Just picture this: it’s a Saturday morning, and you’re finally ready to tackle that long-overdue gardening project to make your garden from drab to fab. You open the shed door, hoping to grab the lawnmower, only to find it’s covered in a fine layer of mould. Or worse, you spot gnawed edges on your storage boxes—wildlife (mainly rats) has clearly had a field day.
Well, it’s a common scenario with sheds, where moisture and curious critters love to make themselves at home. Now, everyone knows why they need a shed, but surprisingly enough, the average person usually doesn’t know how to properly take care of their shed, let alone the items they put inside the shed. So, with that all said, here’s exactly what you need to do to avoid any issues.
Fighting Off Damp and Mould
If there’s one thing sheds are famous for, it’s damp. They are not the same as your house. You need to keep in mind that the constant exposure to the elements makes it all too easy for moisture to creep in, and that’s bad news for your belongings. You can expect rust on tools and mildew on cushions; moisture can quickly turn your shed into a mess of ruined items. Also, depending on the foundation of your shed and the levelling of your garden, there might even be potential for some flooding. But you can usually prevent flooding by looking into shed bases, but what about the mould itself? Well, it’s really about ventilation.
So, your shed needs to breathe, especially in those rainy seasons. Proper airflow helps reduce condensation and keeps things from getting too musty. It’s also worth adding some extra protection for the items themselves.
For example, just doing a simple wipe-down of metal tools and applying a rust protector can go a long way in fighting off the dreaded rust. If you have anything made of wood, like garden chairs or spare shelving units, give them a good coating of varnish or sealant to keep moisture at bay.
Keeping the Wildlife Out
So, insects and rodents absolutely adore sheds due to their warmth and security, and yes, that goes for your belongings, too. But what can you do to prevent this? Well, the key is to make your shed less appealing to these little invaders. You’re going to want to store anything soft—like cushions, blankets, or even cardboard—in airtight plastic containers. It’s going to help prevent wildlife and moisture from getting inside (cardboard boxes make it worse).
You’ll also need to be sure to check your shed regularly for gaps or holes that animals could use as entry points and patch them up as soon as you can. Also, ideally, you should keep away anything food-related, like grass seed or bird feed, as far from the shed as possible. They should go inside your house since rodents love eating them.
A Little Maintenance Goes a Long Way
Generally speaking, taking a bit of time to maintain your shed will save you a lot of hassle later. It’s good to regularly check for leaks, cracks, and any signs of damage, which means you can fix things before they become big problems.
The same goes for keeping an eye out for wildlife intrusions. It’s always best to just catch them early, and you’ll avoid a full-blown takeover of your storage space.