The Garden Office Guide by Woody Green

The Garden Office Guide

2011 / 12

Index 2 4 6 10 13 16 19 21 24 27 30 32 36 39 42 44 47 50 53 56 60 64

Research Dab Den Design Energy Space Size Matters Alternative Space Comparison Irish Wood Style Planning Permission Extra Rooms Site Visits Bathstone Garden Rooms Foundations Warwick Garden Offices Floors Hudson Garden Rooms Wall Construction Cotsmill Garden Offices Exterior Cladding Aarco Cladding Profiles Homelodge

69 72 77 80 83 86 90 93 97 100 104 107 110 112 115 118 122 125 129 132 136 139

Insulation Swift Roof Shapes Decorated Shed Roof Coverings The Home Office Company Doors Booths Garden Studios Glazing Smart Garden Offices Windows 3rd Space Interior Linings Garden Offices UK Electrics in.it.studios Lighting Room4-you Heating Pod Space Communications Those Garden Rooms

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144 145 149 151 155 157 160 162 167 170 174 175 180 182 184

Toilets, Kitchens and the like Oazis Security Sanctum Garden Studios Outside Space Contemporary Garden Rooms Future Prooﬁng Atelier Pricing eDen Garden Rooms Finance Insitu Garden Oﬃces Guarantees Paperwork Our Buying Tips

Welcome Thanks for downloading this guide; it’s based on a popular series of articles we published on The Garden Room Guide. Whilst this guide focuses on garden offices the information also applies to garden rooms and studios as they are fundamentally the same thing! We have written the guide to address the areas of garden office design, construction and usage we are often asked about. We have interspersed our articles with Q&A sessions with the leading garden office suppliers and we hope these articles will give you an idea of the wide range of garden offices on the market. A garden office is a major investment and we hope that at the end of this guide you will feel fully informed to make the right decision for your needs. Happy reading...

Woody Editor – The Garden Room Guide

The information in this guide is given in good faith, all information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing - September 2011 and is subject to change at anytime.

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Research A garden office is one of the most significant purchases you’ll make so its important you research your options thoroughly – you’ve made a good start by reading this guide! Here’s the research we think you should do before buying a garden office:

The Garden Room Guide The Garden Room Guide is designed to showcase the work of garden oﬃce suppliers and act as a buyers guide for potential purchasers, we tend to use the more general term ‘garden room’ on this site but all buildings described here could be used as garden oﬃces. The Garden Room Guide has an extensive suppliers directory with contact details for the leading suppliers.

Supplier Websites Links from our directory or a simple Google search will through up dozens of garden office websites, its a good idea to research as many websites as you can to see the variety of garden offices on the market. Most suppliers websites are detailed and offer information on specification, prices, photo galleries and planning permission guides. Spend some time delving a little deeper than the first Google results page as there are some great suppliers who might not be as great at website SEO as the big companies, also try widening your search for suppliers by using different terms – garden offices, garden rooms, garden studios, garden pods and garden lodges are all effectively the same thing and can throw up some different results.

Brochures Most garden office suppliers have a brochure of their products and they normally go into more detail about the company, the buying process and the options available to you, many companies have their brochures in digital format for instant download whilst other companies will post you a glossy brochure, a few companies don’t have a brochure at all and try to pass on these savings in the cost of the building. Books The term for people who work from a garden office is ‘shedworking’ and Alex Johnson who writes the successful www.shedworking.co.uk has written the definitive book on the subject, its beautifully illustrated and informative – a must read for all potential garden office buyers.

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Show Buildings It’s always a good idea to see a few garden offices up close before you make your final decision, this gives you a chance to get the feel of a garden office, to realise what size will work best for you and to generally identify what features you do and don’t like. Many suppliers have show sites at their headquarters where they display their standard designs, this is a great opportunity to see the quality of the materials used and the workmanship, many companies have more than one model on show so you can compare them side by side. One of the best places to see a selection of garden offices is at the major home and garden shows, Grand Designs Live is a particularly good place to see a variety of garden offices but the RHS shows such as Hampton Court Flower Show are popular with garden office companies too. Shows such as Grand Designs Live allow you to have informal chats with the suppliers, many of whom will have taken a full size, furnished model with them to the show, you can also often pick a up bargain as suppliers often run a promotion to coincide with the show. A few garden office suppliers have arrangements with previous customers whereby you can visit their homes and look at their garden office, these appointments are usually reserved for serious customers and by set appointment. This type of visit offers a valuable opportunity to talk with someone who has brought a garden office and uses it, you can ask them what they are most pleased with and what they might have done differently ie would they have opted for a bigger size, installed air conditioning etc. Garden Studios TV There are lots of videos on the web made by garden office companies, you can see them on the suppliers websites or trawl through YouTube but if you want to see them in one place take a look at our sister site www.Garden Studios.tv. You can search for videos by supplier and by subject such as foundations, electrics and adding a toilet. There are some great time lapse videos of garden office builds and some valuable customer interviews there. Garden Room Search Another of our sites is www.Garden Room Search.co.uk which allows you to search for garden offices by different criteria such as price, size, construction method, cladding type etc. There are over 400 garden offices listed on the site and it is a valuable tool in researching your options. Tomorrow we will publish the first in our Q&A sessions with the garden offices suppliers, in these interviews we have asked the suppliers questions about design, planning permission, construction and pricing and the answers will allow you to compare your options.

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Dab Den

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Yes. It depends on the site. If its a small den we use swift pads, but with the larger dens we tend to use concrete block piers.

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Each design we have done has been bespoke. Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

Unique to the individual user and high quality of ﬁnish makes it an enjoyable environment to be in and therefore encourages high work performance. How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

The SIP panels makes the dens warm all year round and with the larger dens the walls are 167mm to meet building regs, so super insulated.

We have never been refused for an application to date.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Mostly they have been timber but we are starting to use a bit more white render these days.

A 2.4m x 2.4m is a comfortable size but most people prefer something bigger. Probably a 3.0m x 2.4m.

What is the roof covering? EPDM

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

A 3.0m x 2.4m would comfortably sit 2 people but if you want an additional meeting space maybe a 3.0m x 3.6m would provide a bit more space.

Plasterboard and painted walls. With either laminate ﬂooring or an upgrade to engineered wood ﬂoor.

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Floating shelves and cupboard for a tea prep area. Roof lights for added ventilation and natural light and some funky furniture. What is the lead time on your garden offices? That is dependant on planning and building warrant, but if these are not needed 4 to 5 weeks. What is the typical on site build time? Approx 2 weeks for a small den 3 to 4 weeks for a large one. How much does a typical one person office cost? Approx £10,000 to £12,000 How much does a typical two person office cost? £12,000 to £14,000 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Connection to existing services, excessive ground works, planning application fee, building warrant fee

2 double gang sockets – more if needed What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Adjustable spotlights, but again these are bespoke to the clients needs.

They last as long as a house. We try to use low maintenance materials however the end speciﬁcation is up to what the client wants.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

We use the standard – electric ‘carbon’ heating mats. They are more eﬃcient than the foil mats.

Each of the elements of the den has its own guarantee.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

We incorporated the cables within the den and can assist in co-ordinating the connection.

Don’t scrimp on quality, these are an investment that will increase your workability and raise your proﬁle

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

If you like what you read, contact DabDen on 01224 621624 or visit www.dabden.com for more information.

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Design

There’s a lot of choice out there when it comes to garden office design from compact cubes to elaborate curved structures. If you are opting for a bespoke design garden office your designer will tailor the building to your site and needs, but not everybody has the desire, time or budget for bespoke design so standard ‘off the self garden offices are the answer – with some canny choices there’s no reason why a standard design should be anything less than a perfect fit. To make these choices it’s important to be clear from the outset what you want from your garden office – a place to work is the obvious answer, but do you want a spacious room or a small unobtrusive structure? Is lots of natural light and a view of the garden more important than storage space? Are you going to apply for planning permission and have exactly the building you want or are you going to chose a garden office that falls within Permitted Development rules? These are all key questions you should think of early on in the buying process. If you have followed our researching the market guide you will have already seen a lot of garden office options and you will probably have built up a list of features you do and don’t like, write them down! It’s worth spending some time designing your perfect office before you go any further – you don’t need to be a designer to do this, just think about these questions:

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What shape garden office do you want? In most cases the answer will be square or rectangular, but why not roughly draw out the shape of your site on paper, mark features such as trees, plants and walls and see what shape you are left with, would a round or octagonal garden office work? How about a corner garden office where three walls face into the garden or an L-shaped unit which would sit well in a corner plot, bigger sites might lend themselves to a C-shaped unit where you could have a courtyard area between the two wings. Your drawing might throw up an odd shape such as a tapering site where the back is narrower than the front – don’t despair a bespoke designer can overcome problems like that. As well as the footprint shape you need to think about the shape of the roof, taste and planning regulations will dictate this choice, we will look in detail at the planning regulations in the Garden Office Guide: Planning Permission but in general if you want to place your garden office within 2m of the boundary of your garden it will need to be less than 2.5m high – this dictates a flat roof, if you can move the site more than 2m away from the boundary you have the option of having a pitched roof garden office. Flat roofed garden offices look very modern and have a ceiling height of around 2.2m which is about what the ceiling height is in a room in a house, in most cases garden offices with pitched roofs have vaulted ceilings which create spacious, airy rooms, which you choose is a matter of personal taste. What style of garden office do you want? You probably have looked at lots of pictures and decided if you like modern garden offices with shape lines or softer more traditional style units. It’s worth think about how your choice will sit within the buildings surrounding it, whilst contemporary buildings can contrast strikingly with old cottages, is it better to add a garden office that maybe replicates some of its features such as window style? Contemporary garden offices tend to use the latest low maintenance materials where as traditional styles are often painted so will need upkeep – an important consideration.

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Where do you want your doors & windows? We will look at the types of doors and windows that are used in garden office construction in the Garden Office Guide: Doors & Windows but you should think about where you position them early on, with bespoke design you can specify windows and doors anywhere and with most standard designs you have flexibility in their positioning. Its good practice to focus glazing on the south and west elevations of the garden office as its these elevations that benefit most from the natural warmth and light from the sun, if you don’t already know which way your site faces you can use a compass or Google Maps will tell you which way your house faces (just type your postcode into Google Maps and click street view, in the top left corner the toggle tells you which way is north) you can then work out which walls on your garden office are south and west facing, we’re not saying don’t have windows on the east elevation – they will get the early morning sun but unless you are using the building as an artist’s studio (northern light is considered the most stable) probably don’t put big windows on the north elevation. You should also think about the size of windows you choose, if it’s all about the view of your garden go for fully glazed walls, they create a great connection of inside outside space, but if work and storage are the main purpose of your garden office consider smaller windows, but think about their height – some are placed a bit too high, so when sitting at your desk you have to look up to see out of them, many modern garden offices now have the windows at desk height, this is a great compromise on maximising the view and keeping wall space. Many garden office designs make use of narrow windows both vertically and horizontally, these are very useful in providing light and ventilation without taking up a lot of space and they can be positioned to frame snapshots of your garden.

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It’s worth considering the space in the roof of your garden office for windows, roof windows are not the preserve of pitched roof garden offices they can also be used in flat roofed units, they flood the office with natural light and can free up wall space for storage units. What materials should your garden office feature? The bigger part of this Garden Office Guide will feature articles on your options when it comes to material choices but it’s worth thinking about them early on, one of your key thoughts when considering external materials is how much maintenance they require, internally you need to think about how close you want your garden office to look like a room in your house. What are your electrical requirements? The electrical design of your garden office is just as important as the other design elements we’ve talked about, we will do a chapter on garden office electrics later in this guide. Its worth taking some time to think about the electrical appliances you will use in your garden office – how many sockets do you need? Add them up and allow at least a couple extra! Keep this number in mind when looking at the different garden office specifications to see what comes at standard, although most companies can add extra sockets into the garden office at the design stage for a little extra cost. Also think about the type of lighting you want and whether you require outside lights and sockets. Security is an issue with a garden office as you will have a lot of valuable kit in there and important documents so consider an alarm system One addition to the electrical system that is often over looked is a door bell, your office maybe several meters from the house so will you hear when the postman rings the bell? You can get some good wireless doorbells but the most reliable and a cheap and easy option is to run a bell wire with your electric cables. What does the future hold for your garden office? Will your garden office always be used as an office, if the answer is no think about this at the design stage and don’t make your choices too office specific for example don’t position the windows at desk height if you might one day use it as a gym and not be able to see out of them when on the treadmill! If you are using the office for business allow for future expansion i.e. specify a size that allows you to add another desk. Could the office become self contained accommodation, well why not specify a shower room and kitchen area now, it’s easier to do now than as a retro fit. A good quality garden office definitely adds value to a house when you come to sell, but owners have been known to take the office with them when they move, if you think you might do this factor this into the design stage as it can affect the way the garden office is built, the choice of foundations etc.

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Energy Space

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

2.5 x 3.5m

L model

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

3 x 4m Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Our design makes the office environment extremely comfortable and healthy, with ergonomic layout, use of natural light, natural finishes that do not off-gas VOCs, passive solar design (solar gain in winter and solar shading in summer). They are user friendly with flexible interiors which include: bespoke built-in desks and workstations, shelving, additional windows, partitioned off storage, WCs, washrooms, even saunas or showers.

Yes, Swift foundations Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? We super-insulate to exceptionally high standards, aiming for U values as low as 0.12-0.15, using a ‘warm roof/wall’ construction with 9� of insulation. Our walls, roof and ﬂoor are around 12� thick. This is reduced on the low roof models due to an unworkable reduction in ceiling height.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? By remaining under 2.5m when being built near the boundary, up to 4m when 2m or more from the boundary and with a pitched roof. When planning is required though we are willing and able to submit applications on behalf of our clients.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces? We clad in UK grown larch, either vertically or horizontally, depending on the desired aesthetic.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

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Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? A programmable fixed wall heater is included as standard. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? We run electricity to the building at no extra cost provided the house fuseboard has space for additional fuses. When laying this cable we add broadband and telephone cable at a small additional cost. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? A decked area and an oasis of planting around the building to create a healthy, vibrant and inspiring workplace. Indoors, extra windows and roof lights to bring in more natural light. A partitioned off WC and sink area, perhaps a kitchenette too if space allows. Solar panels on the roof allowing for carbon free working and an additional income through the Feed in Tariff.

