How to Insulate a Summer House (And Why You Should)

Tired of your Summer House turning into a sauna in the summer and an icebox in the winter? Then you’re in the right place.

Quality insulation is the perfect tool to help you fix your Summer House’s temperature troubles, not to mention a handful of other issues that you might not have even realised you were having.

So, let’s not waste any more time. Here’s a breakdown of a few different ways to insulate your Summer House using SuperFOIL…

3 Ways to Insulate Your Summer House

While every Summer House is different, the best ways to insulate any one in particular tends to fall into one of three core approaches. Which is why we’ve gone ahead and broken down these 3 “main ways” to insulate your Summer House…

Method 1 — The Quick Fix

This is your “low-hanging fruit” solution.

If you’re looking for a noticeable improvement to temperature control in your Summer House, while spending as little time and effort as possible, then this “weekend of DIY” level project is the perfect way to make that happen.

It’s straightforward, cost-effective, and very fast. Sound good to you? Then here’s what you should do next…

How To Do It:

1. Measure the internal walls and ceiling of your Summer House.
2. Cut a lightweight product like our SFBA Bubble Foil Insulation to size.
3. Use a staple gun to attach the insulation directly to the internal timber frame. Overlap the edges of the insulation sheets and seal all the joints with SuperFOIL tape to create a complete barrier.

Of course, if you’d prefer a more visual guide to make sure you’re installing our Shed Insulation kit properly, then you’ll want to take a look at this video…

Pros and Cons of The Quick Fix:

• Pro: It’s fast, affordable, and makes an immediate difference to the temperature inside.
• Con: It’s a less thorough solution, meaning your Summer House won’t enjoy the same level of performance.

Method 2 — Go All Out

If you want to truly transform your Summer House into a space that you can use all year round, Going All Out will bring you the absolute best results.

Of course, that comes with a trade off in terms of effort. Going All Out involves insulating every surface in your Summer House: the walls, the roof, and the floor, you’ll leave no surface uninsulated.

Here’s how to make it happen…

How To Do It:

1. For the walls and roof, fix timber battens to the internal surfaces creating a frame of battens. Attach your chosen, high-performance multifoil insulation product (such as SuperFOIL SF19+ or SuperFOIL SF40), to this batten frame.
2. Using an appropriate foil tape, seal any and all joints, edges, gaps, or openings in the insulation. Then, install a second set of timber battens over the insulation to ensure a secondary air gap.
3. For the floor, lay battens across the existing surface, install your SuperFOIL insulation on top, and then lay your final flooring. Finish the walls and ceiling with your choice of finishing material.

If you’d like to learn more about the right way to engage with a full-scale insulation project like this, then we’d recommend taking a look at our application pages for more specific guidance.

Pros and Cons of Going All Out:

• Pro: This method provides maximum thermal performance, creating a comfortable and usable space whatever the weather.
• Con: This is a more complex and expensive project that will take more time. It will also slightly reduce the internal dimensions of your Summer House due to the battens and finishing boards.

Method 3 — Split the Difference

This is the “Goldilocks” solution — balancing effort and cost against the results you can expect.

This approach is more effective than the Quick Fix but less intensive than Going All Out, which makes it a solid compromise if you want to prioritise strong performance without having to undertake a full-scale renovation of your Summer House.

How To Do It:

1. Follow the “Go All Out” method for the walls and roof by installing your chosen SuperFOIL product using a timber batten framework.
2. By leaving the floor, you save a significant amount of time and cost, while still getting most of the benefits of a fully insulated room.
3. This gives you a high level of performance for the largest surface areas, making a huge impact on the overall comfort and energy efficiency of the space.

Pros and Cons of Splitting the Difference:

• Pro: You get the major benefits of a full insulation job, while also cutting down on the amount of time and money you need to spend overall.
• Con: While very effective, it won’t offer the same level of performance that you’d expect from “Going All Out” on your insulation. Roughly 15% of heat loss takes place through the floor of your Summer House.

Why Bother Insulating Your Summer House At All?

Since you’re reading this, you probably already know that insulating your Summer House is a good idea.

However, you might be surprised by how many benefits good insulation can provide. Such as…

Year-Round Comfort: Quality insulation turns your Summer House into a space for all seasons, one that you can enjoy all year-round. In the summer, SuperFOIL reflects excess heat away, keeping the inside comfortably cool. But in the winter, that same reflection works the other way around, keeping heat inside your Summer House and ensuring it stays cosy and warm.

Protection for Your Property: Big temperature differences, like you’d expect to find between the inside of your Summer House and the outside, can lead to issues with condensation when they aren’t properly handled. That condensation, in turn, can lead to problems with damp and mould. Those are obviously things you want to keep out of your property. Fortunately, SuperFOIL is uniquely well-designed to help prevent those same condensation issues, which we explain further in this blog post.

A Newly Versatile Space: Your Summer House doesn’t have to be a space you only use on mild, sunny days. Quality insulation unlocks the true potential of your Summer House. Whether you want a garden office, a home gym, a creative workshop, or even a playroom for your kids; the right insulation solution can help make it happen. So you can turn your Summer House into a true extension of your home.

Ready to Get Started

If you’re feeling inspired to get started with your Summer House, then why wait?

Our expert team is always on hand to help you find the perfect insulation solution for your needs. And that includes helping you find out how SuperFOIL can completely transform your Summer House.

Even better, their advice and support is always 100% free of charge, so why not take advantage of their knowledge and speak to an expert today…