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About your building and its maintenance
EYS We cannot replace keys. If your building has a key, have a spare cut straight away.KEEPING YOUR BUILDING IN GOOD CONDITION
The most important aspect of keeping a timber building in good condition is to prevent timber from STAYING wet and developing rot. Wetting by rain is not the problem so long as the wood can dry out again.
The base must be firm and level and should keep the floor beams away from the ground. Air should circulate under the floor so ensure that leaves and debris do not collect against walls as these may never dry out at all and check that the lower walls are not constantly wetted by dripping or splashing rainwater. Very heavy downpours and constant dripping can sometimes cause “splashup” under the edges of the walls and floor especially if a solid base extends further than the area of the shed. To help stop lower boards and floor edges getting extra wet due to this effect, it is worth fitting a simple gutter and downpipe. Standard 4” gutter is ideal.
Look after the roof. Roofing felt lasts between 5 and 10 years before becoming brittle and cracked. Don’t let branches sway across your roof wearing through the felt. Keep gutters clear. While staying wet is one problem, DRYING OUT excessively and/or quickly is shrinkage and warping and in some cases splitting can occur. This can arise in hot dry weather or if any side of a shed is much more exposed to direct sunlight. Applying extra timber treatment can slow down the drying process and also help prevent doors from warping. Shed doors are made with a single thickness of timber, not like house doors. Turn buttons can be fitted to your door to help “train” the timber to stay straight as the weather and moisture content varies. Simple window frames are wood to wood joints and sometimes rainwater can seep in, especially through the corners of the frames. If this becomes a frequent problem application of clear sealant between beading and glass usually cures it.
CONDENSATION
This can occur in timber buildings when the outside air gets very cold. If the air inside the shed is moist, water will condense on the inside of walls or roof. This is usual but if there are objects or large items touching the walls then these parts cannot dry out when conditions change and mould may occur because of the reduced airflow. Do not leave open growbags etc in a shed as the dampness in the bag will cause condensation and mould growth.
TIMBER TREATMENT
All our garden buildings are pre-treated during manufacture with one pressure sprayed coat of water based (non toxic) treatment which penetrates the wood. We have to use this type to comply with Health & Safety and Environmental issues. We strongly recommend that you re-treat the outside WITHIN 6 MONTHS and thereafter at regular intervals. You can do this during any season provided the wood feels dry to touch. Our specially formulated water based treatment for garden buildings does not normally prevent wet or dry rot. The main benefits are to inhibit mould growth, slow down the passage of water vapour to and from the wood, to apply colour and to help reduce the effects of UV rays which grey the timber. This treatment is not intended to be a water proofer/sealer.
Typical treatments which you can buy at DIY stores to APPLY YOURSELF are in three main categories:-
CREOSOTE substitute creosote is now available, read the can for suitability. Not for use on playhouses.
SOLVENT BASED “PRESERVERS” Effective against moulds and quite good waterproofers. Less toxic than they used to be but read the label. A bit expensive but good, giving timber nourishment and water repellence. “Cuprinol Garden Wood Preserver” is in a round tin and comes in a range of colours. Their colour GOLDEN OAK is nearest in appearance to our light pine colour. It is recommended for smooth, planed shiplap tongue & groove style boards.
WATER BASED TREATMENTS are found in plastic containers and include such things as acrylic polymers and waxes which form a coating on the wood’s surface. Cheaper than solvent based preservers but NOTE that many brands are only formulated for rough sawn wood like our Rustic overlap boards and not smooth, planed timber.
We strongly recommend that our initial specially formulated treatment is backed up WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS using “Cuprinol Garden Wood Preserver” (or similar solvent based product) on smooth planed timber or, with our rough sawn rustic board, using a good water-based or solvent-based treatment.
Failure to apply suitable timber treatment to your building and/or not taking sensible measures to look after the structure as advised will invalidate our guarantee. Paints, varnishes or similar are not suitable.
