Affordable Ways To Keep Your Shed Cool During Summer

how to keep your shed cool in summer

Summer is right around the corner, by the time you’re reading this, it might already even be summer! And with that comes sunny days and hotter temperatures and the question of how to keep a shed cool. Your shed can quickly become an uncomfortably hot space, making it challenging to use for storage or for other activities. You’ll see lots of tips and advice to keep your shed cool but often times the tips are too expensive. But keeping your shed cool during the summer season doesn’t have to break the bank.

There are several affordable and practical ways to beat the heat and maintain a comfortable temperature in your shed without spending a fortune. As long as you’re ok with some DIY work, and have time, the budget-friendly tips on this list will help you keep your shed cool all summer. 

How To Keep A Shed Cool: Provide Proper Ventilation

shed window ventilation to keep shed cool

If you bought your shed from a builder, chances are they already have some windows and vents. Good ventilation is essential to keeping your shed cool on hot days. This is because proper ventilation allows hot air to space and allows fresh air to circulate, which in turn keeps temperatures down inside your shed. Simply putting up some windows, or keeping your shed door open while you’re in it can help bring in the fresh air. 

If you built your own shed and didn’t install any sort of ventilation, that’s ok, it’s not too late. You can find a shed window for less than $100. Get the size of the window, and cut out the appropriate hole. Install the supports and a moisture barrier. Finally, install the window. You can add a window to your shed for less than $100. 

What you need:

Window – You can find an affordable window like this one here online.

2×4 boards – You can use 2×4 boards for supports, you can find them here

Moisture barrier – You have the option of choosing between caulk, tape, or a vapor barrier for this step. 

How To Keep A Shed Cool: Repaint Your Shed

how to paint your shed to keep it cool

If you have a shed that you built or bought with dark colors, it will absorb more heat compared to a lighter-colored shed. You can buy a bucket of white exterior paint for less than $50. If you set aside a weekend for a fun DIY project, you can repaint your shed with lighter colors so it reflects the sun. White and grey colored paint are the best options for light colors and are the most popular.

They are also easier to apply compared to other paints. If you want to get fancy, you can paint the walls white/grey and paint the trim a different color as well. This simple trick can go a long way in terms of keeping your shed cool. 

What you need: 

A bucket of white/grey exterior paint – You can find a bucket from Home Depot for less than $50 here

Paint Brush/Roller – You can find cheap paint brushes and paint rollers on Amazon or your hardware store of choice.

How To Keep A Shed Cool: Relocate your Shed

The great thing about sheds is that most of the time, they are portable. If you have a local shed builder that offers a relocation option, you can also take advantage of this. Moving your shed under some trees or shade can be a simple way to cool down your shed. Trees provide natural shade that will block out the sun and cool off your shed. Depending on how big your shed is, and how difficult the moving project would be, the price for shed relocation can vary.

If you have a smaller shed and an easily traversable backyard, you can expect to pay a minimum of $150. If you have a large shed and a backyard that’s harder to access, the price can go all the way up to $800 or more. Do your research and get an estimate before going down this road. 

How To Keep A Shed Cool: Avoid Heat-Generating Activities

how to use your shed workshop during the summer

If you have absolutely no budget to set aside to cool down your shed, there is still a way to cool down your shed. Scheduling your time to use your shed and avoiding extra heat-generating activities like using power tools or running appliances on extra hot days or hotter times throughout the day will let you use it more in the evenings and early mornings.

Again, this seems very obvious but it really does go a long way. If you have a shed that you use as a workshop, this might be difficult for you. But being mindful of the activities you participate in and planning them out for cooler times of the day will help you get more use out of your shed at cooler times. 

High-Quality Sheds From Overholt and Sons

custom built shed to stay cool in the summer

Overholt and Sons provides sheds that give you accessibility at any time of the year! We offer tons of exterior finish options that keep your shed cool like white paint and white metal roofing. We also offer lots of extra add on’s like an electrical package that’ll let you connect fans or AC or windows to let natural breezes in, all at the most competitive prices in the market. Our sheds also come with vents to provide proper ventilation to keep your shed cool.

We’ve helped lots of homeowners with not only storage problems, but also have provided homeowners with a building that they can use beyond storage. Come see why Overholt and Sons is above the rest. You can fill out a free quote here, or you can design your own shed and see it before buying using our 3D Shed Builder.

Happy SheShed Owner

WOW is all I can say. The garage shed was built perfectly to my specifications. The employees from start to finish were delightful to work with. They worked with me on getting this shed fitted and exact. The deliverers were...
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