Wood Treatment Tips: How to Maintain Wooden Sheds & Fencing

 

Wood has long been the go-to material for making garden buildings and fencing. There are a number of reasons to explain this, including its strength, durability and aesthetic appeal.

Above all, wood will seamlessly complement any style of garden, but its greatest selling point is also its Achilles' heel. Being a natural product, wood can be susceptible to rot and fungal decay, and once this takes hold, it can be difficult to rectify.

Fortunately, you can prevent this problem by ensuring that your wooden outdoor products are treated and then properly maintained. In this article you'll learn everything there is to know, including:

• The difference between pressure-treated and dip-treated wood
• The benefits of pressure-treated wood
• The benefits of dip-treated wood
• How to maintain your shed and fencing

Pre-Treated Wooden Garden Products

 

All of our sheds, fencing and other wooden garden products have undergone one of two forms of treatment before you buy them: pressure treatment or dip treatment. You can find out which on the relevant product page, but let’s take a look at what these terms actually mean.

Pressure Treatment

 

Pressure treated wood is placed inside a chamber and has preservative forced deep inside it under hydraulic pressure. This provides it with the ultimate protection against rot and decay.

When you purchase a pressure-treated product, you will probably notice that the wood has a slight green tinge. This is nothing to worry about; it is simply excess preservative. Over time, these marks will disappear, leaving the wood a beautiful light brown shade.

Why Choose Pressure Treated Wood?

Pressure-treated wood enjoys the best protection against rot and fungal decay. What’s more, our pressure-treated wooden sheds and fencing are supplied with a 15-year anti-rot guarantee. This means that you won’t need to retreat them for 15 years.

Dip Treatment

 

As the name suggests, dip treatment involves dipping the timber into preservative, removing it and then allowing time for the preservative to be absorbed. Dip-treated products can be recognised by their orangey-brown hue.

Dip treatment is a simple but effective way to protect wood. As such, our dip-treated wooden products are usually supplied with a 10-year anti-rot guarantee, although this is dependent on you retreating the wood once a year.

Why Choose Dip-Treated Products?

The main reason to buy dip-treated sheds and fencing is the cost. They are significantly cheaper than pressure-treated alternatives, but you are still getting a high-quality product.

B&M Top Tip: prefer to shop in store? We have a great range of garden essentials in our Garden Centre stores, including decking and joists.

Maintaining the Wood

How to Re-treat Wood

Having ensured easy access to all areas of the shed, fence or other wooden product at the time of assembly, liberally coat the wood with a high-quality preservative (aka wood stain) using a brush, roller or spray gun.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to the number of coats required and wipe off any excess preservative before it dries.

As previously mentioned, with pressure-treated wood, there’s no need to do a thing for up to 15 years. After that time, the wood should be retreated once a year.

For dip-treated timber, apply the first retreatment within a year of assembly and then repeat annually.

Using Paint

Paint is a good alternative to stain and lets you add that individual touch.

When purchasing a pressure-treated product, be sure to wait for a period of 3-4 months before applying paint. This gives time for any treatment residue to disappear.

The Best Place to Buy Treated Sheds, Fence Panels and More

 

Whether you opt for pressure-treated or dip-treated fence panels, sheds or garden storage, you’ll find the best treated wood at the most competitive prices online at B&M Garden Buildings — you can buy online and have your purchase delivered straight to your door! (Please note that there are delivery surcharges for a few remote postcodes. T&Cs apply.)

Have you picked up one of our bargain sheds? Maybe you've just finished installing B&M fencing? We'd love to see how you're getting on, so share your before and after photos with the B&M Community on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.