Caring for your Garden Shed
One of the most frequently asked questions is “how and with what should I treat my Garden Shed?”
Although our sheds are incredibly robust and built for the harsh English weather, there are a few things you can do to make sure your new shed stands the test of time.
Our sheds are constructed using tanalised (pressure treated) timber, meaning they are extremely resistant to weathering. Despite this, owners are welcome to treat their sheds with specialised outdoor paint/varnish to help increase weather resistance even further.
In this guide, we will explore some practical hints and tips on how to treat and clean your garden shed and what you need to consider before doing so.
Things to Consider Before Treating a Shed
Before you go ahead and treat your shed, there are some things we recommend you think about and keep in mind in preparation.
When to Treat your Shed
Late summer or early autumn is the best time to treat your shed, as it will be protected from the colder/wetter weather of the later months.
Check the Contents of your Shed
The contents of the shed will have an impact on how well it lasts. If you store any liquids in your shed or anything that is at risk of leaking, it is a good idea to lay down something to protect the floor or to treat the interior with a protective product.
It’s also a good idea to periodically check the contents of your shed. Sometimes you’ll store something in the back that is forgotten about, but isn’t really needed! Keeping your shed clear of unneeded contents will minimise the risk of damage or spillages, whilst also making your storage easier to manage and your shed a nicer place to be.
Keep a Lookout for Wildlife
Checking your shed is also a good idea in case of intrusion by wildlife. If you store anything edible in the shed (birdseed for example), it becomes an attractive prospect for smaller mammals. Checking the condition of your shed and its contents is the best way to stop this from happening.
Choosing the Right Products to Treat a Shed
Once you have prepped for the clean of your shed, it’s time to think about what product to use for treatment. There are lots of products that you can use ranging widely in price and effectiveness.
1. Creosote Substitute
One of the best products is Creosote substitute. This is often branded under different names such as Creotech or Creotreat. In our experience mixing 5 parts Creosote substitute with 1 part clean engine oil, makes an excellent preservative. The oil helps stop the wood from becoming brittle and cracking and imparts waterproofing qualities to the timber. This is also very easy to apply via a sprayer. It may require a little thinning with turpentine or the like to make it pass through the sprayer readily. Just make sure to avoid getting the mix onto your roofing felt. This is probably one of the cheapest and effective methods around. The only downside is colour choice is limited to brown, brown or brown!
2. Clear Preservative
If you are going to paint your garden shed you should treat it first with a clear preservative, we would suggest a spirit based preservative as in our experience, these seem to soak into the timber much better than the water-based preservatives. Make sure that the product is over-paintable if not when you come to apply the paint it will simply slide off onto the floor. You can use the preservative on all surfaces of the shed, however, don’t paint the inside of the shed as this will trap moisture in the wood and it will cause it to rot from the inside out.
3. All in One Treatment
You may prefer to go for an all in one treatment that combines preservative, colour and waterproofer, again a spirit-based product would be our choice. If you have to go for a water-based treatment try going for the best you can afford, some of the cheaper products really aren’t worth the time and effort of applying. Check if you are using planed timber that the product is suitable, a lot of the poorer quality treatments are designed for rough sawn timber. If you apply it to a planed timber surface it will tend to peel off in no time at all.
You should apply whatever product you choose on a regular basis. If you choose to use the creosote/oil mix or one of the spirit based product you will find they will generally go through a garden sprayer. This makes a laborious task quick and simple. It’s quite easy this way to apply a couple of coats to an 8×6 shed in not much more than 15 minutes.
As with all treatments you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions safety precautions.
About Sheds Direct
Sheds Direct build quality garden sheds, Dutch barns, workshops and summerhouses. All of our sheds are built to last, we use quality materials, thicker tantalised wood framings for solid structures.
Whether you’re wanting a shed for storage, to work in or as a relaxing space, you can be sure all of our products are well made, of quality materials and will look fantastic.
Sheds Direct manufactured by us in Yorkshire, and erected in your back garden. We are so passionate about what we do. Don’t just take our word for it either – check out our Facebook and Google for testimonials by our customers.
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