Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    589

    Default New Shed - Supplier?

    Due to the expanding nature of my equipment I am building an additional 5x10m garage/workshop. I have done the usual search of the internets and have 4 or 5 vendors to choose from. My existing shed is an Olympic Industries and has always been perfect (well it's a shed that just sits there...).

    People have suggested to me that I must steer clear of the cheaper sheds made from imported (read Chinese) steel/Colorbond. If its the same thickness what are the possible issues? Steel is steel? Paint issues? It's easy to say Chinese is rubbish but what are your actual experiences with it? A 10x5 from Best Sheds is almost half the price of an Olympic yet the material thicknesses look to be the same - 0.48TCT, 2.4mm columns (unknown Purlin thickness).

    Stratco $11k
    Olympic $10K
    Shed king $8K
    Best Sheds $6K

    I can get the shed and concrete from Best Sheds for just the kit price from Stratco and Olympic.

    Is the additional money worth it to buy the Aussie made stuff???

    Looking for experiences here and not just China bashing!!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    1,656

    Default

    I purchased a 20x30 shed 20 years ago from the shed king on Juction road, cheaper than Olympic, I should have gone with Olympic, I had no end of trouble, split sheeting Galvanizing started to rust after two years, weather seals on the self drilling screws disintegrated after 12 months. Just make sure what you are getting if you go for a cheap version.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    South of Adelaide
    Posts
    1,225

    Default

    I know a lot of the cheap sheds use pressed brackets with a heap of tek screws to hold the portals together, I don't think its a great design and a few people i know have had trouble putting them up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    589

    Default

    I have spoken to a builder friend who believes that the import 'Colorbond' tends to fade after a few years. Hmmm over the lifetime of a shed, saving $4K at such a risk - is it worth it? Prob not.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    About 30 years ago I bought a shed from a place on Grand Junction Rd, the roof sheets were at best fencing sheets, when you stepped on the roof sheets they creased!!!!
    I was a sheet short and bought one from a local steel supply yard, and I had a job to lift the sheet up to the roof, it was about twice the weight of the supplied sheets.
    There's a reason they can sell them at a price well below others, inferior components.
    JMTCW
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,522

    Default

    The other thing I noticed abut the imports were the fake colourblind doest adhere well and chips furiously easily and the purling were really poorly galvanised and quite a lot thinner.

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    589

    Default

    My mind is made up - Olympic it is........

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Brisbane. Qld. Australia
    Age
    70
    Posts
    1,511

    Default

    Someone once told me that some roofing sheets have a coating thicker than the steel itself. True or false? Bring back good old galvanized iron.
    Nev.

  9. #9
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,182

    Default

    It depends how you work and if you want to store/hang stuff from the frame.
    My shed extension was only 6x4m so I was sort of limited to small sheds with the pressed metal frames which left me decidedly uninspired as I needed a shed that I could hang more that a few light fittings from the frame.
    Fortunately I found that Highline Sheds would make a small shed with a really solid frame.
    65 x 65 x 5 mm galv steel posts, fully welded steel angle roof trusses, Proper Colorbomd sheeting . - cost quite a bit more but I think it was worth it.

    Painted.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Picnic Point, Sydney
    Age
    77
    Posts
    312

    Default

    I bought my Chinese 6m x 3.5m garage about 3 years ago off Ebay for $2800. I was surprised at the quality and ease of assembly and although the sheets are thin the robust frame makes up for it. The roll-a-door is rubbish but it's seldom used so I put up with it.

    I spend a lot of time in there so it had to be comfortable. The single hinged door was replaced with two sliding doors and covered with the four roofing sheets that were replaced with polycarbonate sheets. Plenty of power points were wired in before the walls and roof were fully insulated then covered with gyprock.

    Time will tell if it lasts but for what it's cost me I'm very happy with the result of my Chinese purchase. The TV, air con and having a plasterer friend also helps.
    DSCN0152.jpgDSCN0162.jpgDSCN0179.jpgDSCN0236.jpg

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Picnic Point, Sydney
    Age
    77
    Posts
    312

    Default

    I've spent the last hour trying to delete the sideways doors. Computers aren't my forte so could someone do it for me please.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Southern Flinders Ranges
    Posts
    1,536

    Default

    The biggest difference is that you don’t get the official colour bond warranty on the Chinese stuff. Interestingly enough, Stratco doesn’t use name brand colour bond either, but they do warranty at similar level.
    Olympic and Stratco use flanged bolts to secure the structure, the cheaper versions use a billion screws like already mentioned.
    Im not entirely convinced Stratco is value for money, they have scaled back on welded joints in favour of pressed steel plates.

    Im looking at a 6x6 at the moment, so I’m doing the same research.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    I have had my Olympic for some 20 odd years.

    I had an extra purlin put in on each half and having been on the roof many times for gutter cleaning I am glad I did. Its very thin up there!!!...certainly not like the old stuff my dads shed had on it.

    I have had to replace some some tek screws...must have missed the plating process...both colour bond zinc plated. which have been replaced with gal tek screws...its a shed...who needs colour coded screws

    all else is still good.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Southern Flinders Ranges
    Posts
    1,536

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SurfinNev View Post
    Someone once told me that some roofing sheets have a coating thicker than the steel itself. True or false? Bring back good old galvanized iron.
    Roof sheet used to be 0.68, fence sheet used to be 0.42, with capitalism being what it is, 0.42 is now classified as roof sheet.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    Geraldton Western Australia
    Posts
    132

    Default

    If you want it stronger use corrugated instead of the trimdeck profile and 0.6 BMT. Even a lot the industrial sheds now use pressed brackets and C purlin for the frame.

Similar Threads

  1. Taps and supplier
    By Pac man in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 3rd Oct 2014, 03:07 PM
  2. possible supplier
    By eskimo in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 28th Aug 2013, 11:15 AM
  3. Supplier wanted.
    By Old Croc in forum WELDING
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 30th Mar 2012, 11:13 PM
  4. help with hammerite supplier
    By jo jo in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 5th Sep 2010, 03:22 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •