Please recommend me a relatively good metal shed

Topefisher · 17 Dec 2008

Just finished laying a paved area which is 10'Wide x 8'6" Deep.
Paving has been layed on a damproof membrane to help reduce condensation.

I am looking ideally for an 8' x 8' metal shed to relieve some valuable space in my garage/workshop. Going to poly the roof to help reduce dripping.

Shed is for storage only, bikes, petrol lawnmower, petrol strimmer, all the garden tools and equipment etc so needs to be a little secure and without windows.

Can anybody please offer some advise on makes and recommended sellers from their own experiences.

They seem to vary from around £250 for the cheaper B&Q types through to around £800 for the Biohorts and some even more with nothing in between.

Difficulty in building one up will not be a problem for me, looking really at the rigidity and quality aspect and justification of cost.

Cheers - Malc

Bodgeit&amp;scarper · 17 Dec 2008

There is no such thing as a good metal shed unless you want to keep fish in it. Get a wood shed.

Topefisher · 17 Dec 2008

Bodgeit&scarper said:
There is no such thing as a good metal shed unless you want to keep fish in it. Get a wood shed.

Had 3 in the last 10 years.

There won't be a fourth.

Thermo · 17 Dec 2008

metal sheds are poorly made, hard to put together with many of the holes not lining up causing leaks. They produce alot of condensation. For what you will spend on one you could buy a superior quality wooden shed from a decent supplier that will last many many years.

Topefisher · 17 Dec 2008

Thermo said:
metal sheds are poorly made, hard to put together with many of the holes not lining up causing leaks.

Some are that I have looked at, but some are much better made than any commercially built same price wooden ones, and will outlast them by far.

Wooden sheds as a storage shed:
Easy to set fire to ( had it done )
Easy to break into ( neighbours had it done earlier this yr )
High maintenance, looking tatty when not frequently treated.
They rot
Not rodent proof
Not secure
Most have glass windows, which are of no use whatsoever where security is an issue or you don't want to advertise contents.

If I wanted a shed for use as a workshop then yes it would be a consideration on the comfort side, but not in this case.

breezer · 17 Dec 2008

Tin shed

High maintenance, looking tatty when not frequently treated.
They rust
Not rodent proof
Not secure
oven in summer
ice box in winter
don't breath
suffer from condensation

could you not buy a tin shed then "build a wooden shed inside"

str · 18 Dec 2008

have you considered a "plastic" shed - similar to metal in that you put it up and then forget about it in terms of maintenance but possibly without the issues of having condensation on the metal.

Father in law got one from argos for about £400 for a decent size with double doors a couple of years ago, hes very happy with it.

although if you have issues with break-ins, not sure how secure you can make them?

big-all · 18 Dec 2008

Topefisher said:
Wooden sheds as a storage shed:
Easy to set fire to ( had it done )
Easy to break into ( neighbours had it done earlier this yr )
High maintenance, looking tatty when not frequently treated.
They rot
Not rodent proof
Not secure
Most have glass windows, which are of no use whatsoever where security is an issue or you don't want to advertise contents.

If I wanted a shed for use as a workshop then yes it would be a consideration on the comfort side, but not in this case.

give it 2 coats treatment every 5 years
your shed will now look good not leak or rot and should not spontaniously combust

wood only rots if it is continualy wet and cant dry out so keep the timbers off the ground and where wood meets supporing blocks/bricks use felt /dpm to stop water transfer

why would a wooden shed be easy to break into!!!!!

rodents only tend to be a problem if theres any food avalable!!!!

mattylad · 18 Dec 2008

big-all said:
why would a wooden shed be easy to break into!!!!!

Because these days they are made from paper thin wood, the door frames are
balsa and the supplied locks can be opened with a knock from a feather

Big-all is right, a wooden shed can be secure & last for years if made, assembled and treated correctly. They can be made secure by the use of decent, well fitted hinges, locks and window guards.
"Making your own" is likely best for a wooden shed as the ones that are available from the DIY sheds, are just not sheds any more.

I had a wooden shed that lasted me for many years, but then when I got it I treated it inside & out, I assembled it with extra screw, bolts etc and lined it with membrane, polystyrene sheeting then chipboard walls.

OH the hours of entertainment I had in there, talking on the radio to people all over the world. eee when I was a lad....

Topefisher · 18 Dec 2008

Didn,t really want to open the debate of wooden vs Metal vs plastic as we all have favourites.

I have to date had only bad experiences with wooden ones, but I have to admit I have never gone out and spent £1k + on one.

The best one I ever built was a pre-fabricated concrete one on a sound concrete base that was made from an older sectional garage that I bought and used part of.. No shed would come close to that.

