You want to ensure that your shed or summerhouse stays in a good condition for as longas possible. There are a few things you can do to ensure that your shed or summer house looks as good as the day you bought it a few years down the line.

1.Painting- Why and when you should re-paint your shed or summer house.

o  Buildings made from timber often require some form of protection, the type of timber which was used to build your shed or summer-house will affect the level of protection it requires. Most of our sheds are built using softwood.

o  Softwood is wood from conifers. It does require treatment, and treatment must be maintained in the future for the wood to remain in a good condition.

o  Sheds and summer-houses do need to be treated. There is a pigment in the treatment which protects the timber from UV damage. We recommend that you re-treat the timber every year, particularly south facing aspects.

o  Treating the timber provides protection from wet weather and significantly reduces the likelihood of your shed or summer-house leaking. The treatment we use, and supply provides excellent water repellence.

o  By ensuring that your-treat your shed or summerhouse you’ll be preserving the wood and ensuring it looks good for years to come.

o  You can purchase the wood protector at: Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment

2.Ventilation- Why you need to ventilate your shed or summerhouse

o   Ventilating your shed or summerhouse by opening up the doors and windows is key as it significantly reduces the chances of any mould or damp build up therefore, keeping your shed or summerhouse nice and fresh.

o   When it rains moisture can pass through the timber and become trapped inside. When there is fluctuating temperatures, condensation maybegin to build up.

o   Trapped moisture and condensation can lead to damp and mould. Therefore, it is vital to ventilate your shed or summerhouse to allow the air to circulate and any moisture in the air to leave.

o   You can also use dehumidifiers, which draw and retain moisture from the air and will help to combat the condensation, mould, and damp.

o   To prevent the build of damp and mould don’t store wet or damp items inside your shed or summerhouse as they will trap moisture.

3. The roof- Why and when you should re-felt your roof.

o   After you’ve had your shed for some years the roof is likely to need to be re-felted, so that it does not leak.

o   The best place to start your enquiry into whether the roof needs to be re-felted is to inspect the roof to see the condition which it is in.

o   Firstly, check to see if it is letting water in, if it is not letting any water in that’s a good sign and indicates that the current roof is doing alright.

o   Secondly, you can look to see if there is any build up on the roof of debris such as moss. This can occur if there are overhanging trees or bushes.

o   Finally, inspect the felt and see whether there is any breakdown in the material, if there is no breakdown then the roof is probably fine.

o   We often find that roofs need to be re-felted after 5years but they can last longer.

o   We do offer a re-felt service, please call or email us for a price.

o   Remember ‘a stitch in time is worth nine’.

4.Leaks- why your shed or summerhouse may be leaking

o  Besides from the roof, of your shed or summerhouse, there are some other factors which may leadto leakages.

o  If you have not been re-treating the timber, you may experience some leaks in your building. Treating the timber provides protection from wet weather and significantly reduces the likelihood of your shed or summerhouse leaking.

o  Leaks may also occur where there are joins. If you have had your shed or summerhouse for some years the sealant surrounding these joints may have worn away, therefore, allowing water to seep through to the inside of your building. To fix this you need to remove the old sealant and replace it with new sealant.

o  If the ground surrounding the outside of your shed or summerhouse is not suitable for water to soak into, it may cause water to splash back on to the timber. Repetitive splash back onto the timber panels will result in the water eventually seeping through thus, causing a leak. To prevent splashbacks, you could either put guttering along the roof, or you could ensure that the ground surrounding the shed or summerhouse is suitable for water to soak away such as gravel.

‍Hopefully if you follow all of the above – your building will serve you well for years to come!

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