Can I Use A Plastic Shed As An Office?
I know Covid-19 has taken a toll on us but one spark it has left us that the realization of the versatility of a shed. From a mere room in the corner, it has become more functional and prominent.
Plastic sheds, among the other sheds, have been thriving due to their massive functionality. However, no matter how versatile a plastic shed is, it is not suitable to be used as an office. It can’t perform air ventilation, can’t withstand extreme weather, and is not secured as well.
If you are planning on shifting your plastic shed into an office, think twice. If you are still hesitating, keep reading the article.
Can I Use A Plastic Shed As An Office?
Theoretically, it is possible to use the plastic shed as an office. However, if you focus on the practical angle, they are not the very leading way to use for an office. Plastic sheds are great as storage facilities or as indoor gardens.
However, you have to stay for a significant amount of your day there if you use the shed as an office. Can you imagine living inside walls that are so impenetrable that no air or moisture can invade inside?
Also, a plastic shed is very lightweight and frivolous. Even a gentle breeze or wind blow can shake the core of the shed. Do you want to work in a space that constantly reminds you of an earthquake?
Don’t get me wrong. A plastic shed is very versatile. They are cheap, durable, sustainable, and green. But not suitable to welcome a human being to live and work inside it. A shed, to be qualified as an office, must at least be in livable and habitable condition.
Why Can’t I Use A Plastic Shed As An Office?
Even though a plastic shed can be useful on many occasions, it fails to pass the test of habitability. There are a few reasons why you should deter yourself from using a plastic shed for your office space.
1. Air Circulation
When you use wood, resin, or metal material, you can create a path of air circulation. The resin and wood are great themselves to inhale and exhale air and moisture. Metal materials like steel can also do thorough air ventilation and circulation with the help of insulation.
But a plastic container does not allow any airflow to pass through the room. For a suitable airflow, you need to create ventilators or separate membranes. But as the plastic is too lightweight, it can’t hold the weight of ventilators or other membranes.
2. Extreme Weather
Plastics do not do well in extreme weather conditions. Plastic can hardly withstand scorching sun or the heavy wind blow. As moisture can’t penetrate through them, if you live in a monsoon-prone area, the water may be clogged and clustered that may beget damping the shed.
Plastics also can’t endure hot temperatures. There is no procedure to distract the heat flow. So, the shed will be too hot when the sun will be over the head. Without proper air ventilation, you will feel suffocated and might contract a heat stroke in such a situation.
3. Too Lightweight
Plastics are not as sturdy, rugged, or strong as wood or resin. Yes, being a lightweight is an advantage but not always. If lightweight would have been a vital feature of household, we would prefer to live in a house made out of paper, not brick.
As you are about to spend your time there, the establishment, no matter how small, should be sturdy enough to withstand wind blows or damages. But as plastic shads are really lightweight, you would feel like floating inside the shed when the weather gets a little funny.
4. No Security
Even if you install the most intricate lock in the plastic shed, you can’t rest assured that your shed is safe. Even if the invaders can’t penetrate from the front door, there are thousands of weak points they can insert themselves.
Plastic, no matter how thick or graded are they, can be cut through a saw, or electric machines. It would be thoroughly unwise to move an entire office in such a damage-prone establishment. There are many important and expensive items you need to keep inside the shed. You can’t leave them unattended for one second if the shed is made of plastic material.
5. Not Wind Proof Or Wind Resistance
Unlike brick, wood, metal, or stone, a plastic shed can’t protect itself from hail and wind blow. The plastic shed is not impervious to the wind. They are not strong enough to block out the robust flow of wind. Also, Plastic shed is not wind-resistance. This means it is not capable to reduce the pressure of heavy wind and protect itself.
6. Prone To Damage
A plastic shed is very durable but on the other hand, they are easily damaged. Be it an internal force or external circumstances, they will always leave a mark on the plastic sheds. If you notice the reports after a hurricane or an earthquake, you will quickly realize that plastic sheds or other establishments dilapidate within a few seconds of the calamity.
Moreover, this shed can’t protect itself from scratching, drilling, or any sort of force. It will always leave a mark. There is a high chance if you shove someone against a plastic shed wall, the wall will shake and might bend if the force is too strong.
7. UV Damaging
Plastics and Ultraviolet rays have that toxic relation that human eyes can’t dictate. A plastic shed usually lasts for 5-7 years. But the lifespan and condition of the shed can be significantly reduced in constant contact with UV rays.
Over time, you will see cracking, fading, or brittle texture over the outer layer of the shed. It won’t happen overnight but may take one or two years. Either you have to spend money on special UV-resistant paint or cast a shed over that shed. Very impractical and eye-soring.
8. Limitation On Decoration
As the space inside a shed is very minimal and marginal, you might want to use every inch of that space. Especially when you desire to use the shed as an office, you have to plan meticulously to stuff lots of items without cluttering or clogging.
But, as plastics are not so sturdy and very lightweight, you can’t hang any heavy products on the walls. Also, a drilled nail will not be fixed properly due to the lightweight and wobbly texture of plastic sheds. So, in gist, your walls will be left unproductive.
Alternative Sheds To Use As An Office
Now that you are convinced that a plastic shed as an office is really not a good idea, I hope, the question remains what is? After you decide on building an office shed, you have to do comprehensive research on which material should you build the shed with. So, let’s find alternative ways to build a shed.
1. Wood
80% of the sheds are built with wood or lumber. They are durable, sturdy, and insulated. If you don’t want to build a new shed or prefer a prefab shed, you can find numerous options for wooden sheds on the market.
A wooden shed doesn’t need to be anchored to the base and can be put down or built up on a plain surface. It will give you a rugged and rustic vibe in your office. They are really long-lasting and can survive high damage.
However, there are some drawbacks to the wooden shed as well. As woods are not moisture-resistance, they will easily be susceptible to rot, especially if you live in a monsoon-prone area. They are quite expensive compared to other materials.
2. Metal
People always assume that by metal, we only mean aluminum. However, there are lots of metal items that qualify as good materials to build a shed for an office. The best part of the metal is that they are fire-resistance.
Metals also prove themselves worthy of insect resistance. Contrary to the wooden structure, metals do not grow, promote, or spread the growth of insects inside the room. The weather-resistance capability of metal is also impeccable.
They can go through any hard weather without being meek. But the drawback is that they might rot, especially in the presence of iron. They might bend or twist if heavy force is shoved against them. Also, without a proper insulation system, metal can’t control the heat flow inside the shed well.
3. Resin
If you have made up your mind about plastic and must use them to build a shed, use resin material plastic. Resin is one kind of plastic but is much more than plastic. It is made from organic material, so it is green and environmentally friendly.
Resins are directly manufactured from plants. They are amorphous and can be converted from and into solid and semi-solid forms. So, they are a premium and durable quality material that doesn’t have the drawbacks of regular plastic.
Resin is quite an affordable option for a shed. It is durable, sturdy, and long-lasting. Resin is not susceptible to any sort of rusting, rotting, or insects. They usually don’t fade even under extreme UV radiation.
Final Words
A shed as an office is a very applauding and innovative idea. It balances the home life and works life. A shed office brings you closer to home while restituting privacy.
However, the whole purpose of the home office will be defeated if the shed is not suitable for habitation or living conditions. If you are still wondering about the shed, I request you to read What Size Shed Is Suitable For Home Office? this article.
