1. About us
Key Facts
Designs
Sizes 5. Classic spec
6. Insulation
8. Cladding
10. Windows/doors
11. Frame Colours/Ironmongery
12. Electrics
13. Other Upgrades 14. Construction
16. Building Times
17. MVHR
18. Planning/Building permission
19. Our Guarantee 20. FAQ's 21. Your Choices
With over thirty years of experience in the carpentry industry and a very real passion for his craft, Snug founder & master carpenter, Mark Brown, prides himself on building superior-quality insulated garden rooms. Being a small company covering Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, you’ll deal directly with Mark at every stage — from the initial home visit, through the design and quotation process and on to the build and installation of your fully insulated garden room you’ll have a single point of contact with someone that strives for the very highest quality of construction and customer service at all times.
You can either: OR
1. Have your bespoke garden room designed and drawn up by us to your exact requirements (best for more complex garden rooms).
2. Choose one of our standard garden room designs below and then add your choice of windows/ doors/ cladding/ insulation/ electrics etc.
We will amend/ redraw your garden room as many times as is required until you are totally happy with the price and design.
1
No canopy
Design 2
With front canopy
3
With sloping wings + canopy
4
With vertical wings+ canopy
We can build garden rooms in almost any size and shape, however please see the planning permission and building regulations page with regards to maximum heights allowed for garden rooms.
All our garden rooms have a maximum external height of 2.5m (from the underside of the garden room to the highest point of the flat roof).
The internal height of our garden rooms is approximately 2.1m at the highest point.
Please note that the ceiling height is approx 45mm higher at the front than the back.
Our garden rooms start at 2.4m wide x 2.4m deep and can increase in width and/ or depth by 60 cm increments (i.e 2.4m, 3m, 3.6m, 4.2m etc).
Some common sizes are 3.6m x 3m, 4.2m x 3m, 3m x 2.4m etc.
*The sizes given are minimum external measurements unless otherwise stated.
*All measurements are approximate.
Our classic spec garden rooms can be used all year round and come with a 15 year structural guarantee and up to 60 year life expectancy.
All our classic range garden rooms can be upgraded, please see our ‘Upgrade pages’ for details.
• Foundations
– Structurally calculated, composite post foundations
- guaranteed to NEVER rot.
• Floor
– Full strength wooden floor, built to UK house building regulations.
• Walls
– Sturdy 170mm thick walls overall.
• Roof covering
– EPDM rubber roof with 50 years life expectancy.
• Insulation
-100mm mineral wool insulation within walls, floor & roof.
• Cladding
-Tanalised pressure treated, horizontal cladding.
• External Lights
– One wall mounted sensor light per opening external door.
• Windows & doors
– Upvc windows & doors in Anthracite grey or white (same colour internally as externally), inc 28mm double glazing, chrome ironmongery & insurance grade multipoint locking.
• Vapour barrier/ secondary insulation
– Fully sealed single layer bubble foil to walls, floor & roof.
• Interior walls
– Extra thick plasterboard and skim
• Electrics
– Three white, plastic double sockets, one light switch, 4-6 internal chrome down lights (as required), wall heater and one external wall mounted sensor light per opening door.
• MVHR System
– Mechanical ventilation & heat recovery (See page 17)
• Skirting
– 100mm MDF.
Insulation is important in garden rooms as it helps keep the room warm in winter and cool in summer.
All our garden rooms have a double layer of insulation.
One layer of insulation is ‘within’ the walls/ floor/ roof structure and the second layer of insulation is ‘over’ the walls/ floor/ roof structure (under the ceiling/ wall/ floor boards).
90mm PIR insualtion approx. twice as insulating as mineral wool of equivalent an thickness.
Our garden rooms are insulated in the floor, walls and roof.
We have four insulation packages that provide various levels of insulation.
Even our entry level ‘classic’ Insulation package will provide year round use of the garden room.
Multi layer foil provides approx. double the insulation as single layer bubble foil.
Within wall insulation
100mm mineral wool.
Over wall insulation
Single layer bubble foil.
Within wall insulation 90mm PIR.
Over wall insulation
Single layer bubble foil.
Within wall insulation 100mm mineral wool.
Over wall insulation 19 layer multi foil.
Within wall insulation 90mm PIR.
Over wall insulation 19 layer multi foil.
We offer a wide selection of cladding options at various price points. Tanalised timber, cedar and cedral cladding can be fitted horizontally or vertically - however please note that additional work and materials are required to fit cladding vertically and thus the cost for this option is slightly more.
This comes as part of the ‘Classic spec’ package. It is our most economical cladding option. It is green in colour due to the preservative treatment it receives.
This should have a minimum life of 15 years even if left further untreated, however if cared for /treated every couple of years this cladding should last almost indefinitely.
