Exterior Care & Finish
All of the cladding options for your Garage are either pressure-treated or thermally-treated to provide excellent resistance to moisture, rot and insect infestation. The cladding will withstand the Scottish weather without any additional treatment, but cosmetic changes will occur.
You will have chosen either a paint colour or a natural finish before installation.
If you have chosen a Sadolin colour for your Garage it will arrive with a base coat and requires a finishing coat of paint. We recommend applying this coat within 3 weeks for aesthetic reasons. Depending on your building’s exposure to the weather, it will need repainting every 5-7 years.
Alternatively you can choose to keep the original colour of the timber. If you choose this option your building will be coated with a preservative base coat to protect it during transit and installation. You can either choose to leave the building to weather without any coating, or you can coat the building with Osmo oil.
Osmo UV Protection Oil is available in clear and tinted shades. It slows down the process of weathering. If you want to maintain the original finish of the natural timber, apply a coat of oil to your building after 3 weeks after installation.
If you prefer the appearance of weathered timber, you can leave the building uncoated until it reaches your desired shade, then coat with Osmo to preserve this colour.
To maintain your chosen finish, you should clean your building and reapply Osmo as required. Before re-oiling, clean your building with Osmo Decking Cleaner, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This product is also ideal for general cleaning of your Garage.
Please note that pressure washers should not be used on timber buildings.
Osmo UV Protection Oil is an organic compound that can be susceptible to surface mould. If this appears on your building it is easily cleaned off using Osmo Decking Cleaner and is no indication of structural damage.
Alternatively you can choose to maintain the original colour of the timber or allow the timber to weather to your desired shade. This involves coating your building with Osmo UV Protection Oil, which is available in clear and tinted shades.
Light Red Cedar (431) is the shade closest to the original finish of Radiata ThermoWood and can be applied to restore the original colour or to prevent weathering. If you wish to prevent weathering you should apply this product to your Garden Room around 3 weeks after installation.
A mixture of Clear and Light Red Cedar oils can be used to standardise the tone if more weathering has occurred on one part of the building or if you have chosen to allow partial weathering.
To maintain your chosen finish, you should clean your building and reapply Osmo in your desired shade each year.
If you have chosen Radiata ThermoWood cladding for your Garage, your building will come with a preservative coating which protects it during transit and installation. This cladding is naturally protected from moisture, so it isn’t necessary to recoat your building unless you want to retain the original dark brown colour of the timber.
Untreated, the dark brown colour of the timber will change over time to a pale blond tone, and will eventually weather to a silvery grey colour. This is a natural process that does not impact the structural integrity of your building in any way. Please note that these changes may not be uniform and will depend on the building’s exposure to sunlight and weather.
This is the lowest-maintenance option for your building and if you are happy with these colour changes, you do not have to treat your building in any way.
While it is possible to paint Close Board & Strap cladding, the rough-sawn boards require at least twice as much Sadolin or Osmo as weatherboard cladding.
This cladding is designed to weather naturally
If there’s a chance that the items you store in your Garage aren’t fully dry every time you store them, we strongly recommend applying a protective coat of paint to the interior walls. This will prevent moisture build-up on the OSB interior.
If your Garage is insulated and lined with plywood, the minimum protection required is an antifungal base coat. Roxil, Barretine, Sikagard or Dulux Weathershield are all appropriate antifungal treatments.
For maximum protection, the best practice is to also apply paint over this antifungal coat. You can use any paint you choose for this purpose.
doors & windows
Over the years you may find small changes in your Garage’s doors and windows. These are caused by natural timber movement which can occur over time.
If you have a mortise and tenon door that has moved so much that you can’t close or open it, there is a straightforward carpentry method to rectify this
If you have uPVC doors and windows, these can be adjusted by a double glazer.
We offer a service to make these adjustments at our hourly rate. Alternatively, any reputable joiner or glazer can carry out the work.
Roofs & Guttering
Your Garage comes with steel box profile roofing. Steel box profile roofing has a 20-year manufacturer’s guarantee and a lifespan of at least 30 years.
This roofing material has no maintenance requirements.
We recommend installing guttering on your Garage. You can add this to your order or install your own. If you have opted for guttering on your Garage, check this twice yearly and clean out any leaves or blockages. More regular checks may be necessary if there are overhanging trees above the building.
Flooring
Your Garage’s concrete floor is durable enough to withstand regular wear and tear. However, you may wish to add a floor covering for your comfort or aesthetic preference. Various options are available, from rubber flooring tiles to laminate flooring.
If you do choose an alternative flooring option, clean your floor with a disposable wipes mop rather than with a wet mop. This protects the OSB interior from absorbing any excess moisture.
ventilation
Dust and mould can accumulate if your Garage is crammed full with no spaces for air to circulate. Using shelves and storage containers ensures that there is airflow throughout the inside of the building.
The 3-Tier structure of your Garage will prevent moisture from getting into your building from outside. However, if you store wet items inside the building, you bring moisture into the Garage.
This moisture can evaporate into the air and then condense on the Garage walls and contents. To prevent this, dry off excess moisture from wet items with a towel and remove the towel from the building.
Summary
FAQs
Dust and mould can accumulate if your Garage is crammed full with no spaces for air to circulate. Using shelves and storage containers ensures that there is airflow throughout the inside of the building.
This moisture can evaporate into the air and then condense on the Garage walls and contents. To prevent this, dry off excess moisture from wet items with a towel and remove the towel from the building.
