Shed Quality Guide: Vinyl vs. Wood Shed
There’s never a wrong time to get organized. If you have piles of stuff cluttering your garage or you don’t have a permanent place for your outdoor tools, a quality garden shed may be the solution for you. Finding the best shed material is key to having a structure that lasts for decades while providing you weathertight protection! In today’s blog, we’re breaking down the benefits of a vinyl vs. wood shed!
At The Backyard Showcase, we sell elite garden sheds available in a wide variety of colors and styles. Our outdoor experts are also here to help you make the right choice for your needs and your budget. Before we dig into the comparison, here’s the key thing to know about a vinyl vs. wood shed: BOTH are great if you buy from a quality-oriented company! Keep reading to get details on each material — or reach out right now to place your order!
Finding the Best Shed Material for You
When discussing the best shed material, you’re looking at what makes up the exterior of the shed itself, as this will have to contend with the elements. The vast majority of quality sheds are either built out of vinyl or pressure-treated wood siding. We’re comparing the important details of both options:
- Maintenance Needs — You’re getting a shed to make your life easier, so it’s important to know how much work it’ll take to keep your shed performing like the day we delivered it. The exterior of a vinyl shed will never require any maintenance other than cleaning for cosmetic purposes. However, a wooden shed will require being re-painted or re-stained every 10 years or so to reach its full expected lifespan.
- Lifespan — Whatever you buy from The Backyard Showcase will serve you well for many years. However, vinyl sheds have a longer expected lifespan than their wooden counterparts — even if your maintenance was diligent. This comes down to the fact that the vinyl siding is really the best shed material to resist the elements. Vinyl sheds last a standout 25+ years — while wooden sheds offer about 15 to 20 years.
- Price — For some homeowners, deciding between a vinyl vs. wood shed is decoded right here. A wooden shed will always cost less than a comparable vinyl shed. In general, you can expect a wood shed to cost a few hundred to a thousand dollars less.
Learn more about the prices of our Amish sheds. - Risk of Rot — When it comes to stopping mold and rot, vinyl is the best shed material and there’s no question about it. After all, your home is probably built from vinyl siding, and that’s no coincidence. However, as a naturally occurring material — even treated wood — can be damaged by rot and mold.
- Style — Both types of sheds look attractive and are effective at complementing different backyard decors. In general, prospective customers admire the look of vinyl sheds more and consider them to have a more decidedly upscale look. Of course, when it comes to color and style, personal taste is everything.
See some of our favorite shed color combinations right here. - Our Verdict — Like we mentioned above, both shed types can be great, which is why we sell both! However, for most potential customers, we say that vinyl is the best shed material as it boasts the convenience factor and a longer lifespan — even if the upfront price is a little higher.
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Start ShoppingWhy to Avoid Hardware Store Sheds
At the end of the day, any shed we sell you will be attractive and dependable for decades to come. We’d never offer a product that would do anything less. Keep in mind, though, that every single one of our pieces is hand-built by a skilled Amish craftsman — and not all sheds are built to the same standard of quality.
Hardware store sheds are often built of neither wood nor vinyl — instead, they are built of aluminum or plastic. In addition to the questionable material choice, these sheds are built quickly, several hundred-at-a-time in enormous factories. While the prices will be very cheap, we’ve seen them fall apart and need to be replaced in just 2 or 3 summers, which undermines any of those potential savings.
Compare Vinyl vs. Wood Shed Quotes
While we hope this gave you some insight into the best shed material for your new structure, if you’re still on the fence, we can help you out. If you want to compare real vinyl vs. wood shed quotes, our outdoor experts are more than happy to help with that.
Reach out to our team today to start the conversation and to get quotes!
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