We are able to clad in cedar also although as it is imported from Canada there is a significant cost difference. What is the roof covering? Cedar shingles for the pitched roof version. Roofing felt, rubber or sedum options for the flat roof versions.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? 6-7 weeks

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

What is the typical on site build time?

Interiors are plaster boarded or ply-lined. The ﬂoors have a solid bamboo ﬂooring laid and a stained ply option is also available.

3-4 weeks How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

£15K

4 doubles on the smaller units, 8 or 12 on the larger units.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type? We use ceramic wall up-lighters with CFL bulbs as these provide non harsh ambient lighting while additional lighting can be added by the client as and when they need, for example desk lights.

£18K Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

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No, we aim to include all of the standard costs in our package, meaning the costs which occur on EVERY build: Foundations, electrical hookup, etc. Optionals are those that occur sometimes: water/drainage hookup, planning fees, roof lights etc.

What guarantees come with the office, are they free? We offer a 2 year free guarantee with our offices. If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Ask for information on the stated U values. A garden oﬃce is essentially a 6 sided box and the lower the stated U value, the thicker the wall, roof, ﬂoor or window will be, meaning less heat loss, energy cost and carbon emissions. And a more comfortable environment for the user. You are hopefully only buying this once!

25 years, maintenance is required for general wear and tear, ie repainting interior, unblocking gutters. If this simple care is kept up then the building will run and run.

Like what you read, want to learn more? Call Energy Space on 07979797471 or visit their website www.energy-space.co.uk

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Size Matters

One of the questions we’re most often asked is what is the best size for a garden office? It’s not easy to answer as there are so many variables and everyone’s space requirements are different – one user may be able to run their office with just a chair and a laptop whilst another worker will require a large desk, filing cabinets and miles of shelving. Your choice of office will also be dictated by the size of your garden and your budget.

The smallest useable space is probably a 2m x.2.5m footprint which with 150mm walls would give you an internal space of 3.69sqm this footprint would be enough room for one worker, you would probably want to opt for ﬁtted furniture to maximise the space.

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A 3m x 3m footprint would give you an internal ﬂoor space of 5.76sqm and this would be enough room for one worker to work comfortably – as a size comparison this is roughly the size of a small double bedroom.

If you are looking for room for future expansion a 4m x 3m garden office is probably the smallest size office for two workers, as you can see from the graphic above there’s room for two desks and space to move around. In our Q&A sessions with garden office suppliers which we are interspersing with this guide we ask the suppliers to recommend the best sizes for one person and two person offices, this is a valuable guide as they have worked with many customers to get the perfect fit! The size of your garden office is one of your most important decisions, get it wrong and you will have a spent a lot of money on a building that’s not fit for its purpose. Think about the space where you are currently working, is it big enough or too small? Well measure it and use that as the basis for your decision. Another method is to measure the furniture you plan to use and work out how much space it takes up, why not draw up a floor plan and cut up pieces of paper to represent desks, filing cabinets etc and play around to find the best layout – if you choose an office with inward opening doors allow some clear floor space for the swing – to do this measure the width of the door, draw it on the plan in the open position

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and then draw an arc back to the frame. If you draw up a floor plan, a scale of 5cm to 1meter will mean most office sizes will fit on a sheet of A4 paper . There are a few regulations that apply to garden office size, garden offices between 15sqm and 30sqm that contain sleeping accommodation will need to comply with Building Regulations unless they are more than 1m from the boundary or constructed of substantially non-combustible materials. To check the footprint size of your garden office multiply the external width by the external depth of the office this will give you the square meter size.

Planning permission is more concerned with height of the garden office than footprint size* (well, unless extensions and out buildings like a garden office cover more than 50% of your original garden) garden offices under 2.5m high can be placed within 2m of the boundary line, single pitched garden offices should be no higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 3m at the ridge, whilst dual pitched roofs should be no higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 4m at the ridge, both types of pitched roof garden office need to be sited more than 2m from the boundaries of your garden. *These details are for England if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you should consult the governments planning portal. If you live in a Listed Building National Parks the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites you will need to apply for planning permission for all garden offices. Most garden offices are listed as external sizes, a few also give you the internal floor size but if not it is worth working out what space you actually get. Garden office walls can vary in thickness from 50mm thick to 300mm thick which can have a significant effect on floor space for instance a 2.5m x 2.5m garden office has an external footprint of 6.25sqm with 50mm walls the internal space would be 5.76sqm but the same size office with 250mm thick walls would have an internal size of 4sqm – quite a difference! Thicker walls tend to be better insulated than thinner ones so you have to balance thermal performance with space.

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Alternative Space

Our products are super insulated for year round use and are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Alternative Space – Eco Den Eco Den sets the standard that most other suppliers try to achieve.

In addition Eco Dens are self drying so that electrical equipment can be stored without fear of damage. They are also acoustically insulated, so a nice, quiet place to work.

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

For complete piece of mind, Alternative Space provide an all inclusive installation service, with no hidden extras.

Eco Den is speciﬁcally designed as a garden workspace.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

Alternative Space were one of the ﬁrst companies to produce such products, having realised that these structures have speciﬁc requirements which can not be met by conventional timber building suppliers.

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Eco Dens are designed to comply with current planning regulations. However, to support our products, Alternative Space provide a comprehensive planning service which will

make the process simple and straightforward. What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

The type of footing and/or foundation depends on the site. All proposed sites are surveyed prior to quotation to ensure that the correct footings are provided.

Unfortunately this not the right question. The size of workspace depends on the type of work being carried out.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

Alternative Space provide a free consultation service to ensure that product and user ﬁt together perfectly. We also provide purpose built furniture to ensure that the internal space is used to maximum advantage.

More than suitable.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

Our buildings are holistically designed to provide the perfect working environment.

As above.

If you want to more about the speciﬁcs of our

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

product you will have to talk to us directly. We think our product is the best on the market, we intend to keep it that way!

We use triple skin, seven layer, structural insulated panels together with double and quadruple, argon ﬁlled, glazed panels.

Of course! We provide a complete service with no hidden extras.

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What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

Our standard cladding is Clear, Grade 1 quality North Canadian Cedar.

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Other cheaper options are available, but we don’t recommend them.

The right furniture in the right layout which suits the task being performed.

What is the roof covering? Our buildings are normally covered with a green living roof, as part of an integrated approach to insulation, the control of rain water run-oﬀ and a reduced C02 footprint.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

All buildings should have living roofs!

Project dependant, between 1 to 4 weeks.

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

All Interior decorative panels (walls and ceilings) are painted with Auro natural paints and our ﬂooring is solid Oak.

From £9,000.00

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

£12,000.00

Project dependant, between 3 to 5 weeks What is the typical on site build time?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) No. All clients receive a ﬁxed price quotation which itemises everything that is included. Don’t pay for hidden extras!

As many as are required. Each project is independently accessed to ensure that the users requirements are met. What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Low energy background lighting supplemented by zone speciﬁc task lighting. This oﬀers low running costs.

There is no such thing as a maintenance free building. However, there should be very little our buildings are designed to be ‘virtually’ maintenance free. Life span in excess 25 years.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type? Of course, low wattage electrical panel heating because this provides low cost heating.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? Free of charge 5 year company guarantee. We include 3,6 and 12 month check-ups, free of charge.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

We have both Coms and IT consultants who are happy to advise.

Don’t buy the cheapest. You’re not buying a shed your buying a small building.

Taken with what you read? Contact Alternative Space on 01981541205 for a chat or visit their website at www.alternative-space.com

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Comparison

Which garden office is best? That’s a subjective question because design, size, construction method, material quality, wall thickness, price and long term maintenance are all factors which make the perfect office. The variety of designs and the differences in build quality in the market make a straight comparison difficult. It is important that you try comparing like with like, for instance it is difficult to compare the log cabin style of building which is often sold as a garden office with the fully insulated models we showcase on this website. Log cabin style garden offices appear to be better value for money than the garden offices featured on this site and in this guide and you can pick up a large unit for £3k or £4k but this is a short sighted saving, although a larger initial outlay the garden offices featured in this guide are a better long term investment in terms of usability, lifespan, the value they add to your house and what they cost to run. Log cabin style garden offices may be listed as being fully insulated but there’s fully insulated and fully insulated to modern house standards! Cheaper insulation is often used in log cabin style garden offices compared with that used in more expensive models and you need to be careful when reading garden office specifications particularly on models where the wall structure forms the internal / exterior as you will normally only find insulation in the floor and roof of this type of office – just think how much heat will escape through the walls!

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Cheaper garden offices often tend to have hidden extras or make optional upgrades of all the essentials, whilst what appear to be more expensive garden offices offer an all inclusive price. Watch out for extra costs on cheaper garden offices when it comes to foundations, delivery, installation, electrics and double glazing you may find that what looks to be a good buy actually costs more than an apparently more expensive model which includes all these elements in the price – as standard! When comparing garden offices look at those that offer a site visit (some may charge for this), a site visit can overcome any potential problems early on in the project such as unlevel sites and access. Some companies don’t offer site visits and say they reflect the cost saving in the price of their garden offices, they rely on the customer to tell them about the site, access etc but we have heard of incidents where extra costs can be incurred by the customer where the supplier says the site is not as described to them! Compare too the long term maintenance of the garden office, if you don’t want to do any maintenance consider cedar, metal or upvc clad models rather than a softwood painted model which will need repainting every few years. Another more difficult thing to compare is the experience of the garden office supplier, some companies we feature on this site have been in business 25 years or so and have extensive experience, they have probably seen and overcome every potential problem that can arise in installing a garden office, other companies are new to the market and have only built one or two garden offices to date. We are not saying that you should go with a long standing supplier over a new one, far from it some of the newest companies are coming to the market from other building sectors and bringing the latest building techniques to the market, just be aware that experience levels differ from company to company. The obvious thing is to question a supplier about their experience, but another tell tale sign is their photo gallery lots of different photos equals a lot of builds, lots of photos of the same building or computer renderings maybe suggest not so much experience. Finally compare what aftercare the suppliers offer, most suppliers offer a guarantee on certain materials for example ’15 year guarantee on the doors’ but do they offer a guarantee on the actual workmanship of the garden office? For added peace of mind consider suppliers that offer an insurance backed guarantee, these are normally provided by the Consumer Protection Association and they offer you assurance that if your supplier goes out of business any repair will still be covered, in your comparison its worth noting that some suppliers make a charge for this insurance backed guarantee. So, is a more expensive garden office always better than a cheaper one? Well no, but in general the more you pay the better the design, the higher the specification of materials will be, but there’s no reason why a cheaper garden office will be any less solid than an expensive one. In the chapters that follow we will look at the different options on construction and materials you can choose for your garden office, these should also be part of your garden office comparison process.

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Irish Wood Style

Because our garden oﬃces are available in sizes under 25m2 they are exempt from permission. Anything larger than 25m2 will require permission, which we can take care of for you.

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? 16ft x 12ft with toilet and wash hand basin. Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Most popular because it is totally self contained, when you go there you don’t have to leave to use a toilet in your house, so therefore if you have staff working in the office they will not need access to your home. Also to make it more flexible for future internal configuration, the windows are strategically placed so as to be able to make separate internal offices at a later date. How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission?

We would recommend a size 0f 10ft x 12ft to be a very comfortable size for a one person office. And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? We would recommend a size of 12 x 14 for two person office.

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Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Yes foundations are included in our price, typically they are pad system but can vary depending on site conditions

What is the interior lining and floor covering? The interior lining is 12.5mm foil backed plasterboard, with gypsum skim finish and painted to a choice of colour, with the floor being a wood effect laminate finish.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Yes our offices are suitable for year round use, we use 50mm kingspan thermo floor in the floor with 100mm recycled fibreglass to both walls and ceiling. Our walls are 170mm thick.

As standard we include six double sockets but will allow up to twelve at no extra cost upon request.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

We offer a choice of exterior cladding, 150 x 18mm smooth pine shiplap finished in a choice of colour, 125 x 18 pressure treated barrel board or 125 x 30 log effect finished in a choice of colour.

We use led down lighters with dimmer switches, for low consumption and to allow light tone to be lowered. Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

What is the roof covering? Roof covering typically is ﬁbre cement slates for our apex roofs and edpm on our ﬂat roofs.

Yes our oﬃces contain heating as standard, we use

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electric wall panel heaters that are time controlled.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

Typical cost of 12 x 14 is €14000 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

We provide a c a t 5 cable wired into the framework and we will connect to main house if requested. Generally a wireless broadband and phone connection is favored when feasible.

The only hidden extra is if planning application is handled by us. What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Our oﬃces are built to last a lifetime, we recommend an exterior coat of paint every 5 years.

Deﬁnitely a w.c is invaluable, also a skylight can really transform a dark corner, particularly if the unit is placed against two boundary walls where wall windows are not possible

What guarantees come with the office, are they free? Our offices are guaranteed for 10 years and we will call back to visit after 12 months to inspect the unit and tend any little details that need doing. Generally there will be none, all of this is complimentary such is the confidence we have in our product.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? Generally one month. What is the typical on site build time? Generally six days. How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

Typical cost of a 10 x 12 costs €11000 supplied and fitted. We also provide a lower spec fully insulated office which costs €7200 fitted. BOTH PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO 13.5% VAT

Don’t build it too small thinking you will get by, get as near to your wish list as possible,if something has to be sacriﬁced, don’t let it be size, sacriﬁce something that can be visited later down the road.

So if your looking for a garden oﬃce in Ireland give Irish Wood Style a call on 0035318355774 or visit their website at www.irishwoodstyle.com

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Planning Permission

In many cases garden offices don’t require planning permission but as the householder you should be absolutely sure about planning permission before starting any building work, in the worst case scenario you could be made to down your garden office if it does not comply with planning regulations. In England garden offices fall into Permitted Development, these are rules that allow home owners to do certain improvements without applying for full planning permission, if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you need to look at the relevant countries section on the Governments Planning Portal. If you live in a Listed Building, a National Park, The Broads, an area of Outstanding Beauty or a World Heritage site then you will need to apply for planning permission for your garden office – whatever. There are some specific rules relating to the size and positioning of a garden office for it to comply with Permitted Development rules, we’ll list each taken from the Planning Portal and try to explain them. No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation This rule says you can’t place your garden office in the front garden without planning permission; a garden office needs to be situated behind the front wall of your house.

