Shed: Plastic or wood?
Discussion
On the market for a shed. Doesn't need to be anything fancy at all. Double doors would be nice for convenience. Just to keep a small mower, a few garden and power tools, maybe a step ladder, hose reel when not in use. Anything of significant value is kept in the garage.
Budget as cheap as possible without being pathetically built. Up to around £800 I'd say. Will be sat on grass so i'll need to budget for some sort of base also (which I know nothing about)
Minimal maintenance preferred which is why I'm considering a Keter, something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keter-Factor-Outdoor-Plas...
What would I be looking at cost wise for a base for it?
Budget as cheap as possible without being pathetically built. Up to around £800 I'd say. Will be sat on grass so i'll need to budget for some sort of base also (which I know nothing about)
Minimal maintenance preferred which is why I'm considering a Keter, something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keter-Factor-Outdoor-Plas...
What would I be looking at cost wise for a base for it?
Previous said:
5 years ago I was un a similar position, albeit looking for a cheap 6x4 ft shed, for similar purposes.
I bought a keter plastic thing, and laid it on some of those plastic grids filled with small stones (just google plastic base for shed)
It's been great. And no risk of rot.
Yea I think that's what I'll go for. Do you have to fill the grid with stones?I bought a keter plastic thing, and laid it on some of those plastic grids filled with small stones (just google plastic base for shed)
It's been great. And no risk of rot.
This base appeared alongside the shed info: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Greenhouse-Plastic...
The Keter ones are very good, whatever you do don`t buy one of these or one that resembles it, its utterly hideous.
https://www.diy.com/departments/palram-canopia-sky...
https://www.diy.com/departments/palram-canopia-sky...
Mine is tucked away almost out of site and behind the garage so I was happy to pursue the Keter plastic option. It was light enough that when assembled on the lawn two of us were able to lift it with straps and manoeuvre it into place. It's possible to assemble on your own but an extra pair of hands at the ceiling stage is useful. If you do go for it, there are discount codes on their site all the time such as 10% for joining the mailing list, etc.
Edited by beambeam1 on Monday 7th July 10:54
beambeam1 said:
Mine is tucked away almost out of site and behind the garage so I was happy to pursue the Keter plastic option. It was light enough that when assembled on the lawn two of us were able to lift it with straps and manoeuvre it into place. It's possible to assemble on your own but an extra pair of hands at the ceiling stage is useful. If you do go for it, there are discount codes on their site all the time such as 10% for joining the mailing list, etc.
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then. That will always look the same for years to come though, might just need a bit of a jetwash once in a while. That's also the model I was looking at. Double doors on a wooden shed are significantly more expensive for similar sizes. Edited by beambeam1 on Monday 7th July 10:54
Keter it is. I suppose I can have a go at DIYing a base. I supposed all I need is a spade to dig up 5cm worth of grass and soil, a rake to level it and a plank of wood with a spirit level to make sure it's flat.
Make it flat, throw a weed membrane on, assemble the plastic interlocking base, then fill the compartments with about 50kg of 10mm pebbles. I'd guess around £100-150 all in for the base
Acuity30 said:
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then. That will always look the same for years to come though, might just need a bit of a jetwash once in a while. That's also the model I was looking at. Double doors on a wooden shed are significantly more expensive for similar sizes.
Keter it is. I suppose I can have a go at DIYing a base. I supposed all I need is a spade to dig up 5cm worth of grass and soil, a rake to level it and a plank of wood with a spirit level to make sure it's flat.
Make it flat, throw a weed membrane on, assemble the plastic interlocking base, then fill the compartments with about 50kg of 10mm pebbles. I'd guess around £100-150 all in for the base
I think you might be underestimating a bit. I’ve got an 8x6 shed sitting on shed grids filled with 10mm pebbles, up to the top and buried all round. I reckon I probably used about 40% of a bulk (800kg?) bag just filling the grids and building a bit of a shoulder around them. The 10mm pebbles do provide a fairly attractive (and cheap!) bit of landscaping to conceal the plastic base, so it’s definitely an approach I’d recommend.Keter it is. I suppose I can have a go at DIYing a base. I supposed all I need is a spade to dig up 5cm worth of grass and soil, a rake to level it and a plank of wood with a spirit level to make sure it's flat.
Make it flat, throw a weed membrane on, assemble the plastic interlocking base, then fill the compartments with about 50kg of 10mm pebbles. I'd guess around £100-150 all in for the base
alangla said:
I think you might be underestimating a bit. I ve got an 8x6 shed sitting on shed grids filled with 10mm pebbles, up to the top and buried all round. I reckon I probably used about 40% of a bulk (800kg?) bag just filling the grids and building a bit of a shoulder around them. The 10mm pebbles do provide a fairly attractive (and cheap!) bit of landscaping to conceal the plastic base, so it s definitely an approach I d recommend.
