Help and advice on the Maintenace of Timber Buildings

We have had the pleasure to work with many different types of wood over the years from Pine to Hardwood and something we have learned along the way is that wood hard or soft has a Natural behaviour pattern meaning it generally follows the same life plan as it's fellow planks!! (Please excuse the poor humour)

Basically what I'm trying to say is all wood behaves in set ways which is normally governed by climate and humidity. Sometimes wood will shrink & sometimes it will swell this is completely normal and will happen no matter what you do and if conditions are extreme then wood can even warp and split. However this should not have you running for the UPVC in despair as man kind have built, used and even lived in timber buildings for many centuries well since caves became so unpopular that is.... 

To help prevent very bad behaviour from your wood there are a few tricks us humans have learned.

1)      No matter what it says on the wood preserve tin or what the timber yard suggests always listen to your wood if it's fading or the preserve is cracking and looking weathered then give it a good re-coat or 2 of wood preserve and re-apply any silicone that is not up to par.

2)      Always leave expansions gaps around the floor, centre of the roof and between the doors this may seem silly but it is essential because if you do not, as soon as your wood swells it will cause you major problems. However once you have applied your edging, beading, silicone and roofing felt/tiles these gaps should be pretty much invisible and will be watertight.

3)      If your garden is exposed to the elements, has tree's near by or you live near the sea or we just have a really bad year then you will have to maintain your building more than normal we recommend using Tanalised cladding and 2 coats of a good wood preserve. If your doors swell or shrink more than the norm then you should use wood preserve on all the external & internal areas of your doors and windows and maybe add some extra clear silicone to all the window/door joints this will help to keep a majority of moisture out of the timber. Also to avoid door jamming or larger gaps if major shrinkage occurs then You can adjust your hinges and locks to accommodate such movements during the changing seasons. (although if you are just using your building as a summerhouse then this is probably unnecessary as you may find yourself adjusting them a few time a year as the shrinkage and swelling occurs with the changing climate) 

Please note you will never be able to stop shrinking and swelling altogether, even the best wood preserves mainly protect against rot and decay they are designed to let wood breathe and therefore they do still absorb moisture and therefore expand when wet and shrink when they dry out.

4)      You can also fit guttering as this will help to keep the majority of rain water away from your cladding, although you must remember to clear out old leaves and dirt to prevent blockages.

Wood is a wonderful natural product and if it is maintained properly with a little TLC it will bring you a lifetime of joy & pleasure.