A garden shed is an essential addition to your garden and has many uses. You can use it as a workspace for tinkering around or for storing tools and equipment. Garden sheds come in different materials, including plastic. But, many homeowners are skeptical about this material. So, are plastic sheds any good? Read on to know about it.
Plastic is lightweight and one of the most durable materials. It is easy to build a shed using plastic, and if you need to relocate your shed in the future, it will be an easy task. You don’t need a permit to build a garden shed in most states, provided it meets specific criteria.
Here is a comprehensive guide to selecting the suitable garden shed material:
Identify The Purpose
You need first to identify your purpose for building a garden shed. If you plan to use your shed frequently, it needs to be less cluttered with more walking space. Also, it is a brilliant idea to locate your garden shed closer to your home to retrieve any equipment you store there quickly.
If you are an avid gardener, you can place the shed equidistant to your house and garden. Remember that two main factors decide the size of your shed: the working area you need and the materials, machines, and tools you’ll store there.
If you own heavy equipment like a motorized lawnmower and other such machines, you need to ensure the surfacing and the pathways leading from the shed are hard. Ensure that the doorway has sufficient width to wheel your appliances in and out without any hindrance.
Alternatively, if you plan to use the shed only for storing equipment and tools, you may not need hard surfacing. Some people may want to use their garden sheds for storing garden furniture and for barbecuing during winter. If so, you need to make provisions accordingly.
Choosing The Best Material
The default choice for any garden shed has traditionally been timber, preferably softwood. However, wood is subject to weathering and termites unless you give it an anti-termite treatment before installation. Timber is available as panels, prefabricated in different sizes. You may be able to bolt them together yourself or may need the services of a carpenter.
Today, plastic is also used extensively for building garden sheds. But are plastic sheds any good? Earlier, plastic was considered a poor cousin of timber because it used to be brittle and had a very short lifespan.
Plastic technology has evolved, and today you get the hardest plastic material, which is fire-resistant, durable, and looks strikingly like wood.
What To Look Out For When Shopping For The Ideal Plastic Shed?
With simply so many plastic sheds on the market that will vary from one another, it’s important to take the time to look into some of your options, including the specifications and features of each, to ensure you are making the right choice when buying a plastic shed.
If you live in the UK, you could always check out GardenSite and their online guide to which plastic shed should I buy. This guide has some useful FAQs and a breakdown of the top UK plastic shed brands to choose from, which are all well worth a browse.
The Versatility Of Plastic
Plastic is the most preferred material for a garden shed because it is lighter than most other materials, is easy to maintain, and is highly durable. Cleaning a plastic garden shed is one of the most manageable tasks, and often, you can complete it with a garden hose, soap, and water. Plastic garden sheds can be easily fortified with steel supports, and many manufacturers offer double walls. Throw in optional accessories like shelving, skylights, windows, and storage racks, and your garden shed becomes one of the most versatile structures in your garden.
Today’s technology ensures that plastic garden sheds last a lifetime. Plastic is not affected by the elements; it does not rust, nor does it develop fungi. Water or dirt does not affect plastic, nor do insects like termites eat up plastic. Moreover, plastic treated for UV protection remains unaffected by sunlight and enjoys an extended life. The lightness of plastic is an advantage when you want to relocate your garden shed, and you can accomplish the task in a day or two.
Price Advantage
The significant advantage of plastic is its low cost. Depending on the type of plastic you choose, you could easily save almost half of the money you would have to spend on a timber shed. Moreover, the ease of assembling a plastic shed is unmatched. Maintenance is also effortless, and you can dismantle a plastic shed within a few hours.
Durability And Protection
Today’s technology ensures your plastic garden shed lasts for a lifetime. The additional features include UV protection that resists fading and weathering, prevents peeling, cracking, or splitting, and keeps the shed looking new after years of use. Plastic has evolved as the preferred shed material as it can last several decades with no wear and tear.
Some manufacturers offer a combination of wood plastic composite that looks very much like traditional wood but far lighter and more durable than timber. High-density polyethylene panels are preferred by many people, as they are heavy-duty and powder-coated to ensure a superior finish, with steel reinforcements to extend the life.
With options to lay your garden shed floor also in high-density polyethylene, you can quickly build a compact, portable shed that can be shifted anywhere, at any time in the future.
The Functionality Of Plastic Sheds
Plastic garden sheds are probably the most highly functional of all types of garden sheds. You can store fertilizer, plant food, seeds, etc., during the planting season. Keeping garden tools and small implements in a plastic shed is easy. You can even protect some of your rare potted plants from harsh winters by putting them inside the plastic shed under the skylight.
Green Garden Sheds
Today’s eco-conscious generation has come up with ingenious ideas, and green roofs are trending as the most popular choice. You can have your garden shed with the top covered with plants that are low on maintenance. Apart from adding to the biodiversity, such roofs add to the outdoor décor and help maintain uniform temperatures, come rain or shine.
Moreover, green roofs help camouflage the structure, and having turf on your shed roof is a novel and quaint idea. Turfs have shallow rooting needs and don’t need much by way of maintenance. You can easily find pre-planted strips of turf that can be placed on the roof effortlessly. It is advisable to go for darker shades for the rest of the shed to make it as unobtrusive as possible and merge into the background of your garden’s landscape.
Summing It Up
Plastic has evolved as the most durable, lightweight, and affordable material. Garden sheds made of plastic are preferred by many homeowners because of their flexibility and price.
