So you have a newly built shed, and you’re unsure if you still need to do the extra work to paint the interior. You probably looked up this article wondering if it’s worth it to paint your entire shed.
You should paint the inside of your shed. Paint adds moisture resistance, adds durability, and value, considering how cheap and easy it is to apply. Paint helps to increase the longevity of your materials in the long run, which will help reduce the number of repairs you’ll be doing.
Read on as we’ll be going into an in-depth explanation on why you should paint your entire shed, the numerous benefits, and how to go about it.
Why paint the inside of your shed?
The great thing about painting sheds is that it’s a simple and easy job. Compared to the other parts of your house, sheds are compact and a lot less complex in design and construction. There are no nooks and crannies to fuss over, and you don’t even have to pay that much attention to detail since no one hangs around inside their shed.
This type of project would take around a day to get done and can easily be accomplished by one person. With that said, it’s well worth the effort as the benefits that painting your shed provides adds up quite a lot in the long run.
It was mentioned earlier that paint helps protect your materials because it acts as a sort of “sealant.” This is a good thing as pretty much anything left exposed will deteriorate over time. Paint helps slow down this process. The deterioration part is especially true if your shed is made out of wood, an organic material.
With all that said, we can now begin going into the specifics for shed painting.
Considerations to make when painting a shed
The main thing that you should consider when painting a shed is the material you’ll be painting on and the type of paint you’ll be using. We’ll now be doing a quick overview of the kind of materials that sheds are commonly made out of and the common types of paints homeowners use.
Types of materials sheds are made out of
- Wood
The most significant consideration you’ll need to make for wood is its uneven and rough surface. Unless your wood is perfectly sanded, there will be some nooks and crannies that you’ll need to fill out with paint.
- Plastic
The great thing about plastic sheds is that they usually already come painted. If you want to change the paint of your plastic shed, you don’t really need to consider using the right kind of paint. Plastic is already highly resistant to deterioration so you can focus more on the aesthetic side of things.
- Metal
Metal is a smooth and uniform material, making it the easiest material on this list to paint. Your primary consideration for painting metal is to make sure that you paint it properly, as any mistakes will be clearly seen.
Both metal and wood will need to be repainted down the line to prevent rot and rusting from happening, while plastic sheds don’t need any maintenance work aside from cleaning here and there.
Types of paint regularly used for shed
- Acrylic Latex Paint
A water-based paint that can easily be scrubbed off if needed, acrylic latex is a reliable go-to if you plan on changing the color of your shed every time you repaint it. Its main advantage over other paint types is how to DIY-friendly it is since it’s so easy to apply and clean compared to different types of pain.t
- Oil Paint
Oil paint can be a viable choice, given that you don’t live in an area that experiences that much humidity. The main advantage of oil paint is that the color difference between application and drying isn’t that much, which is excellent for homeowners who are particular about this type of stuff.
- Enamel Paint
This is practically colored varnish with minerals added to it. Enamel Paint provides a great amount of protection as it’s both waterproof and chemical-proof, which is great if you work with appliances that can leak oil, grease, lighter fluid, etc.
If you want to keep things simple and not have to fuss over choosing the right type of paint, there are specific paint brands that manufacture paint designed for those types of structures already. These brands offer a variety of options so you won’t be missing out on any colors that you’d want for your shed.
Other considerations for your shed’s interior
Aside from just paint, there are also other things that you should take into account if you are working towards making your shed more durable. The following are the primary considerations that you’ll also need to make.
- Considering applying stain instead of paint
This is an excellent option if you want to showcase the beauty of your wood. Stain gives a more natural look and weathers more nicely compared to paint.
- Don’t forget to paint the ceiling.
You’ll also need to paint the interior side of your shed’s roof. Roofs experience the brunt of the rainfall, so it doesn’t hurt to have an extra layer of protection to prevent water from dripping into your shed.
- Ventilation
It’s a good practice to always have some way that air can enter/escape your shed. This is to prevent moisture from forming internally, from condensing water vapors, and generally improves air quality. An air barrier can be made from simply having openings where air can enter/exit freely while sealing up the rest of your shed.
It might seem like these considerations are over-the-top just for a shed, but as we mentioned earlier, it’s always a good habit to build things well to make the most out of your efforts and save you from problems in the long run.
How to paint your shed’s interior
We’ll now be going through a quick overview as to how to paint the interior of your shed. We’re assuming that you have a typical shed, one built solely on its own, with no electrical fixtures(such as lights and outlets) or plumbing fixtures (such as sinks or faucets).
- Prepare your tools(and paint)
For this type of job, all you need is your painting tools(brush, roller, spray), the paints you’ll be using (based on our types of paint section), and lastly, the primer.
- Clean up!
Scrub down the interiors of your shed with a brush to remove any lingering dirt, mold, etc. This ensures that you’ll end up with a good-quality finish once the paint dries out later on.
- Apply the primer
Primer allows the paint to stick better onto the surface of the material of your shed’s interior and prevents the material(wood) from absorbing the paint. Apply your primer horizontally (sideways) and wait at least 2-3 hours to ensure that the primer fully dries before applying paint. Priming is also known as the basecoat.
- Apply the paint
You’ll be applying paints multiple times. This is called coating, which allows you to control how your paint will turn out based on how dense it will be. The fewer coatings, the more the material will show, while the more coatings will naturally give you a smoother look and a stronger color. For sheds, it’s better to go with three coatings or more to hide any signs of deterioration on the material.
Make sure to paint from top to bottom, and don’t forget to have your tools on hand when you need to apply paint on more challenging to-reach areas, such as the ceiling of your shed.
- Finishing
This is also another coating, which is called the topcoat. This is where you apply a final layer of sealing agent on the paint, which protects it from chips, scratches, weathering, etc. This layer ensures your paint’s longevity, so you’ll need to make sure that every inch of paint is covered with a topcoat.
Painting sheds is a lot easier than painting a house because many fewer things you need to worry about, such as outlets, fixtures, finishes(like trim), etc. Nonetheless, it’s still essential that you get it right to make your shed last longer.
Lastly, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t leave any parts of your materials unpainted. The difference in sealants will cause water vapors to concentrate on that part, as it tends to take the path of least resistance.
Conclusion
Painting the inside of your shed is a quick and straightforward job that any homeowner can do. It’s always a good practice to build things well by avoiding shortcuts. With that being said, you should also consider the other parts of your homes that may need a touch-up.
Sources
https://home-gardener.co.uk/sheds/interior-shed-care/
https://home-gardener.co.uk/sheds/shed-paint/
https://www.procrewschedule.com/different-types-of-paint-used-in-construction-and-its-applications/
https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/paint-and-coating-guide