Shed Maintenance: Why Painting Your Shed Helps It Last Longer

A timber shed is built to withstand the outdoors, but like any natural material, wood needs a little care to keep it in good condition. One of the most important things you can do to protect your shed is to keep it properly painted or treated.

Paint, stain, or wood treatment acts as a protective barrier between the timber and the weather. Without it, rain, moisture, and sunlight will gradually start to affect the wood. Over time this can lead to the timber drying out, absorbing moisture, or beginning to deteriorate.

Every building that leaves our workshop is fully treated with a finished coat of solvent based wood treatment before delivery.

However, as timber is a natural material it will need ongoing protection. We recommend that your building is given another coat of treatment approximately 6-8 weeks after installation for maximum protection, and then it should be treated once a year thereafter to maintain protection against the elements.

Regular treatment helps to:

• Protect the timber from moisture and weathering
• Maintain the colour and appearance of the building
• Extend the overall lifespan of the structure

Our Recommended Treatment

For convenience, we stock the same treatment used on our buildings. It is our own mix, supplied in the same colour your building was originally treated in, so you can maintain a consistent finish.

The treatment is available in 5 litre tins.

As a guide:

• 1 tin will typically cover an 8ft × 6ft building twice

This allows for a proper recoat to keep the timber protected and looking its best.

Applying the Treatment

Applying the treatment is straightforward and can be done using a brush or roller.

For best results:

• Choose a dry day
• Make sure the timber is clean and dry
• Apply an even coat, working with the grain of the wood
• Pay particular attention to joins, edges and end grain

General Care Tips

A few simple habits will help keep your building in great condition:

• Keep the area around the building clear of leaves and debris
• Avoid soil or plants sitting directly against the timber
• Ensure air can circulate around the building
• Periodically check hinges, doors and fixings

With simple yearly maintenance, your Watkins building should give you many years of reliable use.