It’s time to dust off your garden furniture and prepare yourselves for the imminent summer months, ready for numerous barbecues and garden parties. Come rain or shine, garden parties will be thrown, even if it means eating damp burgers and hotdogs.
One of the best ways to get yourself prepared for the summer months is to give your garden shed a new lease of life; this can be done in two simple ways, repainting and reorganising. Most garden sheds will be constructed from shiplap timber, a quality wood that can last years when looked after.
In this blog post, we will give you some straightforward guidance that will help give your garden shed a brand new look and possibly a new purpose, all ready for the summer!
Repainting
Why paint your shed?
This is a fairly simple and straightforward job, even if you have no DIY experience. Painting your garden shed is a great way to refresh, and potentially change the overall look. It’s a great idea to repaint your shed not only to revive the appearance, but also to protect it from upcoming weather conditions, such as UV rays which can cause wood to fade over time, and rain that can cause splits and cracks in the wood. Each year, treating the timber with a good quality wood stain or preserver will prolong the lifespan and prepare it for the elements throughout the year.
Which paint?
For garden sheds, you will need to use a treatment or a colour formulated from rough sawn timber. Most stains and colours are specially developed to colour and protect sheds, fences and other garden woods. Garden colour paint will give you a richer colour payoff, whilst allowing the natural texture of the wood grain to visibly come through. Why not be adventurous and go for a bolder colour than usual? Pastel and bright colours make a great statement in any garden. Or if you prefer traditional styles, a natural brown wood finish could be a perfect choice.
How long will it last?
The majority of specialist paints are designed to last up to five years. However, this will depend on things such as weather conditions and the upkeep of the shed in general.
Tools to use
You can simply paint your garden shed by hand, it may take some time for you to complete, however, you can still achieve a professional-looking finish by hand. If you were looking for some assistance, you may want to consider using a pump or power sprayer; pumps can be 5x faster and power sprayers can be 10x faster than manually using a brush, but you will need to make sure you have the appropriate paint for these tools. However, this is all based on personal preference.
What to do…
Checklist
- Rollers
- Brushes
- Exterior wood preserver
- Exterior paint
- Wood filler
Step 1. Prepare
An important thing to check before you begin the process of repainting your garden shed is whether it needs any structural work; check your shed cladding to see if there is any apparent damage. If you are painting an old shed, you will need to clean it off before you begin; look out for any sort of debris, mud, mould, spider webs, algae, fungi, lichen or moss. You can buy specific fungi cleaner to get the best results. Following this, you can apply caulk in the gaps where it is needed to make your shed waterproof. Whilst you are waiting for the caulk to dry, you can use sandpaper to smooth any loose or patchy paint that may be left over from previous paint jobs. If you are working on a new shed, this will be unnecessary.
Step 2. Prime
To prime your garden shed you will need to apply an oil-based wood primer, which not only gives an extra layer of protection against weather conditions, but it also makes it much easier to apply even layers of paint on top.
Step 3. Paint
Once you are confident that the wood primer has dried, you can apply the first coat of paint, ensuring that you are working in dry conditions above the temperature of 5°C. You can use a long-nap roller to evenly coat the grain of the wood. As you are painting the shed, try to get an even coat, covering the entirety of the wood and then wait for the first coat to dry completely. Once it has, repeat with a second and final coat.
When you have followed these three simple steps, you can appreciate your hard work and enjoy your shed’s new appearance!
Reorganising
Now that you have the information you need to repaint your garden shed, you will need to know how to give the interior a new look to match the exterior! You can follow these straightforward tips to help reorganise your garden shed to get the full potential out of it.
Step 1. Clearing out
It is best to choose a dry day for this, the first step is to clear out all of the clutter in your shed, this way you can see what you want to keep and what you no longer have a use for. Sort your items into sections, for example, tools, gardening equipment, items you use frequently etc. You can then see clearly the extent of what you have inside your garden shed. You can decide which items you wish to keep and the items you can either donate, throw out or pass on to someone else.
Step 2. Inspect
Whilst you have an empty shed, you can now inspect the interior to see if there are any damages or repairs that need fixing. If you have quality shiplap timber cladding, your shed is less likely to suffer from damage. However, you should still check for things such as water damage or cracks; water damage will usually need immediate attention if you wish to prolong your sheds life, cracks will only need attention if they are big enough to let the light in. If you do use any wood glue, paste, wood filler and/or other products, you must ensure that you have let this completely dry before putting your belongings back inside.
Step 3. Storing your items
Now that your shed interior is in full working condition and you have organised your belongings into categories, you can place them into sections within the shed. Storage containers/drawers/shelving units can be a great addition if you have the room in your garden shed. You can keep small tools and other items stored neatly away, freeing up more room for bigger items during the colder months, such as a lawnmower, a barbecue and garden furniture. You can also keep the things you use frequently within easy reach so that they are accessible to you when you need them.
Step 4. Maintain
Of course, over time the organisation of your garden shed may slip a little, but if you can keep on top of this as much as possible, it will mean you do not have to tidy the shed as often and your shed will be fit for purpose, rather than becoming wasted storage space.
Once you have given your garden shed a whole new look and purpose, you will be ready to enjoy the summer months without worrying about the appearance of your shed when friends and family are around, and avoiding the ominous search for garden furniture, tools and anything else you will need to get your garden parties underway!
If you are looking to purchase a new shed, or other outdoor structures, such as log cabins and summerhouses to add to your garden, NLC can provide you with quality shiplap timber products so that you can do just that! You can view our delivery policy on our products or contact us for more information, we would be happy to help!