That's a lot of pebbles. Is their purpose just for drainage? Be curious to see a photo if it's not too much bother. When done right it does look quite goodAcuity30 said:
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then.
Would disagree, you can paint a wooden shed and with an occasional over-coat it will last many years looking similar to how it went up. 6x4 wooden shed £375. Add in a base (do that bit properly) and you're about £600 or so.
Plastic shed is fine behind the garage or whatever, but wood is better in almost every other way to my eyes.
Condi said:
Would disagree, you can paint a wooden shed and with an occasional over-coat it will last many years looking similar to how it went up.
6x4 wooden shed £375. Add in a base (do that bit properly) and you're about £600 or so.
Plastic shed is fine behind the garage or whatever, but wood is better in almost every other way to my eyes.
Viewed a few today and the plastic ones just look like clean wood. Most shed suppliers require an annual overcoat and you can't exactly coat the underside where they all eventually rot. Quite dated looking too6x4 wooden shed £375. Add in a base (do that bit properly) and you're about £600 or so.
Plastic shed is fine behind the garage or whatever, but wood is better in almost every other way to my eyes.
But what does the plastic one look like in 8 years time? My wooden one gets a coat of paint every 3 years and still looks pretty much like new. If you have a good base then they should last 15/20 years before rotting.
Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
It's a shed.
It will look like shed new, it will look like an older shed as time goes on.
Whatever it's made of, rarely the best thing to dominate the view from the house.
Plant something in front of it?
Cheap wooden sheds can be bargains, or flimsy bits of rubbish.
Down here, it can be damp a lot and wood needs a lot of care if it's going to last.
Some people are talking about 4x6 sheds, some people 8x6, no surprise that prices vary.
A quality wooden 8x6 shed is probably similar price to the Keter.
Around the covid era, wood got pricey and plastic and metal sheds were better value, and actually available.
Some of the better metal sheds may be worth considering, some of the cheap ones rust.
A look on FB marketplace suggests Keter sheds fade but hang together for a long time, wooden sheds vary in their durability.
Pay your money, take your choice!
Personally, I'd probably choose wood, but there's a good case for plastic or metal if access for paint/treatment will be awkward, like if the shed is nicely hidden by plants.
It will look like shed new, it will look like an older shed as time goes on.
Whatever it's made of, rarely the best thing to dominate the view from the house.
Plant something in front of it?
Cheap wooden sheds can be bargains, or flimsy bits of rubbish.
Down here, it can be damp a lot and wood needs a lot of care if it's going to last.
Some people are talking about 4x6 sheds, some people 8x6, no surprise that prices vary.
A quality wooden 8x6 shed is probably similar price to the Keter.
Around the covid era, wood got pricey and plastic and metal sheds were better value, and actually available.
Some of the better metal sheds may be worth considering, some of the cheap ones rust.
A look on FB marketplace suggests Keter sheds fade but hang together for a long time, wooden sheds vary in their durability.
Pay your money, take your choice!
Personally, I'd probably choose wood, but there's a good case for plastic or metal if access for paint/treatment will be awkward, like if the shed is nicely hidden by plants.
Condi said:
But what does the plastic one look like in 8 years time? My wooden one gets a coat of paint every 3 years and still looks pretty much like new. If you have a good base then they should last 15/20 years before rotting.
Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
They can fade a bit over many years, but the plastic is easily paintable so can just paint it after 8 years if you want. I don't think an aged wooden shed looks nicer than something like this:Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
https://www.costco.co.uk/medias/sys_master/images/...
I'd hate to be so self conscious as to actively make effort to 'hide' it in fear of what the neighbours might think too. More pity them if that becomes talk of the town for the next month
Condi said:
But what does the plastic one look like in 8 years time? My wooden one gets a coat of paint every 3 years and still looks pretty much like new. If you have a good base then they should last 15/20 years before rotting.
Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.
This one sat directly under a tree in the corner of my decking from 2015-2023 when I brought it with me to the new house. Brushed it off with a stiff brush and hit it on all sides with the Nilfisk and almost as good as new again.
The Keter shed products are a much better product than the small patio storage boxes they also do and that is probably the reference point for most people.
I’m with you though, Condi, a proper wooden shed will always look much nicer . My brother installed one at the start of spring and I’m a little jealous…
I’m not sure on the metal sheds as a former colleague described his crumpling like tinfoil during high winds but they don’t seem to be as readily available or advertised as typical wooden or Keter options so never thought much more about them.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff