Generator Shed Build Part 1

00:00 Intro
01:38 Shed Structure
02:40 Install Vents
08:22 Insulation
11:00 Rubber Floor Mat

In this series, we are going to concentrate on how I turned a plastic outdoor shed into a generator shed.
The first step that we must think about is obviously the foundation. Best case scenario is that you are putting it on a concrete pad. I didn't have this option, so I did use some gravel to level things up and then placed a few patio pavers down as level as I could. Two rows of 16" square pavers fit the base of the shed perfectly.
Then I made pretty quick work putting the shed together. It helped that I found a step by step YouTube video and it made pretty quick work of it. Of course, at this point I wanted to make sure the generator actually fit in the shed... because... well... it's me we're talking about.
The next thing that you want to do is to decide what type of ventilation you want. I decided to go with two 20" screw on home air returns. This was a gamble, because I felt that it was quite a bit of real estate to be cutting away from the shed. I wanted as much air flow as possible though. Some people make their generator shed with vent holes all over the walls with some being smaller. I personally felt like if there was one entrance and one exit for air, then with a fan it would have increased air flow through the generator engine than if there were multiple vents. In order to place the vents I just held them up and traced the outer edge on the wall, then measured in about 1" leaving room for the screws before I cut out the center with a circular saw (I had to trim the corners with an oscillating saw.) I also placed screen inside the air vents so that insects can't come in. I merely stapled it in place to the side of the shed before screwing the vents down. (Pro TIP - You should do the fire block foam in all the cavities you cut out so that you can trim it easier, and not have the mess I created against the screen.)
I also chose to use a 20" contractor type fan. Most people with these sheds use an attic fan that has shutters on it. While there is nothing wrong with that, this 20" fan had a lot higher CFM than the 8" fans I was looking at. It was also a lot cheaper, until I got to mounting it anyway. The vent on the exhaust side of the shed is higher on purpose because heat rises. This fan was made to sit on the floor. So I was going to have to figure out a plan for this, but first I needed to insulate the shed.
In order to do the insulation, I used a double insulation approach. I went over everything with 1/2" foam insulation, then covered that with reflectix. I also used a 1/2" thick rubber mat from Tractor Supply that I cut down and put on the floor after I was finished with the sides. The rubber mat was very hard to cut. I even tried using a circular saw, but it didn't work. I watches some videos on it and went back to my utility knife. It took about 10 swipes but it eventually did cut it all the way through.
It was at this point that I used the spray foam. You don't want to skip this step because the sound will resonate in the empty voids from your cutouts if you don't. As mentioned earlier, I would do this before the vents and insulation went up if I had to do it again, because it was quite messy. I had also cut a 1x4 down to put in the side of one vent, but it proved too hard to get tiny pieces to fit everywhere and it really didn't add much support. After the foam dried, I trimmed it back some, but it was causing too many problems by trying to cut it back the level that I wanted it (flush).

Related products:
Craftsman Shed: https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-Co...

Bouge RV 30 amp cord: https://amzn.to/3f9J2wX
Transfer Switch: https://amzn.to/2RFLO4b
Champion Generator (You may want to get one that has a 4 prong twist lock instead, if you have a transfer switch): https://amzn.to/3wk2TiG
Weather Station: https://amzn.to/34dagMJ
Battery Tender JR: https://amzn.to/3oG3ZTa
Gen Exhaust Kit (#72): https://amzn.to/3bKGPWJ

Related Videos:
Generator Shed Overview:    • Generator Shed Idea #diy #backuppower...  
Building Generator Shed Part 1:    • Generator Shed DIY Part 1  
Building Generator Shed Part 2:    • Generator Shed DIY Part 2  
Decibel Readings and Temperatures:    • Generator Shed Decibel and Temp Readings  
Hooking up portable generator:    • Bouge RV Twist Lock Cord / Hooking up...  

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The music played in this video came from the YouTube audio library:
Steve Adams - "Highway One"
Sound Effects used from Freesound.org

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