Maintaining Your Shelter

Maintaining your shelter is crucial if you want it to last. Neglecting it will only lead to more issues in the long run. Check your shelter monthly, especially after its first installation. Oil the hinges and door lock parts once a year; make sure it is a lubricant; regular WD40 is not. Check the nuts on the gas shock. Tighten if loose. Make sure to keep your turbine clear of grass or weeds. It does not require lubrication. Check your shelter at least once a month.

Some shelters may have a sweat-in period. It is advisable to keep a can of spray paint inside the shelter. Rust-Olem Satin or Semi-gloss is an excellent option. When inspecting the shelter, if you notice a rust spot, touch it with the spray paint. Rust spreads when exposed to air, but this preventive measure will prevent it from spreading. If you find water, get it up. Water left standing will cause the paint to peel if left too long. 

Are you seeing water in a corner? Getting one perfectly level is next to impossible, so any water will go to one corner. That doesn't mean you have a leak there. Is the water clear or muddy? Muddy, you may have a leak contact us. Clear? Read on. Check the walls under the benches. If they are wet, you may try using Damp-Rid. You can get that at home improvement stores. Check to make sure your turbine spins freely. Grass, weeds, or other things in your yard can keep it from spinning, and rain can blow in. If it gets damaged, replace it. DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT. These are very lightweight and precision-made. You can throw them out of balance. We recommend using  Lamanco brand turbines. They come in black, brown, galvanized, and our standard, weathered bronze. They are 14". Most smaller hardware stores carry them. Ridout, Whit Davis. DO NOT PAINT THEM. This can slow down spinning and let rain enter. If you had electricity run into it, check the coupler after a good rain. It may not be sealed correctly. Almost every leak we've heard of comes from there. Don't try to dry your shelter out by leaving the door open, At least in warm weather. This will cause it to sweat badly.

Don't keep anything inside your shelter that might attract moisture, such as blankets, pillows, or towels. Keep these in an air-tight bag. A thick pile carpet isn't a good idea unless you have a dehumidifier in your shelter. A dehumidifier also cuts down on touchups plus keeps it warmer inside. We can recommend a good one. 

Repainting the entire shelter

Should you need to repaint your shelter or want it to look new again, here's what we use.​ The inside is called Sher-Kem. It's from Sherwin Williams.
 For touching up what shows on the outside, use Rust-Olem Truck bed liner. We've tested a few, and that was the best. We use a two-part marine epoxy, but it's $300 for one kit. You don't need that much. If your floor is really bad, we recommend Dura-Plate 235 from Sherwin Williams. It's a two-part epoxy and about $100 for the two-part kit, but it's a thick rubber-like coating. One gallon should do most size shelters. Tell Sherwin Williams it's for Cozy Caverns and get our discount. Wear a good respirator, gloves, and protective clothing with these paints. Get fresh air often and use your noodles.