Summer House Maintenance

We love summer houses but to get the best out of them you need to ensure that you treat them well if you are to get the best out of them for many years to come. If you treat your summer house well then it can last 20 to 30 years or even longer. So what do you need to do to keep it in the best shape possible.

Summerhouse maintenance is extremely simple to carry out jesters require a little time. The first thing to do is to regularly and by this I mean at least once a month inspect the exterior of your summerhouse to make sure that the varnish was not cracking too badly and peeling away in which case you need something any new coat line and then there are no obvious states or damage to the world which will allow the ingress of water. If they are no matter how minor they may seem unable need treating as water will find a way and ingress into the structure and if I'm checked cause major long-term damage. The key thing to avoid is any long-term damp damage to supporting timber structures as they can be extremely expensive to replace.

It is of great benefit if you’ve opted to purchase a summer house that was made out of pressure treated wood in the first place as this will greatly extend the working life of the structure. If you have not it is essential that you give your summer house a coat of wood treatment or varnish annually, regardless as to whether it appears to need it or not.

When applying any wood treatment or varnish any loose or flaking varnish should be sanded away or removed with a wire brush first before re-applying the new treatment.

Check the felt roof at least once a quarter and immediately after any heavy winds or storms and check for any tears in the felt. Any damaged felt should be immediately replaced to avoid water ingress into the roof structure.

Also check the internal seals on the windows quarterly to make sure that no water is coming in under heavy weather conditions. If it is you may need to re-align the windows or call in a specialist to re-adjust them.

Following these simple summer house maintenance tips will see you considerably extend the life of your summer house.

By Richard Allen -