by Mark Bailey | Jan 16, 2014 | How to guide
Ever wanted to know how a timber summerhouse is built? Interested in one of the many GardenLife log cabins or timber buildings but not sure if you’ll be able to build it yourself? Well why not make a cup of tea or coffee, grab a biscuit and watch this video on how a timber summerhouse is built (in this case, it’s the lovely Wye clockhouse-style summerhouse). You can see how the different elements are laid out first, almost like building blocks. Watch as numbered timber sections are easily dropped in place, and how the two-man construction crew build this garden summerhouse in straight forward stages with basic DIY tools. From the floor to wall elements, windows to the roof, it’s all covered in this helpful video. Any questions? Just get in touch for more information.
![Sustainable forestry: buying an FSC-certified garden building]()
by Mark Bailey | Jan 6, 2014 | GardenLife Magazine
There’s been much in the news in recent months about threats to trees and forests – from ‘ash dieback’ to ‘sudden oak death’, and of course deforestation continues in many parts of the world. So when you buy timber products, it’s important to know that they come from sustainable sources. Purchasing wood from well-managed forests means you can buy timber with a clear conscience, confident you’re not damaging forests and woodlands for future generations.
The best way to enjoy this peace of mind is to buy products from an FSC-certified business. FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council, and it’s a worldwide organisation promoting ‘environmentally appropriate’ management of the world’s forests. Businesses with FSC certification (which is voluntary) comply with high environmental and social standards.
As part of the Lemeks Group of companies, GardenLife belongs to an FSC-certified enterprise, and we sell a number of products made from FSC-certified timber. You can see the FSC logo (the ‘tick tree’) on many of the cabins and play sets on our website. Purchase a product marked with this icon means that you are buying an FSC-certified garden building.
What do we mean by ‘sustainable timber’?
Organisations like the FSC are concerned about the environmental management of forests, but they also look into social and economic aspects too. So – and please excuse us, but things may get a bit jargon-heavy for a while – to this end, they also promote ‘socially beneficial and economically viable’ management of the world’s forests. For example, among the ten FSC principles which forest owners/managers have to follow are: identifying and upholding indigenous people’ rights of ownership and use of land and resources; and maintaining forest workers’ and local communities’ social and economic well-being.
If you want to know more about the FSC and its principles, go to its website at www.fsc-uk.org.
Well-managed forests are not just about timber
You’ll find the FSC logo around the GardenLife website. But where else should you look for it? The obvious place is on other timber products, including decking, flooring and furniture.
And then there are products that aren’t quite so obvious, until you think about it: For example:
- items made out of bamboo, rattan, straw and cork
- charcoal
- paper, cardboard and other packaging
- tissues and napkins
They all come from trees, of course, and so it’s just as important that they’re sourced from well-managed forests. And a couple of years back the world’s first FSC certified woodwind instrument was put on sale – made out of African blackwood (one of the world’s most valuable timbers) sourced from certified forests in Tanzania.
Other forest-sourced products also require sustainable management if we are not to deprive future generations of them. So, among the other products certified by the FSC are: medicinal plants and pharmaceutical raw materials; rubber, latex, and other products manufactured from natural gums; and food, including nuts, tea, mushrooms, honey and game.
The Nordic connection
But back to timber. Another factor that lets you buy GardenLife cabins with a clear environmental conscience is that they’re made from sustainable Nordic timber.
Forestry is a huge business in the Nordic and Baltic countries – especially Estonia (home of the Lemeks Group), Finland and Sweden. Since the forests are a major source of revenue and employment, and a strong part of these countries’ culture and history, they enjoy significant legal protection. There are strict rules about how much timber can be harvested, and how much must be replanted.
