Winter Garden Shed Care

Winter can be great. You can sit around getting sloshed on mulled wine, watching The Two Ronnies while eating all the chocolates you can get your hands on (except the bounties, obviously). But it’s not without its problems. High winds, cold rain and the potential for snow can make it unpleasant outdoors – and it can take it’s toll on your shed too. Thankfully, caring for your shed in the Winter is pretty easy, but it will add years of life to your shed. Here, we’ll take a look at some simple tips for keeping you shed in super condition over the darkest, coldest months.

 

1. Keep doors closed and locked 

We couldn’t start with an easier one, but you’d be surprised how many people leave their sheds open. Leaving your shed open exposes it to damp or mould. If you’ve a ply floor in the shed too, constant exposure to rain can cause it to swell or warp. This is all before we get to the creepy crawlies and their hairier cousins getting in (more on that later). Lock your door to prevent any weather damage inside and to keep unwanted visitors out.

 

2. Check for scratches

Our Steel Sheds are fantastic. However, if you scratch them, you can potentially remove the galvanisation layer on the top, leaving them exposed to the Winter elements. Our rust perforation warranty is 18 years, however, we don’t honour this if you (or nearby trees, for example) have been bashing the thing and not caring for it! Have a good look around your shed in daylight to see if there are any scratches that might need seeing to. If there are, check out our guide on how to go about fixing them (it’s easier than it might seem).

 

3. Check for Creepy Crawlies

Winter is a time that lots of creatures hibernate. While you might not think you’ve got such wild nature knocking around your home, you’d be surprised. Hedgehogs, shrews and bats will all be on the lookout for somewhere to bed down for the next few months.

While foxes, badgers and mice don’t hibernate per se, they will be mooching about for a warmer, calmer place to preserve themselves over the Winter too. And hey, we love David Attenborough as much as the next person, but there’s a limit to that love. It might not be great to open your shed after Christmas to a lovely pong of droppings or find that there are gnawed holes in some of your equipment.

On that note:

 

4. Make sure there are no edibles inside

The shed can be a great place to go and pretend that you’re doing something important so that you can listen to the Premier League on the radio. It’s not bad having a few treats out there for such occasions. But in Winter, it might not be a smart plan. If you’re storing food for Christmas or drink for New Years, make sure they’re in air-tight containers. If an animal gets a whiff of your Bombay Mix, well you’ll have no fancy treats for the granny during the 5pm screening of Willy Wonk – And the last thing you need is an angry granny in the Sitting Room and a stuffed Badger in the Shed.

 

5. Keep an eye on your stored fuel

If you’re storing fuels like Tozane, paraffin or other oils, keep an eye on the conditions they’re being stored in. If the containers are not fully closed or the seal has broken, moisture in the air may get into the container. Not ideal. These water molecules can cause a surprising amount of problems with paraffin heaters and other appliances. Another way to make sure your fuel is in the best condition is to reduce the potential for condensation. How do you do that? Well, the answer is right below.

 

6. Make sure your vents are not blocked

If you have a Steel Shed, this is a simple one – make sure the vents aren’t blocked. Move boxes or any other obstacles that may be preventing a flow of air through your shed. Wooden Sheds with Pressure Treatment should be fine too – but keep an eye on untreated wooden sheds. You may need to give them a lick of paint/varnish and aiir them out occasionally over the Winter.

Make sure the air can flow in and out of your shed. This will reduce the effects of condensation formation and all the problems that go along with that.

 

7. Winter Shed Care pro-tip: Clean around the back!

The leaves are falling and they’re blowing about. They can get clogged up at the back of your shed, or in your gutters. As they begin to rot, they can become problematic. If left undisturbed for long enough, they can eat into materials like plastic or wood and even affect galvanised steel. So throw the eye (and the hands) over the gutters every now and then make sure there’s nothing blocking them up.

Top Tip: Leaf mulch is twice as rich in nutrients as manure, pound for pound. If you’re the farming type, use it well. If you’re not the farming type, get it into the brown bin.

 

8. Have a torch handy

Winter Shed Care also involves caring for yourself. The lack of light means there’s a great chance of bumping your head in the dark (or being attacked by a vampire). So keep a torch handy inside the shed. We also stock motion sensor LED lights that are super handy and easy to keep your noggin unbumped in the dark.

If you’ve any questions you can contact us directly – or for faster results, shoot us a message over on Facebook or call us direct at 01 864 4247.