We explore the pros and cons of a timber pole shed in comparison to a steel-framed one!
Choosing the right shed for your property is no small task! Deciding what functionality, style and features you want from your shed is only just the beginning. The framework is the most important component to begin building a shed, so you want to make sure you’re choosing the right materials to suit your specific needs from a design and functionality point of view! While steel sheds play a vital role in solving a problem for people looking for easy, lightweight and low-cost solutions for their shed needs, timber pole sheds tick a lot of boxes that some people don’t consider right away!
Let’s dive right in!
WHY WE LOVE TIMBER SHEDS!
- No Rust – Let’s start with an easy one. Unlike its steel counterpart, timber poles do not rust over time, saving you money in replacements if a part of your frame begins to rust. Although steel is typically galvanised for corrosion protection, there can remain weak rust-prone spots like any cut points, penetrations or scuffs through the protective coating. Much more durable in a sea spray zone.
- Insulation – Timber is vastly superior to steel when it comes to insulation against the cold and keeps the inside temperature at a more consistent level. This is ideal for liveable options, workshops, animal barns or anywhere where warmth is important to maintain throughout winters.
- Noise Level – During unruly, wild weather, you are going to have a quieter experience inside a timber pole shed without the ringing that comes from debris and rain hitting steel. As it is more soundproofed, timber will allow you to spend more time inside without as much disruption from noise.
- Ease and Flexibility – Not only is timber more flexible for designing a layout to suit your needs, but it also lends itself to easier installation of workbenches and shelves straight into the timber framing. Wiring is also easier to install than in a steel frame.
- Humidity Regulation – Because wood behaves as a natural humidity regulator, moisture is absorbed out of humid air into the wood itself – keeping your shed from ‘sweating’ with too much condensation and making conditions inside more bearable during the hotter and wetter months.
- More Homely – Just like with wooden furniture, the desire to have a shed built out of wood compared to steel is not going anywhere anytime soon! Steel sheds can look and feel cold, industrial and lacking in character. Timber offers a little bit more of the bespoke organic feel that many property owners are looking for!
WHY WE LOVE STEEL SHEDS TOO!
- Easy To Build – Being lightweight, many pieces of a steel shed can be handled by one labourer – cutting the labour time down.
- Will Not Rot – Steel can not rot, even though rust is still a threat, it will not rot like wood can. The waterproof properties of a steel shed will last with minimal maintenance. In wetter climates, steel sometimes is the more cost-effective solution for a shed.
- No Insect Nests – Creepy crawlies can not burrow into the steel and lay eggs like they can with wooden structures, which means less maintenance to keep out infestations.
- Accurate Measurements – Steel can be cut so precisely that it all fits together like a perfect puzzle, where there is potential room for variations in timber as it shrinks and grows with moisture.
- Rain Or Shine – Steel sheds can be built in wet weather with no change to the building sizing. As mentioned above, timber can shift, which makes it prone to variations while building during wild weather.
