History of Lifetime Sheds

What is the story behindLifetime storage sheds? I thought Lifetime specialized in basketball systems! That's a good question. Lifetime products began manufacturing storage sheds about 10 years ago. In fact, you might now see them at your local hardware store as well as any reputable online Lifetime shed dealer. At that time the majority of storage sheds were metal and wood. Because making large items out of plastic is relatively new (picnic tables, benches, chairs, etc.) nobody had really tried this before on such a large scale. Sure, there areRubbermaid Shedsbut the quality is so light duty that they really don't count in the storage shed industry. They are more like storage bins or light-duty storage sheds at best. Model History of Lifetime ShedsThe Lifetime storage sheds began with the model that is8 feet wide by 10 feetdeep. It took a few years before they really started showing up in brick-and-mortar stores. They started showing up in Lowes and is a seasonal item at Sams Club. Other brick-and-mortar store started carrying them off and on. Throughout the years, however, they have grown quite a bit and most neighborhoods throughout the United States have one of these nearby. They are very attractive and maintenance free. People like them because they do not have to stain them or paint them. Because they are made of plastic, they dont rot or corrode.As time went on Lifetime begin creating more sizes such as the7 foot storage shed. They began adding more accessories such as a tool corral and shutters for the windows.  On a side note, the tool corral is met with mixed feelings. It only works in the corner of the shed. The corner of the shed is valuable real estate when youre storing square items such as boxes and cabinets. The quality of the tool corral is impressive, however. It is made with steel and has a powder coated finish. The introduction of the shutters has been a success. The window shutters are called shutters, but they dont actually shut. They are simply decorative shutters. They come in one color and that color is specifically called Brown. Though the Brown does have a hint of gray-its the identical color of the roof and doors.More recently they have begun adding models that have trim on the vertical edges/corners of the sheds. They have no pragmatic function, but they look nice. The color of the trim matches perfectly the color of the doors on the roof which are the color brown as aforementioned. The latest model even has windows on the doors.The next point I wanted to make is the increase of lighting throughout the years in Lifetime sheds. The sheds began with a model that had only sparse lighting through skylights along the ridge of the roof. On a bright day though skylights were adequate. However, on an overcast day you may find yourself wanting more light. That wasnt a problem originally as Lifetime added battery-operated lights. These battery-operated lights were manufactured for a few years before they decided the quality did not live up to the rest of the shed. The shed and the major components are made in the United States, however, the battery-operated lights were made in China. The quality of the lights were so poor and it was not adding enough value to make it an add-on item any longer.Even though the sheds dont come with the battery-operated light anymore many of them include more skylights along the ridge of the roof. There is one model that has skylights across the entire ridge such as model 60056. You can also find models that have the larger big bubble skylights on the pitch of the roof and not at the peak such as 60005. These larger skylights allow in a lot more light because not only are they larger they have a lighter haze in the material allowing more sunlight in. If you want the maximum amount of light, then you would probably consider what they call a side entry shed. A side entry shed can be confusing when considering the name. Side entry simply means that the doors are on the longest side of the shed. For example, a shed that is 15 x 8 can have a door either on the eight-foot side or the 15 foot side. If the shed is advertised as a side entry shed, then that particular shed has doors on the 15 foot side. The reason Lifetimes side entry sheds provide the most light is thanks to three reasons. It does depend on the shed, but many of them have skylights along the ridge, bubble lights on the pitch of the roof, and windows on each side of the set of double doors. This provides the maximum amount of sunlight. If you take that into consideration along with how much light is let into the door once it is open, then you are unlikely to need any battery-powered or solar powered light in your shed. As Lifetime continued and you fracturing storage sheds they changed around the accessories. Some sheds are identical in every way with the only difference being the amount of accessories such as shelves included in the package. For example, you might be considering between two Lifetime storage sheds models 60001 and 60005. They are both the same size, have the same doors, the same skylights and bubble skylights, and the same windows next to the doors. What is the difference? Model number 60005 has more shelving. It also comes with pegboard strips with tool hooks. Because climates throughout the United States differ significantly in the amount of rain, wind, snow, and ice, Lifetime began to create ways to reinforce the shed. They created accessories such as snow locates to help reinforce the roof in the event of unusually large amounts of snow accumulating on the roof. They also created storm kits that help reinforce the entire structure against wind. On a side note-they are also anchor ready and can be anchored to a concrete slab to minimize wind related issues. What changes will Lifetime make in the future of their manufacturing? Throughout the next several years you are likely to see more accessories invented. Perhaps he will bring back a type of light operated through battery. They may include accessories that accommodate bike racks, wheelbarrows, and items that can accommodate their kayaks. They will likely expand into sizes other than 8 feet and 11 feet wide. They have the ability to change the color scheme and create a simple way to run electricity to the storage building. Lifetime has always been good at taking customer satisfaction and recommendations seriously. One thing is for sure-Lifetime will continue to dominate the plastic storage shed industry as they continue to expand into new products and new countries. Are you the proud owner of one of these buildings? What are your thoughts on the history of Lifetime sheds?