How to insulate a shed with your own hands - budget options. How to insulate a utility block with your own hands (insulating a shed) We insulate a shed with your own hands

With the onset of cold weather, the egg production of chickens decreases, and the risk of colds in birds increases. In regions with harsh climates, to maintain optimal temperature regime in winter you have to resort to in various ways insulation and heating of the chicken coop. You can do all the work yourself. The main thing is to choose the right insulating material and follow the rules for its installation. If natural heating is insufficient, it makes sense to think about an artificial heat source.

What should be the temperature in the chicken coop in winter?

When breeding laying hens, it is important to know what temperature should be in the chicken coop in winter for the chickens to lay eggs. Experienced poultry farmers name the following temperature parameters:

• favorable temperature for keeping chickens ranges from +12°C to +15°C;
• minimum temperature in winter in the chicken coop it is +10°C - as the indicator decreases, feed consumption increases, since part nutrients goes to warm the birds' bodies;
• The recommended temperature in the chicken coop for laying hens is about +18°C - the organization of a “spring” microclimate helps to increase egg production by 40%.

Insulated barn for chickens

Most types of chickens are capable of surviving short-term sub-zero temperatures on the thermometer, however, such extreme conditions sharply reduce the productivity of the bird. When determining how many degrees there should be in the chicken coop in winter, it is necessary to take into account the age of the inhabitants of the poultry house:

• chickens on the 21st day of life - at least 21°C;
• grown chicks from the 21st to the 50th day - the minimum temperature is + 16-17 ° C;
• adult chickens – from +10°C.

Creating a normal microclimate in the poultry house

At favorable conditions chickens are active - they drink water well, eat feed, are mobile and distributed throughout the entire area of ​​the poultry house. Insufficient heating is indicated by crowding of birds, which can lead to suffocation.

Excessive heat is also undesirable. High temperature negatively affects the egg production of birds - the quality deteriorates eggshells and egg mass decreases.

Signs of overheating in birds:

• rapid breathing;
• drooping wings and open beak;
• intensive water consumption;
• refusal of the main feed.

Excess heat has negative impact for chickens

In addition to maintaining optimal temperature, in the chicken coop in winter it is important to ensure the stability of the microclimate. Poultry do not tolerate “jumps” in relative humidity and temperature changes.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a chicken coop for the winter

All activities to prepare the poultry house for the winter with your own hands are divided into natural insulation and artificial heating. The first option involves performing thermal insulation structural elements barn: walls, floor, roof, windows and doors.

Thermal insulation of walls with mineral wool and isolon

It is advisable to take care of the insulation of the poultry house at the stage of its construction. In this case, you will not have to reduce the usable area of ​​the building. Let us outline the main ways to insulate the walls of a chicken coop from the inside.

Option 1. Insulating the chicken coop with glass wool. The material is characterized by low cost, good elasticity, resistance to pests, rodents and mold formation.

Work order:

1. WITH inside cover the walls with battens. The thickness of the insulation of the walls of the chicken coop will be about 8-10 cm.
2. Place glass wool in the formed cells.
3. Place a vapor barrier on top of the insulation. Fiberglass is hygroscopic, so the vapor barrier cannot be neglected.
4. Sew up the structure OSB boards or drywall.

Laying glass wool between wooden slats

The same technology is used to lay other mineral wool or cover the walls from the inside with foam plastic.

Option 2. Use of isolon. Reflective thermal insulation material is effective, environmentally friendly and does not “conceal” the space inside the room. The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of insulation.

To achieve the greatest efficiency, there should be a gap of 1.5-2 cm between the wall and the insulation.

Let's look step by step how to insulate a chicken coop with isolon:

1. Place a grid of slats 1.5-2 cm thick on the wall. Cells with dimensions of 1 * 1.5 m should be formed, located in checkerboard pattern.
2. Secure the isolon with nails, seal the joints with aluminum tape.
3. Place an additional grid on top of the insulation.
4. Install the finishing coat.

