[vodster]

I will soon be buying a new 8'x6' tongue and groove apex shed for the allotment and was just looking to guage opinion on whether to insulate it or not.

My idea is to insulate it with bubble wrap upon construction (so I don't have to turf out the contents later) and to install blackout blinds  over the 2 windows (well, construct crude blinds out of blackout lining material!) so that it could be used more efficiently as storage for the root veg over winter. I'd be looking to store the usual... spuds, carrots, onions, parsnips and garlic.

Also, should I creosote the interior as well as the exterior?

As you may have gathered, I am a relative newbie to this GYO mallarkey and am bumbling around blindly most of the time! Any thoughts/tips greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Gareth.

[Thrift]

Hi Gareth,

You may find it makes a lovely warm haven for mice ..... it's so difficult to stop them getting in.

[aelf]

I lost all my ovetwintered spuds because they were stored in my shed. I'm not sure bubblewrap will stop extreme cold getting in. I'm thinking of buying a parafin frost heater that, apparently keeps the chill off and lasts 2 weeks between fills.

[JayG]

Don't know where you live Gareth (feel free to introduce yourself in "Welcome" and please add your approximate location to your personal site profile) but if we get another winter like the last one with temperatures below freezing night and day then no amount of insulation will protect stored produce.

I presume that by "creosote" you mean a wood preservative (creosote is banned in the EU.)  If the shed is watertight I don't think it is necessary to treat the inside, although if you line it with bubblewrap it could trap some condensation in which case you might be happier going for the "belt and braces" approach.

[Swing Swang]

And if you do mean creosote I wouldn't mind knowing how to get some

[vodster]

Thanks for your input so far. Raised a few points I hadn't considered.

As it's a new construction and should be sound with no viable holes for them, I wouldn't have thought mice would be an issue (but I'm probably wrong!)

I did mean wood preserver, but am probably older than I thought I was (mid 30s!), as last time I had any need for painting preservative on wood, creosote was the way to go and bad old EU hadn't stuck their oars in!

I'm planning on getting a paraffin heater for the greenhouse and just taking that into the shed when I'm in there during the nippy months and leave it in greenhouse at all other times. Living in a block of flats, I do have both an internal and external concrete shed, so could store veg in either of those, but it'd be so much easier to just leave it on the plot til it was needed. Just laziness on my part, I think!

[RichardA]

If you exclude draughts and natural light the atmosphere will tend to get musty and cause moulds on things like gloves, surface of compost, tools etc etc. I allow a slight through draught in all my sheds especially if straw etc being stored because of this happening to me some years ago
If you really do need a frost free area then perhaps bring those items indoors or cover over.

[JayG]

I did mean wood preserver, but am probably older than I thought I was (mid 30s!), as last time I had any need for painting preservative on wood, creosote was the way to go and bad old EU hadn't stuck their oars in!

To be fair the modern water-based preservatives are pretty good and also come in different colours ( I say pretty good but that's on a new shed; not so clever on a shed which was previously creosoted even though it had been done many years previously!) 

[savbo]

As it's a new construction and should be sound with no viable holes for them, I wouldn't have thought mice would be an issue (but I'm probably wrong!)

Anywhere you can fit a pencil through is small enough for a mouse.

[8doubles]

As it's a new construction and should be sound with no viable holes for them, I wouldn't have thought mice would be an issue (but I'm probably wrong!)

Anywhere you can fit a pencil through is small enough for a mouse.

If there is food on the inside mice will make their own holes, think Tom & Jerry skirting boards.
To be mouse proof it need to be armour plated and impossible to climb or they will make a hole at roof level.
For good veg storage constant temperatures are best and a small shed will heat up and cool down too much unless it has a huge amount of insulation.

[Trillium]

I hate to sound like a killjoy, but with the constant thieving and vandalizing of lotty sheds, do you want to risk losing all your produce to thoughtless vandals? Mold and mice are bad enough, but vandals destroying your goods just for a lark are a reality to be considered.

[vodster]

Good point about vandals, etc which I hadn't really considered, although high fences and locked gates on the site, plus being in the middle of the city tends to prevent all but the odd intruder and touch wood, no recent break-ins. However, having said that I don't intend to leave any power tools, etc on site!

I think I have come to the conclusion that it would be safer all round not to bother insulating the shed and to not store any crops in it!

The Tom & Jerry reference was amusing, although I can't see me donning a gingham frock and chasing of vermin with a birch broom!