Heating the wooden shed

Theleman

My old wooden shed is very damp inside due to much rain almost every day.  It stores the garden tools some are electrical tools, which are getting rusty.  The wooden floor of the shed looks the worst with patches of dampness, and the walls are as well.

It has a little convector old electric heater, but now the electricity cost is too high, it is a bit worrying switching it on.

Is there any other way to heat the shed in order to make it a bit dryer?  How do you heat or dry your shed with the tools going rusty and the shed structure itself might be going weak  too due to the persisting dampness durthing winter times?

Dovefromabove

Is it actually rain getting in, or could some of the wet be down to condensation, in which case heating the shed will make matters worse rather than better.
 
I think that, rather than heat the shed, I would concentrate on insulating it, and then protecting the tools by oiling the metal parts well ... on the farm the metal tools and implements were always covered with oil/grease at the beginning of the winter to protect them.  

Theleman

I did patch the gaps and holes around the shed a while ago. I don't think rain directly gets into the shed as such.  The dampness seems rising from the ground onto the wooden floor (which is in poor condition due to age).  I painted the shed about 5 years ago.  I was going to paint it during this summer, but missed it due to the other things to be done (painting the old window frames).  The window frame painting lasted too long, and the winter set in, and it has been raining daily.  Inside of the shed was very damp a few days ago.  

The shed is quite large, so I sometimes repair and fix things in the shed, and was thinking of installing a wood burner to make it warm and dry.  The electric heater might be too expensive to run now.  And wood burner could be hassle and expensive to install, and maybe not a good idea for wooden shed due to fire hazzard.   I will try oiling the tools.  Thanks.

didyw

If the damp is coming up from the ground I would cover the floor with big sheets of plastic.  We have this down in our outhouse - which has a concrete floor.  And newspaper does a good job of insulating too, so perhaps keep your tools, the smaller ones, in boxes lined with newspaper?  

Theleman

yes, that seems a good idea.  I think I have a large damp proof plastic sheet somewhere.  Will get it out and cover on the floor, ands see how it will improve.  Putting down or storing any type of paper or cardboards in the shed seems attract mouse and rats into the shed.  They seem look for something to chew and hide inside soft during the winter.

Pete.8

If you have electric tools in there you're best off bringing them indoors - you really don't want them rusting or getting damp.
I only have a 6ft x 6ft wood shed. I don't get any condensation in there, so I suspect water is getting into yours somehow, or the wood is wet and seeping into the inside.
A coat of sealant in the summer should help - if you get the time.
I've been meaning to do mine for the last 3 years..

Theleman

Yes, good advice thanks.  Summer is too far away it feels.