Plastics have been considered, but have same condensation problems as metal and can have security issues.

To get a good commercially made wooden shed at around 8' x 8' will be around £1200 +, anything less wouldn't be worth buying.

Can anyone supporting wooden sheds offer a comparible one to the Biohort 8' x 7'6" Europa at around £800 for the same money without windows?

Thermo · 18 Dec 2008

give me a link to the site and ill see what i can do. we get them from various suppliers and they are not paper thin, and very good quality. Damn sight cheaper than 1200 as well

Topefisher · 18 Dec 2008

Links to Biohort sellers:

Cheapest:
http://www.taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk/store/customer/product.php?productid=17065

Another:

http://www.shedstore.co.uk/itemdetl...hort/Europa/findclas/Europa/itemprcd/bio88eur

Timber - Link to a site with 19mm tanalised heavy duty sheds:

http://www.shedsdirect.net/excel-apex-garden-shed.htm

On timber I would not consider if less than 16mm Thk

alexgray104 · 21 Dec 2008

Topefisher said:
To get a good commercially made wooden shed at around 8' x 8' will be around £1200 +, anything less wouldn't be worth buying.

If you only wanted it for storage, surely you could build one for that? We had one built in the summer, 10x8, no windows and a wooden premade door from Wickes.

We dug the trench for the founds ourselves, only about a foot all round and then laid a concrete base on top. We bought a load of blocks and got a builder mate to lay them over a couple of weekends. We put on a Bitumen roof to save time and money, but he said it wouldn't have been too much more to tile, and we may do this when the bitumen needs redoing. To finish we had it rendered and I painted it to match the house.

In total it cost about £800, with nearly half of that being labour. It will last a good ten years before the roof needs redoing, and the block part will last for ever. In terms of security, I think it beats wood, and the metal ones are often so flimsy you can just bend the door back. I can understand if its a cabin or something habitable, but it always suprises me when people are willing to spend over a grand on a bit of timber!

Topefisher · 22 Dec 2008

alexgray104 said:
Topefisher said:

To get a good commercially made wooden shed at around 8' x 8' will be around £1200 +, anything less wouldn't be worth buying.

Click to expand...

If you only wanted it for storage, surely you could build one for that? We had one built in the summer, 10x8, no windows and a wooden premade door from Wickes.

We dug the trench for the founds ourselves, only about a foot all round and then laid a concrete base on top. We bought a load of blocks and got a builder mate to lay them over a couple of weekends. We put on a Bitumen roof to save time and money, but he said it wouldn't have been too much more to tile, and we may do this when the bitumen needs redoing. To finish we had it rendered and I painted it to match the house.

In total it cost about £800, with nearly half of that being labour. It will last a good ten years before the roof needs redoing, and the block part will last for ever. In terms of security, I think it beats wood, and the metal ones are often so flimsy you can just bend the door back. I can understand if its a cabin or something habitable, but it always suprises me when people are willing to spend over a grand on a bit of timber!

Thanks Alex and you are probably quite right in what you say but I have already put down a 6" hard core base, with agregate, sharp sand and flags on it so it need to sit on that. Certainly don't want to redo it and there is really no need anyway. I would have gone down your route for a workshop as it would make sense that way.

I have taken in what has been said now about the timber ones and have put one back on my shortlist (even after my previous expeiences ) for ordering some time just after Christmas. There is no way I am going to spend £1200 on one though, thats for sure.

My previous problems with timber ones I have to admit were a lot to do with using only 12mm (1/2") thick ones which are at the cheaper end of the scale and are just too flimsy.

The best timber one I have found is as follows:

http://www.shedsdirect.net/special offer/sheds-direct-special-offer.htm

The 8' x 8' version is £450 + delivery and is made from 19/20mm tanalised timber. The reason why they are at this price is the "no windows" (which suits me far better) and the fact the sides are made from 3 x sections due to the supplier apparently getting good deals on 1.2M lengths of tanalised timber. Means also a little more strength given that 3 x frames are used to make up each side.

Most other manufacturers are up at least double and in some cases alot more than this for comparible thicknesses.

The other on my short list is the metal Biohort but is more money at around the £800 mark.

I am currently trying to find a user of one of these in my area.

big-all · 22 Dec 2008

if i can make a 12x10ft shed for £700 including pressure treated txg shiplap and 18mm ply roof and floor
with treated floor bearers and framework all made from 3x2" at 2 ft centres i am shure you can get your size for around £500

as for security and glass go for 6mm then you wont have a problem

diynot

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Please recommend me a relatively good metal shed

breezer

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