Resin Sheds

What is a resin shed?

A resin shed is a plastic garden shed made from moulded polymer panels instead of timber boards or steel sheet. In the shed trade, "resin" usually means polypropylene or polyethylene: Keter says its sheds use a durable polypropylene resin that will not warp, rust, fade or peel. So a plastic resin shed and a plastic shed are much the same thing; the word just names what the panels are moulded from.

Keter's better ranges use Evotech panels, which are double-walled, made in two co-extruded layers with a wood effect grain, and reinforced with steel, so from a few metres away a Newton Plus looks more like a painted wooden shed than a plastic one. Keter describes the material as fully recyclable.

Not every shed sold as plastic is the same material. You will also see PVC (sometimes called vinyl) sheds, such as the Shire Tuscany Evo, and polycarbonate sheds on an aluminium frame, such as the Palram Canopia range. We compare all three below.

Why choose a resin garden shed?

The main reason people buy a resin storage shed is to stop doing maintenance jobs on it. Here is what you get compared with a timber or metal storage shed:

• Low maintenance: no paint, preserver or roof felt. Wash the panels down with a hose and mild soapy water once or twice a year.
• Weather resistant: the panels do not rot, swell or rust, so a wet British winter does it no harm. They are UV treated, so they keep their colour in the sun.
• Durable: steel reinforcement in the Factor, Newton Plus and Stronghold makes them stiff and strong. The Stronghold roof is rated to a 150kg per square metre snow load; the Factor to 75kg.
• Long warranties: 15 years on the Factor and Newton Plus, 10 years on the Darwin and Stronghold.
• A floor in the box: almost every model here includes a floor, which keeps tools off the damp ground.
• Lockable: every Keter shed here has lockable doors or padlock fixings, so it doubles as secure outdoor storage.
• Light inside: roof lights and windows let daylight in, so you rarely need a lamp in the day.

The trade-offs are that a resin garden shed costs more than a basic wooden shed of the same size, it is harder to fix heavy shelves to, and you cannot cut a new window into it later.

Resin sheds compared

Here are the resin storage buildings on this page with the measurements from the Shedstore listings. Each Newton Plus row covers two mirror-image models (7'5 x 9 and 9 x 7'5, for example): the floor plan is the same, but the reverse apex version has its doors on the long side. Prices change often, so they are shown as rough bands; the grid above has today's price.

Sizes in metres include the roof overhang where Shedstore gives it, so the base footprint is a little smaller. Colours: the Factor is beige wood-effect, the Newton Plus and Stronghold are grey, the Darwin is green and the Tuscany Evo is white and buff.

The five ranges

Keter Factor: the best-value apex shed

The Factor is the classic Keter garden storage shed in beige wood effect, made in four sizes from 6x6 to 8x11. All four share a 1.385m double door with padlock fixings, a window, a skylight, air vents and two shelves with brackets. The heavy-duty resin floor is included, and Shedstore lists a 15-year guarantee. Assembly is estimated at 3 to 4.5 hours for two people. If you want a shed with a floor at the lowest price per square metre, this is the range to start with. See every size on our Keter Factor sheds page.

Keter Newton Plus: wood effect in 12 sizes

The Newton Plus is the most flexible range. Its grey Evotech panels are double-walled and steel-reinforced with a wood effect finish, and every model has two Victorian-style windows, a full-length roof light, built-in vents, lockable double doors and a heavy-duty floor. It is 2.30m deep and comes in lengths from 2.24m to 5.39m, either as an apex shed with the doors in the gable end or a reverse version with the doors on the long side. The ridge is 2.46m. Our Keter Newton Plus sheds page has the full set.

Keter Stronghold: the most durable storage shed

The Stronghold is built for security and bad weather. The apex roof is steel-reinforced and rated to a 150kg per square metre snow load, the double doors have a 3-point locking system, and at 1.525m the doorway is the widest on this page, which helps with a ride-on mower. It comes in 10x8, 10 x 11'5 and 10x15, each with roof lights, transom windows and a heavy-duty floor. The warranty is 10 years. Compare it with the rest of our heavy duty plastic sheds.

Keter Darwin: a resin potting shed

The green Darwin 8x6 is a potting shed rather than a storage shed. It has seven windows, five of which open, and a hybrid roof that is part translucent and part opaque, so plants get light while tools stay in the shade. The wood effect panels are joined with reinforced aluminium connectors, and the warranty is 10 years. Check the Shedstore listing for what comes in the kit before you plan your base. More are on our plastic potting sheds page.

Shire Tuscany Evo: small PVC sheds with a resin floor

The two Tuscany Evo models are the smallest and cheapest here. Strictly they are vinyl sheds: the walls are 22mm box-section recycled PVC panels, while the floor is 45mm interlocking resin tiles and the roof is UV-protected ABS. The Evo 100 is a 4x2'6 pent tool shed with a single 0.59m door; the Evo 120 is a 4x4 apex with double doors and two Perspex windows. The guarantee is one year, far shorter than Keter's. For more compact sizes, see our small plastic sheds.

Resin vs PVC vs polycarbonate sheds

All three are sold as plastic sheds, but they behave differently:

• Resin (polypropylene or polyethylene): moulded panels, often double-walled and steel-reinforced, with a wood-grain finish. Opaque, so nobody can see in. The Keter ranges on this page.
• Vinyl: extruded box-section boards that slot together like timber cladding. Light, cheap and easy to build, but usually with shorter warranties. The Shire Tuscany Evo.
• Polycarbonate: twin-wall or multi-wall sheets on an aluminium or steel frame. Very strong and lets diffused light through the walls or roof. See our Palram Canopia sheds.

