Australian steelthe part of your shed you cannot upgrade later
Doors, insulation and ventilation can all be added down the track. The steel cannot. Every Spartan Sheds building is rolled from 100% Australian BlueScope® steel and finished in genuine COLORBOND®, COLORBOND® Ultra or ZINCALUME®, specified against the wind classification and the salt exposure of your actual address.
BlueScope SteelAustralian-made base steel and coated products
COLORBOND® steelBaked-on coloured finish for roofing, walls and trims
ZINCALUME® steelUnpainted alloy-coated finish
StramitRoll-formed roofing, walling and structural sections
Why BlueScope® steel, and why it is not negotiable
BlueScope makes its steel in Australia, to Australian Standards, for Australian conditions. That is not a marketing line — coating mass, base metal thickness and paint systems are all tested against our climate, and the warranties that come with the material are written against Australian exposure categories.
Imported coil is cheaper, and it is the easiest place for a shed supplier to save money without you noticing until the sheeting starts chalking or the fixings bleed rust down a wall. We do not substitute it. If a quote you are comparing does not name the steel, ask.
100% Australian-made base steel from BlueScope
Material warranties written for Australian exposure categories
Local supply chain, so replacement sheets and matching colours stay available
Structural sections roll-formed to the engineering for your site
ZINCALUME® steel — the unpainted option
ZINCALUME® is BlueScope's aluminium/zinc alloy-coated steel with a bright metallic finish and no paint system over it. It is the value option, and on a farm shed, a machinery bay or a rural workshop where appearance is secondary it does an honest job for a long time.
Where it is less suited is anywhere the building sits close to the house, faces a street, or is subject to a covenant or a council appearance condition. It also runs hotter and brighter than a mid-tone COLORBOND® roof, which matters if you are working under it through a Bundaberg February.
COLORBOND® steel — the finish most sheds get
COLORBOND® is the same Australian base steel with a baked-on paint system applied over the alloy coating. You get the full colour range, a surface that resists chalking and fading, and the ability to match your shed to the house roof, the fence and the gutters rather than having it stand out as an afterthought in the backyard.
Roofing, wall cladding, gutters, flashings, trims and door colours can all be specified separately, so a shed can be tied into an existing house palette or run as a bold two-tone build. Our colour chart page shows the range we work from.
COLORBOND® Ultra — for severe marine sites
Salt is the thing that quietly kills steel buildings on this coast. COLORBOND® Ultra uses a heavier alloy coating under the same paint system, and it is specified for buildings close to breaking surf and salt spray where standard COLORBOND® would be outside its exposure category.
In practice that means addresses at Bargara, Innes Park, Elliott Heads, Moore Park Beach, Burnett Heads, Woodgate and the Hervey Bay foreshore get assessed on their distance from the water before we quote a finish. We would rather have that conversation at quote stage than have you find out through a warranty claim.
Heavier alloy coating for severe marine exposure
Specified by distance to breaking surf and prevailing salt-laden wind
Paired with compatible fixings and flashings — mixing metals undoes the benefit
Assessed per address, not per suburb
Structural steel and how it is specified
The cladding gets the attention, but the frame is where site-specific engineering shows up. Columns, rafters, purlins, girts and bracing are all sized against the wind classification of your site, the shed's dimensions and openings, and the soil the slab sits on. A wide opening with no centre column, a high wall for a caravan, or a rural site with open terrain all change the section sizes.
That is why we ask for your full site address on the quote form. Two identical sheds ten kilometres apart can carry different steel because their wind and terrain categories differ.
Common questions
Australian steel — questions we get asked
Is Spartan Sheds steel really 100% Australian?
Yes. We build from BlueScope® steel made in Australia, finished in genuine COLORBOND®, COLORBOND® Ultra or ZINCALUME®. We do not substitute imported coil to hit a price.
Should I choose COLORBOND® or ZINCALUME®?
ZINCALUME® suits rural and utility buildings where appearance is secondary and budget matters. COLORBOND® suits anything visible from the house or street, anything covered by a covenant, and anywhere you want a cooler, colour-matched roof. Our COLORBOND vs ZINCALUME guide compares them in detail.
Do I need COLORBOND® Ultra for my coastal block?
It depends on how far your building sits from breaking surf and how exposed it is to salt-laden wind — not simply on being in a coastal suburb. Give us the address and we will tell you which exposure category applies and what finish the warranty requires.
What warranty comes with the steel?
BlueScope® provides material warranties on COLORBOND® and ZINCALUME® products, subject to the exposure category and correct installation. We add a 12 month workmanship guarantee on our installation, and residential work is covered by QBCC Home Warranty insurance. Ask us for the full warranty details that apply to your building.
Every Spartan Shed is built from 100% Australian BlueScope® steel with genuine COLORBOND®, COLORBOND® Ultra or ZINCALUME® finishes - backed by BlueScope® steel warranties and our own workmanship guarantee. Ask us for full warranty details on your specific building. More on the steel we build from.
Add australian steel to your quote
Tell us what the shed is for and we will specify the options that suit it, priced as part of the build rather than bolted on later. Every Spartan Sheds™ building is engineered for your site in 100% Australian BlueScope® steel.
