How to Insulate a Shed
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If you want to use your shed as an office, gym, or climate-controlled storage, you’ll have to insulate it first. Here’s how to do it yourself.
A shed can often benefit from insulation. Whether it’s a simple storage space for lawn and garden equipment, a backyard home gym, a functioning workshop, or a work-from-home haven, keeping the interior space comfortable while preventing condensation helps keep a shed usable for all four seasons.
While transforming a shed with insulation takes a bit of work, most DIYers can learn how to insulate a shed and complete the project in less than a weekend. This guide will explain the steps, as well as some of the finer points of creating an insulated shed space. Armed with this knowledge about shed insulation and some elbow grease, you’ll be able to properly insulate your shed.
Types of Shed Insulation
Like most building materials, there are multiple types of insulation suitable for a variety of sheds. The most suitable types for the majority of a shed’s interior include rolled fiberglass insulation, Rockwool insulation (made from mineral wool), and rigid foam board insulation. Mineral wool and rolled fiberglass fit snugly between studs, while foam board insulation can be cut to any size (and often makes a great shed door insulator).
On top of these main types of shed insulation, DIYers also need to consider spray foam insulation and caulk. Any gaps between the panels of insulation (such as around window framing or between corner stud assemblies) can benefit from expanding spray foam insulation. This stuff expands when it is exposed to oxygen, so filling small gaps is what it does best. For weatherproofing small gaps between building materials, like around the exterior of the shed or around vents, caulk is the most effective choice.
Bubble wrap is also a talked-about storage shed insulation material. While there is some value in bubble wrap (foil-faced bubble wrap is obviously better than standard bubble wrap) and it may be better than nothing, it doesn’t insulate very well for very long. And after spending a bit of money to build a shed, a standard insulation will better protect that investment and increase its longevity and usability.
Rolled Fiberglass Insulation
Rolled fiberglass insulation, or batt insulation, is the iconic roll of pink fibrous insulation, and it can be a good choice for insulating a storage shed. It’s made of small fiberglass fibers that interweave like cotton candy, creating air gaps and preventing the free flow of thermal energy from one side of the batt to the other.
However, rolled fiberglass insulation has its pros and cons. First, it’s one of the best options for cheap insulation for shed walls and roofs. Since it typically comes with a paper-faced vapor barrier that fastens to the studs, it doesn’t require an extra vapor barrier. However, it’s also one of the itchiest and requires the installer to have all skin covered. Still, it’s likely one of the best insulation choices for most sheds.
Rockwool Insulation
Rockwool insulation is one of the most popular mineral wool brands. This insulation is made from spinning minerals and lava rock at high speeds, causing the minerals to stretch and elongate. These fibers then interweave and create this batt-type insulation.
Beyond being easy to fit between studs, mineral wool insulation has many benefits. It’s fire-resistant, a great sound barrier, and an excellent insulator. It’s also not nearly as itchy as standard fiberglass. However, it’s not the cheapest way to insulate a shed, and it does require a vapor barrier as it does not come with a paper face. On a big project, using faced insulation may save some time, but the benefits of Rockwool may be worth the extra expense and extra step when insulating a shed.
Foam Board Insulation
Foam board insulation is a form of rigid insulation made from polystyrene. It’s available in different thicknesses and in sheets that the DIYer can cut to fit in stud bays. It’s relatively easy to work with and doesn’t cause itching.
Foam board really shines as metal shed insulation, as well as for any surface without many studs to work around. That’s why some great applications for foam board insulation include shed ceilings, doors, and insulating a metal shed, all of which often have no studs at all. Because these boards have some structural integrity of their own, they can be glued and screwed without needing shed studs to hold them up.
How to Insulate a Shed
Insulating a shed involves the walls, ceiling, and floor. Without access to the floor framing during the shed’s construction, it’s almost impossible to effectively insulate the floor without disassembling it. However, most of the following steps are applicable to shed floor insulation, as well as walls and the ceiling.
Tools & Materials
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