Thread: Timber or metal?

neksmerj,
I think you will find not much difference in price form 1 to the other. Timber is getting more expensive ...but if you go the metal direction makesure you have enough framework & noggings for hanging shelves and such.

Do you intend to line the walls? This may hide the "poor finish" problem.

If you do it in wood and do not line it, you can fix shelves between the studs.

This is probably one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions.

The answer is "Twice the distance from the middle to one end"

Originally Posted by neksmerj

This is probably one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions.

I'm tossing up between a metal framed/metal clad shed to a timber framed/timber clad shed. I'm talking something around 6m x 3m on a concrete slab.

My house is timber framed with vertical timber board cladding, metal tray roofing. Matching the shed appearance to the house, would be a nice touch.

A metal shed would be around $3000, so my question is how much more expensive would a timber version be? Are we talking twice as much, less?

One thing I don't like about metal sheds is the quality of fit of all the components. Most of the sheds I've seen are rubbish.

As far as I know, termites are not a problem in my area.

What are your thoughts.

Ken

Just in the process of building a metal shed myself Ken. I gave a lot of thought and costing to timber v metal. The big advantage of a metal shed is the inherent strength of the finished product, and its more resistant to fire. I have built a couple of sheds over the years, but alas, always for cars, and never for the more important things in life!

The shed I am putting together now is from Garage World, the first time I have bought from them. I am not sorry that I did, as the shed is as solid as a rock, even before the cladding goes on. The joint brackets are more substantial and form a better joint than those I have previouly had, and the hold down brackets are set in the concrete slab rather than, like most, being either chemset or ramset style bolts inserted after the slab is finsihed and cured for a week at least.

The cost of the shed and slab that i'm doing is altogether around $7.5K, which I consider a good price for what I'm getting: a 9m x 4m shed with a sliding glass door, 2 full sheets skylights, 2 windows, and the material for a PA door if I decide to include it (which I most likely will not). The price does not include erection of the shed, i believe that most ment can cope with erecting easily enough.

You may see post here and elsewhere about plasticunder the concrete slab. The choice is yours, but the benefits of insisting on it far outweigh the outcome of not having it.

Hope this is some help to you

Cheers, Barry

For a shed, unless you clad internaly/insulate metal could have more temprature condensate problems than timber. Metal frame is unlikely to warp or rot. Timber external clading would match your house.
Such choices. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

For a shed, unless you clad internaly/insulate metal could have more temprature condensate problems than timber. Metal frame is unlikely to warp or rot. Timber external clading would match your house.
Such choices. Good luck.

Metal or timber. Methinks in any cool/cold clime like Vic one would think insulation is a foregone conclusion unless one is unaffected by cold dank interiors. Spending a relatively large sum on the shed, not to make it comfortably habitable (even perhaps for the occasional doghouse) would be skimping. Insulation for a shed of 6 x 3 should not cost more than $150-200. Condensate would not be a problem is foil backed blanket were used, or if batts are the choice then to wrap the walls with foil sarking prior to installing the batts would be the go.

JMHO