Weathervanes for wooden garden sheds have been making a comeback in recent years. I am not quite sure why other than wooden garden sheds are also making a comeback and that is probably the reason. Weathervanes just add a touch of beauty, personality, and class to your wooden garden sheds. Maybe, another reason for the strong appeal is that there are so many choices today in what style of weathervane you can get and a general return to traditional values and architecture in our lives.

WHY PUT A WEATHERVANE ON MY WOODEN GARDEN SHED – There can be several reasons but I think there are two primary reasons to put a weathervane on your wooden garden sheds. First, weathervanes add a great look and finishing touch to your wooden garden shed. Second, they are still a tried and true weather instrument given to us by our forefathers. With so many of us living in subdivisions these days there are many micro-climates going on  so that the local weather station doesn’t really give you an accurate indication of wind direction in your local micro-climate. Add a wind speed cup to your garden shed and you have the best of both worlds. I do enjoy looking out the window and getting an accurate wind direction for my yard from my weathervane but I do have to say the look/appearance is probably the best thing about weathervanes on garden sheds.

WHERE DO I LOCATE MY WEATHERVANE ON MY WOODEN GARDEN SHED – There is no right or wrong answer on where you locate the weathervane on your garden shed other than to make sure that the location does not cause the weathervane to be affected by a nearby tree or other obstruction that blocks the wind or causes your weathervane to give a false reading. If wind obstruction is not an issue then locate the weathervane anyplace on the roof you desire to be able to see it from the house. I have seen weathervanes on either end of the garden shed or in the middle of the shed. I have seen them located directly on the roof or on the top of a cupola.

MAINTENANCE OF WEATHERVANES ON WOODEN GARDEN SHEDS – With most weathervanes being made of weather-resistant materials (copper, aluminum, cast iron, wrought iron etc) they are pretty much maintenance free. However, the maintenance I do suggest is to lubricate the moving parts once a year. This can be done with silicone spray or WD-40. The main benefit of this will be to keep your neighbors from ever complaining about a squeaky weathervane. Anyway, the maintenance is easy and only takes moment. Additionally, by lubricating the moving parts you will ensure that the weathervane does not wear out prematurely in windy areas.

STYLES OF WEATHERVANES FOR WOODEN GARDEN SHEDS – Today there are many more choices for weathervanes than what were available years ago. You can get the weathervane made out of copper, aluminum, cast iron or wrought iron. They come with traditional barnyard animal figures, wildlife figures, and even boats for a nautical theme. I won’t try to list all of the options but just know you can find most any kind of weathervane you want to put on your wooden garden shed. You could even buy a traditional style and take it to a metal shop and have it customized if that is what you want.