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Outbuildings to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof. Garden offices should only be single storey to comply with Permitted Development rules, if you want a second floor in your garden office you will need to apply for planning permission. This rule is also saying that the garden office should have a maximum eaves height of 2.5m and a dual pitched roof should be no taller than 4m at the ridge and single pitched roofs no taller than 3m at the ridge.

Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house. If the garden office is to be placed within 2m of the boundary line then it should be no higher than 2.5m to comply – you will need to look at a flat roofed garden office to meet this height requirement.

If you are opting for a garden oﬃce with single pitched roof it will need to be placed more than 2m away from your garden’s boundaries and be no higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 3m at the ridge, a dual pitched roof will also need to be placed more than 2m away from the boundary line and should be no higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 4m high at the ridge.

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No verandas, balconies or raised platforms Your garden oﬃce shouldn’t have a raised balcony, deck or veranda to comply with Permitted Development rules.

No more than half the area of land around the “original house”* would be covered by additions or other buildings. Extensions to your house, sheds, garages, greenhouses and garden offices should not cover more than 50% of your garden to comply with this rule. The term original house means as the house was before any extensions. Your garden office supplier will be able to advise you regarding planning permission, but at the end of the day it’s your responsibility to check your status, we always recommend that people have a word with their local planning department before starting work – they’re not the enemy! We hope this article makes the subject a little clearer, planning permission is one of the main concerns of garden office buyers and the suppliers are there to support you through the process, many will actually handle the application for your if planning is needed. It’s worth mentioning that in 13+ years we never had an application for a garden office turned down and many of the garden office suppliers in this guide have a 100% success rate when it comes to planning permission.

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Extra Rooms

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Probably our artists studio design type. I say “type” as no studio we have ever done has been identical to another, each has diﬀerent dimensions and customer preferences built in that suit them the best.

They are all built in the assumption that they will be placed less than 2 metres from a boundary as most people want them at the bottom of the garden and do not want to waste space between the oﬃce studio and their fences/hedges etc.

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

Therefore, unless they tell us otherwise, we build them all a tad under 2.5 metres high.

By listening to all our customers and acting upon their combined wishes like going overboard on insulation and ﬁnishing them oﬀ will proper plastered walls so they are not “sheddy” but proper long life insulated rooms.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? About 64 sq ft is comfortable but we ask our

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customers to do a tiny drawing for them selves with their desk and whatever other furniture they are intending to put into it and then this shows them the size they need.

they prefer the building to be blended into the garden and not standing out. We often stain it to match the surroundings, deep green most frequently.

Whether the 64 sq ft is made up of 8ft by 8ft or 10ft by 6.5ft or any other dimensions is neither here nor there as we charger according to area, dimensions do not aﬀect the price and this gives the customer the freedom to put the building where it is wanted and we will make it ﬁt the space.

What is the roof covering? A heavy duty torch-on felt with solar reﬂective coating, as we have found this to be the most dependable long life roof.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

8ft by 10 ft to be comfortable and not too cramped

The interior is properly plastered and painted and the ﬂoor covering is generally a laminate ﬂoor.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Yes they are and the type is determined by the site and what we ﬁnd. timber buildings, whether membranes are present or not underneath, should always have an air gap under them. This stops rising damp and everything can breath. For virgin ground on soil we will use tanalised timber piles embedded in strong concrete, for when we ﬁnd existing patios and slabs etc we will use multiple pads below the building, to make it level and provide the ventilation underneath.

At least half a dozen doubles in our smallest oﬃces.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

No but due to being hyper insulated a simple oil ﬁlled radiator is more than adequate and if on a timer, extremely energy eﬃcient and the room is always warm when you arrive in the morning.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type? Flush down lighters as customers prefer them and they can take ultra low L.E.D.s at 3.5 watts each. Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

They are only made for all year use. We use a very thermally efficient insulation with in all our panels which are S.I.P.S, structural insulated panels. This insulation is double installed so that the walls are like inside a thermos flask, equal to over 8.5 inches of fibreglass, this is the same or better than the latest green house building levels for insulation

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce? There is a special gadget we recommend which uses the mains cable as a conduit for the broadband signal with no additional wiring needed and it boosts the signal very well.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

It depends on what the customer chooses and prefers, like everything in our studios, however, most choose either cedar match-boarding on at least the front if they want a contemporary look, and this can be ﬁtted vertically or horizontally, or they choose more rustic feather edged boards or Cape Cod cladding as some prefer to call it, when

Everybody has diﬀerent ideas about this, depending on what they are using it for but being bespoke, we normally supply it whatever it is. What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

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Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

5-8 weeks normally What is the typical on site build time?

We are turnkey apart from electrical hookup.

A single day, including foundations, for buildings up to 120 sq ft, two days after that size, unless it is a soundproofed room and this can be up to two weeks depending on the level of spec.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance? Indeﬁnite life, around 50 years at least.

The single day installation is achieved as the whole building is completely built to absolute completion in our factory, so that the installation is a re-assembly rather than a construction process.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? 5 years materials and labour covers the foundation and any roof leaks and are free not as extras.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? Prices start at £6.5K plus vat including a foundation.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? If it was 8ft by 12 it would be around £10K plus vat

Nobody ever told us after they had one that they wished it had been smaller.

Interesting read? Contact Extra Rooms on 01159 899 555 for a chat about garden oﬃces or visit their website www.extrarooms.co.uk

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Site Visits

Most garden office suppliers offer a site visit to discuss your garden office requirements, many companies offer this as a complimentary no obligation service whilst other companies make a charge for this service (can be up to £500) which they normally offset against the cost of the building if you proceed with the order. Some suppliers don’t offer a site visit and their argument is that it is their way of keeping their costs down – fair enough a site visit at the other end of the country can cost a company quite a bit, but it does save problems occurring later in the project. A site visit is a really important part of the garden office buying process and it’s imperative if you are opting for a bespoke design garden office. A site visit involves a representative from the garden office company visiting you at a mutually convenient time, if you are going down the bespoke design rout the designer themselves will normally do the visit, sometimes a qualified surveyor will conduct the survey, on standard designs you would expect a general sales person to visit. You would expect the site visit to start with a general chat about what you want from your garden office, for you to express your likes and dislikes and for you to set a budget for your project – don’t be embarrassed by this its best to set the budget early on in the process so everyone knows where they stand – a good garden office company is not going to try and make you spend more than you want too. After an initial chat you will go outside and look at the site, the designer will take detailed measurements, sketch out the site, take photos and you would expect them to test the soil to

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see what the site conditions are to judge which the best type of foundation for the site are. The designer will advise you on planning permission and suggest options on the orientation of the garden oﬃce, window position etc. The designer may do some ‘napkin sketches’ to check that they are thinking along the same lines as you and will show you photos and maybe videos of past projects and sample materials. One of the most important elements of a site visit and the bit that can save problems down the line is checking the access to the site; you should walk the route from the delivery point to the site and check for any potential obstacles like gates and low hanging trees. Most things can be overcome we have known panels and materials be taken through the front door and right through a house where there’s been no side access. After the site visit what you have discussed will be put in writing, you will receive drawings, visualisations, speciﬁcation, price, contract and terms and conditions, payment schedule and a delivery schedule.

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Bathstone Garden Rooms

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

attractively into any garden scenario.

Our most popular garden oﬃce design is the smallest. We designed it speciﬁcally for the smaller garden, and it tends to be bought by people living in towns where space is limited. Many of our customers have young families, often need to work from home, but don’t have the extra room to work indoors.

Natural light is what we have found gives even the smallest of working spaces a feeling of space and openness.

Starting from £9,500 inc VAT, our Small Oﬃce measuring 2.8m x 2.5m, and built to a very high standard really is the perfect option.

With one corner glazed, there is plenty of wall space for shelving, desks or cupboards, and if you want another window above your workstation, it allows even more light to ﬂood in.

We use fully glazed French Doors and Glazed panels on a corner section, bringing light and easy access to the oﬃce.

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? The Small Office has been designed to fit very

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With great insulation levels heating is never a problem, and most people are happy to use a portable convection heater when required.

and if you require more shelf , cupboard or desk space, we will be able to design something that suits you perfectly.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? Planning Permission is no problem with our Small Oﬃce. It has been design to meet Permitted Development requirements, so with a low 2.4m high roof you can build it almost anywhere without requiring permission.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? We include everything in the price, including foundations.

If you do happen to live in an area that requires planning permission, such as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we will apply for you – we haven’t be refused yet!

To give you a good internal ceiling height, while keeping below the 2.5m roof height, we usually install our buildings on a concrete slab.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

If you are happy to go above the 2.5m roof height we would build on a series of concret piles. This is the cheaper and less disruptive option.

Our most popular single worker oﬃce has internal dimensions of 2.46m x 2.16m, and is surprisingly spacious.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

One of our biggest selling points is the suitability of our oﬃces for year round use.

A two workstation oﬃce can be of several designs , but the minimum we would recommend is internal dimensions of 2.16m x 3.85m.

We use high quality insulation in ﬂoors, walls and ceilings as standard, with 175mm thich walls, and ceilings even thicker at 280mm.

We specialise in bespoke buildings, and if you

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What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

We offer several different options of timber cladding. Western Red Cedar is the most popular because of it’s great looks and low maintenace qualities,but we also offer softwood shiplap, tongue and groove of featheredge board.

As standard we would put a double socket in each corner.

What is the roof covering?

Lighting is a choice of spotlights of recessed downlights.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Our ﬂat roof designs are all covered with EPDM rubber. It is a wonderful product with a 25 year manufacturers warranty, and as a single sheet without joins, is guaranteed not to leak. So much better that the old style roof felts!!

Spotlights are the cheapest option, and with good positioning direct light exactly where you want it. Recessed lighting is often chosen for its ‘hidden’ appearance, and general good spread of light . Most of our customers also choose an optional outdoor light as well.

What is the interior lining and floor covering? Interior lining and floor cover depends on your budget, but is typically dry lined and skim plastered walls and laminate floors.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

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We tend not to include heating as standard because it is so easy to use a portable heater when required. Underfloor heating is a great option though, and if you want a climate control unit to provide warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer, we can fit that as well. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office?

We explain all costs in our quote. If you require planning permission we will charge £350 plus the cost of application (£150) +vat. Unless you have a particularly difficult mains electricity supply to your property, which requires a lot of work to get a cable to your office, the cost of connection will be included in the quote we supply. What is the lifespan of your garden offices, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Braodband and telephone can be connected either by cable or if suitable, a wireless system.

We use top quality materials for our buildings, and we like to think our buildings will last generations rather than years!

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? As an option, it is always helpfull to have a remote lighting system. With this you can turn lights on and off from your house without needing to walk to the office.

Like many ancient timber framed buildings, if kept dry and secure they will last many many years. There is inevitably some maintenance requirements, but with good quality timber cladding, excellent windows and doors, and a roof that is guaranteed to last 25 years, there is never very much.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? We have a lead time of around four weeks, though this can vary, so please ask.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the typical on site build time? It would typically take us no longer than two weeks to complete our Small Oﬃce.

We are members of the Consumer Protection Association which gives a warranty on all our work for ten years, and also protects any deposits paid.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? In addition, there is a 10 year warranty supplied by our Door and Window manufacturers, and there is a 25year warranty on the roof covering.

Prices for our standard model start from £9,500 incl VAT, but we also provide a budget model that suits smaller budgets.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? Prices start from £12,250 incl vat for a larger two person oﬃce.

If you are buying an oﬃce for genuine all year round use, please be sure to buy a good qualty, well insulated building. It may seem more expensive initially, but remember – after time the price is forgotten, but the quality is always there to be seen!!

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

Like what you read? Give Bathstone Garden Rooms a call on 01189 842555 or visit their website for more information www.bathstonegardenrooms.co.uk

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Foundations

There is a lot of choice these days when it comes to garden office foundations, a few years ago your only option was to have a concrete slab base which the customer normally had to organise themselves, today the foundation is normally included in the cost of the garden office. The types of foundations used in garden office construction include: Concrete Slab The original type of concrete foundation a concrete slab forms a sound level base for a garden office. Concrete slabs have gone out of fashion with designers because the site needs to be level, they take a good degree of skill to lay, they need time to ‘go off’ before the garden office can be installed and because they use a lot of concrete they’re not very environmentally friendly. Concrete slabs foundations are normally 100mm thick and approximately 50mm bigger than the garden office to allow for tolerances. Pile & Pad Foundations Concrete pile/ pad foundations form the basis of most of the newer foundation systems used in garden office design. A number of concrete piles/pads are evenly spaced in the footprint area of the garden office. Garden office suppliers normally use a power auger to dig the holes whilst some may use a spade!

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The depth of the hole depends on the soil conditions as the foundation needs to sit in solid ground. Some companies use cardboard formers into which they pour the concrete whilst other companies pour the concrete straight into the hole. The piles/pads are then levelled off, the way the foundation is finished varies from supplier to supplier, but these are typical methods: Metal Anchors These anchors are inserted into the concrete as it sets; anchors are normally height adjustable so that the floor frame can be easily levelled. Concrete Beams Some suppliers use reinforced concrete beams to connect the concrete piles/pads together, the floor frame sits on top of these beams. The beams are fixed to the piles/pads with galvanised straps and the beams spread the load between the piles/pads. Jacks Jacks rather like those used to lift a car when changing a tyre are fixed to the concrete piles/pads, the floor frame is then fixed to the top of the jack and it can be levelled easily by turning the screw on the jacks. Timber Bearers Some supplier connect the concrete piles/pads with timber bearers, the timber floor frame then sits on these bearers. It is important that the timber used for bearers is tantalised. Adjustible Steel Frame A few suppliers have designed steel frameworks which have adjustable feet which sit on the concrete pads, these frames are easy to level, and the installers just adjust the screw which raises or lowers the frame. Timber Bearers Some supplier connect the concrete piles/pads with timber bearers, the timber floor frame then sits on these bearers. It is important that the timber used for bearers is tantalised. Metal Grids Some suppliers have designed a metal grid work system which acts as both the foundation and the floor structure, the grid work has feet which sit on the concrete piles/pads and lifts the garden office off the ground. Several of these grid work panels are joined together to match the size of the garden office and then composite floor panels are slotted into the spaces in the grid.

