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A garden room, a home office, a playroom or somewhere quiet to escape; a Summer House is a useful addition to your home and garden. They are also useful to store garden furniture and barbecues in the Winter.
Taming our weather
British weather is what it is! Sometimes it rains, sometimes it cools when we still want to be outside. With a Summer House you can continue to enjoy your garden whatever the weather throws at you. Insulated designs with electricity can be used throughout the year, then more correctly I suppose, they are Garden Rooms.
Planning and Design
Typical prices for average gardens range from under £1000 to about £10,000. Wood is by far the most popular material, with more durable cedar having a significant price premium over pine. Cheaper models have felt roofs that require periodic replacement whereas premium models use cedar shingles (tiles) or even lead. Aluminium and uPVC constructed models are also available.
Siting is important, it should be accessible by path from the house and allow access for maintenance. Prepare the base to the suppliers instructions and include provision for power cabling.
The expected use will determine size. Too big may dominate your garden, too small may prove unusable. Experiment on your lawn before you decide.
For Winter use, insulation and double glazing are pretty well essential requirements as is some form of heating and lighting.
Maintenance
The key enemies are water, wildlife and vegetation.
Each season check the entire structure for water ingress, cracks sometimes appear these need filling. Cedar is naturally durable, but will still benefit from a good coating of preservative. Translucent and opaque products are offered. Follow manufactures instructions. Painted pine models will need more regular attention. Also treat cedar roof shingles. Aluminium and uPVC models are claimed to be maintenance free, but still require cleaning.
Insects, mice and even rats can take a liking, ensure there are no holes and keep clean.
Check that trees and shrubs are kept clear of the structure.