For a tool shed or bike store you want to lock and forget, opaque resin is the usual choice. Vinyl suits a small, cheap garden storage shed. For a potting shed or a bright workshop, polycarbonate or the part-clear Darwin is better.

Resin vs wooden and metal sheds

A wooden shed is cheaper to buy, easy to fix shelves and hooks to, and can be customised, but it needs treating every year or two and new felt every few years, and it will rot if water sits against it. A metal shed is usually the cheapest for the space and very secure, but metal can dent and rust where scratched, and condensation drips off bare steel on cold mornings. A resin garden shed sits between the two, and will not dent or rust like metal: it costs more than basic timber, but over ten or fifteen years there is nothing to buy for it except a padlock. Our plastic vs wooden shed guide goes into more detail.

Resin sheds with floors

Every Factor, Newton Plus and Stronghold has a heavy-duty floor in the kit, and the Tuscany Evo comes with its interlocking floor tiles. A plastic floor will not rot, but it is not a base: it still needs to sit on firm, level ground or it will flex and the doors will not line up. Paving slabs or a concrete pad suit every size. Plastic grid kits on our shed bases page are quicker to lay and drain well, and on a slope an adjustable shed base can level the frame without digging. Make it the size of the shed at floor level, not the overhang size in the table.

Which size resin shed do you need?

• Hand tools, a hose and a few pots: a Tuscany Evo 100 or 120, or a Factor 6x6 if you want a floor area of about 3.5 square metres and Keter's warranty.
• A push mower and garden tools: a Factor 8x6 or Newton Plus 7'5 x 7. Both have doorways of almost 1.4m.
• Bikes plus garden kit: a Factor 8x8 or 8x11, or a Newton Plus 7'5 x 9 or 7'5 x 11. For bikes on their own, our plastic bike sheds cost less.
• A ride-on mower or workshop: a Stronghold, for its 1.525m doorway and 3m width, or a long Newton Plus. Our large plastic sheds page has more big models.
• A narrow side return or a plot along a back fence: a Newton Plus. It is only 2.30m deep, and the reverse apex versions put the doors on the long side so everything is in reach.

Leave about 60cm all round to build the shed and get at the panels later, and plan your racking before you buy: see our shed shelving ideas for plastic walls.

How much does a resin shed cost?

At Shedstore, the price of the sheds on this page runs from about £500 for the smallest Tuscany Evo to about £2,500 for the biggest Stronghold and Newton Plus. Roughly by range:

• Shire Tuscany Evo: around £500 to £600.
• Keter Factor: around £800 for the 6x6 to £1,400 for the 8x11.
• Keter Darwin 8x6: around £1,400.
• Keter Newton Plus: around £1,300 to £2,470.
• Keter Stronghold: around £1,560 to £2,500.

Add the cost of a base, a lock, and any delivery charge Shedstore shows at checkout; delivery prices depend on your postcode. For a lower price, see our cheap plastic sheds.

Delivery and assembly

Every model arrives flat-packed for DIY assembly after delivery. Packaged weights run from about 88kg for the Factor 6x6 to 315kg for the Stronghold 10x15, so clear a dry space near the gate for the boxes. Shedstore lists the delivery details for each shed on its product page; check the delivery date and charge before you order. Build on a calm, dry day with two people, have the foundation ready first, and screw the shed down once it is square.

Planning permission for a resin shed

In England, a garden shed is usually permitted development if it is single storey, not in front of the house, and outbuildings cover no more than half the garden. Within 2m of a boundary, the shed can be no more than 2.5m high. Every shed on this page is under that limit except the Stronghold, whose 2.51m ridge is just over, so stand it more than 2m from the fence or check with your council. Remember a raised foundation adds height. The Planning Portal outbuildings guide has the full rules; listed buildings, conservation areas and National Parks have tighter limits. All these sheds are under 15 square metres, so building regulations do not normally apply.

Security and lockable doors

The Stronghold has 3-point locking; the Newton Plus and Darwin have lockable levers and the Factor has fixings for a lock. None includes a padlock, so buy a good closed-shackle one. The Tuscany Evo is not listed as lockable, so it suits tools more than bikes. The walls are opaque and the roof lights sit high up, so nobody can see what is stored inside. Anchor the shed down, and for alarms and ground anchors see our shed security page.

Resin sheds FAQs

How long do resin sheds last?

The warranties are a fair guide: 15 years on the Keter Factor and Newton Plus, 10 on the Stronghold and Darwin and one year on the Shire Tuscany Evo. The panels do not rot or rust, so a well-anchored shed on a level base can last well beyond that.

Are resin sheds better than wooden sheds?

For low maintenance, yes: there is no treating or re-felting, and nothing to rot. Wood is cheaper at first and easier to customise. Read our plastic vs wooden shed comparison.

Which resin sheds come with a floor?

Every Factor, Newton Plus and Stronghold includes a heavy-duty floor, and the Tuscany Evo comes with floor tiles. Check the Darwin listing before ordering.

Do resin sheds get condensation?

Any closed shed can on cold mornings. The Factor and Newton Plus have built-in vents; open the doors on dry days and keep the base above wet ground.

Can you paint a resin shed?

You do not need to, and the colour is moulded in. Paint does not grip well on this kind of plastic, so it can flake; if you want a different colour, pick a different shed.

Are Keter sheds resin?

Yes. Keter makes them from durable polypropylene, with double-walled panels on the Newton Plus, Stronghold and Darwin. See all of them on our Keter sheds page.