Shed: Plastic or wood?

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Discussion

Acuity30

Original Poster:

685 posts

33 months

Yesterday (15:22)
quotequote all
On the market for a shed. Doesn't need to be anything fancy at all. Double doors would be nice for convenience. Just to keep a small mower, a few garden and power tools, maybe a step ladder, hose reel when not in use. Anything of significant value is kept in the garage.
Budget as cheap as possible without being pathetically built. Up to around £800 I'd say. Will be sat on grass so i'll need to budget for some sort of base also (which I know nothing about)
Minimal maintenance preferred which is why I'm considering a Keter, something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keter-Factor-Outdoor-Plas...

What would I be looking at cost wise for a base for it?

Previous

1,552 posts

169 months

Yesterday (15:52)
quotequote all
5 years ago I was un a similar position, albeit looking for a cheap 6x4 ft shed, for similar purposes.

I bought a keter plastic thing, and laid it on some of those plastic grids filled with small stones (just google plastic base for shed)

It's been great. And no risk of rot.

Acuity30

Original Poster:

685 posts

33 months

Yesterday (16:24)
quotequote all
Previous said:
5 years ago I was un a similar position, albeit looking for a cheap 6x4 ft shed, for similar purposes.

I bought a keter plastic thing, and laid it on some of those plastic grids filled with small stones (just google plastic base for shed)

It's been great. And no risk of rot.
Yea I think that's what I'll go for. Do you have to fill the grid with stones?

Simpo Two

88,982 posts

280 months

Yesterday (19:07)
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This base appeared alongside the shed info: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Greenhouse-Plastic...

richhead

2,486 posts

26 months

Yesterday (23:50)
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no base really needed for a plastic shed, mine was just plonked on the lawn, been 4 years now no problems, if you take the cost of a base into account it works out cheaper too.

Belle427

10,551 posts

248 months

The Keter ones are very good, whatever you do don`t buy one of these or one that resembles it, its utterly hideous.
https://www.diy.com/departments/palram-canopia-sky...

Jamescrs

5,298 posts

80 months

I have a Keter plastic shed, 6x4 I believe and had it a few years with no issues.
I recall building it alone and it wasn’t bad at all.

Jamescrs

5,298 posts

80 months

I have a Keter plastic shed, 6x4 I believe and had it a few years with no issues.
I recall building it alone and it wasn’t bad at all.

beambeam1

1,498 posts

58 months

Mine is tucked away almost out of site and behind the garage so I was happy to pursue the Keter plastic option. It was light enough that when assembled on the lawn two of us were able to lift it with straps and manoeuvre it into place. It's possible to assemble on your own but an extra pair of hands at the ceiling stage is useful. If you do go for it, there are discount codes on their site all the time such as 10% for joining the mailing list, etc.



Edited by beambeam1 on Monday 7th July 10:54

DonkeyApple

62,488 posts

184 months

If it can be masked from general view then a plastic keter shed is going to make a lot of sense.

Frimley111R

17,055 posts

249 months

Jamescrs said:
I have a Keter plastic shed, 6x4 I believe and had it a few years with no issues.
I recall building it alone and it wasn t bad at all.
Did the same, it was like a big kids toy really, just click it all together.

Acuity30

Original Poster:

685 posts

33 months

beambeam1 said:
Mine is tucked away almost out of site and behind the garage so I was happy to pursue the Keter plastic option. It was light enough that when assembled on the lawn two of us were able to lift it with straps and manoeuvre it into place. It's possible to assemble on your own but an extra pair of hands at the ceiling stage is useful. If you do go for it, there are discount codes on their site all the time such as 10% for joining the mailing list, etc.



Edited by beambeam1 on Monday 7th July 10:54
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then. That will always look the same for years to come though, might just need a bit of a jetwash once in a while. That's also the model I was looking at. Double doors on a wooden shed are significantly more expensive for similar sizes.
Keter it is. I suppose I can have a go at DIYing a base. I supposed all I need is a spade to dig up 5cm worth of grass and soil, a rake to level it and a plank of wood with a spirit level to make sure it's flat.
Make it flat, throw a weed membrane on, assemble the plastic interlocking base, then fill the compartments with about 50kg of 10mm pebbles. I'd guess around £100-150 all in for the base

alangla

5,643 posts

196 months

Acuity30 said:
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then. That will always look the same for years to come though, might just need a bit of a jetwash once in a while. That's also the model I was looking at. Double doors on a wooden shed are significantly more expensive for similar sizes.
Keter it is. I suppose I can have a go at DIYing a base. I supposed all I need is a spade to dig up 5cm worth of grass and soil, a rake to level it and a plank of wood with a spirit level to make sure it's flat.
Make it flat, throw a weed membrane on, assemble the plastic interlocking base, then fill the compartments with about 50kg of 10mm pebbles. I'd guess around £100-150 all in for the base
I think you might be underestimating a bit. I’ve got an 8x6 shed sitting on shed grids filled with 10mm pebbles, up to the top and buried all round. I reckon I probably used about 40% of a bulk (800kg?) bag just filling the grids and building a bit of a shoulder around them. The 10mm pebbles do provide a fairly attractive (and cheap!) bit of landscaping to conceal the plastic base, so it’s definitely an approach I’d recommend.

Acuity30

Original Poster:

685 posts

33 months

alangla said:
I think you might be underestimating a bit. I ve got an 8x6 shed sitting on shed grids filled with 10mm pebbles, up to the top and buried all round. I reckon I probably used about 40% of a bulk (800kg?) bag just filling the grids and building a bit of a shoulder around them. The 10mm pebbles do provide a fairly attractive (and cheap!) bit of landscaping to conceal the plastic base, so it s definitely an approach I d recommend.
That's a lot of pebbles. Is their purpose just for drainage? Be curious to see a photo if it's not too much bother. When done right it does look quite good

Condi

18,765 posts

186 months

Acuity30 said:
Looks smart and no more unsightly than a wooden shed after a couple of winters, they all tend to look crap after then.
Would disagree, you can paint a wooden shed and with an occasional over-coat it will last many years looking similar to how it went up.

6x4 wooden shed £375. Add in a base (do that bit properly) and you're about £600 or so.

Plastic shed is fine behind the garage or whatever, but wood is better in almost every other way to my eyes.

Acuity30

Original Poster:

685 posts

33 months

Condi said:
Would disagree, you can paint a wooden shed and with an occasional over-coat it will last many years looking similar to how it went up.

6x4 wooden shed £375. Add in a base (do that bit properly) and you're about £600 or so.

Plastic shed is fine behind the garage or whatever, but wood is better in almost every other way to my eyes.
Viewed a few today and the plastic ones just look like clean wood. Most shed suppliers require an annual overcoat and you can't exactly coat the underside where they all eventually rot. Quite dated looking too

Condi

18,765 posts

186 months

But what does the plastic one look like in 8 years time? My wooden one gets a coat of paint every 3 years and still looks pretty much like new. If you have a good base then they should last 15/20 years before rotting.

Don't get me wrong, if I was putting a shed behind the garage like the picture above a plastic shed would be grand, but if people are going to see it then (IMO) a wooden shed looks nicer and can be kept in a better condition for longer than a plastic one which will eventually fade in the sun.