For many Australian homeowners, the garden shed has become much more than just a place to store garden tools. There are so many innovative ways you can turn your shed into a clever extension of your living or recreation areas.

Whether it’s your workshop, games room, man cave or home studio, sheds can often be prone to becoming overwhelmingly hot in the Summer and freezing during Winter – and dark for the most part if no windows are installed.

As such, you run the risk of the contents of your shed deteriorating due to the extreme conditions.

Insulating your shed will mean that it is comfortable throughout the year, allowing you to get maximum usage from it whatever the weather while protecting the contents inside.

What should you consider when insulating your shed?

The first step in both building a shed or renovating your existing shed is to carefully consider what you shed will be used for.

New Shed build : This is the best time to be thinking about insulating your shed. Why? At this point you can ensure the insulation is integrated into the build which can save you money upfront.  The best product in our experience to insulate an shed under construction is Bradford Anticon. This product combines a reflective foil face with glass wool blanket to provide excellent thermal and acoustic properties. It is best fitted between the external cladding and the roof /wall framing.

Shed already built: If your shed is already built you have a couple of options. If you are fairly handy, you can line the inside of your shed with plasterboard/chip board (or similar) and fit batts between the external and internal linings. This approach will provide excellent thermal and acoustic properties but it is labour intensive. The alternative is to retrofit a foil faced flexible form style insulation, such as Bradford Polyair Performa. This product can be screw fixed to internal framing members and will also provide good thermal performance

Natural Light: If you plan to spend time in your shed working on projects, ensuring you have plenty of natural light is essential to keep your electricity bills down. Considering a wind driven ventilator such as the Edmonds TurboBeam is an excellent way ventilate your shed while the clear acrylic head allows the natural sunlight in.

What are the advantages of insulating a shed?

Insulation in your shed will provide numerous benefits including:

• Maximum usage throughout the year
• Protection of your stored valuables
• Comfort during the colder Winter months, and warmer Summer months
• Flexibility to use your shed for multiple applications such as a hobby room, gym or workshop – the possibilities are endless
• Reduced noise for your neighbours (for bulk insulation)

Sheds give you extra space in your home, provide a haven to escape to and act as priceless storage when it seems like every room in your house is fit to burst!

Investing in your shed by opting for high quality insulation and ventilation will ensure that your shed is future-proofed for the long run, and your valuables are well protected.