Wooden garden shed maintenance is an essential task that every garden lover needs to get done before winter hits.
Do these tasks now and you’ll help protect your garden shed from the harsh weather, prevent mould and mildew, stop leaks, protect your logs and kindling and help your garden shed to stay in great condition for many years to come.
Here’s our garden shed maintenance checklist to help guide you through the most important tasks.
Garden Shed Maintenance- Your Checklist
1. Clear away leaves and debris
Perhaps the easiest and most beneficial garden shed maintenance task you can do right now is to simply clear away any leaves, twigs or other debris that can accumulate around the sides of your shed. This will help prevent leaks and other damage from happening over the winter.
2. Install gutters
Every shed needs to have a good guttering system so you can direct rainwater away and prevent it from end up collecting in pools under your shed, causing the base and walls to rot. So now is the time to make that investment and get them fitted.
For extra eco-friendly brownie points, consider connecting the guttering to a water butt that you can use to collect rainwater for watering your garden.
3. Open those doors and windows
Even though it might feel cold outside, it’s just as important to open the windows and doors of your shed during the winter. This helps to keep the air flowing through, helps prevent mould and mildew forming inside your shed and helps keep nasty smells away.
4. Wipe away mould
Throughout the winter, one of the most important garden shed maintenance tasks you can do is to keep an eye out for mould growth on the windows, walls and doors. If you spot a problem, simply wipe away with a mild mixture of bleach and water to prevent it from spreading.
5. Apply a wood treatment
Every year, make sure you apply a wood stain or other wood treatment before the worst of the weather sets in. This will help your garden shed to stay in great condition for many years to come. We recommend you use a water-based treatment these are quick to dry and provide great protection against the elements.
6. Oil those locks and hinges
There’s nothing worse than coming to open up your shed in the spring and finding that your locks and hinges have become rusty and broken. Prevent this from happening by applying regular sprays of oil throughout the winter.
7. Give the roof some attention
It’s also worth checking your roof for wear and tear before the winter arrives. If it’s damaged, any rain, snow or ice could seep through to the wood of your shed. This could cause structural damage or leaks which could prevent any logs or kindling from staying dry throughout the winter months.
8. Check those windows & doors
Windows and door frames can also be very vulnerable to the elements, so make sure you give them some TLC before winter sets in. Gently wash the frames with soapy water, dig out any rot, fill with exterior grade wood filler then treat as necessary.
Follow our wooden garden shed maintenance checklist and you’ll protect your garden shed from the harsh winter weather and keep it looking great well into the spring.