How to Use and Maintain Sheds in New England

Sheds are an important part of homes all around the country, but they play a special role in New England states like MA, NH, RI, and VT. In the Northeast, the changing seasons and often harsh winters make a quality storage shed a must-have for many homeowners.

If you invest in a shed for your property, it’s essential that you make the most of it and take the right steps to maintain it. Here are some seasonal tips on how New England homeowners can get the most out of their investments.

Spring

In the spring, your shed is sure to come in handy when you’re prepping your gardens, storing holiday decorations, and doing maintenance on lawn care tools. However, after a long, snowy winter in MA or NH, your storage shed might need some TLC.

Spring is the perfect time to inspect your shed for damage and schedule any repairs that might be needed. It’s also a good time to give your shed a new coat of paint, as this way it will look sharp throughout the summer and fall.

Summer

Your shed may very well get the most use during the summer months—after all, it’s the perfect spot to store tools, complete DIY projects, stash lawn games and furniture, and so much more.

What does taking care of your shed entail during the summer? Cleaning up foliage and debris around the edges, for one. If plants grow too high around your shed, they could damage the structure. Further, you should ensure that you mow grass away from your shed. You never know when you’ll hit a stray rock, and you don’t want it to go soaring into the structure.

Autumn

You’ll have a whole new batch of tools that need storing come autumn—rakes, leaf blowers, ladders, and more—and it’s so much easier to keep all these gadgets safe when you have a shed in your yard.

However, a new season means new maintenance tasks, especially in areas like MA and NH. In the fall, be sure to clear leaves off your shed’s roof, clean out the gutters (if it has them), reorganize any seasonal tools, and inspect the building to make sure it’s ready for winter.

Winter

New England winters are no cake walk—northeastern states like MA, NH, and VT often get multiple feet of snow that homeowners must handle. Your shed will be your best friend when it comes to storing shovels, snowblowers, and ice melt, but you’ll have to take care of the building now more than ever before.

When you get word of a big storm, make sure there are no unsturdy branches that could fall on your shed. It’s also important to clear off the roof if too much snow accumulates, otherwise it could damage the ceiling.

By following these use and maintenance tips each season, you’ll be able to keep your storage shed in prime condition for many years to come.