10 Benefits of Concrete Sheds You Didn’t Think of
One of the key things a vendor would talk with you before installing a garden or other shed is the significance of a levelled and flat base. This might sound insignificant but is a critical part of its installation. This is because there is a difference of only a few millimeters between having a hassle-free shed or the one that becomes problematic later.
Even a small storage shed can be significantly heavy with a soft surface or bumpy flagstones. With time, such a shed is likely to sink into its foundation, which will finally result in its premature deterioration. This simply reverses its ability to live for more than 30 years.
With a bumpy base, door and window frames tend to get misaligned due to which opening and shutting them becomes troublesome. Similarly, unnecessary stress can come on other components, which is evident in the form of cracking or breaking. This can ultimately pave way for the rainwater to damage the stored things.
This is where a concrete base acts as a savior. However, it is not only for the shed’s base that the concrete material is recommended. It is also one of the preferred and recommended materials for building the sheds walls too. In fact, many homes have concrete sheds in their garden or lawn.
Overview of Concrete Sheds
Sheds made using concrete are more common in the categories of garage sheds and garden sheds. Well, there is a reason behind this inclination of concrete builds. These categories of sheds need to have a strong foundation featuring a consistently even and intact surface. This is something a concrete base never fails to offer. The surface is solid such that even the largest and heaviest model remains stable and precisely aligned.
A concrete shed base is certainly the most durable as well as the strongest of all shed foundations. Due to the high concrete shed base cost and labor-intensive making, you may hesitate in taking it. However, it would suffice even if you can manage to have it as a shed’s floor.
Concrete sheds are available in different forms such as precast concrete sheds and prefab concrete sheds. No matter which one you select, you are ensured of lasting strength and stability. Nevertheless, the shed installers must dig before putting one such shed in place. As a result, the effort required is more than installing or building other sheds such as plastic ones.
Concrete sheds are available in a variety of sizes to fulfill different needs. There is also a possibility of customization in the form of additional windows, side doors, and insulation. These sheds are capable of adjusting to any of your needs. To a garden, they are a great addition.
With modern models, maintenance is simplified enough to make you spend more time in the shed instead of in its care. These models contain several bolts for keeping the panels together, thus giving weather tight and clean joins.
Concrete Garden Sheds versus Plastic Sheds
While the concrete sheds prices are high, the cost of eco-friendly plastic models is less. The latter also needs less digging effort when it comes to its installation. This is one reason why plastic models cost far less. These sheds have a base of interlocking panels. Even if they are of excellent quality, you do not pay a cost as high as a concrete one.
However, in terms of performance, concrete wins the race. As long as it is rightly installed and is of high quality, a concrete shed exceeds a plastic one in terms of durability as well as strength. Nevertheless, plastic sheds are also durable and that they come with an additional benefit of easier maintenance.
Plastic sheds feature plastic cladding secured to its internal metal frame. Just a wash over is enough for their maintenance. A few better quality plastic sheds come with a double-walled system to increase the strength as well as the ability to resist condensation.
Still, concrete is a choice for those who wish for maximum durability and optimal customization. Concrete sheds are made using strengthened solid concrete and steel bars. The majority of concrete sheds come with at least 10 years guarantee although many ensure 15 years.
Steel Sheds versus Concrete Sheds
One of the most popular metal shed is the steel shed. Despite being a durable metal, concrete tends to overcome it in terms of durability, thickness, and aesthetics.
While steel sheds are prone to denting, scratching, and rusting if not cold rolled, concrete sheds are resistant to these issues. Similarly, the thickness of concrete walls is far more than those of the steel models. In terms of aesthetics, a steel shed may end up like a commercial model in your lawn or garden. However, the concrete garden sheds can take up a tailored appearance to best match with your home external decor.
10 Benefits of Concrete Sheds
When it comes to building a custom shed regardless of what its purpose may be, you need to consider some important factors such as design, style, and professional commitment from the vendor for turning your vision into a reality. These factors have no foundation without considering a strong or sound shed base.
Concrete seems to be the fundamental choice for having a stable base to keep several impacts and spills away. Sheds made using concrete offer a variety of benefits apart from strength, toughness, and durability. Let’s check them out!
1.Enduring Durability
A concrete material is capable of enduring a lot of damage as well as pressure that other construction materials may surrender to. If you are planning to have a shed as a garage or for storing the gardening tools, it is obvious to have lots of heavy tools or farm or commercial vehicles rolling around. This is why it is vital to have a shed’s base that can endure such rolling weight without being worn or cracking.
This is where concrete proves itself to be an ideal material by being in the base. Even if you were to store tractors and cars inside and move them excessively inside, a concrete floor will not show the signs of wear down. However, other parking or storing surfaces shall show sooner or later. A concrete shed is a perfect durable construction.
2.Simple Maintenance
Certain types of construction materials such as wood and some stones need costlier maintenance. However, unlike these materials, concrete does not need such precious care. Its toughness is such that it reduces the frequency of sealing.
Just regular mopping or a water blaster for a profoundly rooted grime is enough for keeping a concrete surface clean. Still, it is fact that the frequency of cleaning and maintaining a concrete shed is dependent on the traffic level inside your shed. If you will be using the shed as a barn or for animal shelter, floor cleaning is easier than a wooden one.
Most of us know that concrete maintenance is significant. However, did you know that it is simple? At least, there is no hard or too frequent rubbing!
3.Versatile
Most of us believe that a concrete base or a floor in the shed is a great foundation for erection. However, most of us do not know that this foundation is versatile. This is because it acts as a foundation for a variety of spaces. For example, for splitting a section and having a carpet upon it for rack storage, a concrete surface is a reliable base for the carpet. The options for versatility are, seriously, many.
A concrete shed base has the capability to double up as a floor. A floating foundation of concrete is usually 100 mm thick, which tends to last despite floating a bit although not longer than the built upon shed. To regulate cracking, a light steel reinforcement is enough.
4.Customized Aesthetics
Having a concrete surface does not mean having a gray or a dull look. You can easily transform the look into a vibrant one. How about acid staining? How about painting with a dye color? Well, there are many creative design options. It is not hard to make your concrete shed look extremely attractive.
5.Safety with Stability
Concrete sheds are semi-permanent structures that are ideal for storage in a safe way. Most of us know that they can withstand the harshness of weather and other environmental elements far better than normal plastic or wooden sheds. So, in this sense, they ensure a higher level of security. As a result, they are ideal for storing not only garden tools but also heavy vehicles as well as industrial tools.
These sheds remain unaffected by rain, moisture, and even termites. Did you know about the latter? Well, termite attacks have no influence on repelling concrete. Several wood garages or garden sheds might be vulnerable to termite attacks. This is something that concrete sheds are free from.
Did you know that concrete sheds are also resistant to fire and rotting? Similarly, it also keeps moisture away. All credit goes to the airtight block walls, which results in accumulation of less moisture. Thus, there will be no molds. Similarly, there will be no need of a dehumidifier. You can even have a fully insulated as well as a waterproof shed, which ensures peace of mind.
Lastly, it is highly difficult for a concrete floor to unearth. This means that the shed is likely to remain in its place on which you erected it.
6.Energy Saving Capability
Did you know that a concrete shed is more energy efficient than a shed made using materials such as wood? Well, the material retains a constant temperature for most of the time. Thus, if you use a heater or an air conditioner, it shall require less energy.
7.Size and Design Flexibility
You can get concrete sheds in tailored sizes in case if you have very specific size requirements. Similarly, there are no design restrictions. Erecting a garage or a shed with concrete blocks provides the freedom to design the edifice in any way you desire.
8.Cheaper than Brick Models
It is true that concrete sheds are costly. However, they are not as costlier as brick sheds. The total cost of a concrete model is around one-third of that of a similar brick building. This is perhaps why several homeowners now prefer a sectional concrete area for saving both time and money.
Making this sectional area does not take more than a day, while erecting a brick building needs profound foundations that require at least one month. Even the work effort for a sectional setup is cheaper. This is because the footage depth is around one-third of that of a brick edifice.
You can choose to outline a concrete shed with brick fronts, latest doors, and uPVC windows. This is how you can have a mix of both brick and concrete, in case brick is in the preferred list.
9.Easily Extensible
Very few people are aware that a concrete garage or a shed are effortlessly extensible. This is perhaps because of changeable door and window setups. It is possible to shift them elsewhere or remove them.
10.More Goodies
Concrete is more robust than aluminum, steel, or timber. Concrete sheds not only offers a dry and safe place for storing things but also transforms it as a workspace. With such sheds, there is no need to go for a separate reliable floor. While building such a shed, the floor can stay closer to the ground, which eliminates a ramp. Lastly, in case the shed gets wet or dirty, you can easily hose it down.
Conclusion
If you intend to couple the benefits of a storage shed with great weather resistance, longer durability than usual, and more security than a traditional wooden or a plastic shed, concrete sheds can be your best bet.
However, do not consider a concrete floor if you wish the shed to be a hobby or a work room. This is because concrete floors tend to be cold. If at all you cannot compromise, consider insulating it. This is how concrete surfaces adjust to give you the maximum benefits such that there is hardly any limitation left to consider.