You can be sure that by buying cabins made from Baltic timber, you’re buying wood carefully sourced from sustainable forests. So when you are browsing the GardenLife website look out for the FSC logo – you can buy an FSC-certified garden building, summerhouse or children’s playset safe in the knowledge that the timber came from sustainably managed forests.
by Mark Bailey | Sep 15, 2013 | GardenLife Magazine
How many times a year do parents suggest – vainly – that their kids take a break from the screen and go out into the garden? Enough times for most of us to lose count. But one reason why gadgets win out over gardens is that most of our gardens just aren’t that child-friendly. Parents often think that a child-suitable backyard involves a plain expanse of grass with minimal plants to be crushed or decapitated by footballs and other missiles. But, if you think about it, even the most imaginative child can’t do much with a bare lawn.
So, if you really want to get the kids out into the garden, try some of the following.
Break up the layout
The best kids’ gardens are broken up into different areas. Screens, trellises and hedges can create different zones for hide and seek or dens. Children like having their own “secret” places in a garden, where they can retreat from parents or siblings, or hold court to their toys, and you don’t need a large garden to achieve this.
Add play spaces or equipment
Timber play equipment, trampolines and play houses make the garden more attractive to your children and their friends, and there are affordable cabins to sort all ages – from storybook-style playhouses for younger children, to games dens for teens. The great thing about sheds, summerhouses and cabins is that they can evolve with your children – from Lego or doll space for a seven-year-old to a party or games room for sixteen-year-olds.
Invite in some wildlife
Wildlife makes a garden more interesting to most children. Birdfeeders can attract birds, and small damp corners are excellent for mini-beast hunts. Plants such as buddleia, lavender and asters (michaelmas daisies) attract butterflies. For a more examples of butterfly-friendly plants, check the Royal Horticultural Society website.
Even dig up the lawn?
The problem with grass is its inability to survive football games, bowling practice or rugby tackling – at least long-term. So parents with sports-mad children may consider artificial grass. It won’t turn brown halfway through summer, or into a mud patch in winter. And premium artificial grass even contains different shades of green, making it look realistic.
Don’t be too precious
Put yourself in your kids’ shoes. You’ve been forced to turn off the TV, and cajoled into playing in the garden. But at the first kick of the football, a parent shouts at you to “Watch out for the plants”. It’s not exactly a recipe for good times. If you do want to plant precious shrubs or delicate annuals, then go back to the zone idea: let the children have free rein in most of the garden, in return for having a no-go zone where you can grow things.
But do be safe
- Steer clear of plans like laburnum, lily of the valley and foxglove, which are extremely poisonous.Other common plants can also cause stomach upsets, or irritate skin or eyes – if you want to know more, there’s information on websites like the Royal Horticultural Society (www.rhs.org.uk).
- Have a garden storage shed or chest where you can lock garden tools, lawnmowers, fertilisers and pesticides well out of reach of children. And if you do use chemicals such as pesticides, then never use the same watering can that you use for watering or that children may use.
- When installing play equipment, follow guidelines about safe surfaces, falling distances and ‘fall-out’ widths.
- Sandpits are a wonderful thing, but not if they become the chosen litter tray of the neighbourhood cats. If you do have one, make sure it is fully covered when not in use.
Hopefully some of these useful pointers will help you to design a child-friendly garden that the entire family can enjoy!
by Mark Bailey | Aug 5, 2013 | GardenLife Magazine
It may be summer now, but in no time at all the nights will be closing in, the temperature will drop and we’ll be heading into winter. With rain, floods, ice and snow the winter commute can bring misery to a lot of people – getting stuck in snow, car accidents and slow traffic in poor weather are just a few of the regular problems. So how do you avoid commuting in winter? Why not consider working from home?
There are lots of advantages to work from home (or teleworking or remote working), including:
- more time with family
- reduced carbon emissions from commuting
- less money spent on travel
- and people being able to do their jobs better
When phone company O2 shut its UK headquarters for a day in 2012 and let over 2,500 staff work at home, 88% of employees said they were at least as productive as on a normal day at the office, and 36% said they were more productive. So tell that to your boss!
Other benefits of the O2 day of home-working were:
- staff saved 2000 hours of commuting time, which they spent either working, with family, staying in bed a bit longer or relaxing.
