OT- Insulating the shed

I have been thinking about doing this for the last 3 or 4 years and I never get around to it. Every year I have to brave the 'hot box' if I want to get something done, during the summer months......and I 'think' this will be the year I get it done.
My shed is a 6M x 6M colourbond shed with a gable roof.
Seeing as the shed is already built, this limits my options somewhat. ( I DON'T want to pull all the sheeting off)
The best option to me , seems, is to use blue styrofoam sheets and 'liquid nails' them to the inside of the walls and ceiling. I can cut the sheets to size using my Triton, I think.
I was considering using polystyrene (white foam) but the supplier am going to use says that it is not robust enough and tends to break up.
This seems to be the quickest and easiest to install, will be robust and look quite good when finished. Can get an R factor of approx 2.0 with 50 mm thick sheet so that is not too bad. The sheets are not very cheap, but that is not my biggest concern, if it does the job I want.
Have any of you guys found a better way to insulate your shed?
Stephen

I hear your pain.
What I thought I would do soon - as soon as I find a cheap source of ply - is line 3 sides of the shed with 9 or 12mm ply and sandwhich the fibreglass bats behind that. (Only two sides of my shed get any real sun exposure the others being nicely shielded or the wall is blocked by one full length bank of shelves.

Not sure on the roof so will be very interested to see what the foam is like to put up.

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Originally Posted by hux

I hear your pain.
What I thought I would do soon - as soon as I find a cheap source of ply - is line 3 sides of the shed with 9 or 12mm ply and sandwhich the fibreglass bats behind that. (Only two sides of my shed get any real sun exposure the others being nicely shielded or the wall is blocked by one full length bank of shelves.

Not sure on the roof so will be very interested to see what the foam is like to put up.

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I did exactly that, except I lined all four walls and the roof. Used insulating batts (not the itchy fibreglass one) and lined with something called 'caravan ply' essentially 3mm ply. Got cheap. Just needs to hold the batts in place. Lined over that with heavier sheeting where needed.

Shed now inhabitable in summer (and winter) and helps keep the machinery noise down.

Cheers,

I have a 6 x 7 colourbond shed - no insulation. I am going to bite the bullet & remove the roofing sheets and put on R2.5 anticon blanket. It has the thermal quality & vapour seal I need in Canberra. For the sides I will use rockwool & cover with ply or plasterboard. I am never going to skimp on insulation again especially with up to minus 10 in winter and up to 40 in summer.

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Originally Posted by Glenn_M

I did exactly that, except I lined all four walls and the roof. Used insulating batts (not the itchy fibreglass one) and lined with something called 'caravan ply' essentially 3mm ply. Got cheap. Just needs to hold the batts in place. Lined over that with heavier sheeting where needed.

Shed now habitable in summer (and winter) and helps keep the machinery noise down.

Cheers,

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That seems to me to be the only other option. How long did it take you to fit it all and what did it cost you, if you don't mind me asking?
I still have to work out how much the styrofoam will cost me but a sheet 600 x 2500. 50 mm costs around $58 and I will need a ????? load of sheets!
The other thing making this more difficult is all the crap I have up against the walls!
I might get the lads over for a day to get it done and put a few beers on after.
Stephen

Just worked out how much the blue styrofoam is gonna cost me. $2300 and that's with using 50mm thick foam on the roof and 25 mm on the walls......

Seems a bit of overkill, Sterob, 50mm is getting towards coolroom thickness...

10-15mm would be more sensible I'd have thought. Maybe check the R ratings of different thicknesses of properly installed sytrofoam for a start?

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Originally Posted by scooter

Seems a bit of overkill, Sterob, 50mm is getting towards coolroom thickness...

10-15mm would be more sensible I'd have thought. Maybe check the R ratings of different thicknesses of properly installed sytrofoam for a start?

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I have the R factors for the styrofoam. For 25 mm thick styrofoam it is only 0.89 and 50 mm is 1.78. Not overly huge, from what I have seen.

Is that foil faced foam, Sterob? I seem to recall Foilboard's figures being a fair bit higher than that.

Maybe have a gander here & here.

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Originally Posted by scooter

Is that foil faced foam, Sterob? I seem to recall Foilboard's figures being a fair bit higher than that.

