Maintaining a summerhouse over the winter

Martyn_H

Hi

What should I use over the winter period to stop furniture etc getting damp when the summerhouse isn't being used?

a) thermostat-controlled heater

b) dehumidifier

c) both

Thank you.

Martyn_H

or d) nothing

diable

or e) move the furniture indoors

dampdaveski

martyn,
ventilation is the key
one of my suppliers has recently started selling solar powered dehumidifiers!!! google 'solar venti'
the manufacturer is based in denmark but there are uk distributers, i honestly don't know if they are any good or not BUT i've read a lot of positive write ups regarding summer houses / log cabins etc.

hope this helps
DD

Martyn_H

Your advice about ventilation matches that of a user in another forum. Not sure how the sofabed will cope with foggy mornings though.

sunshinetours

We have an insulated summer house which has a large corner sofa with removeable cushions. We do nothing over winter, just make sure every couple of weekes or so we air the summer house when its a dry day. Each Spring we remove all the cushions etc and wash them out and give a bit of a spring clean. No mould anywhere I can see after two years of this.
A sofabed without removeable covers meant for inside may not fair so well in such an outside environment though. you could always cover it up with a breathable cover which may help

If your summerhouse is more of the thinner shiplap shed type finish then you may have more problems keeping the inside drier. Trickle vent's and frost guard heaters may help