The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining Your Garden Building for Longevity

Protect Your Workshop: Top Techniques for Extending its Lifespan

When you have a garden shed, summer house, workshop or log cabin in your garden it will provide you with many uses for it, whether it is wooden, metal, plastic or concrete. When it arrives it will be in perfect condition and after it has been assembled will become a great addition to your garden. I’m not so sure about the cheap sheds which you can buy with their cheap chipboard or OSB floors and roofs. Beware as these cheap shed makers often describe these type of roofs as ‘sheet material’. I wonder why??

However, a certain amount of maintenance is required to keep it in good condition. This will probably involve applying a coat of treatment if you have a wooden shed as this will keep the worse of the weather off the building. Normally what happens is that the shed will get its first coat and when it due again, after a few years, often gets put off until when the weather gets better or when you have a little more time. And this is that start of a downward spiral.

It does not have to be like that. You are often told by people who don’t know better is that either you don’t need to bother hardly at all or you need to do it every year. Both, in my experience after 44 years in the garden shed business, is not the best way. When your wooden garden shed is delivered you will find it normally has some form of colouring or treatment on it. This you need to treat (pun sort of intended) this as a primer and undercoat.

A Guide to Year-Round Garden Shed Maintenance for Longevity

You still need to put a further coat of treatment on to effectively add a top coat. What I recommend is an oil or spirit based preservative and not water based treatment. This again is based on my experience in the shed business. How to tell? If you look on the tin when you are in B&Q, Homebase etc. is to look for cleaning instructions. If it says you can wash your brush out in water then it’s water based and I suggest you steer clear.

After you have added a good coat of treatment then you would normally find that your garden shed will be fine for 2 or 3 years unless it’s in an exposed area. In that instance, I would recommend you do treat the sides facing into the weather every year just to be sure. You will often find that even after 2-3 years that the sides of the shed sheltered from the weather will be fine.

There is another alternative to the above and that is produced by Protek Products. This is a water based acrylic and alkyl hybrid and this incorporates a polyurethane dispersion which is based on linseed oil, which is a renewable resource. The Royal Exterior Superior Wood Finish adds water resistance to your shed as well as coating the shed with a fungal and mould protector. Available in a range of colours to meet all tastes you can be sure this will enhance your garden shed or summerhouse. Available at this web site https://www.protekwoodstain.co.uk/ and is highly recommended by 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.

Essential Tips for Preserving the Longevity of Your Garden Shed

Provided you treat your garden shed, keep an eye on the roofing felt to ensure the shed is not leaking, ensure any broken windows are mended and also ensuring the base is kept clear of rubbish to air can circulate under the floor then you should have many years of worry-free shed owning. This is in your interest as keeping your garden valuables dry from the weather is crucial to saving you money. Also, as far as the roof and floor are concerned if you have a bought a cheap shed with chipboard or OSB boarded floor or roof then beware as these will disintegrate when they get wet. Those few pounds saved won’t look so good then.

I was intrigued recently when a competition for the UK’s ‘worse and oldest shed’ was announced. How anyone can be proud of that achievement I don’t know but Kate Wilson, in Chiswick in West London, won this competition and the prize was a revamp of the shed to turn it into a ‘work of art’. Clearly, this has to be a big improvement to the humble garden shed.

Cuprinol, who ran this competition is looking for the nation’s ‘saddest garden shed’ to renovate and turn into a bright and vibrant garden building. With the makeover, it is hoped that the garden shed will become a prime focal point in the garden and will bring smiles to the owner and all their friends.

Written By Robin - Expert in Garden Buildings For 44 Years.
Hi, I'm Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, and I use my expertise gained over 44 years in the garden buildings industry to understand that each customer is different. With my manufacturing, retailing and customer service experience my articles help people choose their ideal shed, garden workshop, summerhouse, log cabin or garden office needs to suit their requirement and that is key to satisfaction. And what do I do when I'm not writing? You may find me following Grimsby Town Football Club or riding roller coasters - so plenty of 'ups and downs' in my life.