With the thick of the winter snap looming closer, you should be thinking about how to keep your shed and its contents protected, not only from thieves, but from the elements!

Making your raggedy old shed an insulated shed could be the answer you’re looking for. Insulated sheds keep all your tools and equipment safe and sound while the frosty gusts of wind blow outside.

If you plan on using your shed as an office space or for protecting valuable goods, come December, you’ll thank your mid-October self for taking the initiative and presenting yourself with an insulated shed.

We’ve compiled the essential steps to creating an insulated shed so you can prepare yourself for the piercing cold to come!

 

 

Step 1: Initial Inspection

 
You need to ensure that the fabric of your building is secure enough to keep it dry and waterproof before you can begin to insulate it. If there are gaps or rotting wood, then your insulation efforts will be fruitless.

Inspect your shed thoroughly, checking for leaks, draughts, rotting, and breakages.

Replace any broken windows or panels to stop heat escaping. Treat the wood with wood stain and use quality wood filler where necessary. Expanding foam or rubber draught excluders are also a great way to seal all the warmth in.

If you have a shed from Stewart Timber, you’ll have little to worry about. Our sheds have a good quality oil base coat to protect them, which merely needs topping up once in a while to keep water tight.

 

 

Step 2: Create Cavities

 
You can’t just pin insulation material to the internal walls and then pin another board on top. You’ll need to create a gap, called a cavity, between the wall and the pinned board for an effectively insulated shed.

You may already have cavities in place, in which case, you can skip this step.

If you don’t, then simply attach strips of wood down the side of each frame, creating space to slot your insulation material in to.

You will need space to insulate all the walls, the roof, and the floor.

 

 

Step 3: Pick Your Insulation Material

 
To narrow down your choice of insulation material, think about what purpose you want an insulated shed for and your budget.

If you don’t need the shed to be super toasty or if you have a low budget, bubble wrap is a good option. Simply measure the space, cut sheets of bubble wrap to size, and staple or tack it to the frame, making sure the sheets overlap.

If you need something a bit stronger, fibreglass wool works. Attach a breathable membrane sheet to the inner shed walls, then fix the fibreglass wool in place. It’s very important if you use this material that you wear protective gear to keep your face and hands safe as the fibreglass wool is harmful to humans.

Wool is a cosy and warm alternative that just needs cut to size and pinned in place.

A great choice for DIY-ers are PIR insulation boards. Made of thermoset plastic, they can just be pushed in place.

It’s best if your floor is insulated already under the boards, but otherwise, you can tack breathable membrane on to the floor and then a rug or other cloth material to cover it up.

 

 

Step 4: Place Final Panelling

 
With your insulation snugly in place, you can now seal it off by placing outer panels over it. This will trap all the heat in and look more aesthetically pleasing!

Plasterboard is one of your cheapest options but it’s not particularly resistant against water or damp.

Plywood is a tougher option and can be easily decorated to your specifications.

Tongue and groove is a fantastic option for home office sheds. It can be difficult to tinker around with but is the most attractive surface of these choices. You can layer a coat of paint or varnish on top to finish it off.

 

 

Combat The Cold Snap With Your Insulated Shed

 
Owners of insulated sheds across Scotland will thank their past selves for putting in the hard work to keep them cosy this winter.

If you are looking for a garden shed, look no further than Stewart Timber, and make sure you follow these insulation steps to keep it in good working order for the winter!

Contact us today to see what we can do for you.

Stewart Timber – Garden Sheds Glasgow – Helping you create brilliant garden storage solutions.