For many homeowners, sheds are the best storage solution available. All kinds of yard equipment can be placed in them and if you need another room quickly, a shed can make a great spot for an office.
But, regardless of how you use it and for how long, coming winters often make homeowners look into how to turn the little building into a heated shed.
Fortunately, there are many different ways you can do just that, with space heaters being one of the most popular options available.
Not many people added the electrical connections for it when they converted their shed, let alone build it from the foundation up. So, to help out, we’ve provided a few solutions in this article that everyone can use in their shed.
If you need any professional help installing any of these, get a second opinion on the best way to heat a shed, or even just want to get a heat pump for your shed, our team at Clover Contracting is ready to help!
Use a Kerosene Heater
If you’re looking for a few ways for heating a shed, kerosene heaters are a great option to look into. For quite a long time, these old school heaters were given a bad reputation for causing fires if they weren’t carefully controlled. But in today’s modern age, owning and using a kerosene heater is far safer. Many people also find it to be one of the best ways to generate heat without needing electricity.
It is still recommended that you keep it in sight whenever you fire up a kerosene heater. Though technology has developed the heater to a point where it’s much safer, kerosene is still quite a dangerous fuel source if it isn’t properly controlled. In addition to the need to supervise it, it’s also a good idea to make sure your shed is well-ventilated.
Take Advantage of Natural Light
Though this can seem strange at first, especially during the winter, you’ve more than likely felt the heat direct sunlight can give. Adding a window to the wall or even the roof of your shed can be the best for heating an insulated shed.
If you’ve ever seen kids trying to light leaves on fire with a magnifying glass and the sun, you might already understand the concept. When the sunlight and heat pass through the glass, it multiplies in intensity and increases the heat in the shed. But just like how you aren’t using a tiny glass lens, the things in your shed won’t catch fire one day. All you need is a properly placed window and your shed will feel like a toasty late summer evening.
Add Insulation in Key Spots
Even if you only spend a few hours a day in your shed, there’s a high chance that you didn’t fully insulate the building. Many homeowners’ sheds don’t even have anything other than their yard equipment! But when you eventually head out on a winter day to get something out of there, the thin walls and frigid air suddenly make it quite obvious that you don’t have any form of a heated shed.
Naturally, the best solution here is to add insulation in key spots. With the proper installation, the colder air from the outside has fewer gaps in which it can enter, which is often why your home doesn’t become as cold as the outdoors during winter. Additionally, any heat sources you do bring into the shed can warm the building faster for the same reasons.
Build Your Own Rocket Stove
If you haven’t heard of a rocket stove, there’s a chance that you’ve at least seen one before. Shaped like an L, rocket stoves are surprisingly inexpensive and can even be made from recyclable materials. The best part of rocket stoves, though, is that they can use almost anything you have as a fuel source. This means you have heat as long as you have something to burn!
In some cases, these kinds of stoves also have a platform near the top where most of the heat is released. This area can also be used for cooking while the rocket stove has a fuel source, giving it even more use while heating a shed in winter!
Invest in Radiant Floor Heating
Just like there are a large number of options that don’t use electricity, there are many electric-powered options that are just as effective. One such idea is installing radiant floor heating. The way it works is by conducting the heat it generates through the flooring on top of its pads. When enough of the heat is generated, the heat transfers up into every cold thing in the room.
Get a Shed Heating System
The last and possibly simplest thing you can do is invest in a high-quality heating system for your shed. While investing in an entire furnace just for a shed is quite outlandish, there is also quite a large range of smaller options that you can get for single rooms as well.
For example, heat pumps are one such available that’s perfect for the building. Like furnaces, heat pumps can be used to heat homes, but there are also smaller ductless versions that can be mounted onto a wall.
Much like the window air conditioners you might see in apartments, these mini ductless heat pumps only connect to a single outdoor unit, and with proper placement, can be quite cheap to install too. This gives you a perfect opportunity for a heated shed.
Takeaway
If you find yourself spending more time outside in your backyard shed and quickly need to find a way to heat the building before winter sets in, there are quite a few options that you can invest in.
If you want to pick an electric option, radiant flooring and small heating systems are great options, but there are also quite a few ways to do the same if you don’t have an electric connection. Stoves can be a great alternative since they can also double as a way to cook food in a pinch!
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