Lifetime 60012 Extra Large Deck Box

Check out the photo.
I placed this box in direct sun light part of the day, hot close to equator climate year round, and prone to heavy rains.

Water getting into yours?
– The first thing you want to do is make sure the ground is raised. See how I put a 6 inch cement platform? That’s similar to per code in most cities. You want to do this for your box for two reasons.
1) The cement is even. So the plastic isnt going to warp out causing large gaps on base
2) If your area has flooding, even if half a inch, and there is a gap you are going to get water in the box

This box is not to just drop on the grass somewhere behind your yard. If you actually do that anyway then silicone the base inside and out to give yourself a fighting chance. Placing it on a flat service that doesnt flood is the key.

– The direct sun is no problem. What I did was purchase a bottle of UV protection spray here on amazon and put it on the areas that gets sun. I do this once every few months and keep it in the bin and use it when I remember to. Still looks brand new.

I searched through each and every deckbox/ storage shed on Amazon. I was originally steered away from this product because it is so inexpensive. I wanted to pay more for the best possible solution. After receiving it I couldnt be more happy.

Assembly:
– Make sure when sliding the side together you are doing it correctly. Its easy, but put some muscle in it to create a locked in fit.
– You should use a socket attachment. Whether its a socket wrench, a socket attachment to your screw driver, or to your drill… just go to the hardware store and pick one up for a couple bucks. Its worth it and I can promise you many of the disgruntled assembly reviews must come from someone who tried to use a screw driver.

-Your lid is closing unevenly? – You didnt assemble it incorrectly. Just make sure the box is on an even surface. I believed my lid was on an even surface but when noticing the lid not closing perfectly (slightly to the left) I placed it on what I knew to be for sure an even surface it the lid closed perfectly.

Recommendations:
– Silicone caulking has been recommended by others but I havent needed to since I raised mine on flat surface.
– A UV protectant spray.
– A socket attachment for assembly

*Important note:
It is more difficult to assemble than something like an Ikea furniture set. It will take someone handy just minutes to do it but if you are not handy assembling this deckbox might slightly irritate you.

If you need a deck box get this one.

Purchased September 2014. This would be five starts if not for every bolt, nut and piston holding it together rusting like crazy. Some items in the box have rust stains dripped on them and now the lid keeps popping open. The box is in a covered patio, but the Florida humidity must have got to it. Regardless, shame for not using stainless steel for an item meant to be outside. I see it falling apart after another couple years. The warranty? “This warranty does not cover damage caused by vandalism, rusting, “acts of nature” or any other event beyond the control of the manufacturer.”

This thing survived a hurricane! I bought this in October to hold the cushions for my outdoor patio set (4 big love seat cushions, 2 big chair cushions, 1 medium ottoman cushion), plus a couple blankets, throw pillows, lighter, extension cord, etc. It weighs a ton, so be prepared to get some help moving the box and assembling it if you’re not very strong.

The sides basically slide and “pop” into place with a fair amount of force, which makes sense considering this is supposed to be waterproof. The really tough part was installing the hinges and the top part. The screws are a very tight fit to get into the plastic and take a lot of torque to get in all the way (see the first photo — some screws didn’t get in all the way even with a lot of force) . Part of the problem is a weird angle to finish installing the second hinge. Again, see the second photo – the angle is awful but it is possible!

One tip: I immediately ditched the printed instructions and found a video on You Tube that walked me through the assembly process. That’s the only way I was able to finish it. Well, that an my son’s strength and help.

Once done, it’s perfect! A couple weeks after I finished it, Hurricane Matthew came along. I had no where to move the box, so I loaded everything into it and wished for the best. There was some water along the outside lip of the top (where the brown stains are in the last 2 photos), but no moisture got into the box and all of my cushions stayed bone dry.

The top of the container has peeled back…I thought this was a quality product…How do I get a hold of the company?