- and they saved nearly £9000, mainly in travel costs.
But can you get your work done and resist the fridge and TV? If you do convince your boss you should telework, or even decide to set up a home business, there are a few practical issues you need to think about. First, where will you work? It’s OK checking your emails in front of the TV in the evening, but doing your job full-time on the sofa is a different kettle of fish. Your back will be killing you by the end of the first week.
If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room or office, that’s a great start, but even then there are distractions. A global survey by Regus found that almost six out of ten people say it’s hard to work at home because of family demanding attention. There are also temptations – not just the TV, but Facebook, Twitter, and the call of the biscuit tin. Even with the best intentions, it’s easy for a ‘quick’ coffee and a go on the Playstation to fill a morning.
The remedy’s in the garden – for many people, the solution is to designate a separate space for working, so they’re not annexing the sitting room, and not being distracted by family, tech or fridge. Much cheaper than moving to a new house with an extra room, or building an extension, is to look at garden offices – timber buildings that are warm, solid and insulated enough to work in all day long, and all year round. They’re a more impressive place to meet customers than your spare bedroom, and they can add to the value of your home. GardenLife has a number of garden rooms and offices starting from around £1900.
Tips for choosing a garden office
If you do decide to build a garden office, be sure to remember the following:
- choose a building with thick enough timber (at least 44mm) to make it warm enough all year around
- designs with double-glazed windows keep in heat
- solid lockable doors provide extra security against theft – important if you’re going to install computers and other office equipment
- pick a design and layout that match the nature of your work – for example, do you need storage space? And would a traditional or contemporary suit your image better?
- check local planning regulations to see whether you need planning permission – with many garden cabins and offices, you do not need it.
So what will it be? A wet, cold view through a steamed up windscreen of the same old traffic jam, or a cosy desk in a timber garden office with a view of the garden?
by Mark Bailey | May 1, 2013 | How to guide
To the uninitiated buying a log cabin from a position of little knowledge of the product can be a confusing business. Please see below a list of criteria and definitions to look in to when purchasing. Hopefully this guide will help to point you in the right direction!
Log thickness – this is the thickness of the wall log. These can vary from 28mm thick up until 70mm and even thicker for larger accommodation type buildings. Generally garden buildings will have a log thickness of 28mm or 44mm. For all year round usage you really want a minimum of 44mm but for summerhouse usage the majority of buildings have a 28mm wall thickness. For larger games rooms and amenity cabins people generally go for 70mm log walls or 88mm for holiday type chalets.
Window and door quality – these can vary vastly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Key points to establish are whether the windows and doors are double glazed or not. Generally for all year round usage it is recommended that you have double glazing. Thickness of double glazing can also be a factor and always wise to check both glass thickiness and width of cavity separating glass. The larger the cavity the better the double glazing ! Some suppliers also use laminated timber in their window and door frames which helps them to remain more stable. Laminated timbger helps prevent movement caused by uptake of moisture. Where non laminated timber has been used warping can distort frames which brings with it associated problems of leaks and drafts. Some log cabins also have “top hung” windows which do not allow them to open fully.
Floor and ceiling material – be sure to establish both floor and ceiling material is tongue and grooved softwood timber rather than chipboard or other mixed fibre type boards. Floor thickness can also be an issue – floorboards generally come in 19mm or 28mm thickness. Likewise roof boards can come in 16mm/19mm or 28mm thickness. Obviously the thicker the timber the longer lasting the floor. Thicker timber will also give a better insulation.
Roof purlins – most log cabins have roof purlins which run from apex to apex. An indication of the quality of the cabin can be the thickness of these purlins. Thicker purlins also have a greater aesthetic appeal!
Hopefully some of the above pointers of use – it is worth making sure you buy the right log cabin for the purpose you wish to use it for!
We are always happy to answer any general enquries at info@gardenlifelogcabins.co.uk
Happy cabin hunting!
