What’s the difference in wood types for sheds?

A picture of wooden log heads in a row. These pieces of wood are used to make the wood in our sheds. Overlad text reads: 'wooden sheds: wood types explained'

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WOOD TYPES for Wooden SHeds?

So you’ve decided on a wooden shed, but you’re now confused as to which type of wood to choose for it. Don’t stress it, you’re not the only person in this predicament. We’re going to walk you through the main wood type options available for Wooden Sheds on the Irish market.

Wood Styles

The first thing to look at is the style you want. Wood style is how the wood looks and how it’s pieced together. Some overlap, some click in together, for example. There are three main wood styles available on the Irish Market. They might go by different names elsewhere but in general, they’re known as:

  • Rustic
  • Deluxe
  • Barrell Board

We’ll look at them in more detail, but before we do, it’s important to note that all our Wooden Sheds:

  • Are Nailed and not Stapled
  • Are made with quality wood, toughened glass and galvanised hardware
  • They all have heavy-duty green mineral felt on our roofs (but you can upgrade this to steel if you want).
  • Have a 1-year Guarantee
  • Include the price of delivery and assembly in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Carlow, Wexford, Kilkenny, Meath and Louth.

 

Alright, onto the differences between the woods:

 

Rustic

This is the style of our most affordable sheds. The wooden planks are overlaid onto each other, which creates a shingle-like appearance. The wood is generally about half as thin as the other woods. While pleasant to look at, the overlapping wooden planks create small openings, which expose it to the elements. You can see these gaps here:

As a result, we don’t recommend storing anything in a Rustic Shed that can be damaged by damp or frost. The elements will find a way into this wood type. We don’t put an inner membrane lining into Rustic Sheds, as it would just be damaged by the weather.

Rustic Sheds are popular for their price-point and their visuals. If you’re only looking for a good-looking place for the garden shears, rakes etc., this might be the shed style for you.

Pressure Treated Option:

  • The Rustic Can be pressure treated.
  • Rustic Sheds that are pressure Treated do not come with an internal membrane lining, as the gaps created by the overlapping wood would render it useless.

Details:

  • 10mm overlap boards
  • 16mm butt-jointed roof & floor


Deluxe

The Deluxe is a step up from the Barrel Board in terms of the construction. The wood itself is almost twice as thick as the Rustic style. The wood clicks in together in the Deluxe Boards, through a ‘tongue-and-groove’ connection. This keeps the shed considerably more air-tight than the Rustic Sheds.

 

Pressure Treated Option:

  • The Deluxe Shed Can be pressure treated.
  • Deluxe Sheds that are pressure Treated come with an internal, blue membrane lining to maintain the temperature.

Details:

  • 22mm kiln-dried, planed weather sheeting with a tongue and groove roof and floor.

 

Barrel Board

The Barrel Board style is very similar to the Deluxe shed in its construction. It’s also 22mm thick, Tongue-in-Groove wood, but with the main difference being its barrelled appearance. It’s smooth to the touch and it’s a popular choice for playhouses or greenhouses as a result (less chance of splintering).

Pressure Treated Option:

  • All Barrel Board Wooden sheds come pressure treated as standard. You can’t get an untreated on a barrel board shed.

Details:

  • 22mm kiln-dried, planed weather sheeting with a tongue and groove roof and floor.

 

Okay, so you’ve chosen your style, but now you’re wondering about Pressure-treating it. Personally speaking, if you can afford it, it’s worth every penny.

 

Pressure Treated Wood

Pressure Treating isn’t a Wood Style, but rather a treatment that can be applied to any of the above wooden styles to help preserve the wood. We push preservatives and other treatment into the wood at high pressure, so that it soaks through the wood. This isn’t just a top layer coating, the wood is treated through and through.

It’s done to protect against the elements, fungus and rot. It makes your shed stronger and it should last considerably longer than an untreated shed. You won’t have to worry about upkeep either, as when it’s treated, your shed will require very little maintenance – there’s no need for the annual varnish!

When you compare the cost of the difference in untreated and pressure treated shed against the cost of annual treatments (and the time involved!) it’s usually a fairly simple choice.

Pressure Treated sheds do get a very slight silver-greenish hue to them, due to the treatment. In the image below, you can see the slight difference in colour – the left half of the picture is untreated and the right side is Pressure Treated.

 

Pressure Treated Wood

Pressure Treated Deluxe and Barrel Board sheds also come with an internal membrane which will control the internal temperature of the shed – keeping the temperature manageable whether it’s hot or cold. Pressure Treating is a great addition to a Deluxe Shed. The membrane is blue:

The internal membrane lining of the cabin shed. It is a bright, royal blue.

 

It’s important to note that Pressure-Treated Rustic Sheds don’t get the same benefits as Deluxe / Sheds. As these sheds are made with overlapping board, they are liable to have damp enter. As such, they can’t be lined with the internal blue membrane. Because of this, if moisture gets into these sheds, it can lead to mould formation. This would be like any other building where moisture is allowed to fester.

 

And that’s it. Check out our Wooden Sheds to get prices and should you have any questions, don’t be afraid to get in touch – call us at (01)864 4247, or message us on Facebook.

 

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Shed Lead Times written out as follows: Wooden Shed Assembly: 2.5-4 weeks Steel Shed Assembly: 2-3 weeks Steel Sheds Flatpacked 2-7 working days