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Screw Piles Screw piles are a concrete free form of foundation, large ‘screws’ are driven into the ground, this type of foundation is quick to install and can be easily removed from the site if the garden office is ever removed. Because there is no concrete to set the garden office can be installed as soon as all the screw piles have been fitted. Plinth Foundations Plinth foundations are very popular in garden office construction, there are two popular systems one involves recycled concrete pads and the other system is made from recycled plastic pads. Both systems work in much the same way – the site is cleared from vegetation and a plastic grid is laid level and filled with aggregate, the pad stones are then laid in the centre of the grid, the height can be adjusted to account for site levels by using incremental packers, the top stone has an adjustable bracket which takes the timber floor frame. The beauty of this system is that the foundation can be installed quickly, there are no wet trades and the foundation can be removed and reused if the garden office is ever removed from the site, it’s also totally recyclable at the end of its life. Steel Frame A steel frame goes around the perimeter of the garden office; the frame is fixed to uprights which are set in concrete. The steel frame is designed to take timber floor frames and the load of the building is spread through the steel framework. Sleepers Some suppliers use treated sleepers to form the foundation of their garden offices, these are normally laid onto level ground over a damp proof membrane, the sleepers are either used as counter bearers and the floor frame sits on top of them or they from a perimeter frame with joists hanging from them creating a suspended floor. Paving Slabs A few garden office suppliers recommend paving slabs as the basis for a garden office, the theory is that a garden office can be situated on an existing patio, we don’t advocate this type of foundation as we don’t consider it strong enough for a garden office – how can slabs you put down for a table and chairs possible have a strong enough basis for a heavy garden office? There’s a lot of choice out there! Remember don’t stint on your foundation system, go for the best you can afford – you’re garden office is only as good as the foundation it sits upon!

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Warwick Garden Offices

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Traditional model

8ft x 8ft minimum or 12ft x 8ft comfortably

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

It has been designed so that we can deliver & erect anywhere in the country within a single day – even the Isle of Wight

12ft x 12ft minimum. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

No.

Under 2.5m in most cases, hence planning not usually required.

12 x 8 paving slab base is typically about £750 – £1000

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also been fitted for customers as they produce no heat output. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? No. Customers can purchase a plug in heater. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? Customers can run a cat5 cable up the garden, and simply drill through the wall, and easily connect.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Yes. Cellotex insulation is used.

Multi point locking to the doors . What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

Wall thickness is 100mm. What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

6 weeks

Shiplap cladding, pressure treated, giving an expected lifespan of 25+ years.

What is the typical on site build time?

What is the roof covering?

1 day

AA rated felt tiles, with an under felt,

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

£4500 – £6250

12mm Brush groove plywood – providing a seamless tongue & groove appearance to the walls. Skirting and other linings are also included.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? £7500

Floor is plywood floor – options on a laminate finish. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? 3 x Double Sockets What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? Fire rated ceiling down lights. LED bulbs have

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Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

After15 years the felt tiles may need maintenance. What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

Electrician for half a day. Base (concrete or paving slabs).

2 year guarantee

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

20+ years. Every 5 years the outside will require a wood protector stain or clear tough coat to protect from UV rays.

Don’t buy a log cabin and kit it out yourself – it costs far more in the future.

Like what you read? Give Warwick Garden Oﬃces a call on 01926 815757 or visit their website www.warwickoﬃces.co.uk for more information.

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Floors

A sturdy floor is important in garden office design, there’s nothing worse than a springy floor! Some garden office suppliers use the concrete base as the finished floor, this obviously forms a solid base for floor coverings, but most garden offices have a timber floor frames, there are several construction methods. The traditional method of floor construction is to use timber joists connected to a perimeter framework, the closer the joists are together the more sturdy the floor will be. The space between the joists is filled with insulation and sheet material, often sheet material is fixed over the top of the joists to form a sturdy floor deck. Some suppliers have designed composite floor panels they are made up of structural boards, insulation and building membranes. This type of panel is normally used in conjunction with metal frames than form part of the foundation. Structural insulated panels (SIP’s) are popular in garden office construction and they can form the floor as well as the walls and roof. SIP’s consist of a sandwich of structural board and rigid insulation. SIP’s are easy to install and highly insulated. You have a wide choice when it comes to choosing a floor covering for your garden office:

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Carpet Tiles Carpet tiles are often an entry level option on garden office specifications but they are a very practical option. Carpet creates a warm and inviting room, carpet tiles are hard wearing and can easily be replaced if one becomes marked. Laminate Probably the most popular option in garden offices, laminate comes in different qualities so its a good idea to ask your supplier for a sample. Laminate is hard wearing and comes in a range of colours. Hardwood Engineered hardwood offers a better quality floor than laminate, layers of wood are laminated together to form a strong and stable board. Hardwood flooring oozes quality and looks great. Bamboo For the eco conscious garden office buyer bamboo is an excellent option. Bamboo is one of the worlds fastest growing plants so is totally renewable. Bamboo floors are very hard wearing and boards have a distinctive grain. Rubber Rubber floors are a popular option in contemporary garden offices, rubber is a hard wearing anti slip floor covering and comes in both smooth and textured finishes, rubber is available in a wide range of colours from the muted to the vibrant. Slate & Stone In garden offices where a concrete base forms the internal floor you have the option of choosing a slate, stone or ceramic floor finish, these types of flooring look great and are very hard wearing but they can be a little cold so you may want to consider combining them with underfloor heating. As you can see there’s a lot of choice when it comes to floor coverings, the type you choose will have a significant effect on the feel and style of your garden office.

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Hudson Garden Rooms

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

What is your most popular garden office design? Our most popular design is the contemporary yet simple Oasis garden room. The rectangular shape with its flat roof makes this the perfect foundation for a home office.

The height of the garden as standard is 2.4m meaning it does not need planning permission. What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

A one person oﬃce only needs to have enough space for a desk, chair and some ﬁling so our 3m x 2.25m is ample space.

The shape allows for maximum floor space so every inch adds to the garden office. The modular design allows the window and door configuration to be moved to wherever the customer needs, which can be crucial to ensure maximum natural light and air flow through the garden office.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? A 3m x 3.75m is enough for a simple oﬃce setup for two people

The Oasis comes with insulated walls, ceiling and ﬂooring as standard meaning it can be used as a oﬃce all year round.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

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can be left as the tongue & groove timber for rustic look. 20mm insulated ﬂoor boards as standard but can be upgraded to 25mm Oak boards.

Yes, we typically lay a concrete base for all our garden rooms for maximum strength. Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Yes, the ﬂoor, walls and ceiling are all insulated for winter warmth. The Oasis design has 76mm tongue & groove timber as standard.

None are included in the base price, as every customer needs different configurations, but for a 1 or 2 person office we recommend 3 double sockets.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Spruce timber used as standard but can be upgraded to Red Cedar or Oak.

Spot lights are recommended as they provide low energy input which is good for the environment but also allows for even lighting spread across the garden room with no shade areas.

What is the roof covering?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

Firestone EPDM rubber lining. What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

Not as standard but simple dimplex heaters are recommended.

Plastering interior lining for easy decoration, but

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Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) None, the price above includes typical installation, foundations, basic electrical package and VAT

The best way is to contact your current home utilities supplier as this is the cheapest and most eﬃcient way of arranging broadband and telephone connection.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

10 year manufacturer warranty of structure and 30 years on the roof. Recommended that exterior wall is treated every 5 years to maintain the natural timber glow but not essential

Bespoke interior furnishing provides the perfect ﬁtted furniture to make your oﬃce perfect.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? 4-6 weeks typically

10 year manufacturer warranty and 30 year roof warranty as standard

What is the typical on site build time?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

1 day to lay concrete based (week before garden oﬃce erection) 3 days to build

Think carefully on what your business needs are to work from home and work your garden oﬃce around that, not the other way round. You could end spending more money that you needed or you could end up with too small a garden oﬃce if not thought out realistically.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? Typically £8300 How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? Typically £9500

Like the sound of these garden oﬃces? Give Hudson Garden Rooms a call on 0800 6122904 or www.hudsongardenrooms.com

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Wall Construction

Garden office construction takes its lead from house construction and the walls of a garden office are just scaled down version of those found in a house. There are several types of wall construction used in garden offices but by far the most common are traditional studwork timber frames and structural insulated panels (SIP’s), let’s take a closer look at the options: Traditional Timber Frames With this type of construction the walls are made up of a skeleton of timber studs fixed to horizontal plates at the top and bottom, to strengthen the framework horizontal braces known as noggins can be fitted between the studs. The space between the studwork holds the insulation. On the outer side of the studwork timber sheathing is fixed, this is normally exterior grade plywood and sometimes OSB – some garden office suppliers omit this layer but it does strengthen the frame considerably and stops the frame twisting. The next layer is a breathable membrane, this works like a one way valve letting moisture escape from the building but not letting moisture into the building, it is important that this layer is present in the wall makeup. Next up is the cladding, some suppliers fix this directly over the breather membrane but it is good practice to fix it on counter battens, this creates an air space behind the cladding and any moisture that passes through the cladding runs down this channel and not into the wall structure. On the inside of the studwork is a vapour membrane, the joints of which need to be firmly taped to prevent condensation occurring, over this the internal lining is fixed

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SIP’s Structural insulated panels (SIP’s) have become very popular in garden office construction as they have excellent thermal properties and are quick to install. SIP’s remove the need for any structural framework as the SIP’s panels are load bearing. SIP’s are engineered products made up of two layers of OSB (Orientated Strand Board) with a rigid insulation laminated (glued) in between. Garden offices built with SIP’s are thermally efficient because the insulation wraps around the whole building with no timbers creating ‘cold spots’, which are areas with no insulation which can occur in traditional timber frame systems. The exterior of the SIP’s is sheathed in a breather membrane which prevents moisture entering the building but lets it escape from within, over this the cladding is fixed, usually on counter battens to create an airspace between the cladding and the breather membrane. Internally many garden office suppliers use battens to create a service void for electrics and plumbing between the inside of the SIP and the internal wall finish. Metal Some suppliers have designed modular garden offices which have a timber framework that can be in filled with different panels – solid and glazed. The solid panels are made up of a sandwich of colour coated steel and rigid insulation. This type of construction creates a relatively narrow wall thickness. Post & Beam One of the oldest forms of timber construction is the post and beam method and a few garden office suppliers have adopted this system as it lends itself to modular garden office construction. The post and beam consists of two upright posts joined by a horizontal beam, for optimum strength this should have a traditional joint such as a mortise and tenon. Post and beam frames create bays which can be filled in with insulated panels, windows and doors. The insulated panels will have a similar makeup of insulation, membranes and cladding as described above.

Block Construction Although not common there are a few garden oﬃce suppliers who build in block. Built like a house walls consist of two layers of block with insulation in between. The exterior can be rendered or battens can be ﬁxed into the block and timber cladding added. Internally the walls are lined with plasterboard and skimmed with plaster.

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Oak Frames Oak garden offices are very popular and they have a unique character. Substantial oak timbers often 150mm x 150mm are jointed using traditional methods to create the main frame of the garden office, the wall is then filled in with panels made up like the traditional timber frame described above. Interlocking Timber Some garden offices on the market are made from interlocking timbers which form both the wall framework and the exterior cladding. At around 50mm thick a thin wall structure is created but although timber itself has good thermal properties this type of construction does not have the thermal performance of the other wall construction methods described here. Although many people like to call garden offices posh sheds you can be assured that whichever construction method you choose your garden offices construction takes its lead from the house building rather than shed construction

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Cotsmill Garden Offices

Our Contemporary and Avant Garde models are lower than the quite often quoted 2.5m height limit which can be an issue for many.

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? It is fairly evenly split between our Traditional and Contemporary models.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

2 or 2.5m wide x 3m long for one person

We have a number of designs which customers can chose from and can tailor make them to each customer at no or little additional cost, for example we position doors and windows to suit the site and the customers requirements. Our materials internally and externally are chosen for minimum maintenance and maximum longevity. How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? 2.5 or 3m wide x 4m long Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

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We can provide or manage the foundations if

Yes 365 days a year! Our oﬃces are snug in winter and cool in summer. We use high tech Celotex and aluminium bubble insulation as standard in our 7cm walls or can provide Sips panels at 10ch if required.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? It depends on the size but plenty of double sockets. In a 3m x 4m between 4-5.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Whatever you want! We generally clad in wood – usually Cedar, Scandinavian Redwood, or Weatherboard

Low energy adjustable down lights for our Contemporary and Avante Garde models and 4 bar spotlights for our Traditional. All practical and cost eﬀective.

What is the roof covering? For our Traditional oﬃces we use high quality Asphalt or Cedar tiles, and seamless rubber based EDPM for our Contemporary and Avant Garde models. All last between 20-50 years.

Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? Customers usually want to choose their own heating method (usually stand alone Ceramic, oil filled or fan heaters) but we can provide underfloor heating as an option.

What is the interior lining and floor covering? We pain our walls white as standard and the flooring is carpet as standard although many customers opt for laminate which can be underfloor heated if required.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

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Wired or wireless depending on customer preference and distance from the house

Usually not, except foundations and electric supply to the building from the house

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Underﬂoor heating, laminate ﬂooring and maybe exterior lighting.

20 years +. We design are our oﬃces to be fairly maintenance free but may be the occasional exterior treatment to maximise its life and keep it looking good

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? It can be 3 weeks, but we usually quote 4-6 weeks

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the typical on site build time?

