Plastic vs wood shed?

[infinkc]

i am looking at sheds as i need to move all my garden tools out of my garage. The plastic ones they make these days seem really sturdy and well built compared to what i remember years ago.

Are there any downsides these days to plastic over wood? Cost is over half that of wood for a similar size.

 

[m6z]

Heat, long term durability & customization.

FWIW, I'm in the middle of making the same decision.

I want to be able to mount my own shelving, bike storage, and tool storage systems to the walls, so I'm leaning towards wood. If I go this route, it'll be more of a small workshop and I plan to insulate it as well. I'm thinking 12' x 12'.

If I was just storing yard stuff I'd probably go with the smallest plastic option I could find. I may still go this route do to cost. Needs vs wants in my case.

 

[vrinner]

I have a larger 8X10 Rubbermaid shed and it is built nice but the doors don't always stay shut tightly. I usually have something leaning against it from the outside to keep it tightly shut.

I also built a 10X12 shed that was basically built like a small house (wood framed) and that thing was awesome.

 

[MerlinsBeard]

Not sure why cost of a small shed is even a blip on your radar compared to your garage thread.

I'd take wood over plastic every day of the week.

 

[vrinner]

M6Z reminded me of one of the issues with my plastic shed and shelving. One of the reasons the doors don't stay shut is because of some shelving I have that has some heavy stuff on them. It is causing the plastic to bow just slightly so that the doors dont stay shut. So keep that in mind. Wood would be my choice now a days for sure.

 

[finn]

I prefer wood, but wouldn’t build another one without first pouring a concrete slab. The shed we have now has become a home for chipmunks living under the wood floor, and by the end of summer the smell is intolerable.

Installing a slab, and building on that isn’t a three hour, no cost job, though.

We also have a very small Rubbermaid blow mold shed just for shovels, rakes, Maddox, loppers, and pole saws. It went up in an hour or two, including leveling a spot. It’s been there for ten years or so. Hanging things on the wall doesn’t end well. There are other vinyl sheds with rigid panels that slide together that may be better suited.

Each has its advantages. How valuable is your time?

 

[LeeG]

My neighbor has one of the 2x5' plastic sheds. It works well for shovels, rakes, and the like. We did use some soft material riv-nuts to attach some 1/2" plywood to the doors and sides so he could hang stuff on the walls.

My general preference is to build from scratch as I have all the tools required and I can get exactly what I want. It is more work and probably isn't any cheaper though.

 

[nadogail]

We bought a Rubber Maid plastic shed to keep our garbage cans in. Very shortly thereafter my city changed from privately owned cans to city provided wheeled bins. The plastic shed was repurposed to shelter my generator. I did slide a plywood floor into the shed. It was served me well for more years than I can remember. I raise the roof and open the doors to roll the generator out and test operate it almost every month.
If the shed should ever fail, I will replace it with an identical model

 

[engineer2]

We have a 20 year old Rubbermaid shed, about 6x7.
I use it to store yard tools, gardening stuff, and mower or snow blower depending on the season.
I replaced the flat roof with a pitched one about 5 years ago because the seam in the middle always leaked.
It's difficult to hang stuff on the walls, but it helps to put a board up first and then your hooks.
It has built-in protrusions to install wooden shelf in the back, but you can't put too much weight on it.
Since mine has settled over the years, the doors are hard to close. I really need to pull it down and re-level the foundation.
It should be easy to disassemble.
Surprisingly, none of the plastic has rotted from weather/sun exposure.

 

[D45]

Plastic heats up and warps

Critters love to chew on plastic also

Wood holds up better and is easier to repair

 

[duneslider]

I have had two smaller plastic "sheds" for a bunch of years. I got the first to house a lawn mower and weed eater and some other yard supplies. It has worked great for that purpose and has been virtually trouble free. The other holds some shovels and rakes and other similar stuff and also has been trouble free for the whole time I have had it. As a side note, my neighbor has a normal wood shed made with T-111 siding, the typical suburban shed. He has painted it twice in the time I have had my plastic sheds. His shed does look nicer in my opinion.

I would like to build a bigger nicer shed someday.

 

[mike93lx]

Plastic heats up and warps

Critters love to chew on plastic also

Wood holds up better and is easier to repair

Wood rots. Critters love to chew on wood.

There are plusses and minuses both ways.

