At A-Shed USA, we’re happy to provide you with a wide variety of durable, quality storage sheds, garages and numerous other custom building formats. We use only the highest-quality materials for all our structures, and we offer a 10-year warranty that speaks to the care and dedication we put into every project we complete for you.

And while this warranty will always be good during that period of time, we’re quite confident our sheds and other structures will serve you for far longer than this if you take the right care and maintenance approaches – none of which are too difficult or time-consuming at all. In this two-part blog, we’ll go over several areas you should consider when it comes to maintaining your shed or other structure to keep it in tip-top shape for years.

Setting Considerations

One area of maintenance begins before you even have your new shed installed, and it’s one our team of builders is happy to assist you with: Ensuring the setting material and space is optimal. Particularly if you plan to install a wood floor in your shed, you’ll want to use a gravel pad that extends at least an inch or two further than your structure on the outside borders.

Why is this important? Well, as you’ll see in our next section, moisture might be the single largest risk to your shed’s long-term durability, especially if you use wood for any area. Using this kind of gravel setting separates the bottom of the shed from direct contact with moisture, plus also protects it from the growth of grass, weeds or other plant life.

Shed Floor Materials and Moisture

When moisture interacts with wood repeatedly and with frequent enough contact, the results often aren’t pretty. Water can warp and otherwise impact the shape of wood, plus decrease its practical and protective qualities significantly.

For this reason, wood floors need to be kept from major moisture exposure in the shed. Will your shed wear down immediately if you occasionally trek inside it with wet boots? Absolutely not. But if you’re regularly hosing down the walls, for instance, you’re risking major damage and repair costs. If you know moisture will be a common presence in the shed or garage, consider other flooring materials like pressure-treated options or concrete.

Dirt, Debris and Mulch

Once again, this is all about moisture. Some homeowners have a tendency to let dirt, mulch or other yard debris build up against the sides of the shed or garage – this will trap in moisture, however, and can lead to damage like rot. If this kind of thing happens naturally, due to wind or sloping concerns on your property, w recommend a retaining wall to keep this piling up from taking place.

Roof Concerns

Periodically, check the roof of your shed to ensure there isn’t moss growing on it. Some people think moss protects a roof, but this isn’t true – it actually just absorbs water and makes rot more likely due to pooling on the roof. We recommend removing all moss, plus leaves or other debris.

For more on how to care for your shed, or to learn about any of our shed options, speak to the staff at A-Shed USA today.