Seasonal Maintenance Checklist for your Shed

Storage sheds are a great investment in your home, helping you to stay organized and reduce clutter inside the house. If you want your shed to last for decades, you will need to perform seasonal maintenance. This seasonal maintenance is completed every autumn and spring, before and after winter freezing. Here’s what you need to do each season.

Fall Maintenance Checklist

The seasonal maintenance completed every fall is focused on cleaning and preparing your shed for winter, when ice forms that could damage your shed. Finish this checklist before the first freeze, around the end of October.

Check for Leaks

The most important part of shed maintenance is checking for leaks, cracks, breaks, or holes. These can be found anywhere on your shed but are typically around windows, doors, and the seams between 2 walls or a wall and the roof. You can find leaks by looking for water discoloration on the interior of your shed or simply looking for visible holes. If you find any, you need to patch them or possibly even replace the siding or shingles where there’s a leak.

Clear Off Debris

Before the snow falls and ice freezes, you need to clear off all the fallen debris, like branches and leaves, from your roof and gutters. Debris can retain water, which freezes and damages your shingles and gutters. After you clear the debris, it's a good idea to run your hose through your gutter to ensure water is flowing properly. If not, you may need to tighten the brackets or even replace the gutters.



Clean Under the Shed

In the winter, animals will hibernate in dry dark places and your shed makes for a great “cave” to sleep in. During autumn maintenance, look under your shed and sweep out all the dirt and debris, including a nest if there is one. Sweeping it all out will discourage further nesting. If you’re thinking it’s no big deal if a critter hibernates under your shed, you’re mistaken! Pests can cause mold, chew through parts of your shed, and make it smell - not something you’ll want to allow.

Trim Back Branches

The last task you’ll want to do during fall maintenance is trimming back tree branches, bushes and any other plants that are close to touching your shed. Nearby plants can damage your exterior during a windy storm and promote mold or mildew growth by depositing dirt on your siding. They can also encourage pests to make your shed their home.

Spring Maintenance Checklist

The seasonal maintenance completed every spring is focused more on inspecting your shed for damage and repairing any that occurred over the winter. Finish this checklist after the last freeze but before the rainy season, around the beginning of April

Check for Leaks

Just like in the fall, the most important part of spring shed maintenance is checking for leaks, cracks, breaks, or holes. New ones could have formed over the winter or you may have missed a small leak that worsened with the winter ice. Inspect your whole shed, just like the fall.

Clean the Shed’s Exterior

Any dirt or debris that accumulates on your shed’s siding in the winter will create problems for you as the weather warms up. Bacteria and algae can live in dirt, which will grow into mold or mildew after the rainy season and the warmth of summer. You can soft wash your shed’s roof and siding using a pressure washer at low pressure and cleaning agents to kill the growth before it starts. After the wash, you can also take some time to repaint your shed if you’d like.

Sweep Out the Inside

Now is the time to do some spring cleaning in your shed. Take out all of your belongings and give it a nice sweep to clear out any dirt and cobwebs. Then, you can reorganize your belongings to keep everything ordered nicely inside your shed. You won’t want to waste time digging around your shed to find that one tool you need for a summer project! You can also declutter your shed by throwing out or donating items you no longer need.

Examine the Hardware

The last bit of spring maintenance you should complete for your shed is to examine all of your hardware. This includes your door hinges, door knobs, locks, windows, workbench, and shelving. Make sure everything is stable, fastens properly, and has a tight seal. This prevents dirt, bugs, and water from entering and keeps your belongings from falling over. The last thing you’ll want to see when you open your shed is your recently organized belongings strewn about the floor! If you find anything to be loose, tighten or replace it.

Buy a New Shed

If you find yourself with a shed that is beyond repair, consider replacing it with a new one! Start from scratch with a shed from Jed’s. Our sheds are made of the finest materials that will last for decades, so long as you follow these tips to maintain it. Request a free quote today to get started.