Garden building FAQs

You don’t need to open an account with us prior to shopping on the website. Payments are securely handled by our card processing partner or PayPal (according to your preference) and you don’t need a PayPal account. To pay over the phone by card, cheque or even by bank transfer simply call 0131 660 6333 and we’ll be happy to help.

An email will automatically be sent to you as the order is processed, then you will receive another when your order has been dispatched.

Visa Debit, Visa Credit, MasterCard, American Express and most major credit/debit cards both online and by phone as well as PayPal. To pay over the phone by card, cheque or even by bank transfer simply call 0131 660 6333 and we’ll be happy to help.

All transactions are totally safe and secure and are handled by our card payment processor or PayPal (according to your preference). Your financial details are never shared (not even with GardenLife) and your bank, credit or debit card details are safeguarded. To pay over the phone by card, cheque or even by bank transfer simply call 0131 660 6333 and we’ll be happy to help.

All our garden buildings are produced from kiln dried, sustainably sourced, slow grown Nordic spruce. Having grown in a cold climate these timbers have superb strength and durability.

To help ensure that you make the correct choice, we recommend reading our detailed guide to timber wall thickness. In brief, 18mm-28mm walls are fine for sheds, workshops and summer houses that will only be used in summer. If you intend to use the building just in the warmer months through spring, summer and autumn, then 34mm walls would best. For all year round usage you should choose a cabin with 44mm, or preferably, 70mm logs with double glazing.

Our garden buildings are made from dense, slow grown Nordic spruce to ensure durability and longevity and the foundation beams are green pressure treated to protect against damp, disease and insects. Dip treatment is available as an optional extra on most buildings. If you don’t opt for dip treatment it’s best to treat the garden building as soon as possible (after construction) with a treatment suitable for finished or sanded timber. We are always happy to advise on suitable treatment products, just get in touch.

We do recommend that you opt for dip treatment when purchasing your garden building. You can treat the timber yourself using a brush, roller or spray gun, but dip treatment is more effective at coating every part of the wood, including notches, indents, grooves and the underside of floorboards. Dip treatment is also undertaken in our factory before the timber has been exposed to any moisture, which may not be the case if you opt to treat the building yourself after it has been constructed.

GardenLife only use the best quality timber within our products, so if you make use of our dip treatment service and treat your log cabin or summer house every 3-4 years with a treatment designed for finished timber, it should last you a lifetime. Most quality treatment products come with a five year guarantee. If in any doubt please phone our team for advice on suitable treatments for your cabin.

Yes so long as it is installed by an approved electrician. Unfortunately GardenLife are unable to offer this service.

Yes the roof and floor can be easily insulated during construction using a range of insulation products available from all good DIY stores. Our Quick Fit range of modular garden buildings allow for wall insulation too. Please don’t hesitate to call for guidance on suitable products.

Roofing felt is supplied in rolls and is cut to fit the roof then tacked into place; it is cost effective but not best suited to more stylish buildings or those with a large flat roof. Timber buildings in our economy range come with free felt roofing as standard and it is an optional extra on most other buildings. Shingles are made from the same material as roofing felt, but they are cut into shaped panels that resemble tiles or traditional timber shingles.

Shingles are stuck in place (using the double sided tape they are supplied with) then tacked into the roof. They are recommended for more expensive and stylish buildings as they simply look more in keeping than roofing felt. Shingles are listed as an optional extra on appropriate models.

EPDM roof covering is essentially a large sheet of black rubber that is stretched across the entire building roof. It is the most watertight of all the roof coverings that GardenLife supply, but it should only be used on buildings and garages with a flat roof. Each product within the website is shown with the recommended roof type, but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We have a detailed guide about planning permission, however, our log cabins are considered as permitted development so long as their use is ancillary to the main house and they do not take up more than 50% of your garden. Exceptions to this and cases when you might need planning permission would include:

• When you wish to put a log cabin in your front garden.
• When the eaves height is over 2.5m on your building or the overall height is over 4m on an apex roof or over 3m on any other roof.
• When the building is within 2 metres of your boundary and its overall height is over 2.5m.
• When you are situated in a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Conservation Area.
• If in any doubt we would always recommend that you consult your local planning authority.
• For convenience you can view all GardenLife log cabins that are under 2.5m here.

