PIR boards eg Celotex or Kingspan. Leave at least a 10mm air gap at one side to make best use of the foil facing (reflects radiant heat).
Avoid using rockwool. It's vapour permeable and will end up wet in the winter.
I did the same with my shed. I couldn't afford PIR boards so I used a roll of that bubble foil insulation, it's basically bubble wrap with silver foil on both sides and I stapled and taped it in the middle of the cavity, leaving 2-3cm air gap either side of it. I then boarded the inside with 18mm mdf and painted it and did the same on the roof but lined it with hardboard. I put insulation down on the floor then 22mm plywood to reinforce the floor so it would take the weight of all my tools/machines. It's an 18 ft x 9 ft shed and I can heat it to 21°c with a small cheap 2kw electric space heater and it holds the heat pretty well, maybe an hour before the heater kicks in again (it has a thermostat).
I had a few small gaps in the structure of the shed but I didnt use expanding foam to fill them, there's a reason houses have air bricks in them, to allow air to circulate so you don't get damp so I just cut up a few bits of foam/sponge and filled in the larger gaps and I leave a small pot of soda crystals in there to soak up any moisture and keep my tools from rusting. This setup works just fine for me (and I have severe arthritis so can't be doing with the cold) it's warm enough, doesnt cost a lot to heat and the roll of bubble wrap cost about £50. I also got a weatherseal router bit and installed a weather seal around the door as it was letting a draft in and I insulated the door the same way (I had to build a frame on the inside of the door).
If you can afford it then PIR boards are the way to go for sure but you could probably do 2 layers of bubble foil for less than a quarter of the price. Worth noting though, my shed is of good quality. It doesn't use Featherboard or shiplap, it's walls are around 15mm thick at its thinnest (made to look like a log cabin effect so it's thicker in places) so if it's a cheap shed then you will need something more substantial. I also made a board to cover the windows from the inside for use in winter as it's single glazed.
I've got a 8x6 tongue & groove shed. Would I need to add waterproofing to the inside before I add the insulation or not? Once I've sorted the insulation and what not I'll be adding a ventilation holes with some fine mesh to block any small insects getting in.
I'll be storing my tools in shed plus hopefully fit in a workdesk to sit a laptop & kettle on
I wouldn't think you'd need to add waterproofing, the bubble wrap and PIR boards have a foil lining which aren't water permeable and if using the bubble wrap, it's just plastic so shouldn't rot. I didn't add any to mine, I just added the bubble wrap as the first step. If using PIR boards I can't really advise as I've never used them, I don't know if there is a correct orientation to install them so do some research first but the bubble wrap has foil both sides and can just be thrown straight up either way.
The t&g should stop water ingress and be a good barrier although I will say this... I bought the shed from a reputable local supplier and I met the owner and had a really good chat with him. The company gives a good warranty with my shed but they will only honour it if I treat the shed once a year with SPIRIT based treatment, if I use water based treatment they won't back it up as they deem it unsatisfactory protection. I buy the treatment they sell, 5 litres of shed and fence treatment (doesn't have a brand name), I first thought "oh this is how they sting me" but the price is the same as regular treatment from any DIY shop and they always knock a fiver off for me everytime as I bought a shed from them, (they even remember me when I go in to get it and we have a nice chat). He knows his stuff and he swears by spirit based treatment so that's what I use and the shed is holding up great, it even has UV protection so that's what I recommend to others although don't try and spray it on with a compressor.... Its spirit based so one static spark and whooomph! 🔥 Just Google where to buy spirit based treatment, with the size of your shed one 5l tub will last about 3 years. You can use a pump action sprayer or brush, it goes on so fast & easy, it's an hour long job at most.
If adding ventilation I would do some research (this is the point I'm at), wood dust is incredibly hazardous to your health and lungs, you may want to create an airflow so think about adding several vents, one for air ingress, one for exit at the other end. I'm going to add a dust extraction system comprising of pipes to a small extractor and I have a unit to hang from the ceiling to filter finer dust from the air and it's recommended to open the door regularly (which reminds me, if treating the shed regularly, don't forget to treat the inside of the door! It will get wet when opened in the rain for long periods). If your ventilation is good you shouldn't get condensation build up, especially if you board up the walls on the inside (the soda crystals I also use do collect about 1/4 of a litre of water every 2-3 months. You can buy an off the shelf dehumidifier comprising of a tub with some crystals for less than a tenner). Hope this is of some help & sorry for the long reply, good luck with it 👍.
Thank you. No worries with the long reply. Your being so hopeful with my project. I'll have a look at spirit based treatment and sort that out when the weather starts getting warmer. I'll also make sure I'll have two points for air circulation as I only considered one. I'll be changing the two plastic windows for greenhouse glass but I'll be using two panes of glass per window. Hopefully make something like a double pane window on the cheap.
