Must-Do Maintenance Tasks for Outdoor Sheds

Are you spending your summer getting caught up on your to-do list? Don’t forget to put shed maintenance on that list! Here is some important information from LP^® Outdoor Building Solutions^® about how to take great care of your outdoor structure.

Recommended Shed Maintenance

Shed owners should follow the same process for care and maintenance of a shed as they do for their home. This includes routinely inspecting the structure for roof damage, signs of insect and pest infestation, floor problems and siding problems. Be sure to keep trees and vegetation around the shed trimmed back to prevent damage. It's also important to be proactive when it comes to caring for your shed.

Alan Jumper, Technical Sales Manager at LP Building Solutions, points out catching an insect problem early can make shed maintenance much easier. "You might not be quite as fast to react because you aren't living in it. However, insects can still make a mess of things," he explains. "While you can clean your shed's siding with a soft bristle brush and mild soap if insects do leave behind waste, catching the ant invasion before they set up shop can prevent you having to clean up their mess."

Learn handy tips to keep bugs out of your shed.

The SmartGuard^® Process Reduces Shed Worries

At LP, we understand that outdoor structures may be subjected to extreme temperatures, along with moisture and insects. This is why LP products are made with our exclusive SmartGuard^® process, offering several barriers to damage by these forces.

"The LP SmartGuard process uses an EPA-registered wood preservative, zinc borate, along with MDI resins and hydrophobic waxes to protect SmartSide products from the elements," explains Jumper. "The treatment is done according to the American Wood Preservers Association Standard for treated wood. This keeps fungal decay and termites at bay, so you can enjoy your shed for years to come."

“The LP^® ProStruct^® Flooring is treated to the AWPA standard for treated wood that is intended for use as sub-floor. Building codes require treated sub-floor materials when the sub-floor is less than 18 inches above the ground," continues Jumper. "The LP ProStruct Flooring with zinc borate treatment allows sheds to be closer to the ground than non-treated subfloors."

Thinking of Moving Your Shed?

While large sheds are usually set in place by the shed builder, smaller sheds tend to be moved around more by the homeowner as their use of the shed changes. This can sometimes lead to issues they didn't plan for. Jumper notes that moving a shed can introduce another set of maintenance needs.

"When a shed is first installed, a shed builder will purposefully position it away from spray of sprinklers in order to limit water hitting the shed's exterior. But if a homeowner is looking to move their shed a little farther from their home later down the line, say when their teenager starts using it for their garage band's practice area, they might be setting it much closer to a sprinkler. In this case, a few adjustments to the sprinkler heads are likely in order."

Learn More About LP Outdoor Building Solutions

An LP engineered wood product is the smart choice because of how it is made and how it protects, looks and lasts. Find out where to buy sheds built with LP Outdoor Solutions products at a dealer location near you.