Tips for Buying a Wooden Shed
When it comes to owning any kind of wooden sheds you need to remember that they will need to be regularly maintained. By doing this you will be assured that whatever is held inside is well protected from the elements outside. In this article we take a look at what one needs to do in order to ensure that your wooden shed is well protected.
When it comes to which stain you should be using as you will soon discover by going to your local DIY or Garden Store or by going online that there are numerous different kinds to choose from. Which one you actually choose will depend on the kind of finish you want to your wooden shed and the color that you want it to be.
1. The first thing that you will need to do before you restain your shed is to get the right equipment together. For this particular job you will need an electric sander, a power washer, either a staining pad, foam brush or a nylon paintbrush to apply the stain with. Also you will need to get the stain and you can choose either between a solid or semi-solid one. The solid type stain is durable, but does hide the grain of the wood, whilst the semi-solid one is also durable but does allow some of the wood grain to appear through it.
2. Next you need to decide whether you want to use an oil based or water based stain for protecting your shed. An oil based stain is perfect for protecting sheds where it is going to be hit by harsh elements, as it is able to penetrate into the wood far deeper. However, a water-based one is not only safer to use but is also resistant to mildew and the stain color remains the same after applying for much longer.
3. Once the stain has been chosen you can now move on to the next stage, which is preparing the surface of the wood. You need to remove any other stain or paint on it that was applied previously along with dust, dirt and debris. This is where the power washer comes in handy and use one that is specifically designed for cleaning wood surfaces. It is a good idea to use the sander before you wash the shed down to help get rid of the more stubborn paint and dirt on the woods surface.
4. Once you have washed the walls of your shed down thoroughly you now need to give it time to dry out completely, otherwise the stain will not adhere to the surface properly. It is a good idea therefore, to wash the shed down on a day, which is hot and sunny.
5. As soon as the wood has dried out you can now start applying the stain to it. It is a good idea no matter which of the tools you use that you apply the stain quickly and evenly over the each wall of the shed. This will ensure that the cover you provide to it is flawless and you do not have any overlapping occurring.
6. After you have applied the first coat of stain you need to let this dry and the carry out the step above for a second time. You may even find that some wooden sheds require a third coat of stain in order to provide them with optimum protection from the elements. Plus it is a good idea that you read the manufacturer's recommendations regarding how many coats of stain to cover your shed in, as this will ensure that you get the best results possible.