Purchasing a garden workshop can be a fantastic way to add essential storage space to your home. However, if you have just started your search for the perfect garden workshop, then you may be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of different types that are available to you. Garden workshops come a range of different styles, shapes, sizes, and also materials. Some materials will be better suited to what you are looking for than others, which makes a decision difficult.
Here, we are taking a look at the pros and cons of the different garden workshop materials, so you can choose the one that is perfectly suited to you and your needs:
Wooden Garden Workshops
One of the most popular material options for garden workshops is wood. For example, if you take a look at ShedStore’s collection of garden workshops, which you will see at the following link: https://www.shedstore.co.uk/garden-sheds/garden-workshops, they have 142 wooden options compared to 14 plastic and 25 metal.
Wood is the most traditional out of all these materials and it is has remained a firm favorite for many years. Wooden garden shops can be easily customized to create a specific size or shape and so if you are looking for a unique design, this could be the perfect option for you. What is more, this type of shed can be painted to any color that you desire, and many people choose a color that ties in nicely with the rest of their outdoor space. People also love that you can customize your wooden garden workshop with trellising and window flower boxes, which adds a lovely touch to your workshop space.
Inside your wooden garden workshop, you will be able to add your own shelving and cabinets as these can be hung from your walls and the hooks can be attached easily to hang up your garden tools.
While wooden sheds are extremely popular, they do also have some downsides too, which may make another garden workshop material a better suited option for you. While the inside of a wooden garden workshop will appeal to many with its exposed wooden beams, this will not be a design that everyone loves, and it also makes it a lot harder to clean. Furthermore, wooden garden sheds will attract insects which some will not like, especially if they are spending a lot of time there.
Although, wooden garden workshops do not have to cost a lot of money, any workshop made with higher quality wood will cost you a lot more compared to metal or plastic garden workshops. Wood is a versatile material, but it is also vulnerable to damage from water, bad weather, insects, and rodents. This can cause wooden garden workshops to deteriorate quickly and they will be more prone to rot. Also, if you have painted your garden workshop then this will start to peel over time and you will need to have frequent wood treatments to keep your garden workshop in tip top shape and looking presentable. If your garden workshop has a felt roof, it is worth keeping in mind that this will need to be replaced every few years. They are also more prone to being broken into.
Wooden garden workshops are the traditional choice that many people go with. It looks very attractive in your garden, but they do require a lot of upkeep and they may not be the most secure.
Plastic Garden Workshops
One of the newest garden workshop materials on the market is plastic and this is quickly on the rise. Plastic garden workshops are usually made from a vinyl material. This makes them popular as they are light, strong, and more durable than their wooden counterparts. What makes plastic garden workshops so attractive is that they are essentially maintenance free, which is perfect for those of us who have extremely busy day to day lives and don’t get to spend as much time in the garden as we would like. They will not rot, stain, or rust and you do not ever need to stain or paint them. You can get plastic garden workshops in a variety of sizes and they are super easy to build as you do not need to have many tools or DIY experience. They are also cheaper than wooden garden workshops.
Again, plastic garden workshops have their negatives. While they are strong, you will not be able to hang as much weight on them compared to wooden and metal garden workshops. Another downside to plastic is that they are not as aesthetically pleasing as wooden sheds, as they tend to have a playhouse type of look to them which many will not like. You will have the same security with them as wooden versions, however, as the locking points are plastic. These workshops do tend to deteriorate over time as UV exposure will break down the polymers in the plastic which causes it to fade, crack, and go brittle.
While plastic garden workshops are virtually maintenance free and easy to build, they do not look as great in your garden and are not the safest option.
Metal Garden Workshops
Last, but not least, we have the metal garden workshops. These are good all-rounders, as they are easy to assemble. However, if price ranges differ vastly here and if you want a good-quality metal garden workshop you will pay a lot for it. However, good quality versions will be very strong, secure, and are corrosion resistant. Metal workshops do not require any upkeeping and they are fire resistant too, which the other workshop materials are not. These garden workshops will outlast all other materials as they are not affected by insects, will not rot and are rodent proof, so you can also store animal feed here too. These are also by far the most secure option and you can now choose from a wide range of styles.
Overall, metal garden workshops definitely have more pros than cons. They are durable, easy to construct, and secure, however, you do get what you pay for and so you may need to pay more for metal version compared to plastic or wood.
Further Reading:
- How to organize your workshop like a pro
- Exploring the choices of composite decking material
- Convert your workshop into a she shed
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