How can I insulate my shed on a budget?

[TrentF]

Hello DIYers,

I am looking to reinsulate the roof (and possibly the walls) of my 14x12m shed. There is currently old insulation already on some parts of the roof but most of it is falling down, ripped or water damaged. 

My plan was to pull down the old stuff, grab a couple cans of expandafoam to seal up any opening i can find and relay some new insulation. I will need roughly 168msq of insulation to do just the roof. i was wondering if anyone had done the same before and if they found insulation that was cheap but also worked really well. Im not planning on covering the insulation afterwards, as its just a shed and only one who uses it is me. 

If anyone has any helpful tips for installing, please feel free to let me know, I have not laid insulation before so I will take all free advice on board.

Also, is there a secret way or an ideal type of knife to trim excess expandafoam off neatly? 

Thanks in advance

[JacobZ]

Hi @TrentF,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

 If you had some photos of your shed, this would certainly help. Let me know if you need a hand uploading them, I'm happy to help if needed.

There are a tonne of examples on Workshop with lots of information you can look through about insulating sheds. Some examples are:
 

• How to insulate a wood shed roof by @melissathomp89

• How to insulate a shed to stop condensation and dirt by @Ritar

• How to install insulation in my Titan Shed walls and ceiling? by @denk

• How to insulate a metal shed? by @Bondy2

• How to insulate a pre-built shed? by @staplar

• How to insulate garden shed walls and roof by @arpad

• Insulation suggestion for stainless steel shed by @Sunda

• Insulation ideas for steel frame shed by @Haveagosimmo21

Insulation batts offer the highest R-value and are a great option if you can use them. Insulation Strapping is a great option for installing batts when you aren't planning to cover them.

Foilboard is also a great option with a number of accessories for installation, but the R-value is less than that of batts. 

For our NZ readers, please note that the use of foil insulation products is outlawed in NZ.

Expanding foam is a great option for closing up air gaps. I have used Bostik 500ml Fill It Expanda Foam in my own home with great success. 

I actually used a flat carving knife similar to this Matador Carving Knife to cut the expanding foam back flush. This is likely a good option for you.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions or need a hand uploading images, I'm happy to help.

Jacob