In Praise of Plastic Sheds

[Ferdinand]

A couple of days ago I said I was buying a plastic shed for storage and would report back.

 

It is here and built now, and I am very impressed. The shed is from a company called Keter, and is their range called Factor (more expensively they also do Fusion which is prettier, and Oakland which can be painted). It incorporates a steel from which I can hang (14 st) and do pull ups (would not try if 18st).

 

I went for a 8'6" by 11' (external) version, but there is a range of sizes. Internal clear dimensions are approx 6-7* less ie an 8x4 sheet won't quite fit across. I paid £699 (list price £1200, normal selling price is £899 from eg Wickes and Argos), which compares OK to my 2 most recent wooden pent-roof-workshop (ie big windows one side) 8'x6' sheds, which were £800 (new, built by supplier, included catflap, leaked first winter) and £450 (ex demo, built by supplier, did not leak).

 

Pros of Keter Factor

 

- Very strong.

- Built by Handyman in under a day. He says he would like one himself for the motorbike.

- Likely to be durable. Comes with I think a 10 or 15 year guarantee.

- Shelves and brackets available in their system. 

- Double doors - in this one more than 4' wide.

- Sufficient light comes in through the window and clear panel along the ridge during the day.

- Probably relatively straightforward to dismantle and remantle somewhere else.

 

Cons

 

- I have a slight concern about damage to the plastic from sharp items. I may be wrong but I have a loose laid OSB floor in there just in case.

- A shed not really (in my view) a workshop.

- Not sure about attaching things to the shed itself. Personally I would use freestanding storage etc. I may just be being cautious, but I will not be testing what happens if you drill lots of holes in it.

- As with most sheds, it will get hot in the sun. It was very hot yesterday, though there are a couple of vents.

 

Notes

 

- Requires a good base as it slots, clicks and bolts together .. ideally a slab, but I used heavy pavers on raked gravel since it will be a patio when the shed moves.

 

Wickes and others also do a different type called Amber Skylight, which reviews far less well on various websites, and I would avoid.

 

That Keter range is worth a look imo, if it matches your application.

 

Ferdinand

(Photos to follow)

Edited July 31, 2017 by Ferdinand

[jack]

Good review, thanks Ferdinand.

[Ferdinand]

Picture of the finished shed. That front is 8'6" wide.

 

 

it is not leaning; I was rushing in the rain.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2017 by Ferdinand

[Mr Punter]

I have built a Yardmaster steel shed (several hundred components and took an age to erect) and a Keter.  Keter was far lighter and easier to erect.  We had a missing part but phoned and they sent it promptly.  Note they get quite a slagging for service online, but I was happy.

[Jeremy Harris]

I can second the hassle with screws, nuts and bolts with a metal shed.  I recently built a Globel (Lotus) lean-to metal shed and there were around 1000 fasteners.  It had to be metal, as it's less than a metre from the boundary, and it's pretty robust, but it did take a whole day to put together.

[Mr Punter]

1 hour ago, JSHarris said:

I can second the hassle with screws, nuts and bolts with a metal shed.  I recently built a Globel (Lotus) lean-to metal shed and there were around 1000 fasteners.  It had to be metal, as it's less than a metre from the boundary, and it's pretty robust, but it did take a whole day to put together.

I built a 10 x 12 one and I nearly lost the will to live.  If I ever got another I will happily pay you for your "whole day", as it took me over two days to assemble.

[Ferdinand]

My next one will either be another Keter, or an ex-demo from a Shed Manufacturer.

[Jeremy Harris]

Luckily mine was a small one, 8 x 4, but I did buy the optional metal foundation frame as well.  I can easily believe that it took a couple of days to build a 10 x 12!

[Stones]

I previously had one of those Keter sheds, same size as @Ferdinand. Very easy to construct, looked good and held a pretty good resale value (I ended up replacing with a larger more permanent structure incorporating a log store).