Protecting garden shed?

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
18,605
Location
Finchley, London
I've had my shed up for about 2 years and today I noticed a thin cracked line down the right side door. Can't see any cracking anywhere else. It's superficial but I'll need to protect it before it gets worse. What's the best remedy? I've not yet coated the shed since it was built, so I'm guessing I need some Ronseal or something, and will that stop the wood cracking further?



I put a coloured line around the crack area


Close up at top of crack
 
A brace of Rottweilers would be fairly good protection, doubt anyone would get near it.

As for the wood, with the red hot summer we've just experienced, wood is a gonna dry and shrink a bit regardless of what you coat it with. I do mine with 5 year Ronseal stuff, it's quite waxy and the rain just runs off. For a month or two anyway.
 
DampDog said:
A brace of Rottweilers would be fairly good protection, doubt anyone would get near it.

As for the wood, with the red hot summer we've just experienced, wood is a gonna dry and shrink a bit regardless of what you coat it with. I do mine with 5 year Ronseal stuff, it's quite waxy and the rain just runs off. For a month or two anyway.
Click to expand...

So are you saying it's not really that necessary for me to coat it and that the wood shouldn't get worse now that the hot weather is basically gone? Or will the 5 year Ronseal be worth using anyway?
 
Should have protected it straight away.

Just buy whatever is cheapest from b and m. They do all the big brands anyway.

If rot has already set in then it's just a matter of time.

You will need to apply a very thin layer every 24 hours. At least 3 layers.
 
4l should be enough for just the shed . I did both sides with 2 coates before i assembled anything and maybe had 1/4 left from the 20l tub .. and that was 8 panels + posts and a 18 x 12 shed
 
Snaggle said:
4l should be enough for just the shed . I did both sides with 2 coates before i assembled anything and maybe had 1/4 left from the 20l tub .. and that was 8 panels + posts and a 18 x 12 shed
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll go for 4 litres or so.

Psycho Sonny said:
If rot has already set in then it's just a matter of time.
Click to expand...

You're suggesting it might be rot and Damp Dog suggested it's probably just from the heat. So which one is it likely to be?
 
It's a crack, not rot. Wood cracks and warps as it expands and contracts due to moisture and heat. Nothing you can really do about it unfortunately, the thinner the wood the more susceptible to it it will be, so the thin wood sheds are made out of are pretty susceptible. Worth coating it anyway, so moisture doesn't get into the cracks and start rotting it.
 
You really need to get some paint on there before the winter, thin softwood sheds don't last long at all without any protection. The instructions usually say they must be painted within 2-6 weeks or there abouts to maintain a decent life span. Make sure the wood is nice and dry before you paint it as you don't want to trap moisture in the wood.
 
As above get some protection stuff on it ,maybe something that repels water?
BUT that is just a normal crack around the heartwood
That plank is cut from the center of the tree often softer than planks cut from further out
 
I've been using this stuff for years. Comes in a variety of colours, and you can get it from just about any DIY store. (There are loads of similar products out there.) The really cheap stuff from the likes of B&M, Home bargains is rubbish, it's akin to painting the wood with coloured water.
https://www.ronseal.com/garden/sheds-and-fences/ronseal-fence-life-plus/

If you try to use "exterior wood paint" on anything less that 100% dry it will peel off again within 12 months.​
 
Merlin5 said:
Thanks, I'll go for 4 litres or so.



You're suggesting it might be rot and Damp Dog suggested it's probably just from the heat. So which one is it likely to be?
Click to expand...


The crack is probably from heat. But if itsi not been protected and it's been through 2 years. Rot is likely to be there or coming soon.

If it's already there then itsi only a matter of time before the wood falls apart.

Why didn't you paint it straight away?

Get to b and m and buy shed or garden fence paint and get it done. Also you need to paint it when its bone dry. Good luck with that. It's a summer job.
 
Real creosote with some old engine oil mixed in at 3 to 1 - get creosote online - they only sell water based rubbish at big sheds
 
DXP55 said:
Real creosote with some old engine oil mixed in at 3 to 1 - get creosote online - they only sell water based rubbish at big sheds
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info :)
I have thought that you can only buy that rubbish they call creocote these days
Nice to know you can still get the `proper` stuff :D
 
Yeah get solvent based, screwfix also do really good wood treatment
It IS smelly.

For cracks the suggestion for log cabins is very minor just PVA wood glue, larger ones wood glue mixed with sawdust. I would apply same logic to a shed, log cabins are just posh sheds ;)

If the shed was pretreated then straight to stain protection, if its not pretreated then you definately want a solvent based preserver, or get a rot treatment and apply that first.

They do some basic colours as well. Its very good, you get what you pay for with this sort of thing
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-wood-treatment-clear-5ltr/36237
 
ANDARIAL said:
As above get some protection stuff on it ,maybe something that repels water?
BUT that is just a normal crack around the heartwood
That plank is cut from the center of the tree often softer than planks cut from further out
Click to expand...

Heartwood is normally stronger than sapwood, not the other way round.
 
Take a closer look at the pics m8
To my eyes at least that is a piece of plank cut from the center of a branch/main trunk
Don`t look that strong to me,mind you it IS softwood planking used on these type of sheds :)
 
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