Thermal insulation of poultry house with isolon

Budget insulation shingles and natural materials

Option 3. Insulation with shingles - affordable and effective method . Moisten the clay generously, add sawdust and mix until smooth. Treat the walls with a solution - the layer thickness is about 3 cm. Seal any cracks that appear with a sand-clay mixture. After drying the shingles, whiten the surface with quicklime.

Using shingles as shed insulation

Option 4. Bookmark natural insulation . To implement the method with your own hands, you will have to build a false wall from boards or OSB panels. Place sawdust, wood shavings or dry pine needles in the space between the two walls.

Owners of compact buildings are wondering how to line the outside of the chicken coop. The best option is polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam. The sheets are “planted” with glue or attached to the facade with plastic dowels. After grouting the joints, the thermal insulation is reinforced and plastered.

Covering the outer walls of the poultry house with foam plastic

Insulating a chicken coop with polystyrene foam increases the temperature inside the building by 4-5°C.

What materials are suitable for the floor?

An insulated heated floor in a chicken coop is made according to the same scheme as for a residential building: subfloor, wooden joists, a layer of insulation and fine coating from boards.

Subfloor arrangement diagram

How to insulate the floor in a chicken coop? To insulate a wooden floor with your own hands, the following materials are used:

1. Sawdust and expanded clay. Insulating the floor in a chicken coop with expanded clay is affordable and easy to install. The material is poured between installed logs, the thickness of the thermal insulation layer is 5-10 cm. Sawdust is also used by analogy. The disadvantage of wood-based material is its susceptibility to rodents.
2. Mineral wool. The heat insulator is placed in the space between the joists with the hard side up - it is indicated by a blue stripe. You need to lay polyethylene under the mineral wool, and a vapor barrier on top. The thickness of the insulation is about 20 cm.
3. Expanded polystyrene. To install thermal insulation, you should not use vapor and waterproofing - the characteristics of the material do not change in a humid environment. Extruded polystyrene retains its original shape and is not susceptible to rodents.

Instructions for floor insulation

Below are options for how to insulate a concrete floor in a chicken coop.

Method 1. Thermal insulation under semi-dry or wet screed . Under cement-sand screed It is better to lay polystyrene foam of maximum density.

Sequence of layers:

1. Primer treatment deep penetration.
2. Waterproofing the floor with roofing felt or mastic.
3. Fixing damper tape around the perimeter of the poultry house.
4. Placing expanded polystyrene boards.
5. Insulation cover plastic film.
6. Installation of reinforcing mesh and floor screed.

Insulation of a concrete floor under a wet screed

Method 2. Insulation along joists. The process involves preliminary installation of logs, laying of thermal insulation material and finishing of the floor with boards or OSB boards.

Regardless of the floor arrangement, additional warm bedding for the chicken coop is required for the winter. Most often, a mixture of sawdust and shavings is used in a ratio of 1:3, respectively. It is advisable to add moss and a little peat to the litter, and cover it with straw on top.

Important! Spruce sawdust in the chicken coop in winter has a disinfecting effect. The temperature inside the litter of 20-30 cm can reach 30°C.

Straw bedding for chickens

It is permissible to insulate the chicken coop with straw and dry grass. During the winter, the litter should be fluffed up and a fresh layer should be added periodically.

How to prevent heat leakage through doors and windows

A large amount of heat escapes through window cracks and leaks in door design. Insulation of windows in a chicken coop is done with various available means: newspapers, foam rubber, cotton wool, self-adhesive tape, felt strip or pieces of fabric.

All existing cracks in the window frame must be sealed with insulation material. To minimize the risk of blowing, the junction points window profile Seal to the frame with masking tape.

Thermal insulation window frame foam rubber

In old buildings integrity window design often broken - the frame is skewed or “moves away” from the walls. In this case, all existing holes must be treated with polyurethane foam or silicone sealant. As additional protection from the cold, you can stretch and secure the film.

When designing a new barn for birds, it is enough to provide one small window on the south or east side. Optimal solution– creation of removable frames, which can be easily replaced in summer with a net for ventilating the poultry house.

Be sure to check the tightness of the door to the frame and insulate the entrance to the chicken coop. Upholstery of wooden or metal door leaves is done with mineral wool, isofol, polystyrene foam, penofol, foam rubber, padding polyester, felt, batting or polyurethane foam.