This advice is offered for your guidance but no guarantees are given or implied in regard to the performance or suitability of various manufacturers’ timber treatment products. Always satisfy yourself by reading their container.
The base must be firm and level and should keep the floor beams away from the ground. Air should circulate under the floor so ensure that leaves and debris do not collect against walls as these may never dry out at all and check that the lower walls are not constantly wetted by dripping or splashing rainwater. Very heavy downpours and constant dripping can sometimes cause “splashup” under the edges of the walls and floor especially if a solid base extends further than the area of the shed. To help stop lower boards and floor edges getting extra wet due to this effect, it is worth fitting a simple gutter and downpipe. Standard 4” gutter is ideal.
Look after the roof. Roofing felt lasts between 5 and 10 years before becoming brittle and cracked. Don’t let branches sway across your roof wearing through the felt. Keep gutters clear. While staying wet is one problem, DRYING OUT excessively and/or quickly is shrinkage and warping and in some cases splitting can occur. This can arise in hot dry weather or if any side of a shed is much more exposed to direct sunlight. Applying extra timber treatment can slow down the drying process and also help prevent doors from warping. Shed doors are made with a single thickness of timber, not like house doors. Turn buttons can be fitted to your door to help “train” the timber to stay straight as the weather and moisture content varies. Simple window frames are wood to wood joints and sometimes rainwater can seep in, especially through the corners of the frames. If this becomes a frequent problem application of clear sealant between beading and glass usually cures it.
CONDENSATION
This can occur in timber buildings when the outside air gets very cold. If the air inside the shed is moist, water will condense on the inside of walls or roof. This is usual but if there are objects or large items touching the walls then these parts cannot dry out when conditions change and mould may occur because of the reduced airflow. Do not leave open growbags etc in a shed as the dampness in the bag will cause condensation and mould growth.
TIMBER TREATMENT
All our garden buildings are pre-treated during manufacture with one pressure sprayed coat of water based (non toxic) treatment which penetrates the wood. We have to use this type to comply with Health & Safety and Environmental issues. We strongly recommend that you re-treat the outside WITHIN 6 MONTHS and thereafter at regular intervals. You can do this during any season provided the wood feels dry to touch. Our specially formulated water based treatment for garden buildings does not normally prevent wet or dry rot. The main benefits are to inhibit mould growth, slow down the passage of water vapour to and from the wood, to apply colour and to help reduce the effects of UV rays which grey the timber. This treatment is not intended to be a water proofer/sealer.
Typical treatments which you can buy at DIY stores to APPLY YOURSELF are in three main categories:-
CREOSOTE substitute creosote is now available, read the can for suitability. Not for use on playhouses.
SOLVENT BASED “PRESERVERS” Effective against moulds and quite good waterproofers. Less toxic than they used to be but read the label. A bit expensive but good, giving timber nourishment and water repellence. “Cuprinol Garden Wood Preserver” is in a round tin and comes in a range of colours. Their colour GOLDEN OAK is nearest in appearance to our light pine colour. It is recommended for smooth, planed shiplap tongue & groove style boards.
WATER BASED TREATMENTS are found in plastic containers and include such things as acrylic polymers and waxes which form a coating on the wood’s surface. Cheaper than solvent based preservers but NOTE that many brands are only formulated for rough sawn wood like our Rustic overlap boards and not smooth, planed timber.
We strongly recommend that our initial specially formulated treatment is backed up WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS using “Cuprinol Garden Wood Preserver” (or similar solvent based product) on smooth planed timber or, with our rough sawn rustic board, using a good water-based or solvent-based treatment.
Failure to apply suitable timber treatment to your building and/or not taking sensible measures to look after the structure as advised will invalidate our guarantee. Paints, varnishes or similar are not suitable.
This advice is offered for your guidance but no guarantees are given or implied in regard to the performance or suitability of various manufacturers’ timber treatment products. Always satisfy yourself by reading their container.