Use and Care Manual

X:\Technical\Sheds\CaringforyourShed_071111.doc 6/23/2014
300 Constitution Ave. Suite 200, Portsmouth, NH 03801
CARING FOR YOUR SHED Tel: [phone] ~ Fax. [phone]
(Guidelines for Treating the Shed) All sheds are to be sealed or treated within 60 days of delivery*
All sheds are sold unfinished and, as any good painter will tell you, must be caulked prior to treatment, with a
stainable/paintable caulk at any seam that may allow water in, such as trim over doors, windows, vents, along tops &
sides of cornerboards and the vertical overlaps on SmartPanel. Galvanized nails will bleed a grayish stain on wood
sheds, so all nail heads should be wood-puttied before treatment. To prevent knots from bleeding through your finish,
see your paint supplier for a knot sealer such as Binz or Kilz which is available in clear or white, and can be applied over
the knots before priming & painting or staining. We do not recommend using a clear sealer on pine or cedar. Even if the film is
sunlight resistant, it still permits sunlight to degrade the wood beneath, causing loss of coating adhesion. Using a penetrating, semi-
transparent finish on unfinished wood allows the wood to breathe and does not crack or peel.
Cedar sheds must be stained or primed & painted on the outside within 60 days of installation. Please consult with your paint
professional for a suitable product. Please note that cedar is porous and contains tannins, which can cause “water stains” to appear on
the inside as humidity leaches the tannins to the surface. They are harmless, but staining or varnishing the inside will minimize this
condition for cosmetic purposes.
Pine sheds and pine trim must be stained or primed & painted on the outside within 60 days of installation. Treat the knots, prime all
surfaces and use exterior acrylic latex paint for best results.
Shed/Smart Panel siding is pre-primed but must still be painted (not stained) within 60 days on the outside with an
exterior acrylic latex base paint, do not use any oil-based product. The outside trim is untreated pine and also needs to
be treated in the manner of unfinished wood described above for pine sheds.
NOTE: ALL type doors & windows, (with the exception of vinyl), should be painted/stained on all six sides (inside,
outside, and all four edges), applying extra to the cut edges. ALL shutters and flower boxes, (with the exception of vinyl),
must be removed and sealed on all sides as well as treating the siding behind them.
Floors: Use Acrylic Latex Floor paint only. DO NOT use Thompson’s waterseal or any or oil-based product.
Vinyl sheds do not require treatment, but may need to be maintained with a vinyl siding cleaner as needed.
All Screen Houses must be treated according to the guidelines above, inside and out.
Pressure Treated wood and plywood can and should be treated, after it has dried out for a few weeks.
These are guidelines only! Please check with a professional paint supplier for recommendations of painting or staining
materials and for proper coverage. Never apply treatment to moist wood.
RE-APPLY ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Stains need to be applied every 1-2 years for best results. Rough-sawn pine will use the same quantities as cedar.
Shed Size Smart Panel smooth Pine Cedar
Shed Size Smart Panel smooth Pine Cedar
6x6 1 gal 1 gal 1 gal 10x14 2 gal 2 gal 3-4 gal
6x8 1 gal 1 gal 1 gal 10x16 2 gal 2 gal 4-5 gal
8X8 1 gal 1 gal 1-2 gal 10x18 2 gal 2 gal 5 gal
8X10 1 gal 1 gal 2 gal 10x20 2-3 gal 2-3 gal 5-6 gal
8x12 1-2 gal 1-2 gal 3 gal 12X12 2 gal 2 gal 3-4 gal
8x14 1-2 gal 1-2 gal 3 gal 12X14 2 gal 2 gal 5 gal
8x16 2 gal 2 gal 4 gal 12X16 2-3 gal 2-3 gal 5-6 gal
10x10 1 gal 1 gal 2 gal 12X18 2-3 gal 2-3 gal 5-6 gal
10x12 2 gal 2 gal 3 gal 12X20 3-4 gal 3-4 gal 5-6 gal
*Products delivered between November 1
st
and February 15
th
may not allow the new owner time to stain or paint
the unit due to the temperature or weather. This will not harm the product in any way. The unit must be painted
or stained prior to April 15
th
and the warranty will remain intact.
DOOR MAINTENANCE - Please remember to stain or paint both sides and all edges of your door(s) to minimize shrinking
and swelling due to weather conditions. It is normal for the doors to shrink and swell; sealing them minimizes any movement.
Due to variations in the weather or slight settling of your shed, the door’s gate latch may require periodic adjustment,
this is a simple procedure which can be completed in just a couple of minutes
using a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the
two screws holding the door block and
move it so that the latch bar is centered in
the loop, then re-install screws. Leave a
1/4" gap between the door block and the
center trim, to allow for swelling.
The newer style T-latches should not
need adjustment, but you may need to
tighten the inside handle set-screw if it
loosens. The hex wrench came with latch.
Gate Latch