Painting a garden shed explained step by step: wood protection and paint painting

A garden house is exposed to wind and weather – if you want to keep it beautiful and stable for a long time, you have to treat it properly. Depending on the construction method and pre-treatment, the requirements for wood protection differ. In this guide, we'll show you how to proceed systematically when setting up and painting – regardless of whether your garden shed is untreated, delivered in colour or pre-greyed.

If your garden house is delivered natural, careful wood protection is mandatory - right from the start. There are a few things to consider when setting it up:

Before assembly:

• Only coat tongue and groove joints with an impregnating primer , namely only shortly before construction , not before. This will prevent planks from warping during drying.
  
  
• The coated parts can then be Wet on wet - follow the application instructions of the impregnation primer used.
  
  

During assembly:

• In the case of System houses with plug-and-screw system you should also use the Untreated cut edges in the outdoor area before the corner panels are mounted. The impregnation primer can also be used here.
  
  

After assembly:

• Exterior Surfaces : Now comes the actual coat of paint – preferably with a coloured glaze in two coats (or: "For the first coat, a two-fold coat must always be applied"). Colourless paint does not protect against UV radiation and causes the wood to turn grey.
  
  

Interior surfaces : All you need here is colourless, solvent-free wood protection glaze to stabilize the wood and protect it from moisture.

If your garden house has already been treated in colour at the factory, the wood protection on the outside is usually sufficient. Nevertheless, there is also rework here:

• Untreated cut edges in the outdoor area (e.g. in plug-and-screw systems), the cut edges of the wall planks should be painted with an impregnation primer before installing the cover strips at the corners.
  
  

Interior surfaces are usually untreated and should be painted with a wood protection glaze – a simple coat of paint is sufficient here.

A pre-greyed garden house is visually state-of-the-art – the grey patina imitates the natural ageing process of the wood. This surface offers a certain basic protection, but a post-treatment is also useful here:

• After 2-3 years you should refresh the wood with a wood protection glaze - this will keep it weatherproof and stable.
  
  

If you want to apply a coloured glaze to the pre-greyed substrate later, note: The grey base influences the colour result. It is best to test new shades beforehand on an inconspicuous area.

To ensure that your garden shed is well protected in the long term, we recommend high-quality wood preservatives:

• Waterproofing primer for tongue & groove and cut edges
  
  
• Coloured wood protection glaze with integrated UV protection for the outer surfaces
  
  
• Solvent-free, colourless glaze for indoor use
  
  

Sample products:

• Waterproofing primer : Remmers IG10
  
  
• Paint glaze for exterior : Remmers HK glaze (3 in 1 combination glaze, including impregnation primer)
  
  

Inner glaze : Remmers Universal Glaze (colourless, solvent-free)

Outside:

Coloured glazed wood:
➤ Refresh approx. every 3-5 years, depending on the stress.
➤ South sides or heavily weathered areas can also require follow-up care after 2-3 years.

Colorless painted wood:
➤ Usually has to be repainted more often (every 1-2 years) because there is no UV protection.
➤ In addition, the wood turns grey despite protection because colour pigments are missing.

Inside:

Colourless painted wood in the interior is largely easy to maintain.
➤ Refreshment only necessary in the event of visible wear, often only after many years or not at all.

Pre-greyed surfaces:

The protective effect of the Pre-greying is limited – it protects visually, but less technically.
➤ After 2-3 years, an additional coat of wood protection glaze is recommended to protect the wood permanently.

Tip:

Glaze: A short water beading test will show you whether the protective layer is still intact:

• If the water rolls off, everything → fine.
• If it draws in → it will soon be time for a new coat of paint.

Paint: Paint is permanently water beading so this test does not work here, but you can still tell from the chipping and peeling of paint that it needs a refresh.

A garden shed is more than just a shed – it is a place to feel good, store or work. To ensure that it can withstand wind, rain and sun, well thought-out wood protection is crucial. If you protect tongue and groove during assembly, rely on the right products and treat the wood professionally inside and out, you will ensure that the house still looks stable and well-maintained even after many years.

Whether untreated, delivered in colour or pre-greyed – every garden shed needs its own individual protection. If you plan the steps correctly, you will save yourself trouble, repairs and expensive improvements later.

As of September 2025