Thinking About a Vinyl Shed for My Garden Good Idea?

[delightfulbags]

Hello everyone,

I’m wondering if a vinyl shed would be a smart addition to my garden for storing tools, pots, and other equipment. I don’t want to go for wood or metal.

Vinyl seems low maintenance, but I’m not sure about its durability.

Has anyone here used one for their gardening setup? How does it hold up through heat, rain, wind, or even cold nights?

Does it fade, crack, or feel flimsy? Also, was it easy to assemble and what kind of upkeep have you done, if any?

 

[delightfulbags]

Hello everyone,

I’m wondering if a vinyl shed would be a smart addition to my garden for storing tools, pots, and other equipment. I don’t want to go for wood or metal.

Vinyl seems low maintenance, but I’m not sure about its durability.

Has anyone here used one for their gardening setup? How does it hold up through heat, rain, wind, or even cold nights?

Does it fade, crack, or feel flimsy? I’ve also been looking at vinyl sheds for sale online. Was it easy to assemble and what kind of upkeep have you done, if any?

thanks in advance for any help

 

[blenor]

I suppose the manufacturer's guarantee would give you some idea of durability. Most UV plastic sheds I have seen seem to have 10 to 15 year guarantees. Although a treated wooden shed has 25 years guarantee. I reassembled a second hand wooden shed a couple of years ago with a hand written date of 2003 inside it. The base had rotted as it was untreated and had to be replaced but the rest is perfectly sound and should last a good while yet.

Although, on the other hand, good quality UPVC windows and doors in buildings can also last well over fifty years.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have had wooden sheds last a heck of a long time, I slap a coat of old engine oil and paraffin (kerosene) over them once every few years, and the roofing material that comes with them is not the best and gives out to high wind after a bit, but when It does I replace it with a good quality mineralised roofing felt and put battens along the edges so the wind doesn't get under it. More important is the shed construction. The cheaper ones with overlapping boards the boards eventually curl and wind and weather can start work on them, the slightly more expensive ones with interlocking boards will see you out if you give them a coat of something every so often. The base is important, I use concrete blocks and lengths of treated 3"x2" running front to back for it to sit on for good airflow so it all stays dry.

 

[Sheal]

I've not owned one but a couple of people I know say they have a tendency to sweat (condensation) inside, in both summer and winter.

 

[MiTmite9]

We currently have three plastic sheds sitting, dismantled, in our back yard. The only plastic storage space we actually use is a large "chest" that we got FREE at the curb. One of the best items we've ever scored. We use it to store plastic plant pots, fertilizer, small garden tools, etc. The Brown widows love that box and we don't mind spiders.

The other sheds (plastic kind) tend to blow over if there's any type of high winds at all. We dismantled them, one by one, as they began to tilt (even with a nice base created for them) and were never used.

Our present storage shed is metal w/ wood floor and composite tile roof atop a metal roof. It has lasted us ---- so far ---- about 40 years. But it does look worse for wear. We keep our electric lawnmower and a bunch of other tools in there. It doesn't "sweat" inside, because there's plenty of airflow.

I'd think twice before you invest in a plastic shed. They look good at first, but then, if there's a green roof or any other colored parts, those parts fade quickly and start to look pretty shabby.

 

[PGB1]

A neighbor has a Suncast plastic shed. It has been there for about 10 years and, other than the skylights, looks good. It is sitting on a concrete slab.

Another neighbor has two small (perhaps 4 feet wide x 3 feet deep by 6 feet high) resin sheds called Lifetime Brand from Costco. They are kind of new, but look quite nice. His are on pavers set in a sand bed.

Note that neither brand above allows things to be hung from the wall- Shelves or garden tool hooks. The neighbor with Lifetime brand put stainless steel carriage bolts through from the outside and has a strip of 1 x 4 attached to the bolts inside to hold tool hangers. Smart idea.

My wife suggested we get a resin shed by Keter if we go vinyl because it has places to mount shelves & tool holders. She likes that it is also paintable. I suppose any plastic is paintable, but Keter brags about it. Perhaps their plastic is special in some way.

Our wood shed needs to be leveled and re-skinned, plus a new roof. It is very, very old and maintenance got away from me. Snow piled up and the siding got quite damaged last winter. And some animal got in and ate a hole in the oak strip floor. When I didn't miss removing snow, the wood one wasn't too much maintenance. Paint every few years was about it.

Just Some Thoughts,
Paul

 

[tyronee]

I’ve used a vinyl shed in my garden for a couple of years now, and honestly it’s held up pretty well. It doesn’t rot like wood or rust like metal, which is a huge plus. Mine hasn’t cracked, and the color fade has been minimal even through hot summers and rainy spells. Wind can be an issue if it’s not anchored properly, though — definitely secure it well. Assembly was easier than I expected, kind of like putting together oversized LEGO. If you want something sturdy and long-lasting, companies like DaBella also offer some solid exterior products and home upgrades that pair nicely with low-maintenance setups.

 

[delightfulbags]

A neighbor has a Suncast plastic shed. It has been there for about 10 years and, other than the skylights, looks good. It is sitting on a concrete slab.

Another neighbor has two small (perhaps 4 feet wide x 3 feet deep by 6 feet high) resin sheds called Lifetime Brand from Costco. They are kind of new, but look quite nice. His are on pavers set in a sand bed.

Note that neither brand above allows things to be hung from the wall- Shelves or garden tool hooks. The neighbor with Lifetime brand put stainless steel carriage bolts through from the outside and has a strip of 1 x 4 attached to the bolts inside to hold tool hangers. Smart idea.

My wife suggested we get a resin shed by Keter if we go vinyl because it has places to mount shelves & tool holders. She likes that it is also paintable. I suppose any plastic is paintable, but Keter brags about it. Perhaps their plastic is special in some way.

Our wood shed needs to be leveled and re-skinned, plus a new roof. It is very, very old and maintenance got away from me. Snow piled up and the siding got quite damaged last winter, and check their reviews some animal got in and ate a hole in the oak strip floor. When I didn’t miss removing snow, the wood one wasn’t too much maintenance; paint every few years was about it.”

Just Some Thoughts,
Paul

thank you so much for your suggestion