Cheap Sheds: How cheap is too cheap?

Cheap sheds are always in demand. Perhaps you only want a temporary storage location while an extension build is complete. Maybe you don’t want to store anything valuable, and just need some shelter for some old tools. Maybe you’re just pure stingy. Whatever the reason, it’s worth remembering that there is a difference between a cheap shed and an affordable one. In this blog, we’ll look at what makes a cheap shed so cheap and what you get from spending that little bit extra.

Sheet Thickness

Sheet Thickness is the most obvious cost-cutting measure, as thinner sheets of metal are obviously cheaper. Very thin metal sheets in cheap sheds would be about 0.2mm thick, mid-range are around 0.3mm and in Ireland at least, the premium grade of sheet thickness in anywhere from 0.6mm to 1mm thick. This doesn’t sound like a huge amount of difference, but in reality, it’s enormous.

Our Classic and Cottage sheds are 0.33mm thick and our premium ranges have 0.6mm doors and apex plates, while the walls are made from 0.4mm thick sheet metal. We’re very open with our specifications – you might struggle to find these details with our competitors, however.

0.25mm Thickness

We previously sold sheds with 0.25mm wall panels. While they were very affordable, these were easily dentable through heavy-handed use. They were suitable for enclosed courtyards, for example, but they were not suited to exposed areas that experienced high-winds. We advertised them in this way and while we even furnished them with fairly solid bracing, they were prone to damage, especially with young families.

As such, we no longer stock such thin sheds. That said, you won’t struggle to find sheds with these thin walls online. They’re usually only sold by drop-shipping websites or those ‘instant-offer-websites’, like pigback.com.

We would advise caution with sheds that have sheeting of 0.25mm or below – especially if they do not have a wall brace.

Wall Bracing

Wall bracing is essential on budget sheds. It makes up for the thinner metal used by offering some structural soundness in the walls. In premium sheds, bracing may not be required, as the sheet metal (or the sheds’ frame) may be thick enough to support itself. Generally speaking if you’re spending less than say €800 on a shed, it should have wall bracing.

This is another aspect of the shed that is often removed for financial reasons. Personally speaking, the cost of bracing is relatively low and the downsides of it being removed are pretty high, so I don’t understand why this is done. Imagine removing the bumpers and air-bags from a car. Sure, you’d save a few quid, but your car is liable scratches, dents or considerably worse over time.

If you’re looking at a cheap shed online, look at the photos carefully. If you can’t see horizontal bars along the inside walls, it isn’t braced. A bash of a stray football or someone leaning on it too hard could cause 0.25mm sheets to bend.

Floor Frame

The floor frame is the unsung hero of the structural soundness of a shed. It not only offers a level and raised base to lay flooring onto, it also, well, quite literally ties the room together. Almost all of the major shed sellers in Ireland offer a floor frame with their sheds. Some may offer it as an add-on, which is a way of making the shed look cheaper

Height

Height is often overlooked. As of 2007, the average Irish Man was 5’9 and the Irish Woman was 5’4″. So your shed should have doors that are at least this size, right?

Here is a diagram of a popular cheap shed from a competitor. It uses the metric system, which is fine, but it doesn’t also break it down into feet and inches, which many Irish people are more accustomed to. It is sold as a ’13 x 11ft’ shed.

In this diagram, the silhouette is 1.7m which is just short of 5’7″ and door height is 1.55m which is 5’1″, which is particularly short, By Comparison, our Colossus Shed, which is 10ft x 12ft, has a door height of 180cm / 5’10”, as you can see below.

This also raises the point that with a shorter shed you’re getting less shed. 

The cheap shed has a total volume ≈ 19.25 m³.
The Colossus shed has a total volume of 21.96m³
Difference: 2.02m³

See my workings

So while the other shed claims to be larger (11ft x 13ft vs 10ft x 12ft) is it actually 2.02m³ smaller. In the extra space that the Colossus has, you could fir 21 standard moving boxes.

Guarantees / Warranties

What happens when something goes wrong?

First thing’s first – you can see the warranty that we offer on each sheds’ product page, or find them over in our Returns Policy. We’ve nothing to hide. To add to this, we will often replace missing or damaged small parts if the caller can confirm proof of purchase. It’s for reasons like this that we are the only 7-years in a row AIBF accredited shed company in Ireland.

Other companies

Other shed companies with showrooms across Ireland would offer similar policies.  These generally are companies not to worry about – but check their Trustpilot and Google Maps reviews, for piece of mind.

The issue with Guarantees tends to present itself with dropshipping companies selling cheap sheds, or companies who are not particularly well known for sheds. If you see ‘Online Only’ or other notes that suggest that the company and sheds are not in Ireland, you might want to proceed with caution. Obviously, you have your consumer rights, but returning a shed to a company not in the EU can be a hassle, costly to you and time consuming.

Read the terms of the guarantees or warranty prior to purchase. Read the reviews of the company you’re intending to buy from; if they sell a variety of products, filter the results to include the word ‘shed’. Aim to purchase sheds that are sold within Ireland for the most hassle-free experience.

Summary

Cheap sheds may be a false economy but at the same time, you probably don’t need to spend €3,000 to store your lawnmower and tool box.

It’s all a matter of balance and compromise. Would you be really annoyed if your shed was easily dented and the contents damage? Are you storing something really important? Is a warranty important to you? Do you want a shed as big as advertised? It’s these reasons and more that we’re as popular as we are. We sell solid sheds are great prices that can go into almost any garden. Want to find out more? Get in touch with us or have a browse of our Steel Shed Ranges.