DIY GUIDE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to repair a garden shed yourself
A weekend. €60–€180 in felt, timber, fixings and treatment.
Re-felt the roof, replace rotten boards, rehang the door, and treat and paint the timber so the shed lasts.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a repairer?
Do it yourself if…
- The shed is timber, standing square, with damage to the felt, a few boards, the door or the finish
- The floor and frame are mostly sound, with rot only in places
- The roof is low enough to reach from a step-ladder at the side
- You can saw, drill and drive screws, and have a helper for the roof
Get a pro if…
- The roof is old corrugated cement or fibre sheeting that may contain asbestos
- The frame is rotten through, the shed leans, or the base has sunk
- It is a large garden building, workshop or cabin with electrics
- The roof cannot be reached without standing on it
Safety first
- Never stand on a shed roof. Work from a step-ladder at the side, set on firm level ground, keeping off the top two steps as the HSA’s ladder guidance requires.
- Old corrugated cement or fibre roof sheets on sheds and garages can contain asbestos. Do not break, drill or cut them; get them assessed.
- Wood preservers can contain harmful chemicals. Wear gloves and glasses, keep them off skin and away from children, pets and ponds.
- Wear a dust mask when sanding; the HSA treats wood dust as a respiratory hazard and recommends at least a P2 particulate filter.
- Use a hooked blade and cut away from your body when cutting felt.
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| Shed roof felt | Rolls sized to the roof | Both slopes plus overlaps |
| Felt adhesive or bitumen mastic | One tin or tub | For laps and eaves |
| Galvanised clout nails | Short ones for felt | A small box |
| Treated replacement boards and battens | Matching profile | As many as are rotten |
| Wood preserver and shed paint or stain | Exterior, microporous | Enough for two coats on the whole shed |
How much felt does the roof need?
Measure each roof slope from the ridge to the eaves, add the overhang at the eaves and an overlap at the ridge, and measure the length of the roof plus the overhang at both ends. Divide by the roll width to get the number of strips per slope. For a shed 2.4 m long with slopes of 1.1 m, a 1 m-wide felt needs two strips per slope, each 2.5 m long — four strips, 10 m in total, which is one 10m roll with nothing to spare. Buy a second roll if your overlaps are generous or the felt tears.
Felt overlaps by a good margin at every lap; work from the eaves up so each strip overlaps the one below and sheds water.
Shed felt is sold by roll, often 10m by 1m, in grades that last from a few years to fifteen or more. The heavier grades cost more but last much longer and resist tearing in wind. Fix it with galvanised clout nails and a felt adhesive or bitumen mastic at the overlaps and eaves, so wind cannot get under the edges.
Softwood is not naturally durable outdoors. One woodcare maker says most softwoods need a preservative before they go outdoors, unless the factory has already treated them. Treat new or bare timber before any colour goes on, paying special attention to cut ends and the bottom boards.
A water-based shed and fence paint gives colour and protection and is easy to apply. A woodstain shows the grain. Both are microporous, letting moisture vapour out of the timber instead of trapping it under a skin. One shed paint maker’s guide calls for a second coat within 24 hours, starting at the top and brushing the joints first.
Steel nails and screws rust in wet timber and leave brown streaks down the boards. The same woodcare maker advises replacing loose or rusty fixings with galvanised or non-ferrous ones. Use exterior screws for boards and hinges, and galvanised clouts for felt.
Buy pressure-treated timber for bearers, bottom boards and anything near the ground. Match the board profile — shiplap, tongue-and-groove or overlap — and its thickness, taking a piece of the old board to the timber merchant.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Preparing the shed — by what is wrong
Walk round the shed and press the timber with a screwdriver. Soft, spongy wood is rot; firm wood with surface grey is weathering. Pick each card that matches.
Leaking or torn roof felt
Water stains inside, torn or lifting felt, soft roof boards.
- Check the roof is old timber and felt, not cement sheeting, before you touch it
- Pick a dry, still day — felt lifts in wind and adhesive will not grip wet boards
- Set the step-ladder on firm level ground at the side of the shed
- Plan to strip the old felt and check the boards beneath; replace any that are soft
Rotten bottom boards and bearers
Soft boards at the base, a floor that flexes, a frame sitting in wet ground.
- Clear soil, leaves and plants from around the base so air can circulate
- Press each bottom board and the floor with a screwdriver to map the rot
- Check what the shed stands on: a base that holds water rots the bearers
- Buy treated timber to replace what you find, with a spare length
Door dragging or not closing
The door drops, catches on the frame or the floor, or will not latch.
- Check the hinges for loose or rusted screws
- Check the frame is square with a tape measure across the diagonals
- Look at the bottom of the door for swelling or rot
- Have longer exterior screws ready for the hinges
Greyed, flaking or bare timber
Timber looks grey and dry, old finish is flaking, or there is moss and algae.
