While vinyl siding is a popular choice for sheds, steel siding offers some features that you should consider. While a vinyl siding shed is often the least expensive option, you get what you pay for in terms of strength and longevity.
Durability and Strength
A steel siding shed is much more durable and will withstand damaging winds and storms than any vinyl structure. Vinyl is a lightweight material, causing many sheds and small structures made from it to lift off the ground in high wind situations. The weight and durability of the steel ensure it can withstand high winds and handle greater snow loads as well. You'll find many steel shed buildings with clear and specific ratings for wind and snow resistance, which is rarely available for vinyl shed products.
Longevity
Steel sheds will last longer than vinyl. The lifespan of vinyl is dependent on many factors: Sun exposure, precipitation, and exposure to high wind, hail storms, or falling debris from nearby trees. The quality of vinyl varies from product to product; some can last up to twenty years, while others begin to fade and show their age in as little as eight years.
Steel siding is much more UV resistant and less susceptible to moisture damage. Steel sheds can easily be customized with reinforced ridge caps, braces, and leg posts.
Maintenance Requirements
Vinyl siding on sheds requires frequent powerwashing to keep mold and mildew at bay. Metal siding doesn't attract mold and mildew at the same rate as wood or vinyl, and the steel is strong enough to withstand pressure washing equipment.
Sheds with vinyl siding often have asphalt shingle roofs, another maintenance item to consider. Most steel siding sheds come with a metal roof, and modern slope designs eliminate the need for gutters and fascia.
Fire Resistance
While vinyl siding has better fire resistance than wood siding, it can't compete with steel. Remember, the items inside of your shed have value, too, and choosing a fire-resistant siding will keep your possessions out of harm's way in case of fire in a nearby structure or field.
Customization Option
Only steel shed buildings offer real customization options. Vinyl sheds must be shaped and formed from raw materials into specific fixed sets, so there's very few options for adding a window or a few extra feet to the width. On the contrary, almost all steel siding frame sheds are highly customizable. The manufacturer can easily add or remove materials from the plans since a lot of human expertise is still involved in their construction. Unless you can find an existing vinyl shed design that perfectly fits your needs, you can customize a steel building with unlimited features. Our online metal building design tool can help you review all of the options and get a custom price estimate.
Eco-Friendly
Steel is positioned to meet the highest sustainability standards as it is recognized in all major green building and rating programs, including the National Green Building Standard and the Green Building Council’s LEED program. Steel siding is custom-made to reduce waste, where wood and vinyl siding result in more scrap. Steel is also 100% recyclable - all of the material can be recycled and used to form a new structure in the future.
There are many reasons to choose steel siding for your shed over vinyl; but don't take our word for it. Begin comparing options today, build your own custom shed with steel siding today, and you will see that steel siding is the right choice for your shed project.