Tips for Buying a Garden Summerhouse

8 May 2008 A Summerhouse makes an ideal retreat within your garden, offering you a sheltered position with your preferred vista, plus storage for your furniture.  The Summerhouse can also be a focal point for social gatherings, perhaps with extra hard standing in front for seating, a barbeque (at a safe distance from the Summerhouse) or plant displays. In most cases no permission is required from Local Authorities, however, it is worth checking with your Local Authority in case there are size limitations or permissions required for garden buildings in your area.  There are lots of Summerhouse styles to choose from, allowing you flexibility in positioning the summerhouse to suit your intended use.  Some fit neatly into a corner, taking up space which is often under-used, or you can also consider an open location for a summerhouse which has views all around.  We offer rectangluar, modern style Summerhouses, as well as traditional octagonal models either with windows on all sides, or with a blank rear wall. What about the roof style?  You may need a low roofline due to limited height in your preferred position, in which case consider a flat or pent roof style.  A flat roof  has a gradual slope towards the rear corner to allow water run-off. Apex roof styles are the most asthetically pleasing where there are no height restrictions. Below you will find some other pointers to help you select the most appropriate summerhouse for your needs: 1. The Summerhouse Site – It is important that your preferred location in your garden where your summerhouse is going to be erected, should be large enough not just for the building itelf, but will also allow movement around it, both when under construction and to enjoy use of the summerhouse afterwards.  Don't forget that you will need access to the top for fitting the roof. 2. Your Neighbours – If you intend placing the building close to a boundary fence then you may require access via your neighbours garden during construction.  Giving them consideration at the planning stage avoids any potential for objections after the Summerhouse is built - you may even get free help! 3. Height of Your Summerhouse – You need to check just how tall at the peak of the roof the building is going to be. Then you will need to make sure that if there are any trees or bushes in close proximity to where it is going to be erected, that they are not going to encroach on to it, potentially causing damage to the Summerhouse, or contributing to problems of water drainage through dead leaves etc stopping efficient water run-off. 4. Base– After you have carried out a thorough check of the location where your summerhouse is going to be erected you need to decide what kind of base it will be erected on.  The best solution is to lay a concrete base, as this will give the most solid foundation to which the frame of the summerhouse can be attached.   Alternatively, you can lay concrete slabs, or (preserved) timber bearers, perhaps with a decking extension. Allow a good margin outside of the overall dimensions of the summerhouse (which could incorporate extra hard standing around it or at the front).  Think about how much room you would like around and in front of the Summerhouse for activities and plan to get the base prepared to the best standard possible in good time for delivery of your Summerhouse; it is fundamental to the whole project and getting it right will help you to get the most enjoyment out of your Summerhouse.  For more detailed information on laying a base, consult our Building a Base Guide. 5. Erection – When erecting your summerhouse it is important that you follow the instructions provided with the kit by the manufacturer to the letter. It's a job made easier with two people, one holding components together while the other fastens.  Once the walls are up, check the building is 'square' ie the corners are symetrial (or at 90 degrees for 4 sided summerhouses) before fixing the roof. 6. Our Summerhouses are pre-treated with a water based timber treatment for initial protection against the elements. We recommend you treat the Summerhouse during construction with a high quality preservative for maximum durability. Or you could paint it in colours to complement its surroundings.  Taking the above pointers into consideration before purchase of a summerhouse will help you to select the right one for you, which fufills its purpose in line with your intended use. If you need help choosing the most appropriate summerhouse for your garden then call our Orderline on 0870 120 1000. Browse our full range of Summerhouses here.