Using batting to insulate a door

Before insulating the door in the chicken coop, it must be removed from its hinges, and the handle and lock must be removed. When using “soft” thermal insulation material, the following procedure is followed:

1. Place the door on a horizontal surface.
2. Take measurements and cut out the recommended length from thick batting, foam rubber or mineral wool.
3. Perform a fitting.
4. Prepare the upper upholstery from leatherette or thick raincoat fabric - it should overlap the door with an overlap of about 20 cm.
5. Place insulation on the door and secure it around the perimeter with nails or staples. Grab in several places inside door leaf.
6. Pull the upholstery material over the top and carefully secure it with outside doors with decorative or regular nails.
7. If necessary, insulate the door from the inside as well.

Upholstery of the door leaf with leatherette

What should a warm roof be like?

In the northern regions, it is recommended to build poultry houses with gable roof. The resulting attic provides additional thermal insulation for the entire structure and is used for storing non-bulky items. To insulate the roof with your own hands, the same materials are suitable as for the walls.

Step-by-step instruction how to properly insulate the roof of a chicken coop with attic space isover or mineral wool:

1. Treat load-bearing floor beams with an antiseptic and fire retardant to protect against rotting, the development of pathogens and fire.
2. Cover the attic floor vapor barrier film.
3. Place mats of heat-insulating material between the beams and cover the insulation with a film waterproofing material.
4. Cover the floor with plasterboard, boards or plywood.

Rolling out roll insulation in the attic

Insulating the ceiling in a chicken coop

In a lean-to poultry house, the ceiling must be insulated. For work, it is better to choose lightweight materials: polystyrene foam, mineral wool, foil polystyrene foam.

Let's look at how to insulate the ceiling in a chicken coop with foam plastic with your own hands:

1. Inspect the ceiling and replace old rotten boards.
2. Handle wood covering protective compounds.
3. Create from wooden beams lathing.
4. Place the foam in the cells and fix it to the ceiling with dowels with caps or with glue.
5. Cover the insulation wooden clapboard or sheets of moisture-resistant plasterboard.

Foam ceiling insulation technology

Interesting and affordable option thermal insulation of the ceiling - use of reeds. First you need to prepare “reed mats”:

1. Reeds are collected at the beginning of winter, after the leaves have fallen. Cut the stems close to the base.
2. Peel each stem and lay the reeds on a flat base to dry.
3. Grouping the reeds, form reed mats about 5-8 cm thick.
4. Secure the shape with a rope for twisting bales. The approximate size of the mat is 1*2 m.

Homemade mat from river reeds

The disadvantage of insulating the ceiling with reeds is the fire hazard of the material. When using an artificial heating source (stove, incandescent lamp), it is better to avoid using river reed.

Heating a chicken barn

In regions with long and harsh winters, where frosts below 10°C are not uncommon, it will be necessary to maintain optimal temperature conditions artificial method. Let's figure out how to properly organize the heating of a chicken coop in winter and the best way to heat a poultry house.

Organization of stove heating

When deciding how to heat a chicken coop in winter, you need to take into account the dimensions of the barn and the available resources. With easy access to solid fuel, some prefer to use a wood stove. An option for budget heating is often a homemade Burelyan stove or potbelly stove.

Organizing cheap solid fuel heating for a chicken coop has a number of nuances:

• the heating elements of the stove must be insulated from birds;
• high fire hazard - the floor of the barn is filled with highly flammable bedding;
• the need to equip the room with a chimney and ventilation system;
• The combustion process requires constant monitoring and addition of fuel.

Making a solid fuel stove for a barn

The simplest stove For a chicken coop you can make it yourself from a lawn cylinder. The furnace is a chamber of two compartments: the upper one is for fuel combustion, the lower one is for collecting ash. There is a grill between the compartments.

A hole is cut in the used cylinder and a combustion door is installed. Metal supports are welded to the bottom, and a chimney. To protect birds from burns, it is advisable to encase the potbelly stove in the chicken coop in a steel casing.

