Product Review: Rubbermaid Large Vertical Yard Shed
Without the yard space or the almost-thousand dollars to buy a large, metal yard shed (you know, the kind of shed you can park a ride-on lawn mower inside) I decided to lay out about $250 and roughly twelve square feet of space for a vertical Rubbermaid storage shed.
When I first bought the shed, I really was not sure if I was making a mistake. My first thought was this: Rubbermaid produces those little plastic containers my mother uses for food storage–will their shed stand up to the brutal summer heat, Florida thunderstorms and the occasional winter freeze?
As it turns out, my Rubbermaid shed has done a wonderful job of keeping my yard tools, paint cans, and hardware safe. Oh yes, did I mention I bought my shed more than four years ago and it still looks great, is keeping everything in it protected, and has required virtually no maintenance?
The shed I bought is listed as item number 3746 on the Rubbermaid website and truly can do a wonderful job of providing a lot of storage space in a relatively tiny package. The internal measurements come in at 47 inches wide, 25 inches deep, and 71 inches in height, and the external measurements are 56 inches wide, 32 inches deep, and 77 inches tall, making for a shed that offers 52 cubic feet of storage capacity.
The storage shed is comprised of eight large, interlocking pieces. I had my father give me a hand in assembling the shed because the pieces are rather heavy and can get a little awkward to handle without a second set of hands to help in guiding the pieces together. However, my shed was out of its shipping box and standing for use in as little as fifteen minutes, so it was a quick and easy assembly.
Note that I spent $250.00 four years ago on the shed. This price did not include any shelves but also was a good sale, as today the shed sells for $440.95 on the Rubbermaid website; this price, though, does include two wire shelves. This is a great price at any rate, especially when you consider that most of the large yard sheds start near $1,000, are often far more complicated to construct, and usually involve some bit of maintenance. Do check for any sales at your local home imprvement and department stores, because I have seen some good sales for these sheds over the years.
The Rubbermaid Large Vertical Shed includes its own floor, which I have found very useful in keeping the shed almost watertight and insect tight. Also, the sheds double doors can be locked together, keeping thieves from breaking into the shed. Perhaps one of the most convenient features in the shed are the three grooves in the shed into which one can place shelves (not included) for storing smaller items. The shed comes in just one color scheme-“olive sandstone” walls and dark green roof and floor. Actually, I think the color combination looks pretty handsome, especially in an outdoor setting.
While the Rubbermaid shed may not be the answer for storing a whole attic’s worth of old photos, clothes, and treasure chests, and one by no means can fit a ride-on lawn mower inside this Rubbermaid storage shed, it is the perfect solution to those who have little yard space, not enough of a storage need to warrant buying a full-size yard shed, little money to spend on yard storage, or for those who do not want the hassle of arranging for a shed permit (but do check your local shed codes just in case you live in a municipality where even a shed such as this Rubbermaid model would require a permit).
Resource:
Rubbermaid. “Large Vertical Storage Shed: Item # 3746.” 24 October 2007. http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/ecommerce/buyDirect.jhtml?skuid=HPFG3746ATOLVSS