5 year structural which is free and we resolve any initial issues free of charge within the ﬁrst year

3 days How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

Starting from a very competitive £6,375

Go for a quality building which is well insulated, has a substantial frame which is ideally glued and screwed (like ours!) rather than machine nailed. Oﬃces are a great investment and add to the value and marketability of your home so worth spending as much as possible on.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? £8,350 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

Want to learn more? Give Cotsmill Garden Oﬃces a call on 01865 407608 or visit their website www.cotsmill.co.uk

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Exterior Cladding

Your choice of exterior cladding can significantly influence the style of your garden office, for instance a garden office with tongue & groove cedar cladding will look quite crisp and contemporary whilst a oak clad building will have a soft traditional feel. Let’s look at some of the options for garden office cladding: Western Red Cedar By far the most popular type of cladding for garden offices, it not only looks great but has a natural resistance to decay and fungal attack which makes it the perfect low maintenance cladding. Cedar has a life expectancy in excess of 30 years and each plank has subtle shade differences. Cedar starts out a reddish brown colour but within a few years will weather to a silver grey colour which is equally attractive. Cedar has quite a flat finish and some suppliers oil the cedar which gives it a soft sheen, if you want to maintain the reddish brown colour you can apply a preservative but the colour is never as good as the real

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thing! Western Red Cedar is often imported from Canada and North America but it can also be sourced from UK forests, British cedar has more of an amber colour. Cedar is a very stable wood so has minimal shrinkage or twisting. Because of the natural oil in Western Red Cedar it is important that stainless steel fixings are used as it can have a corrosive effect on other fixings. British Oak An oak clad garden office has a lot of character; there are two types of oak used for cladding – green oak and dry oak. Green oak is newly sawn and can range in colour from a pinkish colour to a rich honey colour, as the wood dries out the colour deepens to golden honey and then weathers to silver. Green oak needs careful detailing to allow for shrinkage. Dry oak is more expensive than green oak and is dried naturally or in a kiln and should have a moisture level between 15 and 25%. Dry oak varies in colour from golden honey to dark brown but like green oak will weather to a silver colour overtime. Oak is a very durable cladding and full of character so you should expect knots and splits in the boards. Oak has a high tannin content which will exude from the boards resulting in streaks on the face of the boards; tannin also corrodes ferrous metals so oak cladding should be fixed with stainless steel fixings. Larch Larch is durable softwood thanks to its high resin content and is much stronger than other softwoods such as pine. We produce larch here in the UK but most garden office suppliers use Siberian Larch for their cladding as its easier to machine and the knots stay solid in the wood, with British Larch the knots can fall out as the wood dries. Larch has a strong grain pattern and starts off a golden yellow colour which weathers to a silver grey. Redwood European Redwood is regularly used as garden office cladding as it is cost effective, on its own its not durable so needs to be treated against rot and fungal attack. With pressure treating the wood is flooded with preservative at a high pressure and gives the wood a 20+ year lifespan. In addition to pressure treating it’s a good idea to give the wood a decorative finish with stain or paint – this will offer additional protection and look good but will require ongoing maintenance. Thermowood Some supplier use Thermowood cladding, this is softwood that is treated to temperatures in excess of 200oc, during heating chemical and structural changes occur and the wood becomes more durable. Many suppliers leave the Thermowood bare and let it weather to silver but it can be painted if you want a splash of colour. Plywood Exterior grade plywood can be used to clad garden offices giving them a smooth appearance. It is important that exterior grade plywood is used (known as WBP which stands for weather and boil proof) as the glues used in exterior grade plywood are weather resistant. Plywood really needs to be painted or varnished to protect it; this will obviously require ongoing maintenance.

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Metal Cladding A few garden office suppliers have chosen to clad their garden offices with steel and aluminium. The metal usually has a powder coated finish which is extremely durable and is low maintenance. Metal claddings are normally smooth sheets although some suppliers are able to replicate profile cladding such as shiplap and metal cladding is available in a wide choice of colours. Metal cladding requires little maintenance, perhaps just a soft brush to remove the cobwebs. Cedar Shingles Most commonly found on garden office roofs cedar shingles can also be used as wall claddings, they create a building with a rustic feel, and are a useful cladding on curved walls as each tile is hung individually. Cedar shingles are normally darker than the cedar used for cladding but like cedar cladding will weather to a silver colour over time. Because of the natural oils in cedar shingles stainless steel fixings should be used as other types of fixing will corrode. Although timber cladding is the most common type of garden office cladding some suppliers are becoming more adventurous with their choices and specifying fretwork screens and even living walls.

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Aarco

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

budget. The features, which enable our clients to spend comfortable time in their oﬃces, are vital. Comfort provided by the best insulation system. Functionality provided by good lighting, power and again plumbing provides convenience and comfort. What makes the perfect design is listening to our clients.

There are three of our own oﬃce designs that get asked about more than any others. However all must create a good environment for working at a desk. Most clients want comfort with the best insulation, natural light and plumbing if their budget will allow. Storage is important and pitched roofs make more available usable space for the footprint taken up. Recently we have ﬁtted more controllable from the main property for lighting heating and communications.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? Some are built to comply with “permitted development rules” and some go forward to planning for approval.

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? As all our offices are different in some way it is how the design meets the client requirement and

Every situation is diﬀerent and there is no standard solution for a Garden Oﬃce design.

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Fifteen square metres is usually more than adequate for two and probably represents the most popular.

The best solution is provided by a design that suits the landscape, does not cause issues with neighbours, makes best use of space and provides the functionality needed by the client within their budget.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Everyone wants to know the answer more than 3000 people visited our web page on this subject so far this year – it is really important to understand what can be achieved.

Foundations are always included in our project quotations. The foundation design is recommended individually for each site. Concrete is best in some cases and frame bases on piles are best in others. We also build using stilt foundations on sloping sites. The recommendation is always based on:

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Site access, Ground slope, and existing conditions of the site e.g. We might be replacing an existing structure or the new building may need to be close to ground level or requiring excavation etc.

There is no answer to this as everyone has a diﬀerent space requirement, 5 square metres would be workable but a bit claustrophobic. We are very proud of our achievement in providing comfortable space for two busy people in a tight spot down the side of a London house taking up 12 square metres in a narrowing yard.

As our buildings are designed to last forever the foundation should be solid and dry and should not have any detrimental visual or usability impact.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

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What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

For ﬂoors we use 18mm wbp ply and traditional ﬂoorboards. A range of coverings is used if required vinyl, carpet, laminate etc.

All our oﬃces are all year round. We use rigid urethane insulation. Our walls vary in thickness according to the construction design.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

As we nearly always install the complete electrical system sockets are ﬁtted every where the client wants including outside usually.

We use all types of cladding as speciﬁed with the client. Cladding the building is a small part of the complete project however it has a major impact on cost, required maintenance and visual impact.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type? Again this is a client choice. Spotlights are popular but strip lights are more eﬃcient.

What is the roof covering? We use mainly bitumen shingle tile for pitched roofs (a 30 year product half way between shed felt and traditional tiles or slates). On ﬂat roofs we use only epdm (rubber membrane).

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type? Thermostatic controlled electric radiators or underﬂoor heating systems.

Other rooﬁng products we use are cedar shingles and of course traditional slate or tile.

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Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) Our quotations for building works are complete for the agreed project with no hidden extras at all.

We normally do this for our clients. using cable, wireless or through the main property electrical connection

If we handle planning applications there is a charge usually £300 – £500

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Toilet and kitchenette are our most popular extras by far.

The lifespan of our oﬃces is indeterminate. They should be there forever.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

Maintenance is required to paintwork and plumbing as one would normally associate with any building.

Usually 4-6 weeks What is the typical on site build time? Foundations usually 1 day or less Structure 2-4 days Electrical 1 day including house connection Plumbing 1 day

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? We give a ﬁve year guarantee on all our work.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

8K£ to 15K£ depending on spec How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Get a site visit done by an experienced Garden Oﬃce builder then go to see a previous client of your chosen supplier.

10K£ to 20K£ depending on spec

Like what you read? Give Aarco a call on 01244 679502 or visit their website www.aarco.co.uk

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Cladding Profiles

In the last section of this guide we looked at the different materials used for garden office cladding, but the profile of cladding you choose can also influence the final look of your garden office. In this article we look at the popular cladding profiles and see how each affects the look of a garden office. We also look at cladding detailing and fixing.

Tongue & Groove Boards Tongue & groove cladding is very popular in garden office design, it can be fixed vertically or horizontally it gives a flat finish with ‘v’ grooves, boards come in varying widths and in our opinion the narrower the board the more contemporary looking the finish. Tongue & groove boards with a ‘v’ joint up to 150mm wide are normally fixed with a secret nailing technique; this hides the fixing in the joint rather than

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damaging the face of the board. The nail is driven into the tongue/V joint of the board at an angle and the head of the nail sunk into the wood with a nail press, a small 2mm gap is left between each board to allow for movement. Tongue & groove cladding is available in many ﬁnishes the popular ones being Western Red Cedar, Redwood and Thermowood.

Shiplap Cladding Shiplap has a lip at the bottom of the board and a scooped area at the top of the board, these two profiles lock into each other to form a secure joint. two nails are normally driven through the face of the board at 90o. Shiplap should be fixed horizontally from the bottom of the wall to the top. Shiplap comes in Western Red Cedar, Redwood and Thermowood and gives a garden office a traditional feel; shiplap garden offices are often painted.

Featheredge Cladding Featheredge cladding comes in several finishes from treated softwood to oak, this type of cladding gives a garden office a traditional ‘barn’ like finish. Featheredge boards taper from around 18mm at the bottom

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to 6mm or so at the top. Featheredge boards are fixed from the bottom of the wall to the top, a strip of wood is normally placed at the bottom of the wall to ‘tilt’ the first board, each board laps the one below by about 50mm. Featheredge boards are normally fixed horizontally but can be fixed vertically.

Batten & Board Cladding Batten & Board cladding is normally fixed vertically, a wide board is fixed to the wall with a narrower board fixed over the joint. Batten & Board cladding has a substantial feel and is available in all finishes from cedar to oak. Fixings are made through the face of the boards.

Open Joint Cladding Open joint cladding is exactly that, the boards have a space between each joint, this type of cladding is normally fixed over some sort of waterproof membrane so that moisture doesn’t get into the building through the joints. Open joint cladding can be fixed vertically or horizontally, the narrower the board the more modern the building looks. This type of cladding looks great combined with smooth metal cladding and glass. Open joint cladding can be made of any wood as its simple planks; fixings are normally made through the face of the board.

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Sheet Cladding If you are looking for a smooth finish for your garden office consider plywood sheeting, large 8ft x 4ft boards are fixed to the walls with a 2mm gap between each board. Exterior grade plywood should be used for this type of cladding as it has waterproof glues and it should have a decorative finish. Detailing The final appearance of your garden office will be dictated by how good the detailing of the cladding is – it’s easy to fix straight lengths but what about the corners, eaves detail and around the windows. You would expect the corners to be neatly mitred or for corner posts to be used, corner posts come in two types one where the cladding butts into a square post and another where a ‘L’ shaped cover is fixed over the ends of the cladding. Look closely at the cladding detail on show buildings and in photos of previous builds, a good tip is to look at a garden office from an angle to see if the cladding lines are all level. Fixings Softwood and hardwood claddings require different fixings, ring shank nails are used to fix softwood cladding as they provide more grip than normal wire nails. Nails are generally twice as long as the thickness of the board they are fixing. Stainless steel fixings should be used on woods such as Western Red Cedar whose natural oils can corrode other types of fixing. With hardwood cladding screws are normally used to fix boards rather than nails, boards should be pre drilled with oversized holes to allow for movement in the boards and its good practice to countersink the heads of the screws. Stainless steel screws should be used as hardwoods have high tannin levels which can corrode other types of fixing. Battens Cladding is normally fixed into treated battens, vertical cladding boards have horizontal battens whilst horizontal cladding will have vertical battens, battens should be no more than 600mm apart. Battens create a void behind the cladding which means any moisture that travels through the cladding runs down the back of the board and away from the building rather than travelling into the garden office wall structure.

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Homelodge

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

Pretty even popularity with our dual pitched roof Classic 3.6 and Classic 5.4. Also our new mono pitched Homelodge Studio is proving very popular.

Planning permission will deﬁnitely be required if the main dwelling house is a listed property. Otherwise the Classic range if positioned more than 2m oﬀ any boundary and described as a study would not need planning, coming under the The Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (No.2) (England) Order 2008, Class E.

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? All our lodges are designed to suit the garden and use – the position of windows, doors and internal partitions is flexible. The Studio can be made to a bespoke size thus suiting any size garden. Our American siding ply can be finished in a high quality stain or micro-porous paint in a range of colours that will blend in with surroundings. We can install a w/c & shower room adding to the versatility of the space and can be used for the occasional over-night guest accommodation. Highly insulated with double glazing and heating providing comfortable all year round use. Roof lights and air-conditioning can also be added.

If the lodge needs to be positioned closer than 2m to a boundary then planning will be required – we are pleased to act as the planning agent for our clients.

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The Homelodge Studio however being under 2.5m high can be placed closer than 2m to a boundary without planning permission thus making this lodge ideal for the smaller/urban garden.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

our price list simply because all garden sizes and soil types can be different. However through experience we can offer a guestimate initially followed by a confirmed price once our ground worker has visited site. We use hand dug concrete pad-stones levelled with a paving slab on which our lodges sit, thus meaning minimal disruption to the garden.

Our Classic 3.6 or Homelodge Studio (which could be made smaller than the Classic 3.6) would be absolutely ideal for one worker.

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

All our lodges can most deﬁnitely be used all year round. High insulation, double glazing and heating provided as standard. We can install Velux roof lights and air-conditioning/heat pumps for additional comfort.

The Homelodge Studio however being under 2.5m high can be placed closer than 2m to a boundary without planning permission thus making this lodge ideal for the smaller/urban garden.

The Classic 5.4 would be very comfortable for two workers. Again our Homelodge Studio could be designed and made in a size to suit/accommodate two workers.

We use 60mm Kingspan in the roof, 80mm Rockwool in the walls and 160mm Rockwool in the ﬂoor.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

The wall thickness is 110mm.

We don’t include the cost for ground works in

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for all detailed work bonded onto 12mm ply. This roof covering comes with a 20 year guarantee with a life expectancy of 40 years.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? We use a specially imported American Siding 14mm exterior grade grooved plywood. We use the range of Sadolin stains and micro-porous paint which are available in a good range of colours. The stains have a recommended re-decoration of every 3 years and the paint every six years – we offer a maintenance agreement whereby we offer to carry out this work for an agreed rate.

We can offer alternatives to the above such as Cedar Shingles. What is the interior lining and floor covering? The interior walls are lined with either 6mm plywood or 12mm plasterboard decorated with a resilient wall covering and finished with emulsion paint.

What is the roof covering?

The floor finish is generally a chipboard flooring allowing the customer to choose their own flooring although there are optional flooring’s available such as carpet or vinyl.

