28-Year-Old Shed Gets New Siding, Trim and Bottom Plate

Here's the thing about rot - it doesn't stop. What starts as soft wood at the base of your shed quietly spreads upward, and by the time you notice it, you're not dealing with a small fix anymore. That's exactly what we found on this 28-year-old shed. The bottom plate had rotted through, the siding was failing, and the trim had warped. Left alone, the whole structure would have eventually followed.

We stripped the siding off completely so we could see exactly what we were working with. The framing was exposed and we could see firsthand how far the damage had gone. Before anything new went on, we rebuilt the rotted bottom plate using treated lumber - the kind that's built to handle ground-level moisture long-term. That's the fix that actually matters. New siding and trim over a rotted base would have been a waste of everyone's time and money.

Once the foundation of the structure was solid again, we replaced the failing siding panels and warped trim to match. We also built a new door from scratch. The old double doors were done. The new single door is solid, properly hung, and fits clean in the opening. It's the kind of thing you don't think about until you're fighting a door that won't latch or sits crooked in the frame.

A shed that's been standing for nearly three decades has earned its keep. The goal here wasn't to make it look pretty - it was to make sure it's structurally sound for the next stretch of years. Replacing siding and a bottom plate is a fraction of what a full shed replacement costs. That's the argument for catching this stuff early.

We handle this kind of exterior structure work regularly - sheds, fences, decks, you name it. If you've got a shed that's showing signs of rot at the base or siding that's starting to buckle and peel, it's worth getting eyes on it sooner rather than later.