It has always amazed me that people would leave them outside - or out in little sheds with little protection. Do you have a nice garage? Does your treadle have wheels? Maybe you could move it in and out of a garage. I certainly would not leave it outside even if it were covered. My grandmother kept one out in the "Shop" - it was a garage that was originally built to work as my great-uncle's radio/gun shop. They stored it out there since they had another one in the house and it was fine the last time I saw it 26 years ago. It is the house now, and the irons looked good when I saw it last summer - didn't open it up, sure wanted to but didn't have time.