Sheds are great storage spaces for many things, but they can also be a convenient place to heat up the cold winter days. However, with so many options available when it comes to heating your shed safely, you may not know where to start.
The key questions to as yourself are – What is the cheapest way to heat a shed? What is the best type of heat for my shed? Can I heat my shed with solar power? What should you look out for?
The key is finding the best heating solution for your individual situation. So let’s look at how to safely use gas heaters as well as other alternatives such as electric space heaters, wood stoves and even solar heating options.
While it’s important to find the right type of heater for your needs, it’s also crucial that you keep safety in mind when using them.
To help answer the questions you have and more importantly keep your family safe this winter let’s take a closer look at 3 easy ways to heat your shed without spending too much money or risking fire hazards in the process.
1) Use reflective insulation and insulation boards
Insulating your shed is a great way to create a warmer outdoor space while ensuring you reduce the heat loss in your shed.
Numerous methods exist to heat a shed, but the most efficient and cost effective is using reflective bubble insulation foil and insulation boards.
This method helps trap in heat generated from sunlight. Reflective insulation foils also works better than other materials because it does not absorb moisture or emit mold spores into the air.
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If you only store tools in your shed and are looking for an affordable way to do that without freezing every time you go grab one, then this option will work well for you.
Reflective insulation also works well because it’s made from materials such as aluminum foil and bubble wrap, which makes it easy to install.
- To install, all you need to do is measure your shed wall and cut the foil to size.
- If your shed wall is wooden, you can attach the reflective insulation foil directly. Use a staple gun and space out the attaching staples evenly.
- If you have a concrete shed like mine, then you will need to put some battens in place before attaching your reflective insulation.
- Where each sheet ends, overlap the next reflective insulation sheet to reduce any gaps for drafts to come in. You can also use some weatherproof tape to hold it in place.
2) Install a solar heating system
Now this may not be possible depending on the set up of your shed, but if there’s enough sun exposure then using a solar power heating system may be a good option.
Using solar heating can be a great way to heat your shed safely without using electricity or gas to power the heater. It’s also a lot cheaper than many other types of heating and installation costs should be low as well.
The key to using a solar heating option in your shed is to make sure the panels are installed high up on the roof of your shed where it will get maximum exposure to the sun.
The more sun that hits the solar panels, the warmer they will become which means you generate more power to heat your shed.
The cost of solar panels has come down significantly in the past 10 years so they are an affordable option for most homeowners with sufficient sun exposure.
There are some obstacles that you may have to overcome when installing a system such as shade from trees or buildings in the line of sight between the panel and where you want them installed.
If these issues won’t affect your installation then there shouldn’t be any other hurdles to building your own solar heating system.
For something you can install yourself, you need the following items.
- This solar panel kit and charge controller
- This solar generator battery pack
- This low energy tube heater
Installing Solar Heating for your Shed
To install, you need to find the appropriaye location for your solar panels. Look for somewhere where they will catch as much sunlight as possible.
Then you need to follow the instructions to connect the panel to the controller.
The solar charge controller feeds power to the generator battery pack. This stores power generated by the solar panels for later use.
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You then need to connect the tube heater cables to the battery pack via the cable clips and follow the instructions to install it.
This trickle feeds power to your tube heater and heats you shed area.
If you know when you plan on using your shed, you can also set up this automatic timer switch which automatically starts heating your shed when temperatures drop below a certain point so you don’t have to fiddle with switches.
Once connected up, your solar panels should start generating electricity and your heater should start working.
3) Heat your shed with a small space heater
Space heaters are one of the most popular ways to keep sheds warm during winter because there is next to no chance of a fire happening.
If you have a small space heater in your shed, you’ll be able to keep warm while working on projects during the winter months.
You want to make sure you find one that has an automatic shut off function, so that if tipped over, it will switch off immediately. You also need to ensure that it is not placed in the vicinity of combustible materials. This will ensure safety while heating your shed this winter.
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With a small space heater, there’s always a risk of it causing certain materials to ignite. In order to keep this from happening, you need to make sure that the space is well ventilated
You can achieve this by opening your side window and/or installing an air vent in your shed during the winter months. You can also purchase a small space heater that has a hose attached to it just for this purpose.
4) Use a wall-mounted heater
Wall mounted heaters are also a great options for providing large amounts of heat to whatever space you need them in. They can reach temperatures as high as 85°C, which will definitely ensure warmth in your shed.
Installing these heaters is easy for most DIY-ers and can be done in under an hour by most people. Once installed you will have the option to install a thermostat or switch that turns them on when it gets colder outside. This will allow you to save money on energy costs
So if it’s cold and the weather drops significantly outside, don’t worry about your shed not keeping its warmth inside.
5) Use wood stoves or fireplaces
The biggest benefit of using appliances like this is that their heat doesn’t rely on electricity for power; instead it comes from burning wood or anthracite coal. The only downside is it takes longer for the heat to build up enough to warm up the shed space.
While you wouldn’t typically use something like this indoors, shed fires are far less likely because sheds generally contain less combustible material than your house would.
They are cheap alternatives as well because the only energy source you need is logs and tree branches from around your garden or you can cut up small pieces of wood to burn.
Many people choose to employ cheap, safe heating alternatives like this because they don’t want to fork out hundreds on energy costs every month just to allow them work in their shed during the winter months.
The key is making sure that there is enough ventilation for some of the hot air to escape.
Final Thoughts
To effectively heat a shed this winter, you can either use solar power which requires a little amount of installation to run through heating cables.
Alternatively, you can choose to use small heaters that are both very safe and cost efficient.
Whatever you choose, make sure it is safe for your shed space before choosing a heater.
