Shedcare....
Tips for looking after your shed and other garden buildings.
When you first take ownership of your bran new shed, it looks immaculate and ready to spend it's life among it's new surroundings. Once you have built and sited it in your garden, you will rightly be proud of the way it looks and want to keep it looking pristine. No doubt you’ll be organising the inside and looking forward to it featuring as a permanent part of your garden.
Unless, of course, you fail to treat it. A wooden shed will provide great value and ample storage space for years to come. Yet you can make it last even longer by treating it regularly to ensure it can withstand whatever the great British weather can throw at it. (And let’s be honest, that could mean virtually anything!)
Clear of a colour?
Wooden sheds can be painted, stained or varnished to your liking. Some manufacturers sell clear wood preservers like (Clear Tough Coat from Shedcare, for example)
which means you can see the original wood quite clearly through the protective layer. This is good if you want to stay with something natural.
You could also use a wood oil that has been specifically formulated to be used outdoors like (Restol Oil for example). Check the label to ensure you have a suitable product. If you have already treated some decking, you could happily use the same thing on your shed to make sure they have a similar look.
Many sheds have already been coated in a layer of wood preservative before they are delivered to you - usually with Shed & Fence, However, you should still take this early opportunity to treat your new shed and start as you mean to go on.
Or perhaps something more adventurous?
Maybe you want to try something a bit different. If you’d like your shed to be a focal point, why not choose a coloured wood preservative instead? The Wood Protector range for Shedcare has one of the biggest ranges of colours you can choose from, providing everything from blues to greens and even a baby pink among others. Perhaps you could finish it with the Iris Blue Royal Exterior like this one below.
The great thing about the Royal Exterior and Wood Protection ranges, are that these colours are designed to bring out the best in the wood. If you bought a wooden shed because you like the look of the grain, you will still be able to see it even when you’ve applied a couple of coats of coloured wood protector.
Surface preparation
Surfaces should be cleaned with warm water, detergent and a stiff brush. Make sure that all mould or algae is removed and rinse well. Ensure that timber is fully dry. For best results previous treatments should be removed or well weathered.
How often should you treat your shed?
Wait until you get a couple of days of nice warm weather when no rain is forecast, as ideally, you want to apply a fresh coat of whatever you used originally every single year. While many wood finishes are designed to dry and be weatherproof within an hour or two, it’s so much easier to wait until you get a period of dry weather. There’s nothing worse than rushing to complete the last side of the shed while eyeing the big black cloud that’s appeared on the horizon.
Mix well before use and allow each coat to dry before applying the next. Splashed and drips can only be cleaned with water and detergent whilst still wet.
DO NOT apply in temperatures below 5oC or if wet weather is expected within 48 hours.
DO NOT apply to wet, damp or frozen timber.
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