During the summer months, sheds can get extremely hot inside due to the higher temperatures. Because sheds are typically uninsulated and have little air flow inside, they can heat up quickly during the day.
During a summer day with the sun beaming down and the temperature soaring outside, your shed is likely to be just as toasty. An enclosed shed can be very hot on even a mild day.
It is not unusual for sheds to reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit or higher during the summer months. If you want to decrease this temperature, there are a number of things you can do.
You will always be working in a hot, stuffy space unless your shed is shaded, vented, or fully insulated and air-conditioned.
In my shed, which is in the full sun 24/7, I can usually find a temperature of 20 – 25 degrees above outdoor temperatures.
Materials used to construct sheds include wood, metal, and plastic. Most often, wood is used for these types.
(At least in the United States), they are constructed in a similar way to a house, except for the difference in size and the type of wood used.
Due to their sole purpose of storing outdoor equipment, they are usually left unfinished inside. Unlike an indoor structure, a shed does not have any insulation to help slow down heat transfer from the outside.
In the summer, this leads to buildings that warm up quickly and remain hot for long periods of time. As a result, the interior becomes very uncomfortable, like a sauna with trapped heat.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Shed Temperatures In The Summer
It is possible for a shed to be hotter than 100°F, or 37°-38°C, and in humid and warm areas, it could be hotter than 120°F, or 48°-50°C.
There is a difference in shed temperature between different materials. It is possible for a shed to get hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot summer day. Inside, it feels even hotter.
In general, sheds are constructed from three basic materials. They are wood, plastic (vinyl or resin), and metal; each shed gets hot at a different temperature when it is subjected to direct sunlight or heat.
Wood:
There is less heat conductivity in wood than in plastic and metal. The temperature can reach 75°-85°F when exposed to direct sunlight or heat.
Plastic:
Sheds made of plastic sheathing and frames get quite hot during a hot summer day, but they don’t get as hot as metal sheds. Outside and inside, the temperature is lower than that of a metal shed, which is 100°F.
Metal:
Heat is easily conducted through metal. It absorbs heat easily but cools down more slowly. The heating capacity of metal sheathing over a steel frame is much greater than that of other materials.
During the summer, metal sheds normally get temperatures ranging from 80° to 100°F. There are many factors that determine how warm it can get: the area, the position, the color of the shed, etc. It can reach temperatures of 100°-120°F.
The Following Is Taken From The Forums And Discussions
I found the following question on Cloudy Nights forum that may help answer your question:
Jkevn: I live in Tucson, Arizona, which gets very hot in the summer. My Celestron CPC 11″ Edge will be stored in a backyard shed with a fork mounted on it.
There’s a ridge vent, two wall vents, and an elevated floor in the shed. In May and June, inside shed temperatures can reach 120 degrees, with very low humidity (like 5%).
The monsoon season is July through September, so the temperatures are lower, but the humidity is higher.
Keeping a 12″ Dob in this shed, with these conditions, has never been a problem for me.
What are the chances of the electronics, motors, or internal outgassing being damaged by 120°F storage? What’s the best way to store this kind of scope outside under these conditions?
Gipht: I’m not sure how many people have done months of storage in hot, then hot and humid conditions.
With a similar question for my EQ mount, I couldn’t get any response from the manufacturer. When it comes to equipment this expensive, discretion may be wise.
Shed Cooling Tips In The Summer
Depending on how much time you plan to spend in your shed, you have a few options for keeping it cooler. Here are a few options to consider.
1. Make Sure All Windows Are Covered
You will need to cover any windows in your shed that are exposed to the hot sun with some sort of reflective material.
Shed windows provide the same chance for heat to enter like your car windshield, allowing the sun’s rays to warm the shed. Left uncovered, this will turn the inside of the shed into an oven.
Maintaining a pleasant temperature inside the shed can be as simple as installing reflective window coverings.
It can help to reduce the overall temperature inside the shed in the summer months when combined with all the other tips mentioned above.
2. Ensure The Shed Is Properly Ventilated
Any shed that wants to maintain a comfortable temperature needs to be properly ventilated. If the shed does not have ventilation, any breeze or cooler air that comes in and out cannot escape the heat that has built up inside.
There are usually vents in the gable area of sheds that allow air to flow. Air can flow from one side to the other through the vents on each side.
