What Type of Shed Is Best For You? Here's a Buyer's Giude - Zacs Garden

What Type of Shed Is Best For You?

What type of shed is best

What type of shed is best

Plastic, Metal, Wood or Fabric?

Trying to get to the bottom of buying a shed?

Building a shed is a big deal,  and its something you don't want to have to do twice. So picking the right one is important.

There are a few main categories of sheds, and they're a little different from each other. So to make it easier we have taken the best bits, so you can easily see the pros and cons.

Enjoy.

Type of ShedLookPriceDurabilityPreferred foundationEase of buildGood to work inQuickest to build
Plastic★★★★$$$★★★Concrete slab/Timber frame★★★★★★★★★★
Metal★★$$★★★★★Concrete slab/Plywood★★★★★★★★★
Wood★★★★★$$$$★★★★★Concrete slab/Timber frame★★★★★★★
(Wood Kit)★★★★★$$$$$★★★★★Concrete slab/Timber frame★★★★★★★★★★
Fabric (Canvas)★★$★★Flat ground★★★★★★★★★★

Plastic/Resin Sheds

Suncast BMS8000 7-1.2-Feet by 10-1.2-Feet plastic/resin shed

Plastic/Resin Shed

The first few times you hear plastic shed, it’s the plastic that sticks in your mind. Then the questions come... Can you even make a shed out of plastic? Will plastic withstand harsh conditions? Won't it look like a Tupperware container or doll house?

The truth is plastic is a great material to make a shed. With plastic, you can have an economical design that you might find in a big city with a wood style finish that might be found at a country house.

Plastic sheds look neat, can be assembled by almost anyone and have little maintenance issues if installed correctly. They also add value to your home by storing your items, but also looking great in your yard.

The mold injection process allows manufacturers to make every part of the shed as they want, and build it thoughtfully. This thoughtful design can provide you with natural light through windows, a dirt resistant easy to clean floor, or a slight ramp for easy access with the mower.

Plastic sheds also come in a wide variety of sizes, from a small utility cupboard for storing smaller items outside, to 15 x 8 ft. sheds, and everything in between. In this way plastic sheds can be good to store more specific items like a ride on mower, or long handled garden tools.

Plastic sheds are good value sheds that are easy to install and maintain. They are a great solution for yards and households.

Metal sheds

Arrow Hamlet HM Metal/Steel Storage Shed 10x8

Arrow Hamlet HM Metal/Steel Storage Shed 10x8

Metal sheds have been popular for years and stand in millions of backyards worldwide. They do everything required for a typical household and have been doing it for many years.

Although they are considered the poorer cousin to the wooden shed, metal does have its advantages. The two key ones are that they are affordable, and durable.

Metal sheds do the job all year round, and if installed correctly can stand up to some pretty harsh weather conditions. Using metal also means that the shed wont need painting or sanding or any maintenance really.

This is why metal is also popular with professional shed, factory and warehouse building firms. With metal, they can easily put up a strong shed that will last.

As far as assembly goes metal sheds are popular with DIYer's because they are easy to put together. They come in kits that are pre-drilled and pre-cut so you don't need many tools to build them (although an electric drill is usually preferred.)

As far as looks goes, the metal shed can be the ugly duckling of the shed family. However, nowadays there are powder coated, or vinyl coated versions that look quite clean and neat when installed properly.

If you want your shed to be cost effective, and durable, then take a look at metal sheds in more detail.

Wood Sheds

Wood storage shed

Wood storage shed

Wood is the traditional material to build sheds from. It is strong and can be easily machined, sawn or drilled into different sizes and shapes. Letting you build the shed you want. You can even paint it to suit your house.

Out of the different materials for making sheds, wood sheds are typically the best looking. They are also the easiest to work on, and are the sturdiest and strongest sheds, which is helpful depending on the type of weather that you get.

Wood sheds are best if you want to build a shed/workshop. The wood acts as an insulator that helps regulate temperature, which the other materials don’t do.

More recently wood shed kits have become popular with DIYer’s. They can save time, and with a kit you don’t need a lot of tools on hand to put up a wooden shed.

The drawback is that they can take the most time to construct, especially from plans. But if you do build it yourself, you can save yourself money and have a strong shed that will last you for many years.

Wood sheds do require some maintenance such as painting and checking for rot. Although, these can be combated with purchasing the right wood for the job, and treating it correctly.

Wood sheds are more traditional, easy to customize and great to work in.

Fabric Sheds

Peak style fabric shed

Peak style fabric shed

Yes it may look like a tent, but it’s actually a fabric shed. An inexpensive, easy and convenient storage solution, which will protect your items in good or bad weather.

Fabric sheds are surprisingly good at keeping the harsh weather out. Whether it be frost, snow or the scorching heat of the sun.

Although most don’t come with a floor (added extra), they cover all 4 sides and the roof which does keep the majority of weather out. For this reason they are great for storing outdoor items. Stuff like firewood, your riding mower, outdoor furniture, your motorbike and ATV.

Fabric sheds are also popular with market and fete stall owners because of their convenience and mobility. They go up quick and easy, and a folded up fabric shed will fit into the trunk of your car.

But one of the biggest advantages is also a disadvantage. The fabric lining makes the shed easy to put up but it also moves a lot in the wind. This excess movement will eventually cause tears and rips in the shed lining.

Some reviewers think they can get 5 years out of their shed, before having to replace the cover. But the life of a fabric shed is dependent very much on the quality of the cover, the strength of the frame, how well the cover is attached to the frame, and what type of weather it is exposed to.

If your still thinking what type of shed is best for my money, then fabric sheds are the cheapest option per square foot, no question. They are also easy to set up and very convenient. They are best for storing outdoor equipment.

Summary

If you need a shed, finding the one that answers your need is tough. The selection is so wide it can get very confusing very fast. The simplest way is to go through the shed's other main characteristics - size, purpose, and cost - to get a clear understanding of the specs you need. These characteristics also apply to a build project

Thank you for reading. Please shaed this with your frinds and family. 

Let me know if there are types of shed that are missing from this article. 

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