Condensation can be an issue in sheds, particularly steel sheds if the correct precautions have not been taken. In this blog post, we’ll look at ways to reduce the chances of condensation forming inside your shed. We’ll look at the steps to takeย before you build your shed, maintenance to reduce the chances of it forming and what to do if your shed is already experiencing bad condensation.
What is condensation?
Sorry to kick this off in a very boring manner, this has the whiff of ‘Websters defines condensation as…’ about it, but we just need to address what it is, so that we can understand how to eliminate it.
In a nutshell, condensation is when gas turns into liquid. We’ve all seen it on windows or inside a tent. The warm, moisture filled air meets a surface that cools it down quickly and this causes water droplets to form. It’s not the worst looking thing, but it can lead to mold formation (or worse) if it’s not addressed. Sheds can ‘sweat’ or appear to be dripping if they’re build in conditions that lend themselves to condensation forming.
How do I reduce the chances of condensation forming?
There are many ways to reduce condensation forming. If you have not yet built your shed, the best thing you can do is to include a damp-proof membrane (DPM) in your base.
Damp Proof Membranes (DPM)
This thick plastic sheeting prevents moisture from rising through the soil and into your shed. While it won’t guarantee that condensation will form, reducing the moisture content inside your shed willย drastically reduce both the chances of it forming, and the severity of it, should it form.
Moisture Reducers
If you want to keep moisture down, you won’t struggle to find items that can help. Moisture Catchers are the most affordable way to, well, catch moisture. These cheap-and-cheerful boxes are effective in mild scenarios and you can throw a few into your shed, if you want to. They’re inconspicuous and effective, although they’re not really a long-term solution.
Dehumidifiers will also work, but generally they require a power source – and if you’re going to be opening the door to your shed to put one in, there’s a far simpler solution:
Air out your shed regularly
Air out you shed by leaving the doors open for some time. Opening the doors stops the moisture-heavy warm air from getting trapped inside. If you’re out and about in your garden anyway, it can be a nice and easy way to keep moisture down, and you won’t have to drag the dehumidifier around the garden.
Anti-Con lining
Sheds like our Mammoth Range come with an anti-con lining. This is essentially an insulator that slows down the change in temperature, which prevents condensation forming. If you want aย really simple solution, this is it. Just note, this lining is not available on every shed.
The Air Vents
Before you position your shed in your garden, take the air vents into account. You shouldn’t wedge your shed up against a wall. This will prevent air from flowing through your shed. Check the shed you’re buying and allow ample room (usually one-foot) between the vents and anything that may constrict air flow, like a wall.
Do not use white-goods in a shed
White goods like washing machines or tumbledryers can generate a lot of heat inside your shed. This heat will build up inside the shed and on a cold night, condensation will form. In these cases, it can even appear that your shed is leaking due to the amount of condensation that will form. So do not use your steel shed as utility room, it won’t work in the long run.
I’ve got condensation in my shed already. What do I do?
If there’s condensation there already, the chances are that you don’t have a damp-proof membrane in your shed’s base. This isn’t something that can be added after-the-fact. As such, you’ll need to be more active in your maintenance of the shed to get rid of it. Here are some steps that you should take
- Check for mould formation – and address this issue first.
- Introduce a Moisture Catcher. Be it a simple one or a dehumidifier, you need to find ways to reduce the moisture that is currently in the shed
- Allow air to flow through the shed. Make sure the vents are not blocked and manually air out the shed if necessary.
- Remove anything that generates heat from inside the shed. Genearlly, this would be White Goods (tumbledryer, etc) or some machinery put back into the shed as it’s cooling.
- After you’ve eliminated all the moisture, insulate your shed. This is not a service that we provide, but insulating a shed with the likes of Kingspan is a way to drastically prevent condensation forming in the future.
If you want to learn more, there’s a video from the team at Skill Builder that goes through ti all (though it’s mostly based on homes, not sheds).