While this can provide a steady stream of air, it may only provide cooling if wind is blowing.
You can also install a roof turbine vent for better ventilation. By pulling hot air out of the shed, the temperature will be lowered.
3. Make Sure It Is Insulated
Insulated sheds will reduce the amount of heat that finds its way inside them. It won’t give you a perfectly temperature-controlled environment if you only insulate the shed.
You won’t even be able to relax in it. While it might prevent extreme high temperatures, it needs to be combined with other methods to make it more comfortable.
A shed that is fully insulated and located in the shade will be more temperate.
4. Utilize Shade Trees
It is imperative that you place your shed in a shady area in order to keep it cooler. It may not be possible to relocate an existing shed.
Planting trees is always an option, but it will take years for them to grow and provide shade.
You should place a shed somewhere that receives shade throughout the day if you’re building one or purchasing one.
Ideally, it should be placed in a shady area to protect it from extreme temperatures. Although it will still get hot, placing it in a shady area will benefit you.
How Do You Remove Hot Air From A Shed?
In a summer shed, the hot air rises as the day goes on, making it uncomfortable to work especially as the heat increases.
Heat can be removed from a shed by adding roof vents, adding more windows, adding a ceiling fan or tower fan, or using air conditioning.
What Is The Best Insulation For Sheds?
You will want to use the right insulation for the shed depending on its purpose. Spending as little as possible on insulation is probably best if your shed is only used for storing things and not used for living in.
It is a double-edged sword because insulation will help but will also create problems. The heat production does slow down, but as the shed gets hotter throughout the day, it also takes longer for the heat to be released.
When it comes down to it, insulation does not make a lot of sense unless you combine it with other cooling methods. Here are four types of shed insulation you should consider.
1. Spray Foam Insulation
There is no doubt that this type of insulation is the most expensive and the most difficult to install. You may want to hire a professional company to take care of this for you if you choose to take this route.
A spray foam insulation kit, which includes everything you need, can be purchased if you don’t have the expertise.
Due to the high R-value of foam insulation, it has the potential to slow heat transfer the most.
A spray foam insulation is a great way to insulate a small shed if you are really concerned about the temperature in the shed. As an outdoor building material, it has moisture-resistant properties.
Using this type of insulation will help keep your home office or workshop cool if you have air conditioning. Alternatively, you can choose cheaper methods that will work well for a shed.
2. Fiberglass Batts
The material is commonly used on exterior walls, basements, crawlspaces, and other parts of the home. Insulation with this R-value is affordable.
In the case of a small shed, this is the cheapest option and will give you the best value for your money. Installing it is easy, but working with it can be frustrating.
During installation, you’ll have to contend with fiberglass particles flying all over the place.
In order to prevent it from getting into your lungs, you will want to wear long clothing, gloves, and a mask while installing it.
3. Foam Board Insulation
In order to complete the project, you will need only a few sheets of foam board insulation, depending on the size of your shed.
Fiberglass batts typically have a higher R-value, but not quite as high as this material. The heat won’t be slowed down as much as with fiberglass.
Even so, the installation is safer because fiberglass does not fly everywhere. Double-layer insulation can also be achieved by combining it with the reflective foil mentioned above.
4. Reflective Insulation
In conjunction with other types of insulation, this is more of a radiant barrier that will work well.
It can, however, be used on its own to reflect some of the radiant heat. When installed correctly, this can help reduce shed temperatures. When combined with something else, it works best.
By combining it with fiberglass batts or other types of insulation and installing it correctly with a proper gap, it effectively is able to dispel heat that would otherwise have to be collected inside the shed.
Installing this radiant barrier is very simple and affordable. A pair of scissors and a staple gun will suffice to install it in the shed’s ceiling and walls.
Final Words
It gets very hot inside sheds during the summer. Temperatures inside the shed can reach extreme levels if you live in an area where temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperatures in sheds can reach over 100 degrees in even moderate outdoor temperatures.
Over time, this may cause damage to items stored inside. Plastic and rubber can be damaged by constant heat over time, which can lead to damage to tools and other items.
You can’t do much about a shed that’s always in direct sunlight, but if you provide proper ventilation, a little insulation, and a shady spot, you’ll be able to keep the temperature down.
