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If you’re buying a new shed and want to protect your investment, learning all about shed maintenance is the best way to get started. By familiarising yourself with common issues and learning how to maintain a shed, you can make sure that your new outbuilding serves you well for many years. To help you on your way, we have compiled all our top shed maintenance tips into one comprehensive guide. By the time you have finished reading, you will know how to take care of your new shed perfectly.

Essential Shed Care Tasks

Attend to these essential shed care tasks regularly, and your new shed should remain in excellent condition, protecting your tools and other belongings for decades to come. This advice applies to garden sheds, agricultural sheds, industrial sheds and all other types of sheds.

• Regular Cleaning

  Shed care starts with keeping everything nice and clean. Start by removing any debris from around your shed, then continue inside with a sturdy broom and dustpan. After sweeping the floor, it’s a good idea to wipe all surfaces, removing dust and cobwebs in the process. If your shed gets very dirty, it may also be necessary to clean it with a pressure washer.

• Damage Inspections

  If you want to minimise the possibility of facing a large bill for major shed repairs at some point in the future, we recommend performing regular damage inspections as part of your shed care regimen. The type of damage you are looking for will depend on what type of shed you have. Whatever type of shed you have, be sure to check the windows and doors regularly for signs of weather damage. Any holes or gaps may let in water, which can cause even more damage over time.

• Maintaining the Roof and Gutters

  Preventing water damage is also the reason we need to keep our shed roofs and guttering in good working order. Split sections of guttering can leak water down the side of your shed’s walls, while blocked gutters can back up and cause water to permeate the roof. On the subject of the roof, you need to ensure it stays in good condition for similar reasons. Any deterioration in the roof threatens the entire structure.

  If you perform these three tasks carefully and conscientiously, your new shed should remain in excellent condition for at least as long as the warranty, if not longer.

Seasonal Maintenance Checklist

For the most part, we recommend following the same shed maintenance routine in all seasons, but some jobs may be easier or more enjoyable to perform at certain times of the year, as detailed below:

• Winter Preparation

  Before the cold weather sets in, seal any cracks you find in external walls during your regular damage inspections, no matter how small. If you have running water installed, check your pipes and make sure there are no leaks.

• Spring Cleaning

  Spring is a great time to clean the winter debris from the gutters, fix any loose roof tiles and perform a thorough structural inspection to confirm that your shed made it through the winter relatively unscathed. Apart from that, there’s not much to worry about. If you perform your shed care tasks well for the rest of the year, your shed will be a pleasure rather than a burden in the springtime.

• Summer Care

  Now is a good time to cut back any trees or shrubs in the vicinity that may otherwise start to crowd your shed and interfere with air circulation. It’s also a good time to complete any major maintenance or refurbishment projects you have been waiting to start.

• Autumn Shed Maintenance

  It’s crucial to stay on top of cleaning the gutters at this time of year, especially if you have trees in your backyard. It’s also a good time to power wash the exterior walls and apply a new protective coating before winter if required.

Preventative Measures for Long-Term Care

Whether you use your shed principally as a storage facility for gardening tools or as a spacious, dry garage, we recommend regular cleaning and appropriate weatherproofing measures to minimise the future maintenance burden. We also recommend contacting us to discuss your needs if you have yet to finalise the purchase of your new shed.