How to Insulate a Steel Shed

Steel sheds don't hold heat without insulation.

Steel sheds protect their contents from rain and wind, but are not very good at keeping things warm unless they are insulated. Steel walls conduct heat very easily, meaning that a steel shed gets very warm in the summer and very cold in the winter. If you are planning on storing temperature-sensitive materials in your steel shed, you need to insulate it first, and possibly install a heat source, such as a propane heater or electric baseboard.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum faced insulating blanket
• Rigid foam sheets, 2 inches thick
• Measuring tape
• Utility knife
• Bales of straw or hay

Instructions

1. Apply an aluminum-backed insulating blanket to the interior of the roof and walls of the steel shed. The metal facing will help to reflect thermal energy that enters the shed back out through the walls, keeping the shed cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. If you install the insulating blanket when you are assembling the shed, you can secure it in place by sandwiching it between the frame of the shed and the steel panels as you put the panels onto the frame. To retrofit the insulating blanket into an existing shed, cut it to fit between the frame members and hold it in place with duct tape applied along the edges of the blanket pieces and secured to the sides of the frame members.

2. Measure the space between the pieces of the shed frame and cut sheets of rigid foam to fit between them. If you cut the foam carefully so it wedges between the frame members, it will stay in place.

3. Install the rigid foam into the ceiling first by pressing them into the spaces between the frame members. If you cut the sides of the rigid foam at a slight angle, they will tighten into place as you press them in. Install the pieces of foam in the walls second so they help to support the ends of the pieces of foam in the ceiling.

4. Install pieces of rigid foam underneath the floor of the shed if you have access.

5. Increase the shed's resistance to cold and heat by placing bales of straw or hay around the perimeter of the shed, pressed up against the outside walls.

References

• The Shed Site: Steel Building Insulation