Storage Box or Shed – Which is best for my garden?
July 16, 2014
With the rate at which everyone accumulates possessions seeming to increase exponentially, it’s fair to say that in today’s world, space is at a premium.
This is no different in the garden, as space can quickly be eaten up by large equipment (lawnmowers, hedge trimmers), garden furniture (lounge chairs, picnic tables) and sporting equipment (football nets, bikes).
One of the most obvious (and certainly most effective) fixes for a cluttered garden is to store the offending items in some form of garden storage solution.
Two of the most popular garden storage solutions available at the moment are the Storage Box, and an old stalwart; the Shed. Both options have pros and cons, and we’ll discuss the most important of both aspects in this blog post.
Sheds
The most important thing about sheds, especially in relation to storage boxes, is their large size. It goes without saying that you’ll need a fair amount of room in your garden to install one, but it’s also important to be mindful of the additional requirements of shed installation.
One of the most costly, in terms of both time and money, is to ensure that the shed is placed on a solid surface, to prevent it sinking into soft ground, and protect the floor of the shed from long term exposure to moisture. This surface can consist of a number of different materials, but the most commonly utilised are paving slabs and concrete. Of course, this is assuming that the shed in question isn’t placed on your patio, in which case additional layers of surfacing would not be required underneath.
In terms of storage itself, a shed will almost certainly have a larger storage capacity than any given storage box; an average shed will comfortably be able to hold a couple of bikes, and a lawnmower, as well as smaller items packed around. With internal accessories like bike racks and shelving, a shed’s storage capacity can increase exponentially.
Of course, due to their larger size, a shed can also be more easily utilised for additional purposes beyond storage. A shed can be used as a workshop, a space for potting plants, or even just a quiet spot for contemplation. This additional versatility is one of the main differentiators between sheds and storage boxes.
Storage Boxes
Boxes make up for their smaller comparative storage space by being more convenient. A shed is large enough to become a key feature of your garden, whether you want it to be or not, whereas a storage box is unobtrusive enough to be camouflaged or hidden, wherever it is placed in the garden.
A low fence or bush is more than enough to hide a storage box, whilst still allowing for easy access. As well as being easy to hide, storage boxes are also extremely convenient to access, making them a great choice for safely storing frequently used items.
This convenient size is also useful if you want your storage solution to be placed close to, or even directly flush against the walls of your house. A shed is large enough to block windows and entrances, seriously limiting the number of places that they can be placed, while a storage box’s small stature allows them to be easily situated just out of the way of windows or egress points.
The above factors are also what potentially makes a storage box a more secure storage solution. They present a less obvious target than a shed to potential thieves and the fact that they can be more easily placed close to your house makes them a far less tempting mark.
If a shed has windows, it also presents a more obvious access point to enterprising burglars. A squat, window free storage box should present a more challenging prospect.
Which option is best for me?
It’s clear at this point that the familiar shed and the humble storage box are both effective garden storage solutions; but they’re each better suited for specific roles.
Sheds are best for an all around solution, being large enough to store pretty much every garden related item or piece of equipment that you can think of. The shed is also the winner when it comes to general utility, as it can be utilised as a work or relaxation space.
The storage box is better suited for storing smaller, more frequently used items, as well as being more visually pleasing, easier to hide, and potentially more secure.
