Painting the shed.

these shed and fence paints are usually water based, that is to say they are wood preserver disolved in water, once the water evapourates, the wood preserver is left behind, the colourant is also usually water based and this will 'wash off' but the preservative won't

The preservative won't affect any gloss paint you decide to use over the top, but if it's decorative properties you are looking for rather than protection, why not use a better quality shed/fence paint?

It depends...

Some of the wood preservatives contain waxes to make water run off the surface. If the preservative was one of the wax based ones then painting over it can be difficult because the gloss paint won't adhere to the wood. It needs rubbing down and priming and possibly an undercoat (depending on primer) not just a top coat. An acrylic primer/undercoat which is also water based might well work.

A few decades ago I would have used "Ranch Paint" which was excellent stuff for sheds and fences but I don't know if it is still available.

I would have used creosote but it was banned a few years go, unfortunately Jim

I bought a 20 litre drum of it on Friday. (for my farm, of course) ;-)

Thought they banned it because it was carcinogenic ?

Jim

Derek

It probably is, but only to retail customers.

almost as good

Naturally.

What, wholesale customers can't get cancer? :o)