What’s a good way to do this?
I’ll have a fabric suitcase & camping chairs stored in there so I’m trying to seal the shed as best as possible but don’t know the best course of action. I like the idea of using an oil instead of paint because the cedar smell repels insects.
The shed will be placed under a 20″ house overhang that has gutters, the shed’s overall depth including it’s own roof overhang is 22.5″ so it will stick out a few inches from the house overhang. I don’t think tons of rain is going to be dripping on the top of the shed. (I live in CA, so no snow).
I don’t know how to store the fabric suitcase and folding camping & beach chairs without them getting moist. Should I treat the bare cedar?
The shed will get full morning sun and any rain that blows on the front or sides.
OLT 4×2 Garden Chalet Item#GC42Bev
Replies
linseed oil is not waterproofing. It degrades outdoors as well.
Linseed oil has no business outdoors, at all.
If you apply waterproofing on the inside, you would be blocking the interior from any benefits of the cedar.
Waterproofing MUST be done on the exterior.
I would not store fabric, paper, or anything similar in an outdoor shed. Humidity will effect it, as will heat, cold, etc. You really should keep those kinds of things in a climate controlled area.
Waterproofing is for the outside of any structure expected to be in the weather. A 2' x 4' shed is pretty small and might benefit most from generous roof overhangs. Cedar holds up pretty well outside, if you detail it properly to shed water and provide some ventilation you should be fine without a finish. Since you say it is a pre-cut building you may not have many options.
The shed will be placed under a 20" house overhang that has gutters, the shed's overall depth including it's own roof overhang is 22.5" so it will stick out a few inches from the house overhang. I don't think tons of rain is going to be dripping on the top of the shed. (I live in CA, so no snow).
I don't know how to store the fabric suitcase and folding camping & beach chairs without them getting moist. Should I treat the bare cedar?
The shed will get full morning sun and any rain that blows on the front or sides.
OLT 4x2 Garden Chalet Item#GC42Bev
Your beach and camping furniture are probably safe from what little moisture will reach them, they are meant for outdoor use. If the shed has adequate ventilation mold and mildew should not be an issue, but that might go up or down depending on the exposure...on the south side of the building the sun will help matters. If the "fabric" suitcase is a synthetic material it could be fine as well. Natural materials spend their lives like we do, returning eventually to dust, but faster.
I put one of these together for a customer a while back, and I had the good fortune to return to their home immediately following a storm. It was obvious where moisture still got in and I was able to make a few adjustments to prevent it. (mostly by adding extra material around the door frame). I would build it, protect your items with an extra layer of plastic, then wait for some weather and see how it performs. I personally like to leave my cedar and redwood bare to eventually weather gray.
Thank you all SO MUCH for your experience and feedback! I really felt worried and didn't know what to do, but now I feel good about not treating the cedar, covering my items and watching to see how it does in the weather.
If you have any other feedback, please share!
A 2' x 4' shed is pretty small and might benefit most from generous roof overhangs. Cedar holds up pretty well outside, if you detail it properly to shed water and provide some ventilation you should be fine without a finish. mygroundbizaccount
@krstaricuuh; It feels like I read that someplace... Oh yeah, I remember...it was my own post #3 in this thread. Weird.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled