Metal Storage Sheds – My Cousin’s Tale

Cheap garden sheds were everywhere this last season.

Did you notice that? In the neighbors’ backyards little metal storage sheds seemed to be everywhere. Or am I just noticing them for the first time?

Certainly a little shed is a great help to keeping your backyard tidy and clean. Not to mention keeping your garage clear of clutter!

In the past wooden storage sheds were the only option home owners had, and because they were heavy and hard to make small, they tended to be bigger, lumbering, more obtrusive structures.

Certainly the one in the backyard where I grew up with my sister was like this. It held bikes (five of them I think), all the gardening tools, chicken feed, our father’s carpentry tools and the old bench that ran along one side was piled high with the boxes and bits and pieces that a family accumulates over the years.

So when my cousin recently replaced her small metal storage shed with another one, I couldn’t help notice how convenient the size was. And add to that the way she and her husband put it up with a screwdriver in a very short time. It was so easy.

But already it is full. I can’t see them being able to store boxes and larger items long term in their shed. And while it is stronger than the plastic storage sheds or the vinyl sheds you will find in some yards, it is not as sturdy as wood. Actually, the earlier one had rusted away, since my cousin lives near the sea. So we can be sure of what the future holds for this current metal shed. Even vinyl storage sheds would have a shelf-life, I think, in spite of being durable and sturdy.

No, there is a place for wooden storage, even if they are a little big. They can be maintained for years and you can quickly add shelves or benches with simple tools and some nails.