Who doesn’t need more storage? Whether you’re a homeowner with a few lawn tools or a landscaping company with a fleet, we all seek that extra square footage for storage. We here at OPE Reviews are no different. So, when we had the opportunity to receive a Keter storage shed, we jumped on it. Ours is the Keter Oakland 757, which measures roughly 83″ x 85″ for external floor space. Internally, you get about 80-inches each way.
If you don’t know the name, it doesn’t mean you haven’t seen or used their products. Keter not only makes storage, furniture, and organization tools under their own brand, but they also make these units for major tool companies like Ridgid, Craftsman, and Husky. Based in Israel, Keter products are sold in over 25,000 retail locations around the world.
Pump House and Storage
Our OPE Reviews shop sits on a little more than five acres, with three acres of open field. The other couple acres consists of mostly Florida Live Oaks, citrus, and palm trees. Being several miles from the city, water has to be retrieved from the ground, via the shallow well and pump. When electric motors don’t receive shelter, they tend to end their useful life early. After replacing a couple pumps over as many years, we thought it was time to give the motor and pump some shelter. Enter the Oakland 757 Keter storage shed. Is it overkill for a pump-house? Of course, but why not give the well pump some company?!
You may want to check out other options that Keter offers. Our web-family over at Pro Tool Reviews recently reviewed the Keter Small Garden Shed .
Keter Storage Shed Features – Oakland 757
Keter storage sheds like the Oakland 757 are made from Duotech. This is a resin-based material, but much different than plastic. Not only does the Duotech system combat the elements very well, but it also resembles a wood finish. In fact, you can choose to paint the Keter Duotech storage units, or you can leave it uncoated. Either way, the Duotech system is built to hold up and last for years, hence they come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Our Oakland 757 Keter storage shed came in a box 52-inches wide by 90-inches long and only 15-inches tall. This is relatively small considering the final size of the shed. Unboxing proved to be nothing surprising. Most of the space in the box includes the roof sections and the Duotech wall panels. The instructions and fasteners were in one place. Easy to read labels marked individual compartments for different size and shape fasteners.
Assembling the Oakland 757
First up was to install the floor, then everything gets assembled atop. The floor consists of two pieces that easily fit together, then screws are used to more permanently mate them together. The floor can now be fastened to the decking or concrete, but we chose to wait until the end. Once the floor is in place, the wall panels slide into a channel on the flooring. Small metal clips, looking much like a cotter-pin, keep the panels tightly together until the roof attaches later.
The first panel to install is one of the corners. Four of the flat Duotech panels include a mitered groove the full length. By folding the panel edges toward one another, the mitered groove closes up and each of the corners is made. Once one corner is up, the flat wall panels are stacked beside with the manufactured tongue mating into the groove. All of the panels can be manipulated by hand, but you may choose to have a rubber mallet or wood block nearby for a little persuasion. It’s important to keep the top of the panels level as the walls are installed.
After the clips get installed on the top of the panels, screws can now provide an even better bond. Dimples along the edge of the Duotech panels provide an easy location for the screws. These screws for the panels don’t get torqued with much force. In fact, they are merely attaching the tongue and groove together, keeping the panels from separating. Three walls install in much the same manner, with the exception of one wall including a window. With a cutout the size of the window, it’s easy to tell which panel receives the window.
Doors and Roof
While the wall panels are very simple to install, the front wall containing the french doors and the roof is a little more complicated. Bear in mind, it’s not rocket science by any means. This section is just not As easy. Instructions for the Keter storage shed are complete, so every step is documented very well. In addition, Keter also has a complete YouTube channel for help and information on all your Keter products, including installation videos.
Extra care is taken to ensure the door frame hangs level and plumb. This will allow the doors to open properly and the gap between the two doors won’t differentiate. So you get a nice parallel line all the way down the door gaps. The Oakland 757 includes a single metal truss which fastens together with screws and nuts. Furthermore, metal C-channel connects to the truss and runs down the wall to the floor. While installing the roof, you may need to move the panels a bit or shift the shed. With an extra pair of hands, this is easy to do.
The roof panels really start to tie everything together, offering more rigidity to the whole unit. Up to this point, the whole structure seems a bit rickety. Once the roof panels are in place, they are pulled down and fastened to the walls and truss. The included skylight in the Keter Oakland 757 provides plenty of light during the day, This skylight slides into place after the roof is attached, and Keter-labeled caps on each end retain the skylight. We finished off the assembly by hanging the doors, squaring up the shed to the deck, then fastening the floor to the deck.
Our Thoughts
Our well-pump was in desperate need of shelter, and storage space is always needed. The Oakland 757 Keter storage shed seemed to offer the answer for both. Assembly and construction of the Keter shed is simple and only takes a couple hours. I have to admit that mid-build, the shed seemed like it might not be able to hold up on its own. However, once the Duotech walls were all intact and the roof installed, rigidity increased dramatically.
Our well pump shares some space with the Yardmax Concrete Mixer. You never know when you might need to whip up a batch of fresh concrete. And water is just a short reach away.
With the Keter storage shed complete, our well pump now finds rest in a much better-protected environment. The springtime Florida thunderstorms have already started, yet the Keter storage shed holds strong. We chose to keep the natural gray finish of the Oakland 757, however, we may choose to paint the Duotech walls to match our shop in the near future. If you need more storage but not looking to spend tens of thousands, then the Keter storage shed options are definitely worth a look. We love ours, and we’d hate to be without it now. You can find the Keter Oakland 757 for around $900 to $1,000.
For more information, click Keter Storage Sheds .
Keter Storage Shed Specifications
- Double wall weather-resistant build with steel reinforcement
- Unique DUOTECH walls
- Wide double doors, Victorian-style window, and skylight
- Heavy-duty floor
- Robust ceiling
- High ceiling
- Paintable walls
- Stainless steel locking system (lock not included)
- Internal Dimensions (WxDxH): 79″ x 79″ x 90.5″
- External Dimensions (WxDxH): 90.2″ x 88″ x 95.2″
- Price: around $900
