Condensation in Steel Sheds

Condensation in a steel shed can be a major source of annoyance. It can damage your stored goods and invite the growth of moulds or fungus’ in particularly bad cases. So how do you prevent your shed from getting affected? We’ll walk you through our top tips, as well as showing you how it forms in the first place.

 

 

What is condensation?

We all have a vague idea of what condensation is, right? The droplets on a window? The ‘sweat’ inside your tent when you’re camping?

Specifically, condensation is when water vapour becomes a liquid. The vapour in the air becomes colder, it condenses and it forms into droplets. Think about when you have a shower. As the steam rises from the hot water, it eventually comes in contact with the cold surface of the mirror which causes it to fog up. After your shower, the condensation will begin to evaporate back into the air.

 

What causes condensation in steel sheds?

For sheds, it’s the exact same principle. Your shed will heat up during the day. The heat will pass inside to the shed. At night, the outside of the shed will then become cold. Then, the warm vapour in the shed will rise and come in contact with the cold panels of the shed. Bingo-bango, water droplets are formed.

 

How to prevent condensation in steel sheds

 

 

Lay your base correctly (i.e. include a damp-proof membrane)

Here at Sheds Direct Ireland, we can’t stress enough how important it is to lay your base correct. By doing this, you avoid a lot of problems in the future. First and foremost, when it comes to preventing condensation in your steel shed, we would strongly recommend laying down a damp-proof membrane at the beginning of the base laying process. This will help prevent moisture rising through the base during the colder months and in turn this will greatly reduce the chances of condensation forming in the first place.

Once you have this sorted, you can get going on laying your base. You should give your solid level base around a week to set before building your shed on it, this will allow the base to cure and avoid dampness remaining. If you’re wondering what an appropriate base is for a steel shed, this blog might interest you: Good bases for Steel sheds (It’s all about the base)

If you do nothing else, put a damp proof membrane under your solid, level base.

 

Keep that shed ventilated

Ventilation in your steel shed is essential. The great news is that you need to do very little here; keep your air vents clear and unblocked. If the vapour can escape, condensation can’t form.

However, keeping your vents clear doesn’t just mean looking after the inside. You’d be surprised how many people build their sheds right up against a wall (you shouldn’t do that) or against vegetation, and who are then surprised that condensation is forming in their shed. If the air can’t flow through the shed, you’re going to get condensation.

So keep your vents clear (on both sides), cut back any encroaching bushes, trees etc and make sure that air can flow throughout your shed without impediment.

 

 

 

 

Insulate your Steel Shed

The two points stated previously will make a massive difference in preventing condensation in your steel shed, however, if you have items in your shed that generate a lot of heat such as a washing machine or dryer, you may need to use more drastic measures. If you have a situation where you will be storing items that could get damaged if they come in contact with dampness, insulating your steel shed is the way forward. Luckily for you, we have a fantastic guide on the Insulation process as a whole which you can find right here.

We cannot definitively say whether you need to insulate your shed or not. But if you don’t want any moisture whatsoever in your shed, you should definitely look into insulating it.

 

 

 

 

Be aware of items that generate heat (e.g. White Goods)

The main reason that people buy a shed is for general storage. However, a growing number of people use their sheds as utility rooms. Washing Machines, Dryers and other white goods are all being moved out of the house and into the shed. This is great for the house, however not so great for the shed. These items generate heat. As we’ve already stated, this heat rises, comes into contact with the colder metal panels and forms condensation.

If you plan on putting something that will heat up the inside of your shed, you will need to have a damp-proof membrane installed as well as insulating your shed.

Don’t forget that you also generate heat! If you’re using your shed as a workspace, you may need to insulate it as your body heat and any heaters that you use will create a temperate difference on either side of the metal of the shed.

 

Using Moisture Absorbers

You might have seen small Moisture Absorbers available in home stores. They’re generally small, self-contained plastic pots. Some are more involved than others, but generally you simply pop the lid, place it in the shed and off you go. Which.com have a great piece about moisture absorbers, with one of the main take away points being that they’re great for small cases of moisture, but essentially useless in places with washing machines, dryers etc.

These absorbers can be helpful with condensation in steel sheds in the short-term, but we wouldn’t recommend relying on them in the long term.
It’s also worth noting that many of these absorbers can be toxic and shouldn’t be used around small children or pets. 

 

 

The final word

Condensation in steel sheds can be frustrating for everyone but it can be avoidable. Performing simple steps such as laying down a damp-proof membrane and keeping the air vents clear can make a huge difference to the condensation in your shed. However, if you have items stored in your shed that are going to generate heat, moisture and condensation are going to appear. If this is the case, insulation and dehumidifiers should be looked at.

If you’ve any questions, call us at 01 864 4247 or message us on Facebook and we might be able to help more in person.