Alternative options stove heating:

1. Heating a chicken coop with gas is practiced on large farms, since supplying a gas main and installing a separate boiler is an expensive undertaking for a chicken coop. This method is not advisable to use in private households.
2. A diesel stove is not suitable for a chicken coop due to the complexity of its design. Liquid fuel delivery requires injection equipment and pre-filtration.
3. Water heating chicken coop. If the poultry house is adjacent to the house, then it will be possible to route the water circuit from the boiler through it. For a small shed, laying one or two pipes around the perimeter is enough, in spacious rooms heating system complemented by radiators.

Electric heating

The two most popular options among farmers are: electric heating for the chicken coop:

• infrared lamp;
• infrared ceiling heater.

Heating a poultry shed with an IR lamp

A 250 W red lamp is enough to heat a 12 square meter chicken coop. m. The efficiency of the heat lamp allows you not to turn it off during the cold season, when birds lack sunlight.

Additional benefits of a heating lamp:

• local targeted heating of objects, not the room;
• maintaining normal humidity levels;
• drying the litter;
• preserving oxygen in the poultry house;
• Heating lamps spend 10% of their energy on additional lighting;
• ease of installation and replacement.

Important! The distance from the lamp to surrounding surfaces must be at least 0.5 m. Objects located closer may overheat.

Ceiling IR heater for poultry house

Infrared heater in a chicken coop it works on the same principle as a lamp. The electric heater is convenient because it can be mounted on the ceiling - birds will not be able to get too close to the equipment and get burned.

The maximum power of the heater in the chicken coop is 500 W. If the performance of one model is not enough to maintain the temperature in the entire barn, then the room is equipped with additional “heating points”.

The optimal solution is a heater with a thermostat from the Teplofon company. Built-in temperature relay turns off the device when the set air parameters in the poultry house are reached and turns on when the room cools down. Such models are considered the most economical and energy-saving heaters for a chicken coop.

The fan heater is not efficient enough to heat the poultry house

Possible options electric heating:

1. The fan heater for the chicken coop can be of low power (1-2 kW). Such a unit will heat small room up to +16°C. Disadvantage of the method: the risk of rapid failure of the motor, the need to regularly clean the coil from dust.
2. Heating with infrared film is an expensive method. In addition to the IR film, you need to buy a mounting kit, a reflective substrate, a thermostat and plywood for covering the floor or ceiling. The distance from the heating surface of the film to the perches is about a meter. The heated film floor in the chicken coop must have a moisture-proof coating.
3. An oil cooler in a chicken coop is a temporary solution to the problem. The device takes a long time to warm up the air and consumes a lot of electricity.
4. Heating a chicken coop with a convector is more economical compared to its oil-based counterpart. After switching on, the unit immediately begins to heat the air. The disadvantage of a convector is uneven heating of the room. Temperature changes reach 10°C.

Installation " warm ceiling» from IR film

When building a barn for laying hens and broilers, special attention should be paid to the natural insulation of walls, floors, roofs, windows and doors. Experienced poultry farmers recommend using IR lamps or heaters as artificial heating - they are safe and allow you to regulate the temperature of the poultry house.

When keeping chickens, pigs and other livestock all year round, it is important to properly arrange their housing. It is better to insulate the shed at the construction stage. But if thermal protection was not properly ensured during construction, then you can do the work yourself already during the operation of the building.

Why you need to observe the temperature regime

The plumage and fat of chickens allows them to survive in low temperatures. However, if the thermometer shows 0 °C or less, then they stop laying eggs. And when severe frosts the birds may not survive at all. The optimal temperature in the chicken coop in winter is 7-10 °C. Better 12-15 °C. It is in such conditions that chickens will maintain their egg production even in winter.

But for them to lay eggs constantly, maintaining the temperature is not enough. IN winter time in their “house” it is necessary to create lighting, as in the spring. To do this, you will need to place 60 W light bulbs around the entire perimeter of the barn. They will not only provide the right light, but will also additionally heat the chicken coop.

