The Ultimate Wooden Summerhouse Maintenance Guide

No wooden structure is immune to damage, especially amid harsh weather conditions and changes in season. This means that, in order for a wooden summerhouse to last, you need to apply regular maintenance and timely repairs.

Our garden building experts have summed up the summerhouse aftercare tasks you need to fulfil to help prolong your outdoor structure and make the most out of it! These maintenance jobs are as follows:

1. Regular treatment

Wood, especially when left untreated, will absorb water during a period of damp weather. Moisture in wood makes it more susceptible to rot and mould. It can also expand when it gets wet, increasing both wooden pieces’ size and weight.

Although this is a natural occurrence it still causes damage in wooden summerhouses, but you can help prevent it through regular treatment. Make sure to use a high-quality timber treatment or wood stain in doing so, for at least once a year.

Additionally, some parts are more vulnerable to the weather and thus need to be treated more often. Recoat overhangs, joints, and fascia boards every once in a while to protect them from damage.

2. Filling wood contraction

Aside from expanding, wood’s natural moisture content can cause it to contract. Contraction of wood in your summerhouse can lead to splits, cracks, and erroneous pieces, as well as holes where knots shrink and fall out.

To combat this issue, you can use a suitable and flexible filler to close the cracks and holes. You can also remove screws in affected parts and hammer pieces back together using another piece of wood.

Watch our short video for a visual tutorial.

3. Roof maintenance

Summerhouse roofs are one of the parts most vulnerable to damage as a lot of factors can affect them throughout the year. You can prevent any damage from your structure’s roof through regular checks.

Look for any tears and splits caused by weathering, bird droppings or fallen debris. Once you notice any possible damage, repair it immediately. You can use a suitable roofing repair such as some felt repair adhesives available in various hardware stores.

If the damage is severe, you can also re-felt your summerhouse roof as soon as possible. A new covering will help protect the roof’s material from moisture and damage.

4. Airing

Since most prefabricated summerhouses have no built-in insulation, condensation can build up especially on all glass accents in your structure. This is caused by the rise and drops in temperature amid changes in season.

But, you can manage this issue by aerating your summerhouse properly especially in the winter months and when the temperature fluctuates in autumn and spring. Simply leave the windows and doors open once in a while to allow the building to breathe.

When you prevent condensation from building up, you are also restricting the moisture’s ability to penetrate the timber. It will stop rot and mould from damaging your structure. You can also put in moisture extractors inside the summerhouse which are little tablets available in supermarkets.

5. Painting

Similar to your structure’s wooden pieces, summerhouse doors tend to contract due to varying weather conditions. You will need to fully coat them with paint, including the sides, to keep the majority of the moisture out.

Paint plus treatment can lessen moisture buildup in your summerhouse doors. Check out our log cabin, garden shed, and greenhouse maintenance blogs too:

Garden Shed Maintenance – a Simple Guide
How to Treat and Maintain a Log Cabin
The 9 Advantages of a Polycarbonate Greenhouse Over  a Glass One

A summerhouse, just like any other wooden building, needs proper maintenance in order to last long. Garden Buildings Direct offers a lot of sturdy designs which are worthy of your investment!