Best Shed Material For a Home Gym: Metal, Wood or Plastic?

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Shopping for a shed for a home gym? What is the best material to go for? What are the pros and cons of all those different types of sheds? Here is the information you need to make the right decision.

A wooden shed is the best option to build a gym in. Wooden sheds are the easiest to modify, look the best and have a pleasant indoor climate. However, they are quite expensive and require a lot of maintenance. A good second choice is a resin shed which is cheaper and much easier to maintain.

Below I’ll go over the pros and cons of all the common shed materials.

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Shed materials

Of course you can construct a shed out of many different materials. Different materials serve different purposes and your purpose will dictate what the best choice is. In this case, I’m focusing on shed for a gym. What are the pros and cons of the following materials in that context?

• Metal
• Wood
• Plastic

Let’s take a look at all of those shed materials and their pros and cons.

Looking for a pre-fab resin shed? Check this one out on Amazon. It’s big enough for a decent shed gym and includes flooring as well.

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Metal

First let’s look at metal sheds. Metal is a very common material for cheap sheds but there are some significant drawbacks.

Pros

• Durable
• Cheapest option
• Insect resistant

Cons

• Indoor climate
• Needs insulation for gym purposes
• Can be easily dented which is difficult to repair
• Roofs don’t always stand up to heavy snow/winds
• Not always visually appealing

There is a difference between DIY metal sheds and pre-fab ones. To be brutally honest, most people don’t have the DIY skills and/or proper tools to make a good shed from metal. If not done right, it’ll look very cheap and flimsy. Some of the better pre-fab metal shacks look much better, are stronger and are easier to build as well.

Suggested post: Can you turn a garden shed into a home gym?

Metal has some obvious benefits and drawbacks. It’s the cheapest option for getting a shed and it’s durable if taken care off. Insects and other creatures can’t really damage it. The biggest threats are rust and extreme weather.

For gym purposes, the biggest problem is the indoor climate is an issue. A bit of sun and the temperature inside will skyrocket quickly. And in extreme temperatures, you have to be careful not to touch the walls because they could actually hurt you. Insulation would help but will likely have to be a DIY project and you’ll need skill to do it right.

Whatever material you pick, your shed will probably be quite cold in the winter. Check out these posts to fix that problem;

18 best ways to stay warm in a home gym

The best space heaters for a home gym

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Wood

Next up, wood. It’s probably the first material that comes to mind when talking about sheds. However, it has its pros and cons like any other material.

Pros

• Looks great
• Blends into the surroundings easily
• Durable if maintained well
• Easy to make modifications
• Possible to build from scratch.

Cons

• Requires more maintenance
• Most expensive option
• Rain/moisture can damage the structure

Wooden sheds are a great option but they will cost significantly more than other options, especially if you’re buying a pre-fab package. If you DIY your wooden shed, you can probably save some money, depending on how cheaply you can get your wood.

The biggest benefits of a wooden shed are that they (can) look great, are easy to work on and the fact that you can DIY one if you want. It’s easy to make modifications if you’d like.

Wood does require a fair bit of maintenance every year so it’s not set and forget. Painting and staining will be necessary if you want to keep it in good shape for many years. If built and maintained well, they’ll last for a long time and are very strong. They can handle extreme weather conditions and still stay relatively pleasant to be inside of. The walls won’t become too hot or cold to touch. That’s a great feature for a gym since you’ll be moving around quite a bit.

Also, if the shed looks good in the garden, you’re more likely to convince your spouse that it’s a good idea.

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Plastic

Plastic is kind of a vague term. It can mean many different things. In this case we’re talking about resin.

Pros

• Cheap
• Easy to assemble
• Light, easy to move.
• Doesn’t require any maintenance
• Many styles available
• Always waterproof if designed correctly
• Not the most aesthetically pleasing
• You can’t DIY this
• Insect resistant

Cons

• Difficult to customize
• Only available in smaller sizes although some are big enough for gym purposes
• Don’t stand up to extreme temperatures very well

Resin sheds have many benefits. They are cheap although not quite as cheap as metal sheds but the benefits are probably worth the extra money.

Resin shacks are lightweight so you can relatively easily move them around. They don’t require any maintenance. And are not susceptible to any rot, rust or insects. UV light can cause damage over time but most better resin sheds are pretty UV resistant. One thing they don’t do very well is extreme temperatures.

You won’t be making a DIY plactic shed so it’ll almost always be a pre-fab package. That means they will be constructed well and always waterproof.

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Which shed material is best for a gym?

As you can see above, all the materials are durable although some require more maintenance to stay durable. We’re not building a shed for storage however. The goal is to build a home gym inside of it. So keeping that in mind, which material would be the best choice?

What do you need in a shed to create a good gym?

• Enough space
• Flooring
• Comfortable temperature
• Ability to mount things on the wall
• Ventilation

That’s of course besides choosing the correct equipment for your goals. Most sheds allow you to choose your own flooring so that’s not really a concern. And if you can find a shed that’s big enough, it’s big enough and material doesn’t really matter.

If price and time are of no concern, a wooden shed would be the best option. In a gym you’ll sometimes want to mount something to the wall. Storage, resistance band anchors and power racks are examples of things that are commonly mounted to a wall. A wooden shed makes this very easy and most people have the tools and knowledge to do it right. With resin and metal it’s much more difficult.

If money and time are of importance, consider a resin shed. As long as you can put in your own floor, you should be OK.  Resin sheds don’t require much maintenance and are relatively cheap.  The biggest drawback will be the lack of options to mount things to the wall. Ventilation is not going to be great so you’ll have to work out with the doors open. Resin sheds are generally very waterproof so they keep your gym equipment safe.

I wouldn’t recommend a metal shed for a gym because the indoor climate can be very uncomfortable in more extreme temperatures. It’s difficult to mount things on the walls without significant drawbacks like poking a hole in your wall. It’s also likely you will dent a metal shed with your workout.

Whatever material you pick, your shed will probably be quite cold in the winter. Check out these posts to fix that problem;

18 best ways to stay warm in a home gym

The best space heaters for a home gym

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