Should I insulate?

[Mike Minto]

I have a 10x14 shop that used to be a shed - hence, no insulation or drywall. Should I at least insulate it? Would drywall help? I do have an A/C unit, but I still drip with sweat during the VA summers.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'd definitely insulate. Walls, ceiling and floor, if open to the outside and if possible. Your cold air will seep right down and out and the hot air will radiate in from the walls and roof. Not sure I'd use drywall, but use a moisture barrier, and maybe some 1/4" ply to finish the walls. 1/2" ply or OSB would be better. Jim.

[Steve Schoene]

I definately agree, insulation will pay for itself, especially if it makes you able to work in your shop during the winter. It really saves on heating costs.

By the way before insulating is the time to install some electrical outlets around the shop, while the walls are still open. Lighting too.

[Lee Koepke]

The advantage to using, say 1/2" plywood for example, is you can pretty much fasten anything anywhere on the wall. Its a tad more than drywall, but if you use a CDX type that the glue is rated for 'exterior uses' the humiditiy shouldnt cause any issues.

You can use batt insulation or board insulation to help as well.

[David Hostetler]

What they said...

Seriously, you would be stunned to see how much just throwing insulation at my ceiling and rollup doors has done to my garage workshop... Without drywall in the way you will have a MUCH easier time throwing batts up in that shed... Since it isn't a "living space" don't worry about drywall, just use 1/2" plywood, exterior rated. Costs a little more, but gives you more mounting options for the stuff that will eventually go there...

Let me give you an example...

I have a college friend, that had a 10x20 shed in his back yard. Now this shed was a bare building with 5 windows, 2 down each long wall, and 1 centered on the back wall opposite of where the doors are. When he decided to build a workshop for his scroll work in there, he at first could not work in there from about mid May, to mid October due to the Texas heat. We ran insulation in the walls, finished and insulated the ceiling, and covered the walls with, well he chose 1/2" OSB. We did not insulate the floor (slab on grade construction). The little 8K BTU Walmart Air Conditioner he was using that he thought was simply junk and completely unusable suddenly became quite functional. Now mind you, since then he has replaced the windows with the low-e hurricane rated windows for several what should be obvious reasons...

I would like to see some pics of your shed workshop when you are done. Small shed shops honestly fascinate me. Mostly because I want to separate my shop from the house...

[Mike Minto]

I would like to see some pics of your shed workshop when you are done. Small shed shops honestly fascinate me. Mostly because I want to separate my shop from the house...

I'll be buying insulation and either OSB or plywood this weekend; will post pics of process and completion (wish I had a larger shop; most of us here do, I'd guess. I don't find it all that fascinating! . I have JUST enough room to do the kind of work I like to do). Thanks for the advise, all.

[David Hostetler]

I'll be buying insulation and either OSB or plywood this weekend; will post pics of process and completion (wish I had a larger shop; most of us here do, I'd guess. I don't find it all that fascinating! . I have JUST enough room to do the kind of work I like to do). Thanks for the advise, all.

Well, I think my fascination is in the way others solve storage problems in small spaces... Something I think all of us are trying to do in one way or another...

[Thomas Bank]

One thing that I did with my shop that I'm surprised how well it worked was adding troughs to the ceiling insulation.

Let me explain.

My woodshop is on the second floor of my detached garage - really a 3/4 story because the back roof slopes down to the first floor ceiling level. I put in eave and ridge vents and then used rigid insulation with the reflective aluminum barrier on the one side. I cut them into strips and folded the edges over to make furring strips to make troughs that left about a half inch of airspace above them and then put batt insulation in below them. The reflective barrier reflects the heat back up into the airspace and convection carriers it up and out the ridge vent.

I figured it would help out since the woodshop is right below the roof, but I am amazed at how cool it is out in the shop!

[David Hostetler]

That foil backed rigid insulation is a HUGE helper. I have that stuff, 2 layers thick of 3/4" with foil facing out to the outside, and in to the inside to keep the hot out and the cool in as it were. So far so good...

[Chris Stolicky]

I had a 12' x 16' shed that I turned into my shop. It has a low (flat) roof sloping from 8' down to 7', so a low ceiling, but I left it that way.

I ran power out to the shop and installed several outlets and lighting. I then put R-13 in the walls and R-19 in the ceiling. For the walls, I used the 1/8" hardboard with the shiny white side for the first 4' of the walls, and then OSB for the rest. Didn't bother painting the OSB. For the ceiling, I bought 1/2" foil sided 4' x 8' panels. They are reflective, add insulation, and lightweight enough for me to install myself. The floor was just PT plywood. I installed old laminate flooring I took up in the house when I redid the floor. I strongly recommend not to use laminate flooring. It can get very slippery if its wet or has saw dust on it.

Its a small shop packed with tools, but its my little world and is very functional. To heat, all I use is an electric oil filled radiator heater. I am about to get a small air conditioner so I can knock down the humidity as needed in the summer.

Oh, make sure you put a fire extinguisher in the shop. You never know.....

[Mike Minto]

I had a 12' x 16' shed that I turned into my shop.

Chris, you're situation sounds very similar to mine. My 'hut' (as the wife calls it) does have a peaked roof, which I am very grateful for as I'm sure it keeps some of the heat off me. I have put some R-13 up there, and will probably put some ridgid foam over that.

[Van Huskey]

but I still drip with sweat during the VA summers.

Me thinks you answered your own question, no?

[Michael Dunn]

Yes!!! According to Sandor Nagyszalanczy, author of 'Setting up Shop' you'll use roughly twice as many BTU's to heat/cool an uninsulated workspace.

Go for it. It'll save you big $$$ in the long run. Not to mention you'll have a MUCH more enjoyable shop!!!

shotgunn

I have a 10x14 shop that used to be a shed - hence, no insulation or drywall. Should I at least insulate it? Would drywall help? I do have an A/C unit, but I still drip with sweat during the VA summers.

[Brian Cover]

One very important thing to consider when finishing interior walls is that drywall has fire resistance and plywood or OSB do not. 5/8" drywall is what you should use. Many locales will make you put drywall over the OSB if you try to sell the property or if an inspector finds out via a neighbor that you finished your walls with "kindling".