From a hollow bench tucked onto a terrace to a twelve-square-metre workshop built of pine, spruce or cedar, a garden shed gathers tools, mower, fuel and seed trays into one dry place. Match the material to the site — wood for looks, PVC where salty air would eat metal — and it will serve for years.
Since there are ever-increasing options and materials to choose from, what are the most important points that will help you select the garden shed that suits you best?
The size of a garden shed depends on how large your garden is, and what you intend to use it for.
Apart from being a place to store your gardening tools, your lawn mower, gasoline or products you use to treat plants, a garden shed can also become a workshop for your DIY projects and a greenhouse for your seedling preparations.
It’s also excellent to protect cold-vulnerable plants from freezing over winter if there’s a window or sunroof.
This is perfect for all your small gardening equipment like watering cans, hand tools, and even terrace accessories like pillows or garden boxes for your summer pot arrangements.
Footprint, material and upkeep are what really separate one garden shed from another. Here is how the outdoor closet, the wooden shed, the PVC shed and the metal shed compare before you commit.
| Type | Materials | Best suited to | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor closet or hollow bench | Wood, PVC plastic or metal | Small equipment such as watering cans and hand tools; under 1 to 3 square yards (metres), so it even fits a large terrace | Choose plastic or PVC, as wood needs the most upkeep |
| Wooden garden shed | Pine tree, spruce, cedar wood; naturally resistant black locust | The nicest-looking option, pairing well with any landscape concept; usually 3 to 12 square yards or metres | Requires a little maintenance over the years; autoclave-treat if not naturally resistant |
| PVC garden shed | PVC plastic | Seaside and coastal locations, where the plastic won’t degrade as time passes | Easy to maintain and easy to set up; doesn’t warp with heat or cold |
| Metallic garden shed | Galvanized steel | Quick installation away from the coast, as salty air may degrade it fast | Very little maintenance unless painted, as paint must be kept up yearly |
Whichever you pick, the size of the shed still depends on how large your garden is and what you intend to use it for.
This is probably the most common option in all of our gardens, since it’s the nicest-looking option, which pairs well with any landscape concept.
Different wood varieties can be used like pine tree, spruce and cedar wood.
If it isn’t a naturally resistant wood (which black locust is, for instance), then it’s important that the wood be autoclave-treated to the highest possible level for maximum durability.
Select FSC or PEFC label wood since this guarantees that the wood was properly sourced in respectfully managed forests.
Just like PVC plastic house doors, fences and windows, the garden shed also now comes with this modern option that has many advantages.
Sturdy, light and easy to maintain, PVC plastic is also easier to set up.
Unlike wood, this material doesn’t warp or change shape because of heat and cold.
On top of that, PVC is impact-resistant and UV resistant, too.
This solution is as easy to set up as the PVC garden shed.
If the floor area of your garden shed exceeds a certain size, you might need a building permit to set it up.
If it’s smaller, usually it’s enough to simply declare the project at your local Land Development Office. Give them a phone call, they’ll inform you on what is needed.
