Which are better, plastic garden sheds or steel?

Plastic garden sheds are becoming more popular and widely used in Australia

Nearly every residence in Australia, from farming properties right through to apartments and units, has a need for some form of outdoor storage, such as garden sheds or cabinets. Some items like lawn mowers and garden implements are simply not the sort of thing we want inside; others such as cans of fuel have to be stored away from the house to meet the requirements of insurance policies.

This type of storage is often a garden shed, although other options including outdoor storage benches and cabinets are becoming more widely used.

Traditionally, the backyard shed was framed up with whatever timber was available and clad with corrugated iron sheet. During the 1970’s new ranges of garden sheds became available through garden centres and hardware stores. Some of these are supplied as pre-assembled panels made from galvanised, Zincalume or Colorbond steel sheet, and some as kit form cartonised units made from coated steel or aluminium. Aluminium is not used today for garden sheds, as it is relatively expensive and not as strong in sheet form. 

During the past 10 years or so, plastic garden sheds have been gaining acceptance as an alternative to the metal units. Mostly these are manufactured from polypropylene resin which gives a good balance between strength, weathering (including UV resistance) and cost. Some manufacturers have just started using polycarbonate for garden sheds – the high impact resistance of this product makes them virtually indestructible.

 

As with most questions, there are pros and cons for both types of shed – some of these are as follows:

METAL GARDEN SHEDS

PROS

  • Price – steel sheds are available at lower costs than plastic sheds; typically about half the cost per square metre of floor area, (most steel shed manufacturers are in a race to the bottom on price making most products very low quality)
  • Wide range of sizes and colours – units from 1.5m x 0.78m up to 6.0m x 3.0m are available in Zincalume and in many of the standard Colorbond colours
  • Readily available – many sizes can be purchased from stock at hardware stores

CONS

  • Difficult to assemble, many sheds of this type have misaligned holes or require all holes to be drill by the installer.
  • Quality – there is a wide variation in the quality of units available; a good rule of thumb is the old saying: “You get what you pay for”
  • Base preparation – generally the metal garden shed kit does not include a floor; this necessitates base preparation which could include either constructing a timber floor or laying a concrete slab for the unit
  • Susceptibility to damage – steel sheds are relatively easy to scratch and dent, particularly the cheaper units which are made from very light gauge sheet and problems are often encountered with sliding doors jamming because of light construction

PLASTIC GARDEN SHEDS

PROS

  • Long-lasting – the plastic used for garden sheds has good impact resistance and UV stability, allowing the units to retain a good appearance for extended periods and offering long product life
  • Includes floor – the floor section is an integral part of the shed structure, providing a weatherproof storage space and obviating the need for a separate base or extensive base preparation
  • Good looking – the molded section construction allows for a different and attractive appearance
  • Ease of assembly – comprehensive instructions and good product design make the assembly process straightforward

CONS

  • Cost – poly resin sheds are more expensive than steel units; typically more than twice as much for a similar floor area
  • Limited range of sizes– only sizes of up to 14 square metres floor area are available currently

Conclusion?  It depends on your priority – if cost is the deciding factor a steel shed is the answer and if appearance and product life is more important to you – a poly resin or polycarbonate plastic unit is the logical choice.

Drinking water is an essential step to well-being

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But drinking water instead of other things can be a challenge

We all know that drinking water is essential for our well-being, but many of us prefer to drink it mixed with other things such as coffee, tea or soft drinks (which are often loaded with sugar) simply because we think they taste better. Given that the recommended intake is between 1.5 and 1.8 litres of water per day it isn’t surprising that we are interested in how it tastes. Of course, the amount we need depends on a number of factors including how much exercise we are doing and how hot and dry the weather is. Also, we often need to drink more if we are sick – perhaps with the flu, for example. In addition we do get a certain amount of water in our food, particularly vegetables and fruit such as lettuce and watermelon. And keep in mind that certain medical conditions such as kidney and heart problems do require careful monitoring of fluid intake under medical supervision.

Drinking the water we need in beverages such as coffee and tea isn’t necessarily a bad thing if we do it in moderation, but the fact is that drinking water by itself has advantages. Firstly tap water costs very little, particularly compared to soft drinks and secondly, it doesn’t contain any sugar, which of course is a real plus if working with a weight-loss program. Drinking sufficient water every day is a fundamental element of most exercise and weight management regimes.

If all we are used to drinking is tap water, we may not realise just how refreshing pure water can be. Municipal supplies are generally safe to drink, but the potential for pathogens such as bacteria and viruses breeding in the water necessitates its treatment with chlorine. This treatment is very effective, but it does affect the taste and smell of the water. Also, it is supplied through an extensive network of pipes and sediment particles such as rust flakes, grit and fibres are often delivered along with the water!

filtered water drinks

Filtered water makes great-tasting fruit drinks!

The good news is that easy to use and highly effective water filter systems are readily available and are not expensive to purchase and maintain. For example, a Filtaflo Counter Top CNB1 filter kit costs only $89.00 and maintenance would typically consist of replacing the Carbon Block cartridge (cost $39.95) every 6 months. This equates to an ongoing cost of less than $0.22 per day – much less expensive than bottled water – for water which tastes like it really should; clean and refreshing. Another great plus is that using filtered water will make your tea and coffee taste way better too – and you may like to experiment with some other drinks such as fruit cocktails, all in the interests of making your daily water intake more enjoyable!

 

 

 

 

 

The answer to covering an untidy fence

Covering an untidy fence or wall a problem?

Covering an untidy fence is a problem that confronts many home owners from time to time. It isn’t always practicable to replace that fence or render and paint that wall. And it takes too long for that grape vine to grow large enough to do the job …

The PlantScape range of vertical garden panels are an ideal solution – inexpensive and easy to install, they are also low-maintenance thanks to their built-in dripper irrigation system. Each kit consists of two panels with four separate potting cells, allowing you to select a range of plants which complement each other and bring colour and a living ambience to your problem area!

 

Plantscape TERRA

PlantScape TERRA Vertical Garden panels

There are four styles of PlantScape vertical garden panels available – TERRA, LOG, STONE and HEX – allowing you to choose a design appropriate to your situation. More information about the units can be found at http://www.landera.com.au/vertical-gardens . Each panel design allows matching both vertically and horizontally, so multiple units can be used to cover any area. The in-built irrigation drippers make watering your plants simple and water usage is kept to a minimum.

Having a wall of green, living plants to look at is a vast improvement on worrying about an unsightly fence!