Installing a shed in your backyard, farm, or commercial business may be the necessary storage solution that you need. A quality Australian-made shed will be a worthy investment that you can use to store everything from hay to farm machinery.
Are you opting for one of the machinery sheds on offer? Are you customizing a shed design to blend in with your commercial business? Either way, it’s essential to know how to care for your new structure.
Understanding Shed Care
No matter what your plans are for your new shed, regular maintenance is essential to ensuring that it remains in pristine condition. Keeping your shed clean and maintained also keeps contents safe from water damage. Our experts have compiled a list of tips that will help you keep your shed in tip-top shape.
Choose the Right Design
Proper shed maintenance starts with choosing the right materials and optional extras during the building process. It’s always a good idea to review the optional installation and assess how they will benefit your shed.
Some of the optional extras that may make maintenance and cleaning much easier include the following:
- Concrete flooring: Helps to keep water and sand out of your space, reducing the risk of water damage makes cleaning easier.
- Roof ventilation: This is essential in areas of high humidity as it will keep the space ventilated, especially if the shed is closed most of the time. Moisture and condensation can damage the tools and equipment you store there.
- Windows: Even one or two strategically placed windows will help with ventilation.
Perform Regular Cleaning
Regular cleaning is an essential part of shed care. Here you’ll want to start by removing any vegetation that may be growing around your shed. Plants encourage insects and while your Australian-made steel shed won’t be hampered by bugs, they may get in and damage anything you’re storing in there.
Additionally, large, heavy plant roots can make your flooring and shed structure unstable. The interior of the shed should always be cleaned, and this can be done using a pressure washer. Allow the interior of the sheds to air dry before packing everything back inside. Regular cleaning is also an excellent way to keep track of everything you’re packing in there.
Check for Damages
Sturdy steel sheds are less likely to suffer the regular damage that timber sheds are at risk of. Opting for a steel shed will ensure that you only really have to do routine checks for weather damage to windows and doors. However, it’s always a good idea to check the interior, exterior, and roof for damaged or worn components.
Routine inspections for any shed damage will help prevent costly repairs. Check for signs of wear and tear on windows, doors, and the roof to keep your shed secure and functional throughout the year.
Maintain the Gutters and Roof
If you live in a high rainfall area, your shed roof will be at risk of water damage. It’s essential to ensure that your roof and guttering system are always in working order. Opting for a skillion roof in the design phase will reduce the risk of damage, especially if you’re opting to not add a gutter system.
A skillion roof will make it easy for water to run down the roof rather than pool as it would on a square roof. If you’ve opted to install gutters, these should be cleared for potential blockages just as you would your home roof.
Keep in mind that damages in your guttering system can cause water to pool and seep into your shed, which can damage any equipment or tools. If you’re storing animal feed, hay, or any other organic material in your shed, keeping the water out is essential.
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Create a Seasonal Maintenance Checklist
Once your shed is installed, it should be added to your regular seasonal maintenance checklist. Once you schedule and plan the maintenance, it will be easier to find time to do it.
Opting for a quality shed will ensure that the bulk of your maintenance is simply checking and cleaning. Here are a few pointers to check in each season:
- Winter: If you have installed any plumbing pipes or rainwater harvesting systems, it’s a good idea to check that these are working correctly. Check for leaks into the shed.
- Spring: Inspect your shed for any damage that has happened in the winter. Check gutters, window frames, and doors for weather damage.
- Summer: If you do the bulk of the shed maintenance throughout the year, summer will be all about regular checks, minor touch-ups, and general cleaning. Keep an eye on your gutters if your area gets a lot of rainfall.
- Autumn: This season is all about cleaning gutters and trimming any trees that may shed leaves that can block your gutters. Many farmers and business owners use this period to power wash exterior and interior walls.
Final Thoughts
One of the top reasons to invest in an Australian-made steel shed is that there’s very little maintenance to worry about. In most cases, the maintenance that needs to be done revolves around taking care of the other components you’ve added. Caring for your shed will ensure that you have a structure you can use for years to come.