Maybe have a gander here & here.

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No, its styrofoam sheeting. Here's a pic but it didn't come out too well. I couldn't stop the glare from the flash. This is a sample piece they gave me.
Thanks for the links, I'll check them out.

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Originally Posted by Sterob

That seems to me to be the only other option. How long did it take you to fit it all and what did it cost you, if you don't mind me asking?
I still have to work out how much the styrofoam will cost me but a sheet 600 x 2500. 50 mm costs around $58 and I will need a ????? load of sheets!
The other thing making this more difficult is all the crap I have up against the walls!
I might get the lads over for a day to get it done and put a few beers on after.
Stephen

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Didn't take long to fit at all, maybe a weekend's work all up. My shed was pretty empty at the time - wouldn't want to do it now!

The caravan ply I got for I think 12 sheets for $100 from A&R Recycling in Campbelfield.
Polyester batts from Robot Trading. All up close to $500 for the job I'd say.

Cheers,
Glenn

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Originally Posted by Glenn_M

Didn't take long to fit at all, maybe a weekend's work all up. My shed was pretty empty at the time - wouldn't want to do it now!

The caravan ply I got for I think 12 sheets for $100 from A&R Recycling in Campbelfield.
Polyester batts from Robot Trading. All up close to $500 for the job I'd say.

Cheers,
Glenn

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Yeah, that sounds a lot more reasonable, just a bit more work, thats all. I don't mind paying a few hundred dollars for it but $2300 is over the top.
I'll check out some ply and batt prices.

Have a humungous barn for a shed, and had "Air Cell" installed in roof during construction. Cost about $1100 for a 16m x 12m floor area but it works a treat. Also has a pair of whirly gigs in the roof.

With bare metal walls at present (to be insulated and plaster lined eventually) it peaked at about 28 degrees inside last summer when we had 40 degree plus days. Wall sheeting was damned hot, but it didn't lock the heat inside. Haven't had any deep frosts since it went up, but can gererally work inside with no more than pants and short sleeve shirt during cooler part of the year.

Air cell is basically like bubble wrap with a metalicised mylar layer each side and seems to work well. For a 6x6 $300 should insulate the roof very well, and another $200 should do the wall with greatest exposure to the sun. Stuff is quite durable and could be fixed to existing roof/wall purlins with screwed battens fairly easily.

For what its worth I used Astro Foil (like bubble wrap) foil both sides between the bubble cells for both roof and walls on a 10 by 6m shed. Seems to work well enough even after 7 years, only problem has been the lap joining tape is letting go now. If I did it again would use this stuff on the roof and probably bats on the wall and suitable lining (ply). Don't know the cost now as at the time it was a Canadian product available from Bunnings..

Hi all,

I too have a shed that needs similar insulation. I read this thread then went to bunnings to get prices. Its going to cost me $267 for a 30m x 1.3m roll of air-cell ( from memory). That should be heaps. It seems easier to install plus a better insulator than wool-type insulation.

please see attached photo, I was planning on fixing sheets of aircell between the rafters with battens, which I would nail to the sides of the rafters. this seems the best option for a retro-fit. Are there any better methods or materials?

I was then intending to put on a layer of gyprock, ply or even pine t&g as a ceiling. Pine sounded best for looks, but I haven't priced it.

does anyone have any suggestions or improvements on this plan?

I did my shed (6m by 8m) with the air cell to the walls and roof as I sheeted it and then lined the inside walls with what ever I could get. The cost of the air cell was about 1k and I haven't had a winter in it yet bet the summer temp is a cool 15 degrees less inside on a 40 deg day. I was told the air cell was ok to retro fit but check with the suppliers.

Oh, one further thing, see in the photo in my last post. You see the light shining through under the corrugated sheeting ? I heard that you can get specially shaped foam to plug this gap. Does anyone know what this is called?

Laserlite do eave infill strips, flat on the bottom & the top is corrugated to match the sheets. Comes in white or charcoal. On their website, available at their stockists.

Diggers also do some, in a bitumen impregnated polyurethane foam. Here. Once again, at their stockists.


Cheers.........................Sean