- Scrub off moss and dirt with a stiff brush and water and let the shed dry for a few days
- Scrape off loose, flaking finish
- Sand greyed timber back to fresh wood — the woodcare maker warns that the loose surface fibres take the new coating off with them if left
- Clean resin from knots with methylated spirits, not white spirit, which smears it
THE JOB
How to repair a shed, in order
Empty the shed and survey it
1 hrEmpty the shed so you can see the floor, the walls and the roof from inside. Look for daylight through the roof, water stains, soft floor patches and boards that move. Walk round outside and test every board near the ground with a screwdriver. Make a list: roof, boards, base, door, finish. Check the roof material — if it is old corrugated cement sheeting, stop and get advice before going further.
- Photograph each problem so you can buy the right timber
- Check for wasps’ nests and wildlife before pulling things apart
- Note any electrics; a shed with wiring needs an electrician for anything near it
Mistake to avoid: Starting with the paint. The paint goes over rot and the shed fails anyway.
Prepare the surfaces
2 hrFollow the cards above. Clear the base and the ground around it. Scrub, scrape and sand the walls where the finish is failing, and let the shed dry. Remove old felt nails with the claw hammer and pry off torn felt, keeping the roof boards intact. Check the weather forecast: you want the timber dry and the next day dry too.
- Wear gloves; old felt edges and rusty nails cut
- Bag the old felt as you go so it does not blow around the garden
- Leave the walls to dry for a day or two after scrubbing
Mistake to avoid: Sanding or scrubbing and painting the same day. Damp timber will not take treatment or paint.
Replace rotten boards and bearers
2 hrCut out each rotten board, prising it carefully so the boards above and below survive. Cut the new board to length, treat the cut ends with preserver, and fix it with exterior screws into the frame. If the floor bearers are rotten, prop the shed on blocks, slide out the old bearer and slide in a treated one, raising the shed slightly off wet ground on a firm, free-draining base.
- Treat every cut end before fixing — that is where rot starts
- Pre-drill near the board ends to stop them splitting
- Leave a gap between the bottom board and the ground
Mistake to avoid: Fixing untreated timber at the base. It rots again within a couple of winters.
Re-felt the roof from the side
3 hrWith a helper, roll out the felt and cut strips to length with a hooked blade, allowing the overhang at both ends. Working from a step-ladder at the side, start at the eaves: lay the first strip with an overhang, nail along its top edge with galvanised clouts, then lay the next strip above it with a generous overlap, stuck down with adhesive and nailed through the lap. Finish with a ridge strip over the top. Fold the overhangs under the edges and nail them neatly.
- Warm felt is easier to handle — unroll it in the sun before cutting
- Keep nails out of the exposed face where you can; the overlap covers them
- Fit timber edging battens over the felt at the gable ends to stop wind lifting it
Mistake to avoid: Climbing onto the shed roof to reach the middle. Shed roofs are not built to stand on, and a fall through or off one causes serious injury.
Rehang or ease the door
45 minTighten or replace the hinge screws with longer exterior screws into sound timber. If the door has dropped, pack the bottom hinge out slightly or fit a diagonal brace on the back of the door, running up from the bottom hinge side. Plane or sand the bottom edge if it catches, then treat and paint the bare wood. Refit or adjust the latch so it closes cleanly.
- A Z-shaped ledge-and-brace keeps a door square — the brace runs up from the hinge side
- Lubricate the hinges after fitting
- Check the frame diagonals; a racked frame will need squaring first
Mistake to avoid: Planing a lot off a door that has dropped. Fix the sag at the hinges, or the gap at the top grows.
Fill and treat
1 hrFill holes and small splits with an exterior wood filler and sand flush when it is hard. Brush preserver onto bare, new and repaired timber, especially end grain and the bottom boards, and let it dry as the tin says. Replace rusty nails and screws with galvanised ones as you go.
- Treat inside faces of new boards too before fitting, if you can
- Keep preserver off plants and away from ponds
- Wear gloves and glasses — it splashes
Mistake to avoid: Painting over bare timber with no preserver. The paint looks fine until the wood rots underneath it.
Paint or stain the shed
3 hrOn a dry day, mask the windows and hinges, as one shed paint maker suggests. Start at the top of each wall and work down. Brush the paint into the joints, overlaps and around the window frames, then roll the larger flat areas. Apply a second coat within the time the tin gives — one maker says within 24 hours.
- Never paint in full sun on a hot day or with rain coming; it dries patchy or washes off
- Brush along the length of the boards, not across them
- Pay extra attention to the bottom board and the end grain
Mistake to avoid: Painting down to the ground and leaving it at that. The bottom edge takes the splash and needs the most coats.
