AFTER SALES CARE:
If our customers experience any issues that are within our warranty guidelines we will visit as soon as we are able to correct the problem. To report a problem, please send an email with image to customercare@carrgardenbuildings.co.uk.
After purchase and delivery of your Carr Garden Shed or Log Cabin we recommend some annual or bi-annual after care which will help protect the wood and make it more durable. We use slow-grown Scandinavian quality redwood in all our buildings. Please note: Our garden buildings are delivered and assembled untreated as standard, unless specified at the point of order. Painted units in solid colour are for display purposes only.
Wood is a natural breathable product and preservatives, also known as wood treatment, can protect all types of timber wood from discolouration and decay, as well as giving a constant all-year-round colour. A annual wood preservative paint will protect your new purchase or rejuvenate an existing one. These treatments are easy to apply (by brush, spray or roller), and the majority of good wood preservative products are water-based and are pet & plant friendly.
SOLVENT BASED PRESERVATIVE
Effective against moulds and quite good waterproofers. Less toxic than they used to be but read the label. A bit more expensive but good, giving timber nourishment and water repellence. “Cuprinol Garden Wood Preserver” is in a round tin and comes in a range of colours. Their colour GOLDEN OAK is nearest in appearance to our light brown colour. It is recommended for smooth, planed shiplap tongue & groove style boards.
The Base
The base should be firm and level and will keep the floor beams away from the ground. Ideally air should be able circulate under the floor so ensure that leaves and debris do not collect against walls as these may never dry out at all and check that the lower walls are not constantly wetted by dripping or splashing rainwater. Very heavy downpours and constant dripping can sometimes cause “splashup” under the edges of the walls and floor especially if a solid base extends further than the area of the shed. To help stop lower boards and floor edges getting extra wet due to this effect, depending where you site it – is worth fitting a simple gutter and downpipe. Standard 4” gutter is ideal.
SHRINKAGE OR EXPANSION OF DOORS
We use triple laminate timber for our door stiles and end seal the grain in order to minimise door shrinkage or expansion. If your doors are becoming hard to open or close and the shed floor is level, the wood pieces on the doors may be swelling due to moisture. It’s imperative to paint your doors inside and out especially making sure all edges are painted. Wait until the doors shrink and start to open and close normally before painting. The bottom edges are really important because rain water hits the ground and bounces up. If the bottom edges of the doors are not painted, they will absorb water and not only start to swell but can rot over time.
As with all timber buildings, a garden shed will take a year or two to completely settle in its outside surroundings. In the winter months the wood will swell due to moist air whereas in the summer the wood may shrink making the timber split. To make sure these have the lowest impact possible it’s a good idea to slightly loosen the screws on the inside of the shed when it gets warmer and then tighten them up again in time for the cooler winter months. After two years the building should be completely established in its surroundings and should only need tightening twice and loosening twice before being tightened once and for all.
Finally, the felt on your shed probably suffers from the weather more than any other part and so, once a year, needs a quick inspection. Ensure that the felt is clear of any fallen leaves (use a soft brush if not) and that all of the felt pins are secure and that there are no tears or rips. If your felt is looking like it may need changing then contact our sales office who can arrange to either re-felt your building at a small cost or supply you with a re-felt kit which includes felt, nails as well as new barge boards and end diamonds.
Carrying all of the above out just once a year will help to ensure that your Carr Garden Building has a longer lifetime and helps your garden shed to continue to do its job in the way that we design and manufacture them to do. Please contact the sales Office on Tel: 01268 561450 sales@carrgardenbuildings.co.uk
SETTLEMENT OF YOUR LOG CABIN
Approximately 18-24 months after your Cabin has been installed, (depending on season of installation) the vast majority of settlement will have occurred by this time. After this period it is prudent to tighten baffle or storm boards and possibly provide extra anchors to further secure your building.
Moisture and Mould Issues with your Garden Building
Your garden building can suffer from moisture and damp issues at certain times of the year, especially Winter and Spring when there can be a high level of moisture in the air, as timber is a perishable material.
Effects of Moisture can be –
- Premature rot
- Mould on interior panels and roof
- Warping and sagging of timber
Preventing Damp Issues
A major cause of rot is rising damp caused by water being absorbed through the floor bearers and into the floor. To help stop moisture entering the building we do use tanalised floor bearers so that the floor does not sit directly onto the concrete base.
The type and quality of the base on which your building sites is also crucial, your concrete base must be flat to allow water to run off and prevent it from pooling. A shed sitting in puddled water will inevitably absorb water.
Moisture in the air caused by damp and wet conditions prevalent in Winter can get trapped inside your building especially if they are not used very often and this can cause condensation on the inside of panels, roof, floor and on items stored inside the building. This condensation can cause mould and mildew to form very quickly.
To combat this we do advise –
- That you allow the building to vent as often as possible to enable fresh air to circulate around the building and stop moisture from building up so open the windows and/or door from time to time.
Try not to store damp or wet items in your building, dry off bikes, tools etc before storing them. - If you do find mould forming remove it as quickly as possible with an anti mould cleaner before it penetrates and permanently damages the timber.
We would also advise that you apply a suitable preservative to the exterior panels to ensure they are protected during the wettest months of the year.
