A Complete Guide to Shed Maintenance and Shed Security
You go to the doctor’s for a physical check-up once a year, you get your vehicle’s oil checked every 5,000 miles, but how often do you check up on your shed’s status?
A lot of people assume that a shed is a “set it and forget it” type of investment. Time, energy, and money is spent custom designing the perfect shed, only for neglect to settle in when it comes to its basic maintenance and security needs.
Shed Maintenance and Security Tips
What most people don’t know is that whether or not your shed is attached to your home, it should receive almost as much care and attention as your home itself!
In this complete guide, we’ll break down the most-important shed maintenance and shed security tips into simple DIY checklists that every property owner can use.
The Importance of Caring for Your Shed
A famous person once said, “Keep your friends close, but your dustpan closer.” …or, something like that. While the typical sweeping and cleaning of a shed can keep it organized, there’s much more behind the scenes that require your attention.
Although monotonous, practicing proper shed maintenance is a must if you’re looking to have a healthy, functioning shed for years to come.
Shed Maintenance Checklist:
Whether your shed is 1 week old or 10 years old, regular maintenance can play a monumental role in keeping it looking fresh and performing its best.
As much as we wish there was such a thing as an entirely maintenance free shed, the truth is — there just isn’t one. No matter if it is wooden or vinyl, all require at least an annual check-up!
Here’s a step-by-step checklist for how to care for and clean your shed:
- Identify problem areas: You may think that proper shed maintenance starts with the exterior, but just like with people, it’s what’s on the inside that matters most. Scan the interior of your shed for problematic areas like water spots, mold, or oil leaks. If you notice any red flags, it is time to take action!
- Pest check: Do spiders like to hang out in the corners of your custom shed? Have pesky rodents rudely invited themselves in? This inconvenience is not only unsanitary, but can also be deteriorating your investment. Prevent bugs and pests from destroying your shed once and for all with our easy tips!
- Review the exterior: Your shed’s paint, siding, shingles, and trim all contribute to its outer beauty. With the changing seasons and sometimes unpredictable weather, shed paint chips, siding cracks, and shingles are dislodged. Take a walk around the outside of your shed with a keen eye on the details.
- Check the doors: It may seem mundane, but on every shed maintenance checklist should be a reminder to test the entry doors. Examine their hinges and accessibility. Are they holding up ok? If not, an upgrade may be necessary.
- Examine the windows: If you notice an inconsistent temperature inside your shed, or if there is a water leak, the answer may lie within your windows. Consider inspecting both the interior and exterior sides of the windows to check for issues.
How to Make Your Shed Secure & Safe
You may think that protecting your shed seems like an irrelevant precaution. After all, it’s just a storage area for overflowing junk and for hiding those old baseball cards your wife has been begging you to get rid of, right? But while that 10-year old lawn mower and your children’s former bikes may not seem like a lot to you, they could bring in some serious cash for burglars.
Safety doesn’t happen by accident, so if you want to protect the belongings kept out back, some additional measures need to be taken. Everything from extreme shed window security to cementing your entire structure to the ground can be considered for extra shed security.
Ultimate Shed Security Checklist:
Making your shed secure can be done in just a few inexpensive and easy steps. To better protect your shed and its belongings, take a moment to go through our shed security checklist below:
- Lock it down: First and foremost, lock the doors of your shed with a general security padlock or dial-combination. Either of these can be picked up at your local hardware store or ordered online.
- Light it up: Tall light poles are in parking lots for more reasons than just your convenience of seeing at night — they actually also help deter burglaries and increase safety! Just like a parking lot, your shed should be well lit too if you want to make your shed secure.
- Window security: Keep wandering eyes OFF of your precious belongings by tinting or frosting your windows. For a cheap shed window security solution, purchase a can of spray-on frosting from your local hardware store to get the job done.
- Floor anchors: Assuming that someone is able to break into your shed, you can still take security a step further. Floor anchors are an excellent way to lock down expensive ATVs, bikes, lawn mowers, and other valuables to the floor of your shed.
The Local Team for Shed Information & Installation
Sometimes, a worn-down shed is simply gone beyond repair. If that’s the case, and you’re looking for a replacement, Glick Woodworks has dozens of low-maintenance, sturdy sheds to suit your likings. Explore our endless selections of A-frame, Dutch Barn, Quaker, and Victorian shed styles in over 10 color options!
Our team of Amish shed builders has been custom designing and creating stunning sheds for over 20 years. We would love the chance to speak with you and discuss how you can get a beautiful and secure shed of your own, today.
Give us a call or contact us online to get started.
