What are Timber Sheds?

Timber sheds are basically storage structures made from wood. Timber is sometimes called lumber, which is essentially wood used for building materials. Timber sheds come in a wide variety of styles and designs, and while smaller, light duty sheds can be made from plastic or aluminum, larger sheds are often made from timber for durability and strength, as well as ease of construction. Timber sheds can be built to be any size, however, and timber is often used as a construction material because it can be cut to size on site quickly and easily.

Several considerations must be made before building timber sheds. The type of timber used will have an impact on the appearance, durability, and overall strength of the shed, not to mention the cost of construction. Cedar, for example, is a type of wood commonly used for timber sheds, but it is one of the more expensive types of woods one can use. Cedar is resistant to damage from moisture, sun exposure and bug infestation, so many builders prefer it over woods like pine that will need to be chemically treated to resist these types of damage. Cedar is also a naturally beautiful wood, so builders prefer it over the equally weatherproof but not visually attractive pressure-treated lumber.

One of the biggest advantages of timber sheds is the ability to customize the structure easily. Wood is a fairly easy material to manipulate, so a builder can customize the design of the shed structure fairly easily. This means better aesthetic appeal as well as specific functionality; a woodworker, for example, may require a workbench inside the shed, and a builder can easily customize the shed to accommodate such purposes. A storage shed can benefit from a loft space, and installing one is quite simple when working with wood as opposed to other prefabricated materials or materials that are difficult to work with on site.

There are drawbacks to building timber sheds as well. Regardless of a particular wood's ability to resist common damage, rot and bug infestation can occur. When these damages occur, the overall structure of the shed may be compromised, and maintenance may be necessary. Boards can rot or split, and some types of wood will fade in direct sunlight, affecting the aesthetic of the structure. A termite infestation is likely to rot floorboards and wall boards quickly, which means not only will the structure need maintenance, but it will also require extermination services to ensure the termites do not infest the replaced boards.