Once your new Power Sheds shed has been assembled in your garden, it’s time to make the whole place look great. Getting the lawn in order, jet washing that patio and sourcing the perfect furniture are all vital parts of creating that perfect garden set up. For many people, painting their shed to match the colours in their garden, or simply just to give it an extra pop of colour and really make a statement, is a great way to add a personal touch.
In this guide, we’re going to take a look at how to paint a garden shed. From garden shed paint ideas right through to painting a shed roof, we want to help you give your shed the top-notch paint job it deserves. So, whether you’re painting a garden shed, summer house or even adding a splash of colour to your potting shed, your garden will be looking great in no time.
Garden Shed Paint: Why Should I Paint My Shed?
You can choose to paint your shed for a number of different reasons, from aesthetics through to care and protection from the weather – after all, your shed will be exposed to the elements 12 months a year.
When it comes to painting your shed to help protect it from the elements, including both inclement weather such as rain plus the UV rays from sunlight, this shouldn’t be a concern with a Power Sheds product. Our sheds all come with an advance exterior wood preservative, meaning they’re delivered ready to withstand a year of use before they need to be treated. After the first year, we’d advise treating or painting your shed annually to help keep it protected.
If you’ve just bought your shed and have decided to paint it simply to add a little colour to your garden or to fit the theme you already had, this is absolutely fine. After all, your shed is likely to be one of the focal points of the garden and therefore the colour you choose can be important in helping to set the tone.
Shed Painting Ideas: Step-by-Step
When painting your garden shed, preparation is key. This means getting all the equipment together and having a good idea of how to do the best possible paint job on your shed. Here are some key points to remember:
Clean it First
First things first, you’ll want to ensure your shed is nice and clean and ready to take a coat of paint. To do this, try using a wire brush to clean off any cobwebs, moss or weeds that have grown on the surface of your shed.
Ensure Everything is in Intact
If you’re planning on painting a new shed, you should be able to skip this step, but if your shed has been sitting in the garden a year or more, you’ll want to check for any potential wear and tear that needs patching up first. There’s no point painting your shed if it’s going to need repairs after!
Prepare and Protect the Area
Most of us have done painting around the house, right? Well, the same preparation applies when you’re painting your shed. If you’ve got decking or a patio below your shed, or even a nice flower bed, try to cover them with a dust sheet so you’re not worrying about excess paint dropping onto them.
Tape Up Your Metalwork
Unless you’re planning to paint the metalwork on your shed (which you shouldn’t be doing with wood paint anyway), you’ll want to grab some masking tape and tape it all up. That way, once you’ve finished painting the wood, you can simply peel off your tape and admire the perfect finish.
Paint It!
Once you’re all set, there’s nothing left to do except paint the thing! Make sure you’ve got the brushes you need and enough paint to cover your shed and you’re all set to go. We’d recommend a high-quality wood preserving paint from a reputable supplier. Once you’ve done the first coat, pop the kettle on and wait a couple of hours before you decide whether you need to go over it again to get the finish you’re looking for.
Painting a Shed Roof
Painting your shed roof works a little differently to painting the timber walls. Most sheds will come with a felt lined roof to help protect against the elements and waterproof your shed. Again, if you’ve just bought a new Power Sheds shed, then there’s no need to worry – the felt provided with your shed is a polyester backed roofing felt. In the video below, Simon explains why we use this type of felt:
Your roof felt should mean that there’s no need to paint the shed roof at all, plus it’s unlikely you’ll see any aesthetic benefits from painting it a different colour, after all, you’ll be painting onto grey.
If you do feel like your shed roof needs a refresh, the best option is more likely to be re-felting the roof rather than painting it. Our video below shows how to apply felt to a shed roof:
Shed Painting FAQs
Painting your shed might seem like a relatively straightforward job, but we know you want the best for your garden building. We’ve answered some of the most common questions when it comes to shed painting.
Should You Paint the Inside of a Shed?
Painting the inside of a timber shed is not always necessary as it is less exposed to the elements and therefore it is less likely for the colour to fade over time. However we would definitely recommend painting the inside of your building with a high quality preserver to protect the building from absorbing moisture which helps protect the wood against rotting or warping
Can You Paint a Wet Shed?
Painting a wet shed, or painting a shed in the rain, is not recommended. When you’re painting, the wood should be soaking up all the paint, something that can’t happen as effectively when it’s already soaked up a load of water. Ideally, you should wait for a dry day when there’s no rain forecast. After all, who wants to stand in the rain painting their shed anyway?!
What’s the Best Paint for a Garden Shed?
When you’re choosing the paint for your garden shed, we’d always recommend choosing a wood or shed preserving paint. These are available in all DIY stores and even some big supermarkets. Your shed is a big investment, so you’ll also want to make sure you use a reputable paint supplier.
From garden sheds to bike sheds, painting your shed can help protect it and give your garden a facelift. Want to know more about looking after your shed? Our Sheducation section has everything you need to know.