If light bulbs alone are not enough to create the optimal temperature, additional heating of the shed will be required. To monitor the internal temperature, you need to place a thermometer in the building, but only closer to the ceiling, because chickens can peck at it. It is better to use a remote meter that is placed outside, but its measuring tip is located inside the shed.

A cheap way to insulate a shed

To insulate an outbuilding for poultry, pigs and other livestock, you do not have to be a professional builder.

All work can be easily done with your own hands.

The most budget option for thermal insulation of a barn is installation double wall with cheap, readily available insulation in its cavity.

Installation of wall structure

First you need to build a second wall around the entire perimeter of the building. To do this, two boards are nailed parallel to each other, and a third board is placed on top of the seam.

Laying insulation

Insulating material must be placed in the resulting space between the wall surfaces. These could be autumn leaves, pine needles or sawdust. To prevent small rodents from infesting the shed, the heat insulator must be mixed with slaked lime in a ratio of 25:1.

The insulation layer must be at least 20 cm. Moreover, it must be placed everywhere - on the walls, ceiling and floor. It is compacted well, and then allowed to stand for another 2-3 weeks. If necessary, material is added and the space is “sealed.”

Floor insulation

How can you insulate the floor in a barn? Even ordinary clay will do. To do this, first pour soil around the entire perimeter of the building 10-15 cm above the main one, and then lay compacted clay.

At the same time, it is very important to prevent moisture from penetrating into the sawdust, otherwise they will quickly begin to rot.

Thermal protection of doors

The door in an outbuilding can be insulated with ordinary boards and roofing felt. To do this, the boards are nailed diagonally, and a sheet of roofing material is inserted between them.

By insulating the barn with your own hands in this way, you can provide warmth all year round for chickens, pigs and any other living creatures.

Application of shingles

Shingles are excellent not only for insulating outbuildings, but also residential premises. Moreover, it does not require any financial costs, you only need clay, slats and patience.

Insulating a shed with shingles occurs as follows.

Preparatory activities

First of all, you need to nail the slats diagonally, first in one direction, then in the opposite direction (goat willow branches can be used as slats).

Then you need to prepare the solution. To do this, the clay is soaked in water until a creamy mass is obtained and a little sawdust is added to it. The solution should stand for 20-30 minutes to wood shavings the clay swelled and lay down better.

Now you can start insulating. You should start applying the mixture from below in a small layer of 4-7 cm. More is not necessary, as this can lead to the appearance of severe cracks on the surface. The solution just needs to be poured onto the shingles, and then leveled with a regular construction spatula. You can add more clay to the corners, making them slightly rounded.

Next, the walls should be completely dry. This may take several days. Cracks may form on the plastered surface. Don't be afraid of them. They should be covered with a solution of clay and sand (1:2). It is recommended to seal all cracks near the ceiling and floor with the same solution.

After the clay plaster has completely dried, it must be treated with slaked lime. This will give the walls an aesthetic appearance and prevent various rodents and insects from entering them.

The use of modern insulation materials

This method is the most expensive, as it requires the purchase building materials. But it is more suitable for those buildings in which there are more or less smooth walls no gaps.

Installation of frame for mineral wool

As a rule, for interior work used as insulation material mineral wool. But before you use it, you need to prepare the cells in which it will fit.

They can be made from ordinary planks, creating rectangular hollow structures nailed to the walls and ceiling.

Vapor barrier

To avoid moisture getting into the thermal insulation material, it is necessary to create a vapor barrier layer with foil.

It will serve as additional insulation for the shed, as it prevents cold air from entering and hot air from escaping.

After installing the vapor barrier, insulation (mineral wool) is placed in the cells. It is installed by surprise, additional fastening not required.

The structure is then sheathed with plywood or other sheet material.

Use of polystyrene foam

Foam plastic is also suitable for insulating outbuildings. But it is better to place it outside, because the material is fragile and chickens can easily damage it.

Insulation boards are attached to the surface using special adhesives. Then, using the same glue, a reinforcing fiberglass mesh is mounted (recessed into the composition). The reinforcing layer is plastered and whitewashed with lime.

Whichever method of insulation from those described above is chosen, it is important to remember that the main thing is to create optimal conditions for the normal existence of livestock or poultry.

