Key facts
- Budget overlap timber
- 7–10 years
- Pressure-treated shiplap
- 15–25 years
- Metal and plastic
- 15–20 years
Lifespan depends far more on the base, treatment and ventilation than on the badge on the door. A cheap shed on a good base, treated regularly, will outlast an expensive one sitting in a puddle.
| Specification | Typical life with care |
|---|---|
| Overlap, dip treated | 7–10 years |
| Shiplap, dip treated | 10–15 years |
| Shiplap, pressure treated | 15–25 years |
| Galvanised metal | 15–20 years |
| Moulded plastic | 15–20 years |
What shortens a shed's life
- Standing water around or under the floor.
- Missed treatment cycles on dip-treated timber.
- Failed roofing felt left unreplaced — felt typically lasts 5–10 years.
- Vegetation growing against the cladding and trapping moisture.
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