Insulating garden sheds: this is how you insulate the floor, facade and roof

A garden house on the property is subject to all sorts of weather conditions throughout the year exposed, from snow to wind to temperatures above 30 ° C, which makes the building quite beautiful can add. Depending on the use, it may be necessary to insulate the house to prevent weather damage. It is important to equip the floor, facade and roof with insulation for all-round protection.

Preparations

The insulation of the summer house provides numerous advantages, from storing the heat to protecting against too much moisture and the resulting mold growth. In order for the insulation to be applied efficiently, some preparations are necessary that will make the whole process easier and lead to the desired result.

insulation

One of the most important elements for this is of course the selection of the right insulation material to be used here. The following insulation materials are suitable for use in the garden house:
Rigid foam panels
Rigid foam panels are the classic among insulation materials. They are made in different thicknesses and from different fabrics, of which the following are best suited for the garden shed:

• Styrodur
• Jackodur

These are not only water-repellent and heat-insulating, but also durable and can be perfectly tailored to the size of the walls and floor. These materials are a bit more expensive to purchase, but due to the specialization in thermal insulation and weather resistance, even soil moisture, they are only recommended. In addition, they are not harmful to the groundwater. Perfect for people with little knowledge in this area.

• Costs: 50 - 60 euros for 10 m² x 30 mm

Perlite
This material is natural volcanic rock that is offered in two processing forms:

• Soil emptying
• plates

A great advantage of the fabric is the combination of effective thermal insulation and fire resistance. You can obtain the required amount for the floor filling from the width x length x height of the necessary insulation. That means, with a garden shed with a length and width of 500 centimeters each and the height of the foundation wood of 5 centimeters, you come to a final quantity of 1,250 liters.

• Costs: around 13 euros for 100 l of pouring, around 35 euros for a plate measuring 2 m² x 5 cm in thickness

Natural substances
other natural materials that are firmly established as insulation material can also be used:

• Wood wool
• Mineral wool
• Hemp fibers

These are offered either pressed as a board or as a filler, but it is not as easy to lay as, for example, the insulation boards.

• Costs: between 5 - 13 euros per m²

You can find all of these insulation materials in hardware stores, online or in specialist shops. Before ordering, be sure to measure the dimensions of your garden house so that you do not order too much or too little insulation material.

Necessary tools and materials

• Sealants, for example silicone
• Sealing tapes for windows and doors
• Vapor barrier
• Foundation timbers
• Jigsaw
• Face mask and work gloves
• Cordless drill and matching screws
• ladder
• Stapler
• Angle or wood connector
• Styrofoam glue

Before you begin installing the insulation, you should inspect the garden shed for any damage that could allow moisture or cold to enter. Depending on the degree of damage, the respective area must be touched up before you start applying the insulation. Remember: the thicker the panels, the more effective the insulation, but the more work involved and the possible loss of a few centimeters of space in the greenhouse. It can also happen that the floor is raised by the insulation.
Please note: do not use panels made of simple styrofoam for the insulation. Styrofoam can be used for insulation, but the insulation performance is insufficient and the material has to be replaced more frequently.

Isolate the ground

The ground is the most important part of the entire garden shed when it comes to insulation as the cold and moisture in the ground has a huge impact on the integrity of the garden building. In addition, the lack of floor insulation is the biggest cause of cool temperatures in the garden shed. Before you can lay the insulation, you must remove the formwork, i.e. the floorboards or boards of the floor. Insulation boards or granules are used for the floor, not the natural materials. Proceed as follows:

1. Most often, after dismantling the formwork, you will come across a foundation made of wood, which lifts the floor from the ground. In case you have a Garden house without a foundation you will need to do this yourself before you can begin the insulation. Often these are garden houses with a concrete or stone floor.

2. To do this, cut the foundation timbers to the width of the garden house and lay them at regular intervals. This is also necessary when using perlite granulate. Fix it in place with a stainless steel angle connector and check that the timbers have been laid straight.

3. Then lay the vapor barrier. To do this, spread them out over the entire floor and press them firmly against the wood at every corner and strip. Leave as little gaps and creases as possible as this will increase the effect. More than one pair of hands is much better for this. Now staple the foil thoroughly to the wood.

4. The insulation material is now cut to size. Use the distance between the foundation wood and cut it 2 - 3 mm shorter. This prevents any bulging of the insulation material. Use a jigsaw for this and don't forget to wear a face mask and work gloves. Also make sure that the height of the boards has to have a small gap to the planks so that the air can circulate better. About two centimeters is ideal here.

5. Then any gaps between the insulation material and the wood are sealed with silicone or another sealing material. Then let it dry out completely.

6. If you use granules, this is simply poured between the woods. Make sure to leave as few gaps as possible.

7. You can now apply a second vapor barrier, but this is not necessary.

8. Finally, assemble the boards.

Tip: It pays to choose sheets that are pressure-resistant for the floor insulation. This increases their service life.

Insulate the roof

There are two options for insulation on the roof:

• inside over the rafters
• outside with over-rafter insulation

Depending on what kind of garden shed roof you have, one of the two methods is better. In the case of flat roofs, it is usually recommended to install above-rafter insulation, as insulation is even more important with these. Insulation panels are preferably used for roof insulation, since ground fillings are only possible with flat roofs outdoors.
Proceed as follows:
With internal insulation

• Line and fix the rafters with a vapor barrier
• Measure the panels, cut them to size and glue them to the inside of the roof with styrofoam glue
• Fill the gaps with sealant
• then it is essential to line it with a second film
• Depending on your wishes, the roof can be designed decoratively from the inside

With external insulation

• First lay foundation wood as a frame around the roof and fix it with screws
• this is followed by the intermediate timbers
• now follow the same steps that you used to isolate the floor
• glue the panels to the foil
• then the insulation is covered with foil
• don't forget the pages
• Finally, you can finish the roof as you wish, for example with attractive shingles

Insulate the facade

Insulating the facade is time-consuming and exhausting. A multi-layer system is used for this:

• insulate inside with natural substances
• isolate the outside with insulation boards

This stores heat and improves air circulation in the interior. For the outside, proceed as you would with the roof or the floor and then cover the insulation with plaster, wood or even stone, whichever you prefer. Of course, don't forget about vapor retarders and the removal of cold bridges. The insulation of the inner walls is designed in the same way, only here you have to again make sure to leave an air gap between the formwork and the insulation. Only in this way can the room breathe and regulate humidity better.

Windows and doors

When tackling the interior facade, be sure to pay attention to the cutouts for windows and doors when cutting. Measure these precisely and cut them out. After applying the insulation layer, proceed as follows:

• Joints are repaired with silicone
• Sealing tapes provide additional protection against the cold

Tip: If your window has simple glazing, a lot of cold can get into the room. Switching to double glazing can help.