What Makes a Good Storage Shed?

This seemed like a good idea for an article when I sat down to write.  As it turns out this is not an easy question to answer. It is really a “depends” type answer. It depends on choices. Choices like where you are, how much you can spend which then leads to several more choices.

First choice is materials, would you want a wood shed, a metal shed or a vinyl clad shed? Depending on the particular situation they all have advantages and disadvantages.

Wood sheds are by far the most popular type of storage shed and usually the more expensive. Wood sheds have the big advantage of durability. These sheds have a wood frame and floor and are covered with exterior wood siding.  With proper care a wood shed will last a long time. A major concern for a wood shed would be the proper choice of materials for the environment the shed will be in. The main disadvantage of course is maintenance.

Metal sheds are very common and have advantages of their own. Not to be confused with the less quality metal shed that you can find at the big DYI stores these are built over a solid wood frame like the wood storage buildings.  The big advantage to metal is maintenance. As they say: “Metal is metal is metal” there is absolutely no maintenance. Like aluminum siding the metal has a coating that could last 20 years or more.

Vinyl clad sheds have many of the same advantages as a wood or metal storage shed.  They also have a wood frame and floor but instead of wood these use vinyl siding on the exterior. The biggest advantage is that vinyl storage sheds are very low maintenance. Vinyl is also resistant to most chemicals and molds. You can get siding to match an existing house. Vinyl clad storage sheds make a good economical choice for those on a budget.

The above choices are just for the type of siding to be used but there are many more to be considered. Will the storage shed have windows? What type window? How many windows? What about color? All of these storage buildings offer a wide range of colors and styles.

What about doors, will they swing or slide? Will it be double or single doors? Then there is the roof, what will the roofing materials be?  Will you use a metal roof for your storage building or asphalt shingles? What about flooring? Wood and vinyl and metal clad storage sheds have floors and can usually be placed on blocks. But, it is still important to be sure of your site. It needs to be level, have good access and be able to support the weight of the shed and the blocks.

Like I said above it is a ‘depends’ answer. It depends on many choices and options. It would be best to find a dealer in your area and ask questions, many times the dealer can visit the site and offer suggestions.  You will find their experience very valuable and they will be able to deliver the exact storage shed you need.