Owners usually prefer to handle the construction of their households on their own. buildings And quite often the question arises of how to insulate a shed. Even before construction begins, you need to know for what purpose you need it: to store unnecessary junk, tools, or whether livestock will live in it. Determine the dimensions of the future building. Then mark the planned shed on the site and dig a trench for the foundation. It can be shallow, about half a meter. When pouring the foundation, you can use stones, pieces of old brick, mixing them with cement mortar. If the foundation suddenly settles, you just need to add a new one.

The best option for insulating a shed.

If you are building a barn for animals, you need to think about how to insulate the barn. The optimal solution this issue The shed will be insulated during the construction process. In this case, two rows of walls are laid out, and any thermal insulation material is placed in the resulting space. To install the roof, boards are fixed at the top of the walls, and they need to be screwed from the inside. The insulation should be laid on the joists and covered with boards. To prevent moisture from retaining on the shed, the roof should be sloping. For the floor, you can take pallets and cover them with straw. Such a shed will not cost much if you use available materials and do all the work yourself.

Possible options.

If the shed was built a long time ago, and you decided to insulate it only now, due to a change in its purpose or for any other reason, you have several options.

The first method is cladding with boards.

The outside of the barn can be sheathed with boards according to the principle brickwork, closing the gap between two boards with a third. The walls are covered with slate in the same way as when covering the roof. In addition, the shed can be sheathed with boards from below. Sheets of slate are placed higher, and then timber is stuffed.

During the work process, insulation is poured between the walls, which needs to be compacted with something. Pine needles, fallen leaves, and sawdust can be used as insulation. These materials are mixed with lime in a combination of one to twenty-five. This avoids problems such as rodents between the walls. The ceiling also needs to be hemmed, and the same composition must be poured on top. Boards are placed above the rafters and covered with roofing felt in several layers, which must be nailed down with wooden slats at a distance of half a meter. The lower part of the barn can be lined with slate on both sides, which will protect the room from rodents and predatory animals.

The bottom of the barn is insulated by filling the floor with soil, 10 cm below the main floor, and then laying and compacting the clay mortar.

The door is made of boards knocked down diagonally, with a layer of roofing felt placed between them so as not to let out heat.

The second method is cladding with shingles.

How to insulate a shed if money is tight? The walls need to be sheathed with shingles, it needs to be nailed diagonally, starting work from the corner. Do the work in one direction, then in the other, until the shingles cross. It can be replaced with goat willow branches, then the clay can be applied thicker.

Start preparing the clay solution by adding sawdust to it. The clay needs to be soaked and diluted with water to the consistency of liquid sour cream. Sawdust should be added a little at a time, achieving the required thickness of the solution. For cooking, it is better to take larger dishes so as not to knead several times. Ready solution must stand for a while.

Apply the solution to the bottom of the wall at large quantities and level it with a spatula. Its layer should be at least 3-5 centimeters. Apply the solution evenly, paying special attention to the corners of the room. They can even be rounded and made even warmer. After finishing plastering, let the walls dry for several days. During this time, cracks form, which must be rubbed with a solution of clay and sand in a ratio of 1 to 2. The walls must be whitewashed with lime. Take granulated lime and dilute it in half a bucket of water. Within a minute, the reaction with water will begin, the solution will become very hot. When the reaction is over, fill the bucket with water to the top, add a spoonful of table salt.

Insulate the barn ceiling. At a level of 15 cm from the roof along the perimeter, secure the bars. The length of the boards should allow them to lie on the bars and fit snugly against the walls. Fill the boards with a solution of clay and sawdust, 10 cm thick, after opening the roof. Again, special attention should be paid to the corners.

The process of insulating a shed in this way is quite labor-intensive, but it is the cheapest and very reliable. Now your animals will definitely not freeze!

In this article I will tell you how to insulate a shed from boards with minimal cost. This technique has been used for hundreds of years and has proven its effectiveness even in harsh regions. I am sure that this option is available to anyone, and to implement it, you need a minimum set of materials and devices, which is important, because no one wants to spend significant money on a shed.

Workflow Description

I will tell you about one technology that has been in use for a couple of hundred years and has undergone only minor changes over that time. The work process will always be the same, but the set of materials used may differ. You must choose the solution that best suits your specific situation.

Materials and devices used

To begin with, I will talk about the insulation options that can be used; there are several solutions that have been tested in practice:

Another option is to use a mixture of sawdust and expanded clay. As you know, sawdust is afraid of moisture and tends to absorb it, which reduces thermal insulation properties material, but if you add 20-30% expanded clay to them, then excess moisture it will draw in, which has a positive effect on both the quality of insulation and the durability of the structure.

In addition to the main insulation, you will need additional materials:

• Lime is mixed into straw and sawdust to prevent mold from forming in the material. One part is added per 15-25 parts of insulation, this is quite enough to prevent the material from rotting and eliminate the appearance of pests, which is also important;

• You can add cement, low grades in a ratio of 1:10 are also suitable, this will strengthen the insulation and give it some rigidity. Of course, this component is used as desired, but when using sawdust or straw it is worth incurring additional costs;
• For the construction you will need a block and a board. Unedged options are also suitable - they are the cheapest and can be purchased at any sawmill. Don’t worry about the cracks in the wall; the board will be attached in a way that provides the necessary reliability.

Wall insulation

Now let’s figure out how to insulate a shed with your own hands, the process is extremely simple, there is no need for accuracy and precision, the reliability of the structure and its integrity come to the fore, the fewer cracks and voids, the better the end result.

The instructions for carrying out the work are as follows:

• First of all, it is necessary to carefully examine the walls of the building; most often there are cracks on them, which inevitably form when the material dries out. You need to seal them using available materials. Personally, I like it best modern version with polyurethane foam, but you can use tow or dry moss, the most important thing is to eliminate the cracks in the wall;
• Next, you can begin to build a second partition; for this, a frame is first made from a bar; the width of the structure should be about 30 cm so that the structure can be reliably insulated. There are no special requirements, the main thing is that the system is reliable;
• The outside of the structure is covered with boards, this is done in two ways, the first involves nailing one row of boards, and nailing more boards on top of it at the joints, resulting in a wall without cracks. The second one is made with the so-called “herringbone”, when each subsequent board is nailed overlapping the previous one; this option looks more attractive, so it is used much more often.

Insulation is poured into the resulting cavity; consider all the options that deserve attention:

• If you fall asleep sawdust, then mix them with lime in a ratio of 1:15 to protect them from pests and moisture. You can also add a tenth of cement, then the material will harden and will become less damp later. The mixture is poured in rows and compacted, work continues until the entire cavity is filled;

After two weeks you need to add more sawdust, as they tend to cake over time.

• When using straw, it also needs to be mixed with lime, here the ratio can be 1:25. It is compacted into the cavity as it is laid, it is important to fill the space well in order to achieve the best insulation result. Do not use hay under any circumstances, since, firstly, it is susceptible to rotting, and secondly, insects breed in it;

• If you use granulated polystyrene, no additional processing is required, since the material is not afraid of moisture and pests. You just need to pour it into the cavity and close it so that nothing gets blown around by the wind and everything is protected from direct precipitation;

• As for expanded clay and foam glass, these materials are also easy to work with; they need to be poured into all cavities and stirred so that they fill the entire space; no tamping is required.

Floor insulation

This part of the structure also requires special attention, especially if animals will be kept in the structure. There are two methods that differ in their technology and costs. Let's look at each of them in more detail and start with a clay floor; in this case, work is performed in this way:

• The floor in the barn is leveled; it is important that it is dense and reliable. Next you need to pour a layer of soil, it should be 10 cm above ground level. It should also be carefully compacted and leveled;
• Next, a layer of clay with straw, the so-called adobe, is laid, the composition is prepared by mixing wet clay and straw, it should lie in a heap for 2 days to ripen, after which it can be laid on the floor in a layer of about 10 cm. The adobe dries within a couple of weeks, the result is a fairly reliable and warm floor.

