Shed and outbuildings: maintenance and repair guidance

Most shed problems start at the roof, because that is where water gets in first and does the most damage before anyone notices. A felt roof that has lifted at one corner, or a cracked bitumen shingle, lets moisture into the timber below, and by the time a stain appears inside, the joists underneath may already be soft.

Roof coverings

Check the felt or roofing sheet at least once a year, ideally in autumn before the wet months set in, and again after any storm that has brought branches down nearby. Look for lifted edges, cracked bitumen, or nails that have worked loose. A small repair with roofing adhesive or a patch of new felt is usually a job you can do yourself; a roof that has failed across more than a third of its area is better replaced than patched.

Timber frame and cladding

Wooden sheds need a fresh coat of preservative or wood stain every two to three years, more often if the shed faces the prevailing wind and rain. Press a screwdriver gently into the base of the wall boards and the corner posts. If it sinks in without much resistance, that section of timber is rotting and needs cutting out and replacing rather than painting over.

Base and damp

A shed sitting directly on soil or grass will draw damp up through the floor, whatever the walls are doing. Raising it on paving slabs or timber bearers, with a gap underneath for air to move, is the single change most likely to add years to a shed's life. This matters more in a shed used for storage, since damp gets into cardboard and canvas bags long before it shows on the timber itself.

Doors, hinges and locks

A door that has dropped or sticks in wet weather usually means the hinges have worked loose or the frame has swollen. Tightening the screws, or moving them to fresh timber if the old holes have worn oval, fixes most cases without needing a new door.

Can it wait?

A shed job rarely needs doing the same week you notice it, but a roof leak left over winter turns a small patch into a full reroof by spring. If you are weighing up whether to repair a shed roof or replace it outright, the option comparisons page sets out what each choice is good and bad at. If that decision means paying a tradesperson, whether for a full reroof or a shed replacement, the Pre-Spend Checklist Builder can put together a tailored list of what to check before you sign anything and what to ask before work starts; it works from the general run of cases, so treat it as a starting point rather than the final word for your particular building. For the jobs tied to a particular time of year, such as treating timber before the weather turns or checking a roof after autumn leaf fall, the month-by-month guides for October and March cover what is worth doing when.