I am thinking about one for some temp storage until I can build my shed. They are simple to build and don't require paint, both plusses

 

[couch67]

Wood all the way. You can customize to your size, and match the house/garage style. Build on a slab and it will be there longer than you!

 

[Toxictom]

The roof on a plastic shed is pretty weak and will collapse under a snow load.
My neighbor gave me his 8' x 12' after this happened. I welded some angle iron on the roof trusses to reinforce them and the shed served me well for 10 years sitting on nothing but a pallet foundation. I made sure to clear the snow off of it during the winters. I've seen other collapsed plastic shed roofs as well.

 

[rburke65]

I’m going to vote for the wood shed!

 

[fsae0607]

For garden tools, it's tough to beat a plastic shed. Slap it together over the course of a few beers, store your tools and enjoy!

 

[unslow1]

Having had all three (including metal) for multiple years each plastic hands down and not even close. I was repairing more rotting wood around the door frame on one of the wood ones just Saturday.

 

[leadfoot415]

Have a $500 7x7 suncast plastic shed for the yard equipment that I haphazardly dropped on a hand compacted crushed limestone paver base/12x12" precast pavers and it has held up surprisingly well for the past 9 years here in SE MI. I used a bunch of really short self-tappers and installed a few tool holder racks on the inside walls and hang my weed whipper from the ceiling. Zero issues other than I cracked the window with an implement.

I am considering buying a matching smaller "garbage can shed" to put my portable 8500w generator in and probably sink a stake into the ground to hold it from walking away.

 

[CJM8515]

i prefer wood built, much sturdier and thats what Ill be building this summer to get the junk out of the garage. 10x12 sounds nice.

 

[Jagmandave]

My neighborhood requires an enclosure for the wheeled trash bins, I bought a suncast (?) which fits the bill perfectly, had it going on 10 years now with only one issue - the squirrels love to chew on it and have made swiss cheese of one edge. I don't know if I can buy a new top for it or not, If I can I may go that route, but it was only $200 when I bought it.

 

[Nthill93]

My father in law gave me a Rubbermaid shed when he moved. I brought it here put it right on the ground no leveling blocking or anything. Just straight on dirt, filled it with my OPE and haven’t had any issues. Must be like 15 years old now

 

[Bill Bowman]

Had a plastic shed. 10 x 12 on a concrete pad. Seemed like a reasonable cost, but did not hold up real well. After about 5 or 6 years, the various panels faded at different rates, and did not look that great. Warpage of the plastic panels is another consideration. Last year, a huge snow storm caused the roof to cave in. After about 15 years of use, I tore it down and built a wood shed on the pad.

 

[jonshonda]

I hate plastic sheds. I am 6'2" and have yet to find one that is tall enough.

 

[MooreGarage]

We just ordered a 12x14 TuffShed, gambrel roof, 8' high side walls, 5.5' high loft on either end with 7.5' standup room underneath, 4 windows and one double door, and architectural shingles to match the house. Wasn't cheap, but should be decent quality and durable from looking at the lot models and reading reviews.

Order placed on Saturday, and installation is happening next Monday, so 9 days from order to install. Ordered it unpainted, so I can paint it to match the house.

 

[crewchief888]

i have a plastic shed sitting on a 2X4 and plywood PT frame on 24" square concrete chunks from an old sidewalk i cut up. i dont have anything hanging on the walls, i bought some plastic snap together shelving to store stuff on. mower stays in year 'round, enough room to store snowblower and grill in the off season.

 

[FredWanaker]

25 year old Tuff shed. No issues. Everything plastic in the yard has been replaced at least once. Some things warped in the sun. I am partial to wooden sheds.

 

[mmb617]

Both types have their pros and cons. I have a Rubbermaid shed that was given to us when a friend moved and no longer had a yard. She'd had it a few years and after relocating it onto a concrete pad in my yard it's served well for the last 10 years or so. I don't have anything hanging on the walls in it though.

I also have a wooden shed I built over 40 years ago and have refurbished a couple times. That one holds all the yard tools and has stuff hanging from 3 walls which really maximizes space and makes it easier to grab the tool you need.

Which one is better for you depends largely on what the intended use is.

 

[CraigStu]

One thing that may be more important than other characteristics is how was the wood shed built. Specifically how the bottom 12 inches was built, what materials were used, and how was it kept off the dirt. If those are correct we can see the wood shed lasting many decades. If not, the plastic shed will have the advantage.