On the Classic range we have a closed panel construction of Tegola asphalt shingles over 12mm plywood & 38 x 89mm rafters. These shingles come with a 10 year guarantee with a life expectancy of 30 years.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

On our Homelodge Studio we have a closed panel construction of Alwitra Evalon-V (Vet Type) polymetric membrane with integral polyester ﬂeece backing as main ﬁeld sheet and unbacked Evalong

The Classic 3.6 has 3 double sockets. The Classic 5.4 has 6 double sockets. The Studio will have the same

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have the same according to the size. We can include more if required and be positioned to suit.

The addition of air-con would provide an even temperature through our, albeit brief, Summer. We can install blinds to the windows and roof lights.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Landscaping could also be designed to add to the ‘separation’ of the oﬃce from the main dwelling house.

We use halogen or low-energy LED spot lights fitted onto the pelmets. These we find to be efficient in the provision of adequate positional lighting. We can also install central fluorescent lights.

We can also provide a ramp to the entrance door for disabled access etc. What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

As standard a PIR external light is ﬁtted by the external door.

Obtaining planning permission can take up 8 weeks.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

Because we manufacture and install a lot of school buildings we would need to look at the current manufacturing programme to give an indication of when a lodge can be delivered but generally a lodge can be provided within 3 months or less.

We include thermostatically controlled wall mounted electric convector heaters with a time switch as standard. We are able to oﬀer air-conditioning/heat pumps as an alternative.

What is the typical on site build time?

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

Ground works will take 3 – 5 days Manufacture of the lodge in our factory will take about 5 days and the installation on site would be 5 – 10 days.

The ground works will include a trench to be dug from the lodge to a connection point in the main dwelling house. Within this trench we would have a duct whereby the wiring can be pulled through for the provision of electric, telephone, data and tv cabling. If all these were not going to be installed at the time we can leave tails in this duct to allow the cabling to be brought through at a later date.

Leaving a lodge ready to use. How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? A Classic 3.6 would be circa £13 – 14,000 + VAT – inclusive of ground works and connection to services, ready to use.

We can include all the connections for these services or the customer can source.

The Homelodge Studio is a bespoke design – prices would be on application

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

We could design where the furniture would be best placed and therefore place the appropriate electrics/data sockets to suit.

A Classic 5.4 would be circa £18 – 20,000 + VAT – inclusive of ground works and connection to

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services, ready to use.

Being a timber structure external maintenance is very important. All timbers are pressure treated and we use the Sadolin range of stains and paints. We encourage our clients to take advantage of our on-going external maintenance contract which includes scheduled visits and redecoration when due. The cost of this is broken down to an annual fee over a six year period.

The Homelodge Studio is a bespoke design – prices would be on application Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) If planning is required we can act as the clients agent – our fees would be circa £285 + £60 to download the OS plan + the Council application fee of £150.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? All our buildings come with a 10 year guarantee on the external fabric. The Tegola asphalt shingles have a 10 year guarantee with a life expectancy of 30 years.

If a Building Regulation application is required (eg: if a w/c is installed) the application is part of our service however there will be application and inspection fee charged by Building Control.

The Alwitra Evalon polymeric membrane is guaranteed for 20 years with a life expectancy of 40 years.

We will supply a comprehensive quotation to the client detailing every likely expense so there will be no nasty surprises.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

To consider the whole project, not just the building and buy from a tried & tested supplier who can take care of everything from design, manufacture, installation, ground works, connection to services and on-going maintenance.

Homelodge has been in business since 1986 and have produced nearly 800 lodges. No. 1 lodge is used daily and in very good condition.

Like to learn more? Have a chat with the Homelodge team on 01962 881480 or visit www.homelodge.co.uk

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Insulation

Insulation is one of the key concerns of garden office buyers, we all know it’s important but can get baffled by all the options. This section won’t tell you which insulation is best but will hopefully make the topic a little clearer. As warm as a house Many garden office companies claim that their garden offices are better insulated than modern houses. The Building Regulations set out target u-values for the insulation of the floor, walls and roof and garden office suppliers have these targets in mind when designing their garden offices and many have even managed to exceed them! U-values are the unit of measurement used to measure thermal performance, it’s not just the u-value of the insulation that is used but the values of all the materials used in the floor, walls and roof makeup, these details are entered into special software and the u-value of the garden offices floor, walls and roof is calculated the lower the u-value the better performing the floor, wall or roof. We conducted a survey of garden office u-values on The Garden Room Guide and its worth taking a look at it, it is encouraging to see how well insulated garden rooms are.

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Insulation is not only good in winter Everybody thinks that insulation is all about keeping warm in winter but forget that it also helps keep you cool in summer – warm air wants to travel to cooler areas so if it’s hot outside the warm air will want to travel to the cooler air inside your garden office, a well insulated garden office will minimise this transition so your garden office will be a cool and comfortable on a hot summers day. Types of insulation used in garden offices There is a wide choice of insulation that can be used in garden office construction, garden office suppliers make their choice based on performance, cost factors, ease of installation, wall thickness and environmental benefits, let’s look at the options: Reflective Foils These work in a different way to mineral wool and rigid insulations in that they reduce radiant heat transfer. Reflective foils come in two types – foil faced bubble wrap and multi layered foils which are made up of sheets or foil and polyethylene foam. For reflective foils to work efficiently one or both the faces should face an unventilated air space. These foils are light weight and create a thin wall structure. Rigid Insulation Rigid insulation is regularly used in garden office construction as it has high u-values but is relatively thin meaning relatively thin walls are created. Rigid insulation comes in several types the most basic being extruded polystyrene known as XPS and expanded polystyrene known as EPS; polyurethane insulation known as PUR and polyisocyanurate known as PIR are better performing than XPS and EPS and are usually faced with foil to add reflective insulation properties, the performance of the insulation can be hampered if this foil facing is damaged. When comparing SIP’s it’s important to ask what the insulation is, some cheaper panels will have XSP or EPS insulation but SIP’s filled with PUR or PIR insulation, although more expensive will be better performing. Mineral Wool Mineral wool comes in two types glass mineral wool and rock wool, glass mineral wool is made from recycled glass, sand and limestone and spun to form strands which are bonded together to form a mat, rock wool is made from the recycled waste of blast furnaces. Walls insulated with mineral wool are often thicker than those insulated with rigid insulation as a deeper thickness is needed to achieve the same u-value. Recycled Plastic Bottles Insulation can be made from recycled plastic bottles, it is a cleaner and less itchy material than mineral wool and good for the environment, like mineral wool this type of insulation is packed between the studwork frame. Sheep’s Wool Obviously a natural product, sheep’s fleeces are used to create a mat which can be fitted between the

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the studwork frame. At the end of its useful life sheep’s wool insulation can be fully recycled. Hemp Insulation Hemp is a durable fibre cultivated from cannabis plants it is mixed with polyester to create matting which can be fitted in-between the studwork frame. Cold Spots Cold spots or thermal bridging to give it its proper name are areas on the building where there’s no insulation, in timber frames this can occur where the timbers in the frame are – this is particularly common in the corners of the garden offices, if there’s no insulation in these places the heat inside the garden office can escape. Some suppliers overcome this problem by putting a layer of rigid insulation on the outside of the timber framework this creates an insulative sheathing around the garden office. Overcoming problems with cold spots is one of the main advantages of SIP’s which create a tight envelope of insulation with no framework to bridge it. Whichever insulation type you choose the important message you should consider is that you need to buy a well insulated garden office, lesser insulated garden offices maybe cheaper in the first instance but they will cost you and the environment more to run in the long term.

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Swift

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

What is your most popular garden office design? We like to do things a little bit differently at Swift. Rather than have specific models that our clients choose from, we love to listen to what our client specifically needs and desires from their new space and then we design a building to suit.

Our design is based on your requirements and dreams, so it will always be your perfect garden oﬃce. One of our very ﬁrst jobs is to listen to how you will use the room and we discuss the little touches that make using the room a pleasure. This can be as fundamentals as the choice of a bi-fold, casement or sliding door, or maybe something more detailed such as the precise position of power sockets and a TV point.

There are certainly some popular features which reoccur on many bespoke models: • Large windows that connect with the garden environment and bring in plenty of light. If you have the option to work from home, then you should certainly enjoy the surroundings! • Larger dimension that add ﬂexibility to their use. Many clients start by wanting an oﬃce, and then the room becomes a focal point for other activities. • Careful placement of solid walls to ensure that there is enough space for storage units, shelves and perhaps a TV screen.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? This is an interesting point. Most people are aware that permitted development rights often allow surprisingly substantial buildings to be erected without the need for a planning application. Swift garden oﬃces are no exception and we

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toilet or kitchenette area is valuable as it removes the need for a business colleague to use facilities in your home.

can advise on height limits and distances from boundaries to optimize these beneﬁts. Just as relevant though is the fact that we often handle planning applications for clients who would prefer to wait a few more weeks in order to have a building without compromise. We are proud of our 100% success with clients planning applications and will always give considered advice so that you can make the best long-term decision. As always, it is all about you, the client!

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? We always provide a quotation that includes everything that the client needs, from foundations to electrical connections and any other features and options. Jackpad or Swift foundations are often used as a robust, eﬃcient foundation system that is particularly non-invasive and enjoys excellent green credentials.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? We can build a room as small as anyone could want it, but we would recommend a minimum size of around 3m x 3m for one person to have a desk, ﬁling cabinet an second chair for a visitor.

Reinforced concrete foundations will be used if extra headroom is required while still adhering to a 2.5m height limit (planning restrictions). It may also be a preferred system where ground conditions are not suitable for pads, or where there will be particularly high loadings, such as a free-weight gym or dance studio.

We really enjoy allowing the client the opportunity to consider all possible uses of the room so that its size can be carefully calculated to work best. An example would be creating extra space for a settee where the kids can relax and read or watch a DVD!

We can advise you on the best option when we have carried out a site survey which can include using testing equipment to measure the load bearing characteristics of the ground.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? Normally 4m x 3m would be ﬁne for two people working together. More space would be needed if there are likely to be visitors or if a separate “break out” area would be an advantage. Sometimes a

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

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Structurally the floors are smooth and sealed, ready for high quality laminate flooring, or perhaps wooden floor, tiling, carpets, or perhaps the latest range of vinyl floor coverings. As always with Swift; it is your choice.

Absolutely yes! Our garden rooms are often better insulated and more cozy than your house! A minimum of a 100mm thick Structural Insulated Panel creates a very strong and resilient wall. We then add an additional air cavity, water-proof membrane, cladding (cedar, render, stone, etc) and plasterboard to create a wall of at least 170mm thickness. For even greater strength and insulation each element can be upgraded to suit your needs. Bear in mind that sound insulation is also outstanding in these rooms and can be brought up to even higher levels if needed.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? A standard oﬃce will have at least 4 double sockets (brushed nickel ﬁnish looks nice, or would you like white or gold?) with larger rooms having between 6 and 10 double sockets. These can be positioned wherever you like, including high level for wall mounted TV’s.

A building control inspector last week told me that if all buildings were this well constructed then his job would be a lot easier. Nice result!

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

To make the best use of the available internal height, recessed downlighters are a great choice. Non-invasive, subtle and they can be multi-zoned switched for special lighting eﬀects. Newly available LED light bulbs are now being introduced to give years of economical lighting.

What would you like your building to look like? Western red cedar is a great favorite; a beautiful natural ﬁnish that ﬁts in to almost any garden environment. It is durable, classic and even smells good!

Another choice is surface mounted “halo” lights which combine downlighting with an attractive spread across the ceiling.

Rendered walls, brick or stone ﬁnish, solid colour cladding systems, zinc, slate…. Let’s look at the possibilities with you and create something spectacular!

You will be getting the message by now…. It is all about your choice and preferences.

What is the roof covering?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

Our ﬂat roofs are covered in Firestone EPDM rubber membrane as standard. A great product that has banished old-school pre-conceptions about ﬂat roofs being unreliable. Green sedum roofs are a popular option to melt your building into the natural surroundings.

We don’t provide a heating system as standard. We can simply leave the power supply for clients who wish to use stand-alone heaters or we can install any of the following:

Pitched roofs are often covered in a slate or tile that matches nearby properties. We haven’t done a thatched roof yet, but it is probably only a matter of time!

• • • •

What is the interior lining and floor covering? Now is your chance to create the office you always dreamt of working in. We plaster he walls to give a beautiful smooth finish that is then decorated with colour schemes of your choice. We also have interior designers on our team who will add real individuality with wallpapers and themed blinds or drapes and perhaps special touches with the furnishings and accent pieces.

Automated climate control Underﬂoor heating Water ﬁlled radiators Wood burning stoves

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce? They don’t – we do.

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Wireless technology is becoming better which may remove the need for cables, though while we are running power cables, it is often advisable to

include a TV cable, CAT5 cable and any further communication cables that ensure your oﬃce is set up for the future.

• Landscaping and decking / patios • Spa-pools and covered entertaining areas …………….the list is as long as your dreams…………

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? In the most urgent of cases, we have been on site within 2 weeks of the design being approved! Usually we are working to a lead time of around 4-6 weeks and if elements are included that have to be specially ordered this may extend the time a few weeks more.

How long have you got!? We have a wide network of experts who can provide virtually anything for your new office that will help you work better and enjoy your new surroundings. Here are a few of the “extras” that our clients often request. Some are major elements of the building, some are minor, but all make a difference to your new space. • Washroom with toilet and washbowl • Shower room • Kitchenette • Boiling water / filtered cold water on tap for instant drinks • Fitted furniture • Remote control lighting systems • Electronic control systems (flick switches via your iphone!) • In-built sound systems • Window blinds • Garden lighting schemes

Most importantly, we will set out a schedule that you will be able to rely upon. We will keep you informed of all the progress so that you never have to worry about “what is going on”! What is the typical on site build time?

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The main elements of the building are usually completed within two days, such is the quality of the pre-fabrication in the factory. Then, by the end of the first week most garden offices will be ready for plastering. A few days later it has thoroughly dried out and the decorators can go in and the electricians to complete their certified work. Total time is around 10 days.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

year lifespan. Our criteria is to build the smallest oﬃce in exactly the same way as we build a massive commercial nursery school. We want your building to be permanent and cherished.

