Storage shed doors are the first part of a shed to give a shed owner maintenance problems.

That's easy to understand because the doors are the only part of the shed that move and are used often by the shed owner and most don't maintain them very well.

In the summer months, one may go into their shed several times weekly if not daily and that puts a strain on all of the joints. By the end of the summer, weak unmaintained doors are ready to fall off the hinges.

As you drive around your neighborhood, check out all the sheds you see and you'll notice that the doors stick out like a sore thumb.

If your shed is new, these tips will save you future headaches and money as a set of replacement doors cost anywhere from $250 to $350 if you install them yourself. If a company has to come out and replace your shed doors, you'll spend at a minimum of $450.

Follow these 4 tips for trouble free shed door operation.

#1. Always keep your shed level. You'll notice any settling right away when your doors don't line up or become difficult to close. If you don't remedy this, you're more apt to slam the doors or force them to close which puts pressure on the hinges and the wood joints in the door which makes them weaker and pull apart.

#2. Properly caulk the top outside seams of the doors. This keeps moisture out and if any does seep in, since the bottoms of the seams are not caulked, the moisture will escape through the bottom. Use the best caulk you can find and never ever caulk a bottom seam.

#3. Properly paint your doors to protect the wood. They should be painted on the outside as well as the inside paying particular attention to the bottoms of the door. Rain water bounces off the ground into the bottom of the shed doors. This is the reason the bottom of your doors rot first. This is also the same reason the siding of your shed rots on the bottom so pay particular attention when painting the siding.

#4. Add screws to your shed door construction if they are stapled or nailed together. For stationary objects, stapling works fine as does nailing. But because the doors are operated so frequently, the strain on the staples and nails will cause them to loosen over time which will throw your doors out of whack.

If your doors are too far gone to repair, you have a couple of options. You can buy a set of replacement doors, have them shipped to your home and you can install them yourself. It's an easy process and the doors cost anywhere from about $250 to $350.

Your second option is to build a set of doors following a set of plans. Good shed door plans cost anywhere from $9.95 to $19.95 and are well worth the expense as they guide you from A to Z saving you time and money.

For beauty and your homes security, take care of your shed doors.