Maintaining your building

The aftercare

If you are reading this, you have purchased one of our buildings and looking to make sure the building lasts for years to come. Firstly, thank you for your purchase. Secondly, here’s some top tips and pointers to ensure you are looking after your building.

Painting your shed

As soon as you get a dry spell, paint your building, we recommend at least 2 coats for the first treatment.

You will see two types of paint when you look to purchase some to paint your building. Water Based or Oil Based. Since we started the business 50+ years ago we have always stated Oil Based Paint.

Why you ask?

Oil Based Paint penetrates the wood and ensures that the water runs off and away.

We sell Barrettine Oil Based Preservative which protects the building from the weather. Also available from other DIY stores. Alternatively you can go to a painting manufacturer local to you to purchase a specific colour oil based paint, however, it needs to be an oil based wood preservative treatment. 

All depending on where you live and how much weather you get, you may need to continue painting your shed with two coats each year. Always make sure the first coat has dried before applying the second. 

Water based paint is not recommended. Water based paint just coats the surface of the wood and gives it a colour. It does not protect it.

It doesn’t matter if the wood is pressure treated or not, the wood still needs to be protected. Pressure treated wood or tanalised is treated to stop the wood from rotting as quick. This does not stop it altogether.

If you have purchased a shed with a felt roof, we strongly advise you to not paint near the felt as the paint will damage the felt.

Roof inspections

After any bad weather, it’s always worth going out to check your roof over. Check for any damage that could have happened during windy and wet times. 

Felt

Check all batons on the roof to see if any damage has occurred on these. These are used to secure the felt down. Same as the capping boards on the front back and sides of the roof. 

Check for tears on the felt itself. This could be from animals or debris from the windy weather. 

If you live in an open area you may want to check your roof regularly.

Box profile sheets

Inspect annually or after heavy wind and rain. Check the screws haven’t come loose or any damage to coping or edgings.

Rainwater Management

We can supply and install guttering and downpipes.

or

You can install these yourself at a later date.

We strongly recommend that you prepare a base smaller than the size of the building to allow for the rain to run off and away from the floor. This helps to prolong your building and stops the floor sitting in water. We have a Base Preparation page which shows acceptable bases for our buildings.

Windows

Inspect annually or after any heavy rain. Perspex may perish over time, check for cracks or damage that could be caused by any flying debris during high winds.

Doors

Check any hinges for damage, after a cold and wet spell you may want to lubricate them to help with opening and closing.

Whole building

Our prefabricated timber buildings are single skinned; unless you have opted to have it lined and insulated. Like houses, these buildings will need to breath. During any sunny periods, make sure you open your windows or doors to the building, when possible, to allow for air to circulate. Especially after we have had a lot of rain, open the door so all the moisture particles can leave the shed. This will help reduce the chance of mould or damp. 

And finally...

You have a free peace of mind 1 year Warranty where if anything happens to your new building during this time, such as a window Perspex has popped out, a slight leak coming from somewhere or even the door has swollen, don’t worry, please give us a call and try and send some pictures through. Wood is a natural material, and on some occasion will need some help. 95% of our calls are rectified on the first visit.

If you follow us on our social media, you may have seen us posting photos of a potting shed we replaced which was installed by us 30 years ago. As long as you keep up with the maintenance of your building, it will last as long as 30 years. Check out our Before & After below!