Bespoke service and designs don’t fit easily into price lists because they are all different. This can mean lower or higher investments, depending upon your needs. A compact, beautifully crafted and “ready for use” office usually starts at around £14,000 (including VAT) for a building of around 3m x 3m dimensions.

We will brief you about any ongoing maintenance to keep your building looking and performing beautifully for years and years. There isn’t much to do, but like your house, it needs a small amount of attention from time to time.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

A larger room that is around 4m x 3m will cost around £16,500 (including VAT). What we promise at Swift is excellent value for money. Your investment is important to us and we work hard to deliver an exceptional service (see the testimonials on our website: www.swiftorg.co.uk/testimonials)

An industry leading, insurance-backed 10 year warranty is included with all of our domestic building projects. This even covers the deposit payment that you make upon ordering your building.

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

There will be no surprises. Our quote will include everything that you want from your room. We will have discussed all of your desired options and sought the best value for your particular project.

Call Swift! We are truly passionate about being market leaders in this exciting and innovative sector of the building industry. We believe in strong relationships with you, our client. We believe in being and using the best and we believe in getting the perfect solution for our clients and their needs.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance? Because we use materials that are top-notch building elements, they are usually approved by the BBA. Their criteria is to expect a minimum of a 60

Interesting reading? Give the Swift team a call on 0800 3102 800 / 0777 3333 144 or visit their website www.swiftorg.co.uk

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Roof Shapes Because of the planning rules that allow garden offices less than 2.5m high to be placed within 2m of the boundary line many people choose flat roofed garden offices, whilst these are great spaces don’t dismiss pitched roof garden offices too quickly, they influence the look and feel of a garden office both inside and out.

Flat Roofs A flat roof is seldom flat; in fact they have a fall of around 1 in 60 to allow for water to run off, this is obviously very important. Flat roofed garden offices look very modern and as we have mentioned above are normally less than 2.5m high so they can be situated near to the boundary of your garden (subject to planning law in your area). A flat roof garden office has an internal ceiling height of around 2.2m which makes it the same height as a room in a modern house.

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Single Pitched Roofs Single pitched also known as mono pitched or sloping roofed garden offices offer a little more headroom than a flat roofed garden office, to fit in with Planning Permission rules single pitched roofs can’t be higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 3m at the ridge

Gable Roofs Gable roof or dual pitched roofs offer a garden office with an airy feel, to comply with Planning Permission Permitted Development rules a dual pitched roof should be no higher than 2.5m at the eaves and 4m at the ridge of the roof. Gable roofs offer maximum headroom, if you want an open cathedral like ceiling be careful to check that your supplier doesn’t use trusses which will divide the space. Some suppliers use a shallower pitch than others which obviously creates a lower roof, if you want a high vaulted ceiling look, look for a pitch around 30 degrees.

Hipped Roofs Hipped roofs have four sides and can look really attractive, they are complicated to frame so you’ll probably only ﬁnd them on the more expensive garden oﬃces, inside they create a light and airy feel but

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check with your supplier if there will be any horizontal timbers which may divided up the roof space. You should be aware than some garden oﬃces with hipped roofs don’t have the roof space open as the suppliers install a ceiling.

Unusual Shapes Garden oﬃces with verandas can create unusual shaped rooms, in the image above the roof extends over the veranda and this creates an unusual roof space, you could continue the wall up to meet the ceiling or make a feature out of the shape and use it for storage.

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Decorated Shed

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

A naturally well-lit and comfortable garden oﬃce is somewhere you like spending time in, which is of course vitally important for a work space.

he Mono has been our most popular oﬃce design to date, each with bespoke variations around the particular needs of the client.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

The size of the majority our garden buildings come under permitted development rights, so Planning Permission doesn’t apply.

Our designs incorporate innovative style and performance. The look beautiful, and complement any garden architectural house style.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

are designed to environment and

Performance-wise, we always use large windows to allow the best possible levels of natural light into the interior, and our insulation system is on par with those used by house builders. This results in a garden oﬃce that can genuinely be used all year round.

A single worker would be more than comfortable in one of our 3.6m x 2.4m garden oﬃces, which easily contains a standard sized desk and chair. The large windows that we incorporate give a deceptive sense of space when you’re inside, and you ﬁnd yourself focusing on the outside environment more than usual. Also, our bi-fold doorsets can fully open

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up, so in warmer weather you feel like you’re almost working outside.

Electrical sockets are included as standard, but the number varies from project to project and we’re ﬂexible on this. It generally depends on the clients particular requirements or intended layout/usage.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Two workers would be more suited to a 4.2m x 3.0m garden oﬃce. This would be amble for two desks, with a good level of personal space and options for diﬀerent layouts.

We use low-energy down-light units, as these are of course energy-eﬃcient, they’re not intrusive and they provide a highly eﬀective focused light source.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

Yes, foundations are included in our prices, and we use a dry pad patent system.

The outstanding insulation of our garden oﬃces means that we haven’t had a need to include a heating solution as standard, but we can specify a number of options if required, including wall-mounted radiators, wood burning stoves and under-ﬂoor heating.

Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Our garden offices are definitely suitable for year-round usage, with our insulation providing U-values in excess of Building Regs requirements. We use a dry-therm insulation and the wall thickness is between 90-140mm depending on structural necessity.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? We can provide a hard-wired solution from the main house for broadband and telephone, or alternatively a dedicated system for the garden office itself. It really depends on the specifics of the site and the client’s requirements.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces? Exterior cladding can be Western Red Cedar, Redwood (thermo-wood treatment) or Larch, with the selection based on the climate of the location, or the overall style of the building itself.

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

What is the roof covering?

The standard specification of our garden offices provides everything you would need for a perfect set-up – the real benefit comes from the seclusion of a dedicated space that’s been created just for you and your work – in our mind that’s what makes an ideal garden office.

Our roof covering is a durable all-weather component, over a watertight branded layer. The predicted performance lifespan of the roof system is 45 years, without maintenance.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

Three to eight weeks would be an average lead time for our garden offices, depending significantly on location and building specification.

Interior lining can be marine ply, mdf or plaster, all of which have their own merits based on application. Again, ﬂoor covering depends on client speciﬁcations, but is generally high quality engineered laminate.

What is the typical on site build time? A typical build would be completed in four to seven days.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

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How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

Our typical one person oﬃce would cost in the region of £15,000 upwards.

years. All exterior materials are pre-treated and don’t require regular maintenance.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

A typical two person sized garden oﬃce would be in the region of £18,000 upwards.

Our garden oﬃces come complete with two guarantees in the prices, ten years for the glazing elements and a separate ten years for the structure.

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

Our standard prices include everything you would need to get in and start using your garden oﬃce, and we’re up front about all included services. If you require additional features or design changes these are always clearly speciﬁed as extras.

Our advice would be to buy the best quality, largest oﬃce that you can aﬀord and that your garden can comfortably contain.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Premium quality lasts and it pays for itself over the years, with performance that you notice and appreciate every single day. Poor, cheap quality alternatives don’t last long and their lack of performance is a compromise that will aﬀect your garden oﬃce experience.

The construction method and materials used in our garden oﬃces enables a lifespan of around 50

Like what you’re reading? Call Decorated Shed on 0845 250 0028 for a chat or visit their website www.decoratedshed.com

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Roof Coverings

There is lots of choice when it comes to garden oďŹ&#x192;ce roof coverings, the choice you make will be dictated by the shape of the roof, personal taste and cost. Flat Roof Coverings EPDM Up until a few years ago your only option for a ďŹ&#x201A;at roof was a hot felt roof where bitumen felt was laid over hot bitumen, these worked well but were not the most attractive of roof coverings and they had to be replaced every 10 or 15 years. Today we have more options, the most popular option being an EPDM rubber membrane. EPDM is laid in whole sheets so there are no joints which could be vulnerable to leaks, EPDM has been used on commercial buildings for years and has a maintenance free life span of several decades. Single Ply Systems Single Ply roof systems are light weight roof coverings made up of layers of insulation and PVC membranes which are bonded together, any joints are heat sealed to create a continuous water tight seal. This type of roof covering has a life expectancy in excess of 30 years and is recyclable at the end of its useful life.

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Living Roofs Another option on flat roofs is a living roof; sedums are a popular choice on living roofs because they require little maintenance and only require a light weight substructure. Plants can be chosen to flower in sequence providing year round interest. Grass is another option but will require a trim so consider how easy it will be to get onto the roof of your garden room and maintain it! One of the prettiest living roofs is a meadow mix containing all the varieties you would expect to find in a summer meadow. Meadow mix living roofs have more colour than sedum and grass roofs, they also have more height meaning the planting is visible from ground level, and a meadow roof will require some maintenance. New designs for living roofs are appearing all the time, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011 a show garden featured a roof planted with lavender – the colour was striking against the timber cladding and the height of the plants gave the roof a 3D feel and looked great from above and from ground level – a trend we expect to see on garden offices before long. Pitched Roof Coverings Asphalt Shingles The entry level roof covering for a pitched roof is asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are a strip of bitumen coated with ceramic chips; they are shaped to look like slates and come in a wide choice of colours and have a life expectancy of 25 years. Asphalt shingles are fixed onto a plywood roof deck which is fixed over the rafters, a torch is used to heat a strip of bitumen on the back of each tile; this melts and sticks to the tile below preventing the tile lifting in the wind. Cedar Shingles Cedar shingles are a popular choice on pitched roof garden offices – they cost more than asphalt shingles as the material is more expensive and they take longer to install, but a cedar shingle roof looks great! When specifying a cedar shingles roof it’s a good idea to check that your supplier uses the fire retardant version. Cedar shingle roof start out a reddish brown colour, they have a life span in excess of 25 years. Cedar shingles are fixed into treated battens and should be fixed with stainless steel nails as the oils in the cedar can corrode other types of fixing, because of the way they are laid there are three layers of shingle at any point on the roof. Steel Shingles A tiled roof effect can be created on a pitched roof garden offices by using steel, stone coated shingles which have a life expectancy in excess of 50 years. Steel shingles come in strips which interlock to prevent wind uplift. Slates Slates can form a striking garden office roof but a slate roof is heavy so a sturdy roof structure is required to avoid the roof sagging. There are several types of slate from natural Welsh slates to synthetic imitations; your final choice will be dictated by aesthetics and cost. Ask your supplier to show you samples of the slate they use so you can look at the colour and pattern of the slate. Like cedar shingles slates are fixed onto spaced treated bitterns fixed into the rafters, a well tiled slate roof will last decades.

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Clay Tiles Clay tiles are another option on pitched roofs, like slates they are heavy so a strong roof structure is required. Clay tiles came in different qualities from handmade to machine made and each variety will have its own features. Clay tiles are very attractive roof covering with the different shades of tile creating a mellow finish. Metal Roofs Metal roof coverings have become a key part of creating contemporary pitched roof garden offices, the colour of the metal and the detailing of the joints are a striking modern feature in themselves. The four main metal roof coverings are zinc, aluminium, copper and steel. Zinc is either laid in its natural bright state or chemically weathered or powder coated if a coloured finish is required. Aluminium is a light weight roof covering but very strong, it’s normally powder coated and is available in a wide choice of colours to compliment any design. Copper has been used as a roof covering since Roman times and develops a distinctive green hue as it oxidises, copper can also be alloyed to create different colour finishes. Steel roof can create a very modern building and comes in several finishes from bright to brushed.

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The Home Office Company

is maximised so plenty of room for cabinets, desks, chairs and people!

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Our Series 30 Type 35 has been most popular over the last 12 months but over the past 14 years all of our types and sizes have been used as garden oﬃces or indeed for any of the myriad purposes chosen by our customers.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? Outbuilding planning permission has never been an issue for us. Our buildings are all single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for our ﬂat roof building and have no verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Our modular design allows freedom of choice in positioning the solid and glazed panels so our customers can choose the design of their garden office to specifically meet their needs and allow for areas where shade or additional daylight is required. Our super insulated panels are much thinner than those of our competitors and whilst still offering excellent insulation, interior floor space

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Speciﬁc issues such as erecting our buildings in areas of outstanding natural beauty or in listed properties depend on the council concerned but again we have never had a building refused thanks to our traditional design which has always met the

the approval of planning departments around the country.

Our prices are inclusive of VAT and now include the base which is a Solid wooden frame on a special padstone construction for 100% rigidity.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

A single oﬃce worker would be suitably accommodated in one of our smaller Series 20 garden oﬃces; for example our Type 22 measures 2.38m x 2.38m so would be ideal for one person plus desk, storage, PC etc. This size has been popular with a number of customers engaged in teleworking from home.

Our panels are made from phenolic foam insulation layered on either side with pressed steel coated in Plastisol. This gives excellent thermal insulation in all weathers however, we would suggest that with the bitter winters that we now seem to be getting the use of a small heater may be required to keep the building comfortable- this shouldn’t come as a surprise as very few of us live in houses that don’t require heating in the winter!

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? Two people would comfortably ﬁt in our Series 30 Type 32 (3.23m x 2.38m) plus all the necessary equipment. This size has been successfully used as a treatment room and reception area for a customer who is a beauty therapist.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? Our panels are made from phenolic foam insulation layered on either side with pressed steel coated in Plastisol. This offers 30 years zero maintenance and a decorated finish in a choice of 20 colours.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

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What is the roof covering?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

The roof is made from 45mm composite steel and phenolic foam insulation oﬀering excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. Several of our buildings are currently in use as recording studios/ garden oﬃces by some well known musicians!

Since each customer has a different definition of ‘the perfect office set up’ we do not presume to prejudge so we therefore respond to requests on a customer by customer basis.

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

The building is finished internally with a floating interlocking water resistant chipboard floor. The floor is backed with 34mm of laminated Styrofoam providing yet more thermal insulation. The surface is suitable for immediate installation of your choice of laminate, linoleum, carpet tile or carpet flooring.

From date of signed contract to commencement of installation can be as little as 4 weeks but is typically 6 weeks. If planning permission is required for any reason then this can sometimes cause delays. What is the typical on site build time?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Typically 2 days, sometimes 3 depending on the size of garden oﬃce.

We include a double socket in each corner of our garden oﬃces.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

A Series 20 Type 22 oﬃce, which is our smallest building costs £9,995 including VAT, base, plus connection to the electrical supply if it is within 20 metres of the main dwelling.