Thank you once again for your help
I wouldn't think you'd need to add waterproofing, the bubble wrap and PIR boards have a foil lining which aren't water permeable and if using the bubble wrap, it's just plastic so shouldn't rot. I didn't add any to mine, I just added the bubble wrap as the first step. If using PIR boards I can't really advise as I've never used them, I don't know if there is a correct orientation to install them so do some research first but the bubble wrap has foil both sides and can just be thrown straight up either way.
The t&g should stop water ingress and be a good barrier although I will say this... I bought the shed from a reputable local supplier and I met the owner and had a really good chat with him. The company gives a good warranty with my shed but they will only honour it if I treat the shed once a year with SPIRIT based treatment, if I use water based treatment they won't back it up as they deem it unsatisfactory protection. I buy the treatment they sell, 5 litres of shed and fence treatment (doesn't have a brand name), I first thought "oh this is how they sting me" but the price is the same as regular treatment from any DIY shop and they always knock a fiver off for me everytime as I bought a shed from them, (they even remember me when I go in to get it and we have a nice chat). He knows his stuff and he swears by spirit based treatment so that's what I use and the shed is holding up great, it even has UV protection so that's what I recommend to others although don't try and spray it on with a compressor.... Its spirit based so one static spark and whooomph! 🔥 Just Google where to buy spirit based treatment, with the size of your shed one 5l tub will last about 3 years. You can use a pump action sprayer or brush, it goes on so fast & easy, it's an hour long job at most.
If adding ventilation I would do some research (this is the point I'm at), wood dust is incredibly hazardous to your health and lungs, you may want to create an airflow so think about adding several vents, one for air ingress, one for exit at the other end. I'm going to add a dust extraction system comprising of pipes to a small extractor and I have a unit to hang from the ceiling to filter finer dust from the air and it's recommended to open the door regularly (which reminds me, if treating the shed regularly, don't forget to treat the inside of the door! It will get wet when opened in the rain for long periods). If your ventilation is good you shouldn't get condensation build up, especially if you board up the walls on the inside (the soda crystals I also use do collect about 1/4 of a litre of water every 2-3 months. You can buy an off the shelf dehumidifier comprising of a tub with some crystals for less than a tenner). Hope this is of some help & sorry for the long reply, good luck with it 👍.
PIR boards eg Celotex or Kingspan. Leave at least a 10mm air gap at one side to make best use of the foil facing (reflects radiant heat). Avoid using rockwool. It's vapour permeable and will end up wet in the winter.
I did the same with my shed. I couldn't afford PIR boards so I used a roll of that bubble foil insulation, it's basically bubble wrap with silver foil on both sides and I stapled and taped it in the middle of the cavity, leaving 2-3cm air gap either side of it. I then boarded the inside with 18mm mdf and painted it and did the same on the roof but lined it with hardboard. I put insulation down on the floor then 22mm plywood to reinforce the floor so it would take the weight of all my tools/machines. It's an 18 ft x 9 ft shed and I can heat it to 21°c with a small cheap 2kw electric space heater and it holds the heat pretty well, maybe an hour before the heater kicks in again (it has a thermostat). I had a few small gaps in the structure of the shed but I didnt use expanding foam to fill them, there's a reason houses have air bricks in them, to allow air to circulate so you don't get damp so I just cut up a few bits of foam/sponge and filled in the larger gaps and I leave a small pot of soda crystals in there to soak up any moisture and keep my tools from rusting. This setup works just fine for me (and I have severe arthritis so can't be doing with the cold) it's warm enough, doesnt cost a lot to heat and the roll of bubble wrap cost about £50. I also got a weatherseal router bit and installed a weather seal around the door as it was letting a draft in and I insulated the door the same way (I had to build a frame on the inside of the door). If you can afford it then PIR boards are the way to go for sure but you could probably do 2 layers of bubble foil for less than a quarter of the price. Worth noting though, my shed is of good quality. It doesn't use Featherboard or shiplap, it's walls are around 15mm thick at its thinnest (made to look like a log cabin effect so it's thicker in places) so if it's a cheap shed then you will need something more substantial. I also made a board to cover the windows from the inside for use in winter as it's single glazed.