Canadian western red cedar is a very popular choice for cladding, it is one of the more expensive cladding options however it is a naturally very durable and beautiful wood that can last for 45-60 years even if left untreated.
It does age to a silver colour (which some people find attractive), however a UV protective oil can be applied to help maintain the original colour if desired.
Cedral Click is a fibre cement based cladding. It falls between cedar and pressure treated/ tanalised cladding on the price scale and is one of our favourites.
It has a faux wood grain to make it look like wood and comes in a large range of colours. Cedral click is a ‘fit and forget’ option and requires no maintenance and has a lifespan of at least 50 years.
Porcelain stone effect tiles are a perfect cladding option for garden rooms. Porcelain is renowned for being extremely durable and resistant to both sub zero temperatures and extreme heat, additionally porcelain is resistant to UV light and requires no maintenance. They also look great!
Coloured render is a fantastic, modern cladding option for garden rooms. We use the industry-leading K-Rend system which is through coloured and as such will never need painting. This render system is durable and maintenance-free and comes in a range of beautiful colours.
Our standard ‘classic spec’ windows & doors are Upvc and come in either white or anthracite grey (inside colour is the same as outside colour). All windows/ doors come with chrome handles and multi-point locking and double glazing.
Windows and doors are available in the configurations below. Aluminium windows are also available in the configurations below at additional cost.
Frame colours can be upgraded at additional cost. Aluminium windows/doors can be finished in almost any RAL colour at additional costs.
The ‘classic spec’ ironmongery finish is chrome. Ironmongery ‘upgrades’ are available at additional cost in the finishes below;
• Additional outside lighting options.
• Outdoor power points.
• Indoor socket & switches available in a variety of finishes.
• Under floor heating’
Our 'Classic spec' garden rooms contain the following as standard
1. Three double, white plastic plug sockets.
2. One white plastic light switch per entrance.
3. One external uplight (with motion sensor) per entrance.
4. 4-6 down internal downlights (as deemed necessary by the electrician).
5. Consumer unit.
6. Wall heater.
7. MVHR (mechanical ventilation/ heat recovery unit).
*Please note that the electrical connection from house to garden room is NOT included in the quoted price.
All electrical works comply with Part P (electrical safety in dwellings) of the building regulations so you know you and your family will be safe.
Snug can provide a variety of additional upgrades including:
• Decking
• Sound proofing
• Concrete bases
• Drainage
• Plumbing
• Painting
• Laminate flooring
All of our garden rooms are built to exceptionally high standards, every element of each garden room we build is designed to meet and exceed current technical best practice guidelines and regulations.
We use concreted composite posts to support our garden rooms, this system is structurally calculated using civil engineering software and is designed to support up to twice as much load than is necessary, additionally the posts are guaranteed rot proof for life.
Our floors are made of pressure treated structural strength timber and are built to the same strength regulations as UK newbuild homes, all our floors are also double insulated as standard and contain a vapour barrier to completely eliminate draughts, water vapour ingress and cold bridging.
Floor boards are structural grade, moisture resistant OSB3 sheets.
The walls of our garden rooms are a minimum of 170mm thick overall and are built of pressure treated, structural grade timber. The cladding on our garden rooms is ventilated to ensure a free flow of air which helps keep it dry and rot free. Behind the cladding is a secondary waterproof but breathable membrane so in the unlikely event that water does get through the cladding it will be stopped at this point and will simply drain away and dry via the ventilated cavity. All walls have full depth ‘within wall’ insulation as standard and the walls are then covered internally with a secondary foil insulation which also acts as a vapour barrier , this vapour barrier covers the floor, walls and roof (under the floor & internal wall boards) and all joints are sealed to form a draught proof room with almost zero cold spots. The internal foiled wall is then battened out to prevent heat loss through convection, and finally clad in MDF internal wall boards before being painted in the customers chosen colour.
Our roofs are built very similar to our floors, they are built to UK building regulation strength requirements and contain two layers of insulation one of which also acts as a vapour barrier.
Our roofs are ventilated and have a EPDM rubber roof membrane which has a 50 year life expectancy.
All Snug garden rooms now come with a Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery (MVHR) unit fitted as standard.
Research indicates that upto 40% of heat loss in living spaces is caused by draughts through external walls.
In an effort to reduce heat loss through draughts, modern living spaces are increasingly being designed and built to be much more airtight.
All newly built homes in the UK are now pressure tested to ensure that they are air tight to current government standards before they can be sold.
Snug garden rooms are designed and built to very high standards of air tightness-far exceeding those of even UK new build houses. All Snug garden rooms have a continuous heat reflecting and airtight vapour membrane which goes under the floor, up the walls and across the ceiling (under the MDF wall & ceiling boards), this produces a sealed ‘envelope’ around the room that stops draughts (and associated heat loss) almost completely.
