Hello
I am looking at sheds and was wondering how to keep it warm and dry?
Does anyone have a pellet stove or other heater in their shed? Does the heater get rusty?
I found these tips on how to insulate the shed and keep it warm and dry.
(broken link removed to http://www.ianjohnston.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:workshop&catid=3:hobbies&Itemid=8)
See text below
More Info
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/insulating-tips-for-a-shed
Things I have learned about keeping a shed warm, relatively damp free & able to weather the elements. It's not a definitive list and not the optimum way to do things, but so far so good they seem to work for me and are easy to implement.
1. DON'T, just throw polystyrene sheets between the wall uprights (and roof) and simply plasterboard over them. Whilst it will be cosy to begin with, dampness and condensation will be a problem. Also, whilst plasterboard is easy to cut and put up, it'll just soak up moisture and buckle/rot over time.
2. DON'T, throw your shed base down, even if it's on slabs, without first putting down a vapour barrier (polythene sheeting) over the whole area. The wooden floor of your base will soak up moisture from the ground especially if there is not a good air gap (flow) between the base and the ground. It's not so much that it can rot the wood over time but more the fact it will just make for a cold floor that never seems to be absolutely bone dry. If you miss out on this step (like me) then lay polythene down over the shed floor (inside) and lay down another floor (tiling, wood or anything) over the top. This will stop moisture getting all the way into your shed and will make the floor stronger also.
3. DO, fit Celotex type insulation between the roof and wall battons. Celotex has a built in vapour barrier by way of a foil film on both sides and is extremely efficient as an insulator. You can then clad directly over the Celotex.
4. DON'T, simply put household loft insulation between the roof and wall battons and clad over it. The insulation will just draw in moisture and before you know it you'll have a damp problem.
5. DO, try to fit secondary glazing even if it is just a perspex sheet on the inside side of the windows. Leave at least a 10mm gap and seal it best you can all the way round. This will help prevent condensation and also keep the shed that little bit warmer.
6. DON'T, buy a metal shed to use as a workshop. You'll have the mother of all condensation problems especially if you are heating the shed.
7. DO, run two heaters if it's a permanent workspace to be used all year round. Use one heater that'll tickover all the time day or night just to keep the frost/damp out, and another one to blast the shed up to temperature before you go out there. It's a wooden shed, so be careful with the type of heaters you choose.
8. DO, be prepared to see the wooden outside cladding shrink and twist a little bit. A heated shed will dry out the wood even if it's pre-dried and cause a little shrinkage/twisting.
9. DO, paint the outside with at least four good coats of paint/preservative. Give it the first two coats as soon as possible after the shed is erected, then the third a couple of months later, and the fourth a couple months after that.
I am looking at sheds and was wondering how to keep it warm and dry?
Does anyone have a pellet stove or other heater in their shed? Does the heater get rusty?
I found these tips on how to insulate the shed and keep it warm and dry.
(broken link removed to http://www.ianjohnston.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:workshop&catid=3:hobbies&Itemid=8)
See text below
More Info
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/insulating-tips-for-a-shed
Things I have learned about keeping a shed warm, relatively damp free & able to weather the elements. It's not a definitive list and not the optimum way to do things, but so far so good they seem to work for me and are easy to implement.
1. DON'T, just throw polystyrene sheets between the wall uprights (and roof) and simply plasterboard over them. Whilst it will be cosy to begin with, dampness and condensation will be a problem. Also, whilst plasterboard is easy to cut and put up, it'll just soak up moisture and buckle/rot over time.
2. DON'T, throw your shed base down, even if it's on slabs, without first putting down a vapour barrier (polythene sheeting) over the whole area. The wooden floor of your base will soak up moisture from the ground especially if there is not a good air gap (flow) between the base and the ground. It's not so much that it can rot the wood over time but more the fact it will just make for a cold floor that never seems to be absolutely bone dry. If you miss out on this step (like me) then lay polythene down over the shed floor (inside) and lay down another floor (tiling, wood or anything) over the top. This will stop moisture getting all the way into your shed and will make the floor stronger also.
3. DO, fit Celotex type insulation between the roof and wall battons. Celotex has a built in vapour barrier by way of a foil film on both sides and is extremely efficient as an insulator. You can then clad directly over the Celotex.
4. DON'T, simply put household loft insulation between the roof and wall battons and clad over it. The insulation will just draw in moisture and before you know it you'll have a damp problem.
5. DO, try to fit secondary glazing even if it is just a perspex sheet on the inside side of the windows. Leave at least a 10mm gap and seal it best you can all the way round. This will help prevent condensation and also keep the shed that little bit warmer.
6. DON'T, buy a metal shed to use as a workshop. You'll have the mother of all condensation problems especially if you are heating the shed.
7. DO, run two heaters if it's a permanent workspace to be used all year round. Use one heater that'll tickover all the time day or night just to keep the frost/damp out, and another one to blast the shed up to temperature before you go out there. It's a wooden shed, so be careful with the type of heaters you choose.
8. DO, be prepared to see the wooden outside cladding shrink and twist a little bit. A heated shed will dry out the wood even if it's pre-dried and cause a little shrinkage/twisting.
9. DO, paint the outside with at least four good coats of paint/preservative. Give it the first two coats as soon as possible after the shed is erected, then the third a couple of months later, and the fourth a couple months after that.
![[Hearth.com] Does anyone have a pellet stove or heater in their shed? Finally found one - gravity feed NO electic](/talk/data/attachments/45/45978-60a82ae929ab45aac71753c6c4cd96d4.jpg?hash=sPDsIyQc6J)
![[Hearth.com] Does anyone have a pellet stove or heater in their shed? Finally found one - gravity feed NO electic](/talk/data/attachments/46/46134-2c1ddc6946bfb70faff58d75b78df13d.jpg?hash=nTTyghOTWi)
![[Hearth.com] Does anyone have a pellet stove or heater in their shed? Finally found one - gravity feed NO electic](/talk/data/attachments/46/46205-804305aa4d4c60073a7870bb0fb3c756.jpg?hash=ZuRAd6Ws8J)
![[Hearth.com] Does anyone have a pellet stove or heater in their shed? Finally found one - gravity feed NO electic](/talk/data/attachments/46/46206-998753b74f35d73568989333ebe5ebbb.jpg?hash=HsJ47e5rXu)
![[Hearth.com] Does anyone have a pellet stove or heater in their shed? Finally found one - gravity feed NO electic](/talk/data/attachments/46/46211-ffbb41ac8a8cb88c1d51c86f2fc93d90.jpg?hash=wTINTdNVtC)
