By Mark Lynn Thermafleece MD and Vice Chair of the ASBP .
According to national statistics, more than 1.5 million people are now working at home. With space limited, what better way to create a comfortable working space than to convert your garden shed or shoffice? And what better way to make the space comfortable than to insulate with Thermafleece British sheep’s wool insulation?
Thermafleece is truly breathable meaning it will help regulate moisture within the fabric of the shed and help create a more stable structure. It’s also made in the UK from British wool so it’s an ideal sustainable choice.
Before you start
Before you start to convert your garden shed or shoffice, it’s important to be aware that most sheds weren’t designed with insulation in mind, so you need to take a few considerations into account.
You will have to minimise the risk of water getting into the insulation from outside and you must minimise the risk of condensation forming from the inside. This is done by using breathable membranes against the inside of the shed wall and using vapour control membranes against the warm side of the insulation. The warm side of the insulation is the bit you see when you are inside the shed. We explain in a bit more detail below.
Insulating the walls
Unless the roof overhangs the wall quite significantly, you will need to insulate the walls from the inside. If you add insulation on the outside of the walls and the roof doesn’t overhang, then the wall insulation will stand out from the roof line and most likely trap water.
How much insulation you install depends on the depth of the timber frame and the amount of space you can afford to lose. The simplest thing to do is to install insulation between the timber frame which is usually around 50mm in depth. If you extend beyond the frame depth you may need to make adjustments around the window reveals. Thermafleece CosyWool Roll comes in a variety of thickness to suit most frame depths.
Before you install Thermafleece between the wall frame, you should take measures to ensure rain can’t penetrate the insulation. If the shed is already clad with timber, install a breathable membrane fitted against the inside of the wall running over the frame. Ensure that top layers overlap bottom layers of the membrane to allow any penetrating water to run freely down. You can also tape joints in the membrane.
Install Thermafleece between the timber frame once the breather membrane is fixed. You can staple the insulation to the timbers in order to secure it although the friction between the timber and insulation will be enough to hold it in place.
Once you have installed the insulation, fit a vapour control membrane on the inside secured to the frame ensuring all joints are taped. You can then fix your internal lining.
Insulating the roof
As with the walls, the simplest way is to insulate the full depth of the timbers making up the roof. The roof should be weather-tight, so you don’t need to install a breather membrane to the underside of the roof. If there are any leaks in the roof, make sure these are repaired prior to insulating.
Install Thermafleece between the timber frame in the roof. You should install a vapour control membrane underneath the insulation fixed to the roof timbers with all joints taped. It is particularly important to install a vapour control membrane to the underside of the roof because there is no ventilation under the roof and the roof has a high vapour resistance, so you want to eliminate the risk of moisture getting to the underside of the roof.
Insulating the floor
If you are going to insulate the floor, you can fix battens on top of the shed floor and insulate between. Install a vapour control membrane over the battens and tape all joints before fixing flooring on top. Be mindful of ways water can penetrate the floor so make sure the vapour control membrane on the walls is securely taped to the vapour control membrane on the floor.
And finally
Put the kettle on, put up your feet, enjoy the space and don’t forget to get some work done.
Published 5th Feb 2020
Take a look at our FAQ’s for more information
Our Help and Advice Page has a number of Presentations and Briefing papers for you to read
For more information on Thermafleece Sheep’s Wool insulation visit www.thermafleece.com