Draughts are bad but fresh air is good! Fresh air circulation within living areas is good for human health and for the health of the building. Fresh air circulation carries damp, humid air away and this helps prevent condensation and mould.
Normally fresh air is introduced into a room or building by opening windows or vents, however heat is lost quickly using this method which is not good for the environment or your wallet as more power is then used to reheat the room/ building.
Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery (MVHR) units solve the ventilation problem. MVHR units work by extracting stale, damp and humid air out of the room/ building, this prevents condensation and mould, however the heat within the air that is being expelled is ‘recovered’ or ‘captured’ and then is used to preheat the fresh filtered air being drawn in by the unit.
MVHR units can capture and re-use upto 85% of the heat that would otherwise be lost and this is good for the building, the occupants and the planet.
If you do have permitted development rights, then what are the rules you need to follow in order to build a garden room without planning permission?
The six rules that cover garden rooms are:
1. It must be single storey and less than 3 metres high (4 metres with a dual-pitched roof). However, if the garden room is going to be situated within 2 metres of the boundary of your property, it must be no higher than 2.5 metres
2.The eaves of the garden room must be no higher than 2.5 metres above ground level.
3. The garden room isn’t located in front of your home. If you have extended your home, then in planning terms ‘the front’ refers to how your home looked on 1st July 1948.
4. The total area of all outbuildings (this includes sheds as well as your garden room), must not cover more than 50% of the total area of the land around your home. This area is measured based on how it stood on 1st July 1948.
5. The garden room must not have a veranda, balcony or raised platform.
6.The garden room must not be used as self-contained living accommodation.
The next thing you need to know is that the Building Regulations are different from planning permission.
Whilst planning permission is just that - permission to build a structure - the Building Regulations are a set of standards that apply to the design and construction of all buildings to ensure that they are safe. There are instances where you must register documents with your local planning department who will check that they meet the Building Regulations, for example Part P Electrical Installation Regulations.
In other words, think of the Building Regulations as a set of rules that apply to how a building should be built - the structural integrity, insulation, foundations, electrical safety etc.
But, do they apply to garden rooms?
The answer is - it depends…
If the outbuilding is to be positioned within 2 metres of the property boundary, no part of it shall exceed 2.5. metres in height.
The Building Regulations don’t apply if your garden room:
• Is not attached to your main home.
•Doesn’t include sleeping accommodation.
•The floor area is less than 30 square metres internally.
There is an additional caveat to add to this. If the floor area of your garden room is more than 15 square metres but less than 30 square metres, it must be positioned at least 1 metre from all your boundaries, unless it’s made of non-combustible materials.
Having said that though, there are some parts of the Building Regulations your garden room will have to adhere to, depending on the features of your garden room.
We build our garden rooms to the very highest of standards, additionally all our garden rooms are fully guaranteed for your peace of mind.
• 15 years on foundations/ floor, wall and roof structure inc. insulation.
• 10 years on rubber roof/ window & door frames exc. colour fading.
• 5 years on cedar cladding/ glass and render/ stone cladding.
• 1 year on ironmongery/ tanalised cladding/ fascia/ MVHR/ heater.
We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, north Leicestershire and south Yorkshire.
Depending on the weather and the size/ complexity of the build, generally around 4 weeks. Approx build times will be given in the quote.
Cedar; Non or possibly apply UV protection oil or similar at intervals recommended by the manufacturer to help prevent weathering/ silvering.
Tanalised cladding; We would expect our pressure treated cladding to have a lifespan of 15+ years even without further treatment, however we would recommend that the cladding be retreated in the second and fifth year then every five years thereafter to maintain the optimal appearance and lifespan of the cladding.
Cedral; No maintenance required.
Render; No maintenance required.
Stone effect tiles; No maintenance required.
Unfortunately we are unable to offer finance options..
£1000 deposit on booking.
The following stage payments refer to the remaining balance after the deposit is paid; 25% on completion of ground works.
25% on completion of external wall membrane and battens.
25% on completion of cladding and rubber roof membrane.
20% on completion of internal insulation and battens. 5% on completion of the garden room.
We can build garden rooms to almost any length and width, however all our garden rooms are built in approx 60 cm increments (i.e 240 cm/ 300 cm/ 360 cm/ 420 cm/ 480 cm etc).
The sizes given are the approximate external measurements of our garden rooms.
Externally, garden rooms can be no higher than 250 cm if within one metre of the boundary, internally this gives a height of approximately 210 cm between the floor and ceiling
To keep our costs low we don’t have a showroom.
Design
Size
Insulation
Cladding
Windows/doors
Frame Colours/Ironmongery
Electrics
Other Upgrades
Notes