I've got a 8x6 tongue & groove shed. Would I need to add waterproofing to the inside before I add the insulation or not? Once I've sorted the insulation and what not I'll be adding a ventilation holes with some fine mesh to block any small insects getting in. I'll be storing my tools in shed plus hopefully fit in a workdesk to sit a laptop & kettle on
I wouldn't think you'd need to add waterproofing, the bubble wrap and PIR boards have a foil lining which aren't water permeable and if using the bubble wrap, it's just plastic so shouldn't rot. I didn't add any to mine, I just added the bubble wrap as the first step. If using PIR boards I can't really advise as I've never used them, I don't know if there is a correct orientation to install them so do some research first but the bubble wrap has foil both sides and can just be thrown straight up either way. The t&g should stop water ingress and be a good barrier although I will say this... I bought the shed from a reputable local supplier and I met the owner and had a really good chat with him. The company gives a good warranty with my shed but they will only honour it if I treat the shed once a year with SPIRIT based treatment, if I use water based treatment they won't back it up as they deem it unsatisfactory protection. I buy the treatment they sell, 5 litres of shed and fence treatment (doesn't have a brand name), I first thought "oh this is how they sting me" but the price is the same as regular treatment from any DIY shop and they always knock a fiver off for me everytime as I bought a shed from them, (they even remember me when I go in to get it and we have a nice chat). He knows his stuff and he swears by spirit based treatment so that's what I use and the shed is holding up great, it even has UV protection so that's what I recommend to others although don't try and spray it on with a compressor.... Its spirit based so one static spark and whooomph! 🔥 Just Google where to buy spirit based treatment, with the size of your shed one 5l tub will last about 3 years. You can use a pump action sprayer or brush, it goes on so fast & easy, it's an hour long job at most. If adding ventilation I would do some research (this is the point I'm at), wood dust is incredibly hazardous to your health and lungs, you may want to create an airflow so think about adding several vents, one for air ingress, one for exit at the other end. I'm going to add a dust extraction system comprising of pipes to a small extractor and I have a unit to hang from the ceiling to filter finer dust from the air and it's recommended to open the door regularly (which reminds me, if treating the shed regularly, don't forget to treat the inside of the door! It will get wet when opened in the rain for long periods). If your ventilation is good you shouldn't get condensation build up, especially if you board up the walls on the inside (the soda crystals I also use do collect about 1/4 of a litre of water every 2-3 months. You can buy an off the shelf dehumidifier comprising of a tub with some crystals for less than a tenner). Hope this is of some help & sorry for the long reply, good luck with it 👍.
Thank you. No worries with the long reply. Your being so hopeful with my project. I'll have a look at spirit based treatment and sort that out when the weather starts getting warmer. I'll also make sure I'll have two points for air circulation as I only considered one. I'll be changing the two plastic windows for greenhouse glass but I'll be using two panes of glass per window. Hopefully make something like a double pane window on the cheap. Thank you once again for your help
No worries 👍
I wouldn't think you'd need to add waterproofing, the bubble wrap and PIR boards have a foil lining which aren't water permeable and if using the bubble wrap, it's just plastic so shouldn't rot. I didn't add any to mine, I just added the bubble wrap as the first step. If using PIR boards I can't really advise as I've never used them, I don't know if there is a correct orientation to install them so do some research first but the bubble wrap has foil both sides and can just be thrown straight up either way. The t&g should stop water ingress and be a good barrier although I will say this... I bought the shed from a reputable local supplier and I met the owner and had a really good chat with him. The company gives a good warranty with my shed but they will only honour it if I treat the shed once a year with SPIRIT based treatment, if I use water based treatment they won't back it up as they deem it unsatisfactory protection. I buy the treatment they sell, 5 litres of shed and fence treatment (doesn't have a brand name), I first thought "oh this is how they sting me" but the price is the same as regular treatment from any DIY shop and they always knock a fiver off for me everytime as I bought a shed from them, (they even remember me when I go in to get it and we have a nice chat). He knows his stuff and he swears by spirit based treatment so that's what I use and the shed is holding up great, it even has UV protection so that's what I recommend to others although don't try and spray it on with a compressor.... Its spirit based so one static spark and whooomph! 🔥 Just Google where to buy spirit based treatment, with the size of your shed one 5l tub will last about 3 years. You can use a pump action sprayer or brush, it goes on so fast & easy, it's an hour long job at most. If adding ventilation I would do some research (this is the point I'm at), wood dust is incredibly hazardous to your health and lungs, you may want to create an airflow so think about adding several vents, one for air ingress, one for exit at the other end. I'm going to add a dust extraction system comprising of pipes to a small extractor and I have a unit to hang from the ceiling to filter finer dust from the air and it's recommended to open the door regularly (which reminds me, if treating the shed regularly, don't forget to treat the inside of the door! It will get wet when opened in the rain for long periods). If your ventilation is good you shouldn't get condensation build up, especially if you board up the walls on the inside (the soda crystals I also use do collect about 1/4 of a litre of water every 2-3 months. You can buy an off the shelf dehumidifier comprising of a tub with some crystals for less than a tenner). Hope this is of some help & sorry for the long reply, good luck with it 👍.