Photo: Tom Fisk

Do I need a roof vent on a shed?

Good vents in your shed are an absolute must, even if you are only using it for storage. Without a good venting system, your shed can experience mildew rot on the building itself. There are two types of vents that will fit the bill: wall vents and ridge vents.

shedliquidators.com - How to Properly Ventilate Your Shed: 6 Tips You Need to Know

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Shed ventilation is so important all year long, but especially so during the winter months since you’re not opening windows. To properly ventilate your shed, here are a few tips for the entire year.

Why Shed Ventilation is Important

Ventilating your shed provides proper airflow and is important in your shed to prevent mildew and fume buildup from chemicals that you may store in your shed. Mildew can build up if airflow is too passive, making your sheds walls rot slowly so that you don’t notice it until it’s too late. If you store chemicals, like gasoline, paint and paint thinner, or other items that you use only occasionally, you can make yourself sick when working on other projects.

Good shed ventilation is key to preventing these issues.

Make Sure You Have the Correct Accessories Installed

1. Wall Vent

A wall vent lets fresh air in and dirty air out. In discussing the creation of air flow, it doesn’t mean forced air. Multiple wall vents will allow regular air circulation in and out of your shed, giving your walls and stored items the necessary air circulation they need to stay fresh.

2. Ridge Vents

Depending on your style of shed, you may need a ridge vent. Ridge vents are typically installed at the peak of a sloped roof. This style of vent allows air to escape through the ceiling, making it good for high ceilings, peaked roofs and attic areas. Use multiple ridge vents for larger sized sheds.

3. Venting Skylight

Let’s say you’re looking for extra light and air. A venting skylight can be just the right addition. Adding this accessory will allow extra light for you to work with, as well as good circulation for your shed.

4. Window

Naturally, a window or two never hurts when you’re looking for extra circulation. Windows are great for extra airflow during seasonal weather. They are also great for a multitude of other reasons. They create airflow, sunlight, and make your shed look more attractive. In the event that your shed needs additional airflow, besides simple passive airflow, you can install something like a whirlybird roof vent, or a turbine air vent. The turbine is activated by a slight breeze inside the turbine, which vacuums out the hot air. The hot air is then replaced by cooler air coming in through the lower areas of the shed.

5. Turbines

Turbines are useful if your shed experiences high condensation, causing mildew buildup, or if you regularly work with a lot of chemicals. A simple ceiling fan can also create this effect as well. If you need air circulation only occasionally, a small fan can also do the trick.

6. Power Gable Vent

Another option for additional airflow is a power gable vent. This type of vent allows more control for times when you may want less airflow, such as the wintertime when it gets much colder.

Ventilate your shed to Let your shed breathe…

As you can see, air circulation is important and also fairly simple to do in your shed. Be sure to find one or two ways to keep the air circulating in your shed so you can breathe easily!

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How do you get electricity in a shed?

You will need the following equipment: A liquid tight conduit or armoured cable – we prefer a steel wire armoured cable which will run from the main house to the shed, under the ground. Fuse box. Switches, light fittings, sockets. Electrical wires. RCD (residual current device)

mjpelectrical.com - What do I need to wire a shed? - MJP Electrical

Whilst wiring a shed isn’t the most complicated electrical job in the world, there are some things that should be considered before work takes place. For example, where you will run the cable. Of course, using a steel wired armoured cable under the ground is the most sensible option and this needs to end up at the shed. However, depending on your property, the cable may run in several courses. For the most part, you should be able to run the line directly from your fuse box. However, if the fuse box does not have enough circuits, a new one may be required and this should always be carried out by a qualified electrician. This will, of course, add to the cost of wiring the shed so it is important to budget for this when making your plans. Additionally, it is a good idea to determine the location of the cable before calling in your electrician and marking this out on the ground. SWA cables are designed to withstand moisture and rot and so can be safely buried under the ground with no risks. Furthermore, the size of the SWA cable should be taken into consideration. Speaking to your electrician will give you a good idea of the type of cable that you will need but in most cases between 16mm and 25mm will be sufficient. In terms of amperage, your SWA cable should run from an RCD of 20 amps which is more than enough in most cases.