This is because if you want to locate your cabin within 2 metres of your boundary you must seek planning permission if it is over 2.5m high. However, if you are looking to locate your building more than 2 meters from your boundary the maximum height permitted is 4 meters before you need to seek planning permission. Please note even if you do wish to place your building within 2m of your boundary and it is over 2.5m then it does not necessarily follow that you will not be given planning permission.

Generally speaking, seeking planning permission for a garden building is a relatively simple and quick process so we would recommend that you don’t feel pressurised into buying a building with this height restriction. Your cabin is going to be with you for life so why not make sure you buy one you are going to be happy with! Having said that we do also have quite a number of buildings under 2.5m in height if you are looking for a very quick installation and don’t wish to consult your planning authority. You can view all GardenLife log cabins that are under 2.5m here.

The only elements that aren’t included in our prices are the extras that can be purchased separately, including roofing felt or shingles, terraces, shutters, extensions and internal wall cladding kits where indicated. If you are in any doubt about your purchase or what’s included, please get in touch as we’re always happy to provide advice.

DUE TO DEMAND MOST DELIVERY TIMES ARE CURRENTLY 6 WEEKS, APART FROM ITEMS IN OUR EXPRESS DELIVERY RANGE WHICH CAN BE DELIVERED WITHIN 2-3 WEEKS (SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION ON ORDER).

For the majority of the UK delivery is free, however there is a surcharge of £150 for standard and express deliveries to more remote postcodes, and these include: AB, GY, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW, PL, TR, TQ and ZE.

All log cabins are delivered flat packed on one or more pallets; you can watch a typical cabin delivery in our GardenLife film. Component parts i.e. logs, roof and floorboards are supplied in single pieces unless otherwise stated. Delivery is made via hiab truck and is a driveway/kerbside service unless special arrangements have been made.

Standard tools such as handsaw, hammer, measuring tape, cordless drill – please note all fixings are supplied with your log cabin. You may find it helpful to watch some of our video guides as these show a number of different garden buildings during construction, or you can click through our log cabin construction guide; this details some of the steps involved in building a log cabin.

With the exception of our 70mm log cabin homes (which require professional construction) and our Quick Fit range of modular garden buildings, all our log cabins, garden rooms and summer houses are built using interconnecting tongue and groove timbers which are arranged much like large Lego bricks. You can see how easy it is to build up the walls, slide in the window and door frames and attach roof elements in a number of our garden building video guides. If you’re not sure about constructing a log cabin or summer house yourself, don’t worry, we can build it for you – just get in touch.

We would recommend at least two people to erect our timber garden buildings.

Unless otherwise stated, GardenLife log cabins are designed to be easily constructed by those with limited DIY skills. All our log cabins must be erected on a firm level base. We advise customers to have their base prepared prior to delivery. Full instructions for erection are available to view on our website or enclosed in pack on delivery.

Should you need advice during construction our team are always happy to talk you through any questions you may have. All component parts must be checked off against the inventory list prior to assembly. It is very important to check for any missing or damaged parts prior to construction.

As outlined above, a minimum of two people are required to build a cabin and you will need certain basic DIY tools available. You can click through our log cabin construction guide to get an idea of the steps involved in building a larger log cabin.

Yes we can arrange construction in most areas, and you can also watch a GardenLife construction crew building a garden room in one of our films. On most product pages within this website contruction is actually listed as an optional extra which can be included with your purchase. We’re always happy to take orders by phone on 0131 660 6333, so if you have any questions, or would like to discuss construction please don’t hesitate to ask.

Yes, GardenLife offer a bespoke garden building design service and we can either create a completely new design, tailor a structure specifically to your requirements, or modify one of our existing models to better match your needs. You can see some examples of previous bespoke designs here or get in touch with your requirements.

Utmost care, through our strict quality control systems, is taken to ensure that your log cabin arrives in perfect condition. In the unlikely event that you have a part missing or damaged please speak to one of our after sales care team. We will always endeavour to solve any problems quickly and efficiently. We have a stock of replacement parts in the UK which can be despatched from our storage facility.