Which Machinery Shed Design Should You Choose?

Trying to figure out which popular machinery shed design suits you and your needs?

In this article, we take you through six of the most popular Perth machinery shed designs to provide you with inspiration for your next shed build. Complete with images, pros and cons, and expert insight, this article offers you a complete guide to help you pick the machinery shed that is right for you.

Open Gable End Shed

An open-gable machinery shed design comes with high clearance and open ends for easy access to large machinery.

These sheds have a classic gable shed roof made of two sloping sides that meet at a singular ridge, creating an identifiable triangle shape. As an open machinery shed, these sheds have one (or both ends) open for easy access.

Available in fully customisable dimensions, these sheds are easy to be customised to your ideal height, width and length requirements, to fit all equipment with ease.

Benefits

These shed designs provide ample vertical space for storing tall items or machinery while maintaining protection from the elements. Unique benefits of the open gable end shed include:

• Easy access – The sheds open ends allow for effortless entry and exit of large machinery and vehicles.
• Ventilation – With open-ended design you can experience improved airflow throughout the shed.
• Cost-effective – Compared to traditional construction, open gable end sheds are generally more affordable and can be completed in a shorter timeframe
• Weather protection – A sloped roof design allows for efficient water drainage, reducing the risk of leaks and water damage

Is this right for you?

While open gable end sheds do offer some significant advantages, their open nature also makes stored equipment susceptible to weather conditions and wind damage. Some shed builders are also weary of potential security risks and reduced climate control. However, depending on where you would like your machinery shed built and what machinery it will be holding, these risks may be minimised, potentially making it the perfect choice.

Drive-through Shed

Drive-through machinery shed designs offer that bit of extra ease of access that a single open-ended gable shed may be missing. Open ends and frames allow vehicles to move in and out easily, ideal for fast parking and storing machinery which is expected to frequently move in and out of the machinery shed.

Benefits

Drive-through sheds are the ultimate shed for ease of access. With these sheds, not only can you customise them to fit your desired clearance requirements, but you also benefit from:

• Easy access – Drive-through sheds are leaders in easy machinery access. These sheds eliminate the need for backing up or manoeuvring in tight spaces.
• Time-saving – With faster parking and movement, you save significant time moving and accessing equipment.
• Cost–effective – Using less steel, these sheds can be more affordable to construct and expand.
• Ventilation – Similar to the open gable end shed, this shed benefits from improved airflow.

Is this right for you?

If you care most about accessing your equipment with efficiency and ease, then this could be your best option. Similar to the open gable end shed, they may not be able to offer as much wind or environmental protection as other shed types, but they are unmatched in their ease of access.

Wide-span Machinery Shed

A wide-span machinery shed design (or clear span shed design) consists of two columns and a rafter between them with no centre supports. The lack of centre supports, and therefor obstructions, makes it ideal for maximising internal space for machinery storage.

Benefits

Wide-span machinery sheds are perfect for making the most of your available space. While typically taking the form of an open gable end shed, their design can be customised to give the clearance and access you need. Benefits of this machinery shed design include:

• Maximised internal space – With a beautiful unobstructed interior you can make the most of your available space.
• Versatility – The open design allows for flexible arrangements and easy modification in the future if required.
• Cost-effectiveness – These designs are highly cost-effective, especially in drive-through configurations.

Is this right for you?

If you’re looking for a high amount of flexibility in your machinery shed design then this could be a great design to start with. Available in a range of customisable dimensions, this is a flexible design that can accommodate everything you need. Unlike, drive-through and open gable end sheds, these shed designs are also available fully enclosed.

Open Bay Machinery Shed

An open bay machinery shed design consists of one, or several, open bays for storing and parking machinery equipment. This simple design with no doors or roller doors, offering straightforward access to equipment. Meanwhile, the distinct bays help encourage the organisation of different machinery types.

Benefits

Open bay shed designs excel in their organisation and equipment access with great benefits such as:

• Natural lighting – Typically relatively shallow in depth (compared to a long open gable end shed), an open bay machinery shed benefits from natural light pouring in through the open end. This makes it easier to work and move inside the shed.
• Organised storage – Distinct bays create dedicated space for machinery, improving the overall efficiency of equipment storage.
• Easy access – This design makes it simple to know where equipment is and begin operating it with ease.

Is this right for you?

An open-bay machinery shed design offers more organisation and order than drive-through or wide-span machinery sheds. However, due to its open nature it does have some drawbacks for weather, wind and sun protection. It may also have less security than some other enclosed shed types.

Machinery Shed with Roller Doors

Unlike its open-ended counterparts, a machinery shed with roller doors allows your shed to become fully enclosed. This provides added security and weather protection to keep your equipment safe.

Benefits

Machinery shed designs which incorporate roller doors have several benefits over their unenclosed counterparts, including:

• Weather protection – Roller doors can keep your machinery shed safe and dry from even some of Perth’s most turbulent storms.
• Element protection – Not only do the near-perfect seal of roller doors provide protection from wind and rain but they also protect from dust and other elements for long-term storage solutions.
• Climate control – With roller doors you can regain control over the climate of your machinery shed through regulating the internal air temperature.
• Enhanced security – Enjoy a bit of extra security with roller door options (compared to unenclosed shed designs).

Is this right for you?

Machinery shed designs with roller doors look great, maintain smooth access, and help protect equipment from the elements. However, their access can’t quite compete with their seamless unenclosed counterparts and they often come with higher initial costs. While these costs can be recovered in long-term savings from ensuring the protection of equipment, the roller door machinery shed is not for everyone. Consider the quality and cost of your equipment, as well as your access needs, to determine if this is right for you.

Open Bay Machinery Shed with Secure Enclosed Storage

Experience the best of both worlds with a shed that combines the open bay machinery shed design with secure enclosed storage. In this design, experience the organisation of an open bay shed design with the security of roller doors.

Benefits

This is the shed which can do it all. By combining an open-bay solution with secure enclosed storage you receive:

• Protection for your most valuable equipment – Keep your high-value machinery (or study or workshop) away from the elements, safely secured behind a roller door.
• Climate control – Control the climate in the enclosed parts of your machinery shed.
• Enhanced security – Tuck away your most important equipment or valuables in the enclosed section of your shed.
• Easy access – Enjoy taking equipment in and out of your shed with ease.
• Enhanced organisation – With the inclusion of separate bays, you can separate your workshop shed into various uses and machinery storage areas.

Is this right for you?

This unique shed design, combining elements of enclosed and open spaces, is a great option for those looking for a little bit of everything. This mixed machinery shed design option may be more expensive than some competing designs, and the enclosed section means you lose some flexibility compared to drive-through machinery sheds, but it’s wealth of benefits could make it the perfect choice for you.

Enjoy Your Dream Machinery Shed

Whether single or triple bay, open or closed, and with all, or without any, of the trimmings, our team can deliver you the steel machinery shed of your dreams.

With a wealth of 5-star testimonials and glowing Google reviews, Perth farm owners and machinery owners trust Fair Dinkum Builds Western Sheds to get the job done. With fully-customisable shed designs available, our team utilises decades of knowledge to match you with the machinery shed design that suits all of your needs, at a great price.

Made with BlueScope Australian steel, all of our machinery sheds look great, are built to last, and are ready to give your equipment and machinery the best place to stay.