Metal log stores: Corten steel or aluminium

To compare like with like, we took one or two sizes per design from our product pages. Dimensions read length × depth × height. Weights are the empty weights shown on each product page; prices are UK prices in the base finish, our signature patina for Corten and black RAL 9005 for aluminium, which costs the same as its seven other colours. The Corten steel is 2 mm thick, and 3 mm for the frame on legs.

The first difference is weight. Across the 50 sizes offered in both metals, the aluminium version is 2.9 times lighter than its Corten steel twin, with almost perfect regularity: 7.6 kg against 22 kg for the small 2-tier, 59.9 kg against 174.1 kg for the large wall with 9 compartments.

The second is price, and it depends on the design. On the tiered and compartment log stores, aluminium costs 1.4 to 1.7 times as much as Corten steel in our UK prices. On the box without legs and the frame on legs, two very simple designs where Corten steel is particularly affordable, the gap widens to between 1.95 and 2.6 times: £860 against £1,680 for a 1000 × 1000 mm box.

The third is that there is no difference at all: unlike our planters, the sizes are exactly the same. Every dimension exists in both metals, from the small 2-tier at 600 × 380 × 600 mm to the 2200 × 380 × 2200 mm wall.

• Tiered log stores: 6 sizes for the 2-tier in aluminium, 5 for the 3-tier in aluminium.
• Columns: 5 sizes each, from 800 to 2000 mm high, for the vertical 2-tier and the vertical 3-tier in aluminium.
• Grids: 5 sizes for the 4 compartments, 3 for the 6 compartments and 4 for the 9 compartments in aluminium.
• Box and frame: 10 sizes for the aluminium log store without legs, 7 for the aluminium log store on legs.

Empty weight matters mostly on the day you install the log store, and on the day you decide to move it. A 1200 mm 2-tier in aluminium, at 19.8 kg, is an easy carry for two people; the same piece in Corten steel weighs 57.5 kg. On timber decking, a balcony or a roof terrace, aluminium takes a good deal off the load of the store itself.

Once it is stacked with logs, however, the wood accounts for most of the weight, whichever metal you choose. Bear that in mind before filling a large model on a light structure, and have the permitted load checked by a professional if you are in any doubt.

In the garden, against a stone wall or along the side of the house, the weight of Corten steel becomes an advantage: a large wall with 9 compartments, at over 170 kg empty, stays put without a second thought. The 2-tier and the log store without legs both have a solid back panel that stands against the wall. For ideas on where to place one, see our Corten steel garden ideas.

Untreated Corten steel can leave rust run-off on pale paving, limestone or tiles, especially in its first months and in the rain. The protective varnish we offer as an option on our Corten steel log stores greatly reduces these marks without ruling them out: even varnished, a Corten log store can still stain the ground. Stand it on spacers, small feet or a bed of gravel. The frame on legs, raised off the ground, keeps the contact area small. Our Corten steel care guide explains how to deal with a stain.

Powder-coated aluminium does not rust, so it leaves no rust marks on pale stone. It is the most relaxed choice beside a swimming pool, on a pale stone patio or near the coast, where salt stops the Corten patina from stabilising, as our guide to Corten steel near the sea explains.

Our log stores are designed for outdoor use. For a small supply of logs next to a wood burner or an open fire indoors, please have the design and its finish approved by our customer service before you order.

In Corten steel, there is no colour to choose: the signature Cortenys patina is applied in the workshop, somewhere between rust, sienna and amber, and keeps changing with the seasons. It sets off the pale ends of the logs and sits well with stone, timber and planted gardens.

In aluminium, every design comes in eight colours at the same price, with a 30% gloss: White RAL 9016, Anthracite Grey RAL 7016, Black RAL 9005, Blue RAL 5001, Yellow RAL 1005, Green RAL 6018, Red RAL 3020 and Orange RAL 2004. Black and anthracite pick up modern window frames and cladding; white fades into pale render; a bold colour turns the log store into a graphic feature on the patio.

As for upkeep, powder-coated aluminium needs nothing more than an occasional clean. Corten steel needs no particular care either. In both metals, the front is open, so the logs stay well ventilated.

Start with where it will stand, then look at the budget.

• A large supply in the garden on a sensible budget: Corten steel, especially the box without legs from £860 or the frame on legs from £1,040.
• Pale paving, a pool surround, a seaside garden: aluminium, which leaves no rust run-off.
• Timber decking, a balcony, a piece you move with the seasons: aluminium, 2.9 times lighter size for size.
• A black, grey or colourful façade: aluminium, in eight RAL colours.
• Little floor space: a column, in 2 or 3 tiers, such as the vertical 2-tier in Corten steel; every tall format is compared on our page of vertical log stores.
• A living material that weathers and suits a natural garden: Corten steel.