The disadvantage of this option is that your barn will always be dirty. If you are thinking about how to insulate a barn for animals so that the floor is warm, durable and easy to clean, then the second insulation option is more suitable for you:

• The floor surface in the barn is deepened by about 15-20 cm and leveled. You can add a small layer of gravel to the base to make it smoother and more durable;
• Then expanded clay is poured in a layer of 25-30 cm - no less, this is the only way to guarantee high-quality thermal insulation even at the lowest temperatures. The material is leveled and distributed evenly over the entire surface;
• Next, beacons are set in order to set the level of the future screed; for this you can use special elements, metallic profile or a flat board;

• Lastly, the screed is poured with a layer of at least 5 cm; for additional reliability, you can put a reinforcing mesh on the surface.

Ceiling insulation

Almost all sheds are made with gable roof, since often hay stored for the winter is stored in the attic. If you also have hay lying around, then this is very good, because it insulates the roof well and allows you not to worry about heat loss through the ceiling in winter period. But if your attic is empty, then you must insulate it; the main options are as follows:

• You can fill the sawdust with a layer of 20-25 cm, after mixing it with lime in a ratio of 1:25. This is the most budget-friendly solution, which is used most often in such buildings;

• You can use expanded clay - it is very light and does not create a load on the structure. This option is better than sawdust in that it is completely fireproof and is not at all afraid of moisture. The insulation layer must be at least 20 cm.

If you have pitched roof without an attic, you will have to insulate the building from the inside. It is best to use extruded polystyrene foam for these purposes, which is cut so that it fits between the beams, and then glued to polyurethane foam, it also seals the joints for the best effect.

Additional work

I have more than once encountered a situation where a person has done a good job of insulating the walls, floor and ceiling, but at the same time there is a cracked door with cracks hanging on the barn, and there is single glass on the window. Naturally, under such conditions it is impossible to achieve heat in the barn. To avoid this, use a few simple tips.

Let's start with the door:

• The simplest insulation option is upholstery with an old blanket or insulation with improvised materials., which are covered with any piece of fabric that is at hand. The advantage of this method is its simplicity and cheapness, the disadvantage is that the materials begin to rot from moisture and quickly become unusable;

• You can insulate structures with polystyrene foam, which is glued to the frame from the inside; this option is more durable, and the costs will be low, because you only need a couple of sheets of material;

• If you have an old entrance, then the easiest way is to put it on the barn; it already protects well from the cold and no additional work won't be needed.

As for the window, it is better to build a structure with double glazing; glue the glass with silicone, and then you will get an air chamber inside, which will protect from the cold several times better than ordinary glass. All joints in the opening are filled with foam or other insulation, and a casing is nailed to the outside of the crack.

Conclusion

Insulating a shed is not that difficult, and the costs can be minimal, although it is better to spend a little more and get best result. The video in this article will help you understand some of the nuances even better, and if you have questions, write them in the comments under the review.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

Typically, work on the construction of households. Owners make buildings with their own hands, and the question often arises of how to insulate a barn for chickens, pigs and other livestock.

It is advisable to know before construction what the barn will be used for, foresee a method of insulation in advance and implement it.

Insulation options

• Most the best option is the construction of two parallel walls with space for insulation.
• The roof, like the walls, needs to be insulated. To do this, you need to lay the insulation on the joists and press it on top with boards. Be sure to make a sloping roof so that moisture does not penetrate inside.
• To prevent the cold from coming from the ground, you can put it on the floor wooden pallets with straw.

This method is the cheapest, since everything can be made from scrap materials and does not require special skills.

If you decide to repurpose an old shed for the winter, there are several ways to do it.

Boarding

The easiest option is to make a second wall of boards with space for insulation. In this case, the boards will need to be nailed overlapping to avoid gaps between them.

As you can see in the photo, to form a wall without gaps, first two boards are nailed with an indentation, and then it is closed on top of the third.

Edges that are too crooked can be trimmed in advance with a circular saw.

During the construction of the wall, insulation must be poured into the resulting compartment. Sawdust is good for this, but sometimes dry fallen leaves and pine needles are also used. The advantage of sawdust is that it is small, dry, and the price is almost zero; you can get it in any carpentry workshop.