Safeguarding Your Shed

Behind every great man there’s a great… shed. Whether it’s your workshop, your storage unit, your man cave or all of the above, your shed is important to you. It’s easy to think these rugged corrugated iron or timber structures will stand the test of time, but that’s not necessarily the case. You love your shed and like everything you love, you have to care for it. If your shed has been looking a little worse for wear in recent years, here are a few quick tips to get it looking like the palace it truly is.

Painting & Protecting the Exterior

Your shed must deal with constant exposure to the elements and as such needs to be properly protected. There are many factors of the harsh Aussie climate that can do damage to your shed. Choosing the right paints and protective coatings is vital to safeguarding your shed from both rust and cosmetic damage.

Metal Sheds

Painting metal surfaces can seem daunting; however nightmare situations can easily be avoided just by ensuring you have the right equipment. When painting galvanized iron it’s important to start by giving the surface a thorough wash. Pressure washers are ideal here but a stiff brush, some sugar soap, water and some elbow grease will do the trick. After washing it’s time to paint. In most cases you will need to apply a metal primer to the surface before actually painting, but there are products out there like Haymes’ Elite Exterior Acrylic paints that are self-priming, eliminating the need for the extra step! This 100% Acrylic paint is highly UV resistant with a 12 year guarantee against blistering, peeling and flaking; perfect to protect from the harsh sun in summer. If a spray gun is not something that you have on hand, rollers are the best way to paint. You can even get rollers specifically shaped for painting corrugated iron!

Timber Sheds

Timber shed owners; we haven’t forgotten you. Preparation is key on timber surfaces. Be sure to give the area a good sand, remove any previous paint and fill in any damaged areas or nail holes with putty before painting. When your surface is prepared, 100% acrylic paints like Haymes’ Elite (mentioned above) are great for wood surfaces too. Spray guns and rollers can again be used to provide the most professional job, however you may decide to give your timber shed a bit of a rustic touch and paint with a brush, giving a thicker, hand-done finish.

Concrete Floors

If you keep a car, motorcycle, lawnmower or certain other garden tools in your shed, there’s a good chance that you have oil and grease stains on your concrete floor. Luckily there are some easy-to-use and cost effective solutions out there to get that floor looking like the day the slab was poured. The first method to try uses a couple of simple household items and works great on smaller stains. Apply a thick coat of baking soda to the areas you wish to clean. After waiting 30 minutes, scrub the baking soda into the stains with a stiff brush, hot water and detergent until the stains scrub out. Rinse off and let the area dry, crack a beer and marvel at your handiwork. If it turns out this victory beer was cracked prematurely then never fear. There are some cheap products available that pack a little more punch, like Diggers Degreaser, purpose built to dissolve grease and grime on garage floors and driveways and is super easy to use; simply scrub it in with a stiff brush or broom, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and wash it off. Hey presto, now you can crack another, better victory beer!

Protecting Your Workbench

Your workbench is the heart of your shed. It’s where the magic happens, be it building, fixing or maintaining projects. Over time, wooden surfaces (especially those with high levels of use) wear down; natural oils in the timber dry up, exposing the timber to discolouration, cracking, rotting and more. It’s important to keep your workbench well oiled to ensure it stays strong and sturdy into the future. Diggers’ Linseed Oil range is the perfect choice for protecting your timber. Ask any older tradie what they use to oil wooden handles on their tools or what cricketers use to oil their bats and they’ll give you the same answer. Linseed oil seals and protects timber while also counteracting the graying effect some woods can have, meaning your workbench will stay strong and look great. Oiling wood can be a much more common job than painting depending on the conditions you live in, so always keep an eye on your workbench to make sure it’s adequately protected.

Keeping Mould at Bay

Mould is not only unsightly, it’s dangerous. Mould can cause or heighten respiratory issues, especially for people with asthma. Mould grows in damp, dark areas with low ventilation and occurs most commonly on wood surfaces. Mould sprays are a great way to target mould that is already growing, and quickly removes mould while sanitizing and deodorizing the surface to comprehensively eliminate mould. Treating mould is a relatively easy process, but ideally you want to prevent its growth in the first place. While painting your timber will offer a layer of protection to mould, timber with natural finishes can be at greater risk of developing mould. Again, Diggers offers a specific Anti-Mould linseed oil that can be applied to all your timber at risk of growing mould. It’s both internally and externally proven to prevent the growth of mould and mildew, to give you peace of mind knowing that not only does your shed look great; it’s a safe place to work and relax in.