wall lining for timber building. Different Celotex insulation panels are suited to different parts of your shed. Some can be installed on the floors (under or over slabs) in the panels between the shed’s framework, including for lining the ceiling.
For more Information on Celotex products, you can download the guide at: https://www.celotex.co.uk/assets/handy-guide_nov18.pdf
Fiberglass Wool Insulation for Timber Garden Sheds
Fiberglass has the added advantage of keeping humidity levels lower in timber sheds, which can be helpful for storing more delicate items that could be affected by high humidity levels. You will need to wear protective gear when working with this as it is made of tiny bits of glass. If you touch it with your bare hands, the itchiness is torcher. Cover your hair face and hands if you’re going to install fiberglass panels or glass wool as it’s sometimes called.
Treat Your Interior Wood Before Insulating the Walls of Garden Sheds
This is important because once your insulation is fitted, you won’t be able to get to the cladding without ripping out the insulation. Before you apply any insulation, treat the walls with an anti-fungal treatment or pesticide to prevent any damage. The higher quality the better because you don’t want to be taking your insulation out regularly to treat your timber. Some products are wash on treatments, others are paints and lacquers.
Shedman.co.uk are experts in workshops and garden sheds, Glasgow-based and handmake all our timber outbuildings with the highest-grade timber imported all the way from Sweden.
View our garden shed ranges here.