Check and seal the last details
30 minLook round the shed one more time in daylight. Seal any gaps around the window with an exterior sealant, check the felt edges are fixed down, and make sure the door shuts and latches. Put the contents back, keeping them off the walls and off the floor where damp collects.
- Shelving on the walls keeps tools off a damp floor
- A little ventilation stops condensation inside
- Clear gutters and leaves from the roof each autumn
Mistake to avoid: Packing the contents tight against the walls. Air cannot circulate, and the boards stay damp from inside.
The mistakes that make it worse
- Standing on the shed roof
- Painting over rot or wet timber
- Using steel nails and screws outdoors
- Laying felt so the laps face uphill
- Leaving soil and plants piled against the bottom boards
Stop here and get a shed repair carpenter
- The roof is old cement sheeting that may contain asbestos
- The frame is rotten through or the shed leans badly
- The roof cannot be reached without standing on it
- There is wiring in the shed that is damaged or near the repairs
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| Shed roof leaking | Torn or lifted felt, or a lap facing the wrong way. Re-felt from the eaves up so each strip overlaps the one below, sealed at the laps. |
| Felt lifting in the wind | Edges not nailed or no edge battens. Nail the folds under the eaves and fit timber battens along the gable ends. |
| Bottom boards rotting | Water splashing up and soil touching the timber. Replace with treated boards, clear the ground and leave a gap below. |
| Shed door sticking | Dropped hinges or swollen bottom edge. Tighten or replace the hinge screws, brace the door, and ease the bottom. |
| Paint peeling off the shed | Painted over greyed fibres, damp wood or old flaking finish. Scrape and sand back to sound timber, let it dry and repaint. |
| Brown streaks running down the boards | Rusting steel nails. Replace them with galvanised or non-ferrous fixings and recoat. |
| Sticky resin coming through the paint | Knots exuding resin. Clean it off with methylated spirits once it has hardened; it usually stops within a year or so. |
| Floor flexing | Rotten floor bearers or a sunken base. Prop the shed, replace the bearers with treated timber and level the base. |
| Green algae and moss on the walls | Damp, shade and plants against the shed. Scrub it off, let the timber dry, cut back plants and recoat; keep a gap round the walls. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Shed felt, 10m × 1m roll | €43–€75 |
|---|---|
| Felt adhesive or bitumen mastic | €19–€31 |
| Galvanised clout nails | €4.70–€6.60 |
| Exterior wood filler | €7.30–€21 |
| Shed and fence paint | €13–€33 |
| Total, a typical shed refurb | €60–€180 |
| DIY total | €60–€180 |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
Felt and paint are most of the cost. Replacement boards and bearers add a little more; a shed that needs a new frame is usually cheaper to replace than to repair.
RATHER NOT?
Shed repairers near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Keep the shed closed and dry while the paint or stain cures, and do not lean anything against the walls for a few days.
Check the felt and the bottom boards every autumn, clear leaves from the roof, and recoat the finish every few years before it starts to fail.
Old felt, rotten boards and offcuts go to your civic amenity site rather than the brown bin — mywaste.ie lists them. Leftover paint goes to a site that accepts paint; solvent-based preservers and white spirit are hazardous waste.
Keep a labelled tin of the finish, lid tight, stored upright and away from frost, for touch-ups.
Keep soil, leaves, firewood and plants back from the walls and base so the timber can dry after rain.
Repairing a garden shed: questions people ask
Strip the old felt, replace any soft roof boards, then re-felt from the eaves up so each strip overlaps the one below, sealed at the laps and nailed with galvanised clouts. Work from a step-ladder at the side, never on the roof.
Yes, if the timber is bare, new or repaired. One woodcare maker says most softwoods used outside must be treated with a preservative unless they were factory-treated.
Two, as a rule. One shed paint maker suggests applying the second coat within 24 hours, starting at the top and brushing the joints first.
It went on over greyed timber, damp wood or an old flaking finish. Scrape and sand back to sound wood, let it dry, treat and repaint.
If it is felt on timber, yes, from a step-ladder. If it is old corrugated cement or fibre sheeting, it may contain asbestos; leave it intact and get it assessed.
On the Locufy price guide for Ireland, shed repair costs €100–€500 per job, typically €250. A re-felt is at the low end; new bearers, boards and a full refurb at the top.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- Cuprinol Ireland — how to paint a shed: 5L, start at the top, brush the joints, second coat within 24hrs
- Sadolin Ireland — preparation FAQs: preservative on softwoods outside, methylated spirits not white spirit, galvanised fixings, sanding greyed timber
- HSA — using ladders safely, information sheet
- HSA — wood working information sheet: wood dust and P2 filters
- HSA — asbestos
- MyWaste — what to do with wood and timber
- MyWaste — what to do with paint
- diy.ie — shed felt, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — felt adhesive and bitumen mastic, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — galvanised clout nails, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — exterior wood filler, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — shed paint, price check October 2026