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Your new garden building is an investment, and with proper care, it will provide years of enjoyment. This guide offers essential tips for maintaining and protecting your shed, summerhouse, or garden room.
Your garden building is manufactured using pressure-treated timber, offering protection against insect attack and rot. However, to ensure full waterproofing and maintain your warranty, it's crucial to apply a treatment after installation. This treatment is the customer's responsibility and is necessary for the 10-year anti-rot warranty to remain valid.
We recommend products like Protek Water-proofing Wood Stain and Protek Royal Exterior colours, Sadolin treatment, Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment, which can protect your building for 1 to 2 years depending on exposure and wear. Allow approximately two weeks for the timber to dry before applying paint, with drying times varying by season.
Wood is a natural product and may exhibit characteristics such as movement, twisting, and knots. These are normal and part of the natural beauty of timber. Seasonal changes can cause expansion and contraction, which should be considered in maintenance routines.
Occasional lighter green marks or dark spotting are normal and indicate the effectiveness of the pressure treatment.
Applying treatment correctly is essential. Ensure that it is thoroughly worked into all joins, corners, nail holes, and end grains. Timber doors and windows should also be treated inside and out, including underneath. In heavy rain, some water ingress is expected due to the natural porosity of timber. If excessive water ingress occurs, consider applying additional coats of a suitable product.
This is not a manufacturing fault but a natural characteristic of timber. Ventilate your building by opening doors and windows to allow it to dry, and re-treat the exterior as necessary. During wetter months, sealing the exterior can be challenging, but untreated timber will dry over time without affecting the pressure treatment.
We recommend raising your timber building off the ground using bearers or a frame, especially if the base is larger than the building's floor. This prevents splashback from rainwater hitting the ground and bouncing up onto the building's lower boards or under the floor.
While we cannot guarantee complete waterproofing due to environmental factors, following the recommendations in this guide will help reduce the risk of water ingress.
All glass in our buildings is fully beaded and silicone sealed from the inside, ensuring a secure fit. Regularly check seals, especially after severe weather, as silicone can degrade over time. Re-sealing annually is recommended to prevent water ingress.
Timber doors and windows may experience swelling in winter or shrinkage in summer. It's best not to plane the edges, as the building will generally return to its original size. Door hinges may need slight adjustments, which can be done with a screwdriver and chisels. For guidance, refer to our video demonstration on adjusting doors.
To prevent doors from kicking out, ensure both turn buttons are used when the building is not in use. If a door kicks out, gently push it back into position and secure the turn buttons. This may require some force initially, but it will help the timber return to its original alignment over time.
Regularly lubricate or oil all ironmongery to facilitate smooth opening and closing, prolonging the life and appearance of the fittings.
To prevent condensation and mould, ensure adequate ventilation. Moisture can cause drips or water runs inside, often mistaken for leaks. Ventilate by opening doors and windows when possible, and consider installing air vents.
We use high-quality polyester-based green mineral felt for roofing. Regularly check the felt for damage, especially if located under trees or bushes. Trim back any overhanging foliage to prevent damage. Slight movement in the felt due to atmospheric conditions is normal and will settle over time.
Our buildings come with the following warranties:
Please refer to your original sales invoice for full warranty details and conditions.
