A shed is not a shed without cladding rather it would be just a skeleton, which wouldn’t be too helpful in keeping things protected. This is where the cladding of your shed is an extremely important choice. But cladding does more than just form the walls and roof of your shed for protection, making your shed a shed, it can also influence the design of your shed through profile and colour choice, helping your shed stand out or blend in with the surrounding environment. Selecting cladding for your shed is not always a straightforward decision. Not only do you have to consider the profile type of the cladding, but also the material, colour, and size of your shed, along with the other crucial features each option has.
To help you make the perfect cladding selection for your shed walls and roof, we have gathered the top things to consider when making your choice.
Keep reading to discover what they are.
Materials
Steel shed cladding typically comes in two materials, Colorbond steel and Zincalume. Both are made of the same elements, however, it’s really just the colour of the material that is the main difference. Zincalume has a classic aluminium colour finish, while Colorbond steel is available in a wide range of colours.
Colorbond steel features a specifically developed exterior grade topcoat that is baked on to bond the colour to the metal to prevent chipping, peeling, blistering and cracking, along with BlueScope’s industry-leading metallic coating that features Activate technology to provide enhanced corrosion resistance, all helping your shed to retain its finished look for longer.
Colorbond steel also features Thermatech technology, which has been designed to reflect more of the sun’s heat on hot sunny days, helping to keep your shed cooler in summer, resulting in a highly thermal efficient shed.
Zincalume features an activated aluminium coating that makes it tough and resistant to scratches and allows it to last a lifetime of almost 4 times that of galvanised steel.
Discover more about Colorbond and Zincalume: https://www.allsheds.au/exploring-colorbond-and-zinc-options/
Colours
The next step in selecting your shed cladding is the colours. As mentioned before, Zincalume is only available in one classic finish, whereas, Colorbond steel comes in 22 colours that are easy to match to existing items on your property, such as your house (e.g. roof), water tanks or fence, and as a bonus, many of these items are available in Colorbond steel, or Colorbond matched colours, like our garden sheds that are available in Colorbond matched colours, to create a cohesive look on your property.
The wide range of available colours allows you to mix and match the colours of your shed, helping to create a unique design.
More vibrant colours can help your shed stand out and make a statement, whereas colours with more earthy tones can help your shed blend in with its natural surroundings.
It also should be noted that some areas may have restrictions on what colours you can use on your property, so this may have some influence on your decision.
It’s important to note that the colours you choose for your cladding can affect the internal temperature of your shed. Opting for dark colours can increase the internal temperature of your shed due to the colour absorbing the heat from the sun, whereas lighter colours will reflect the heat, keeping your shed a little cooler.
Check out the full range of Colorbond colours: https://www.allsheds.au/colour-range/
Profile options
While there are many factors that influence the selection of cladding on your shed when it comes to choosing your shed profile, it’s more of a personal preference and what style you like best.
The All Sheds range of sheds are available in 3 profile types, Corrugated, K-Panel and Monoclad.
Corrugated features:
- Economical
- Hi-tensile steel
- Light weight
- High strength
- Spring curving
- Fully tested
- Suitable for roofing and walls
- Anti-capillary side laps
- Traditional style
- Limited water carrying capacity
K-Panel features:
- Low rib height
- Economical
- Smart neat appearance
- Cold roll formed steel
- Wide coverage
- Low profile
- Can only be used on walls
- Suitable for sheds under 3m in height
Monoclad features:
Also known as Trimdek or 5Rib
- Economical with a unique blend of characteristics
- Hi-tensile steel
- Lightweight
- High strength
- Deep ribs that provide excellent spanning capabilities and a large water carrying capacity
- Domed crest
- Anti-capillary side laps that give improved weather structure
- Strong and efficient
- Suitable for roofing and walls
- Suitable for sheds over 3m in height
While Monoclad is the most popular choice we see, we also see customers combine two different profiles, say one profile on the roof and a different profile on the walls which helps their shed subtilty standout.
Discover more about the 3 shed profile types: https://www.allsheds.au/your-guide-to-shed-profile-options/
Now that you know the most important things to consider when selecting your sheds wall and roof cladding your decision should be much easier.
To build your dream shed contact our expert team today.