January 4th, 2023 by Sarah Miles

When spring arrives, the last thing you need is to go into the shed, after months of being shut up, to find that mould has taken hold. Sheds can be prone to mould and dampness over the winter but there are various steps you can take to prevent this from happening.

Follow these to keep your shed, summer, house, or workshop mould-free.

Only store dry items

Mould is formed when there is too much moisture in the air, and it can’t dry out or escape. It settles on surfaces and forms condensation, which makes the surfaces damp and that is the perfect environment for mould to develop.

If you store objects that are already damp in your shed, this just increases the amount of moisture in the air and will exacerbate the issue. Make sure anything you place in there, such as bikes or camping gear, is completely dry first.

Don’t allow items to become damp

Even if items are completely dry when placed inside, some materials can absorb moisture from the wood of the structure itself, as wood is a breathable material. These materials include things like paper, cards, and textiles. If they take in moisture, they can become damp and that then holds moisture in the space. All you really need to do here is facilitate good airflow by making sure objects don’t touch the walls and storing items off the floor, such as on shelving units.

Allow moisture to escape

Ventilation is one of your best defences against moisture. Many people lock their shed windows and doors up tight, thinking that they are preventing water from getting in, only to trap moisture inside. Just open the doors and windows every now and then over the winter when it’s a dry day. It will also stop the air from becoming stagnant and stuffy. Another alternative that doesn’t require you to do anything is to install some louvre vents.

Allow any heat to be retained

Heat is a great tool for eradicating moisture as it will evaporate it from the air. Obviously, there is not a lot of heat around in the winter, but you can help the shed to retain as much heat as possible by insulating it. Many sheds are single-skinned walls with single-glazed windows so this will really help both keep the heat in and the cold out.

You can help the shed even further by adding a source of heat, if you have access to power in there, tubular heaters are a great option as they are designed for this purpose and will add enough low-level, background heat to keep the chill from the air and dry it out. They are very energy efficient and running one is much cheaper than ending up with a damp shed.

Absorb moisture

There will always be some moisture in the air, even with the above measures in place, so it’s a good idea to use some tricks to wick as much of it away as you can. Use very low-tech measures such as placing containers of cat litter in there or disposable moisture traps. If you don’t have power, you can buy refillable non-electric dehumidifiers but if you do, an electric dehumidifier can be very effective.