We include spotlights which run along the central spine of the garden oﬃce. This allows our customers to direct the light into the necessary areas and the low energy bulbs help to reduce electrical consumption.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? Our Series 30 Type 32 oﬃce costs just £12,495 including VAT, base and connection to the electrical supply if it is within 20 metres of the main dwelling.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type? We do not include heating as standard as from our recent customer satisfaction survey many of our customers don’t use any heating at all in winter whilst others have a small electrical heater or fan. Since it is down to individual preferences we think it is best for our customers to make their own decision on this once their garden oﬃce is in use.

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) We will give help and advice with dealing with planning applications but as with any planning the cost of this must be paid by the customer. Apart from this, the price you see for our garden oﬃces is the price you pay- there are no hidden extras with us.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Extras such as alarms, TV points and telephone sockets can be added into the price if these are requested at the site visit. The majority of customers these days seem to use mobile phones and have wireless broadband as standard but again we will discuss these matters on a customer by customer basis.

The insulated panels from which our garden oﬃces are created are made from pressed steel coated in Plastisol which has a 30 year maintenance free guarantee. The treated European Redwood timber frame and hardwood sill may require some attention over the years -

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If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

after all what external woodwork doesn’t?! However, our use of specialist paint should ensure many years before this is necessary.

Research the market and if possible go and visit either a show building or a building that is being used for the same purpose by another customer and ask them what they think. Choose a style of building that will blend seamlessly into your garden and much like buying a car, remember that you do get what you pay for!

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? The exterior panels come with a free 30 year maintenance free guarantee.

Want to learn more? Have a chat with The Home Oﬃce Company on 0333 800 5050 or visit their website www.thehomeoﬃcecompany.co.uk

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Doors The style of doors on a garden office can dramatically influence its look and the way you can use the space, let’s look at the options and see how one building can look very different because of the doors you choose:

Sliding Doors A large expanse of floor to ceiling glazing can be achieved in a garden office by using sliding doors. The large expanse of glazing created by sliding doors can create a visual flow of indoor / outdoor space. Because they slide back on themselves the floor space within the garden room is maximised as no allowance has to be made for the swing of the door. Sliding doors run in tracks at the bottom and top of the door, they can be specified in hardwood but most commonly are made from UPVC or aluminium. Bi-fold Doors Bi-fold doors have become very popular on garden offices over the last few years, they create large expanses of full length glazing when closed, but when opened up they create free flowing indoor / outdoor space. Bi-fold door are available in several finishes – hardwood, UPVC and aluminium. Depending on the expanse of the opening bi-fold doors can be fitted in several configurations, short runs of three or four doors are fixed to the wall at one end of the run and the subsequent doors are hinged together, the doors have pivot fixings which as the doors are pushed back run along a track at the top and bottom of the opening. Longer expanses of bi-fold doors work in the same way but often have doors fixed at both ends and have one door that can be opened independently of the others. Security wise bi-fold doors have bolts on the inside of each door at the top and bottom, and the main door is fitted with an espagnolette lock. The joints between each door have seals which prevent the ingress of moisture and prevent draughts.

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French Doors The French door has been a popular feature of garden office for many years, consisting of a pair of fully glazed doors (sometimes half glazed) which normally open outwards. French doors come in several widths from 900mm to around 1800mm wide; it’s worth mentioning that with smaller widths of French door unless you are very thin you need to open both doors to easily get in and out of the garden office, with wider pairs you can get away with just opening the one door. The master door which is normally on the right as you look at the exterior of the garden office has the handle and the locks fitted, whilst the slave door normally has bolts at the top and bottom which are accessed from inside. French doors come in several materials – softwood, hardwood, UPVC and aluminium.

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The expanse of glazing with French doors can be extended by adding glazed sidelights to the configuration. Sidelights come in several widths and can be a single pane of glass or have an opening window at the top which can be useful for controlling ventilation in the building. Single Doors Space may dictate that you can only have a single door, fully glazed options maximise light but options such as stable doors offer a lot of charcter to the building. Most single doors open inwards which can be an issue space wise (see below), if an outward opening does not appeal why not consider a pocket door where the door slides back into the wall, your’re not going to find this option on standard designs but a bespoke garden office company would be able to design in this feature – it does create a thicker wall but it is great idea in limited space. Tip Part of the appeal of bi-fold and sliding doors is the connection of indoor and outdoor space, and many garden rooms with this sort of door will have some sort of deck / veranda area. Bi-fold door and sliding doors have tracks fitted at the top and bottom of the opening, try and chose a design where the deck and interior flooring are the same height, this will not only remove the chance of tripping but is a visual trick making the internal and external spaces look like one.

Which way should your doors swing? Most garden offices have outward opening doors, this is mainly because they maximise the space inside the garden office – the swing of a door takes up a lot of space which could otherwise be used for furniture, however some suppliers specify inward opening doors because they consider them safer, the thinking is that the door hinges are only accessible from the inside of the garden office meaning they can’t be tampered with from the outside. Which is better? That’s your choice! The popularity of fully glazed doors means that glazing is an important consideration, in the next part of this guide will take a look at the regulations relating to glass used in garden offices.

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Booths Garden Studios

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? 15� x 9� internal (4550mm x 2730mm)

Our Hip Roofs (which are taller) also fall within permitted development if the Studio can be sited 2m from each of your boundaries.

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Our Studios are fully insulated for all year use. They come with plenty of double sockets for oﬃce work and the lighting is the latest in low wattage down lighters. Air Conditioning can easily be added for maximum comfort as it heats and cools.

Any of our QT Studios would be perfect for one worker. The sizes are 6� x 6� (1820mm x 1820mm) or 9� x 6� (2730mm x 1820mm). These sizes are internal sizes. We always quote internal sizes as this is the “usable” space.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

Our LoLine (or low roof) Studios are 2500mm tall which falls within permitted development.

From our larger QT 9� x 6� (2730mm x 1820mm) upwards, would be ﬁne for 2 workers. For bigger

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sizes we supply the new LoLine QC4.

These components mean they are Zero Maintenance and have a lifespan of at least 25 years.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Our Timber Studios use pressure treated timber which with a little TLC every 2 years, means they will have a similar lifespan.

Yes. We utilize adjustable FabSlabs which eliminates the expense and hassle of laying a concrete foundation. They are also far more eco friendly as they use approx 10% of the concrete that a normal base would use.

What is the roof covering? Our LoLine Studios have an outer EPDM covering which is now a standard for rooﬁng. It has an expected lifespan of 40 years.

The FabSlabs can cope with severely sloping gardens. Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering? The interior walls are white wall papered plywood. The ceiling is white wall papered mdf and the ﬂooring is an expensive V Groove Hickory Laminate. The V Groove refers to a small channel between the boards which gives it a more authentic look.

Our walls are 140mm thick with 2 layers of SIP Panel eco therm and an air gap. The new QC4 and QT Studios are the most insulated Studio we have ever supplied. The windows are “A” grade and equivalent to Triple Glazing.

The double sockets are fitted flush into the wall and are approx 450mm from the floor – as they would be in a modern house.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces? On the QC4 and QT, the exterior is UPVC with a leatherette plastic coated galvanised steel wall. This surprises many people as it is a unique feature.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

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At least 4 double sockets on a small studio but many more on a larger Studio.

Present prices (July 2011) are £5475.77 for the 6ft x 6ft and £6274.29 for the 9ft x 6ft.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Prices are likely to increase shortly due to raw material costs going up.

The Lighting has recently been upgraded to large down lighters using low wattage, but very bright bulbs. (At least 4 in a small Studio but many more on a larger Studio) They are an excellent light which only draws 13 watts but is equivalent to a 60 watt bulb. They also have a very long lifespan of 15,000 hours as opposed to the normal GU10 1500hrs.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

No, we avoid hidden costs as much as possible.

Our biggest selling size is a 15ft x 9ft (4550mm x 2730mm) which costs £10334.12 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

Our prices include delivery, installation and Vat. No, we don’t include any heating. The only thing we don’t do is the electrical hook up (it’s usually cheaper to get a local electrician to do this)

Normal electric heaters would be ﬁne although we do recommend Air Conditioning Although expensive initially, an AC Unit will be very comfortable and very economical to run, since they are super eﬃcient.

We also recommend that the customer gives the white interior wall paper a ﬁnal coat of emulsion to a colour of their choice.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

We can supply exterior lights but don’t supply these as standard since many gardens already have lighting.

We don’t do this normally. Our customers normally get the electrician who installs the power to the Studio, to do this at the same time.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance? QC and QT Studios – 100% Zero Maintenance exterior of at least 25 years.

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Timber Studios – similar time frame with a coat of stain every 2 years.

As I said earlier, an Air Conditioning Unit is a heater in the winter, a cooler in the summer, a dehumidiﬁer and cleans the air. They are also far cheaper to run than normal electric heaters.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

The exterior is covered by an 11 year guarantee (free) and the interior (including window sealed units) is covered by a normal 1 year guarantee.

4 to 8 weeks. What is the typical on site build time?

Our customers are very obliging with visits from people interested in our Studios which is very fortunate for us (probably because they have gone through what you are going through), but it also means it’s in our interests to keep all our customers happy.

Small Studios – 1 day. Medium Studios – 2 – 3 days. Larger MG Studios – 4 – 7 days How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

We are also unique in oﬀering a “if you don’t like

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how your Studio looks in your garden, on the last day of installation – we will take the Studio back to our workshop – no questions asked” guarantee. I know of no other supplier who oﬀers this.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be? Go and see the office “in the flesh” before you buy and speak to a previous customer.

Want to ﬁnd out more? Give the Booths Garden Studios team a call on 07590 067 120 or 01832 205 038 or visit their website www.boothsgardenstudios.co.uk

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Glazing

Most garden offices come with double glazing as standard but you need to keep an eye on the specification lists as a few companies list single glazing as standard – this can be a way of keeping prices down, but single glazing does not really cut it in a garden office designed for year round use – double glazing is the way to go! Triple glazing is another option but in reality you will only find it on high end garden offices as it is expensive! Floor to ceiling glazing is very fashionable in garden office design but does present a possible danger, to avoid harm the glass used in ‘critical locations’ in the garden office needs to be toughened so that if it breaks, it break safely. Performance Double Glazing Considerable amounts of heat can be lost through glazing this is obviously not good for the environment or your wallet! Double glazing is made from two sheets of glass with airspace in between, this space creates an insulating barrier, triple glazing has three panes of glass and two airspaces. Many garden office suppliers state their glazing is Argon filled or Low E, but what does this mean? Well, double glazing can be made more efficient by coating the panes of glass with a special film or filling the airspace between the panes with a special gas, common examples are Low E glass and Argon filled glass:

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Low E Glass In Low E glazing the inner pane of glass is coated with an invisible to the eye film of metal oxide, this film lets heat and sunlight into the room but significantly reduces the amount of heat that can pass out of the window. Low E glass is also referred to as Pilkington K; this is the brand name of the Low E glass produced by Pilkington. Argon Filled Glazing With Argon filled windows (there are other gases which can be used such as Xenon and Krypton) the air in the void between the panes of glass is replaced with Argon gas. Argon is five times heavier than air meaning it has greater insulating properties. Argon is a clear gas so the glazing is as clear as normal air filled windows. Argon filled windows have less potential for condensation formation; they also are more acoustically efficient than standard air filled double glazing. Toughened Glass It is really important that the glass used in your garden office complies with Part N of the Building Regulations. Part N of the Building Regulations identifies ‘critical locations’ for glazing, these are locations at risk from human impact and in turn a potential human injury risk if the glass breaks. Critical locations include doors, door side panels and any glazing that is within 800mm from the finished floor level. If part of a window falls within the critical location the whole pane must be toughened. Toughened glass is also known as tempered glass and looks just like normal glass, the difference is that toughened glass is heat treated which makes it much stronger than normal glass. If toughened glass breaks after an impact it breaks into thousands of small granular pieces rather than sharp shards of glass. In Example 1 the side window is more than 800mm from finished floor level therefore the pane does not need to be toughened. The door needs to have toughened glazing as there is glass in the area 1500mm from finished floor level. The window on the front elevation does need to be toughened even though it is more than 800mm from finished floor level because part of it is within 300mm from a door zone. With the second example the door has to have toughened glass because there is glass in the area 1500mm from finished floor level, in addition the sidelight needs to be toughened because there is glazing in the critical 1500mm from floor height zone and also the sidelight is in the critical 300mm from a door zone.

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How do I Know My Glass Is Toughened? You can easily check that the glass used in your garden office is toughened by looking for the British Standard kite mark; each pane of glass in a critical location of the garden office will bear the kite mark in one corner. Self Cleaning Glass Some suppliers specify self cleaning glass on their garden offices – this can save you hours of cleaning windows! Self cleaning glass has a special coating which interacts with sunlight to breakdown organic matter i.e. dirt and spreads out the rain droplets which then wash away the loosened dirt, it then dries quickly – streak free! Garden office designers are becoming very clever with their use of glass and in the next part of this guide we will look at garden office windows.

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Smart Garden Offices

6.5 sq metres it is the ideal replacement for the typical back bedroom

What is your most popular garden office design? Our Smart Quarto Garden Office Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Designed around typical British architecture, the Smart Range is purposed designed and built in our own factory by fully trained craftsmen. And because we don’t build anything else all our buildings are specified-for-purpose as offices. Fully insulated, double glazed, cabled, carpeted and installed by our team in just a couple of days. All our buildings are readily movable and re-sellable too! How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission? In standard format, all Smart buildings have a maximum ridge height of 2.5m What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? Our Smart Solo is the ideal size for one worker. At

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And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? The Smart Duo is the perfect size for two workers being 10ft 6inches x 10ft 6inches – where garden space is restricted. Complete with our own (optional) fitted furniture range to optimise interior space the Duo gives plenty of room for two with additional space for visitors and filing too. Of course, our larger buildings are ideal where garden space allows. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Concrete foundations are an optional extra, which can be completed by our own in-house groundworks team – normally within one day. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

All our buildings for use 365 days a year – whatever the weather – in total comfort and minimal running costs. Walls are 100mm thick complete with high specification PIR (Celotex) insulation used on all six planes. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? High specification 18mm European WPB plywood which is finished with an attractive long life colour stain in clients choice of colour What is the roof covering?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? Up to eight double sockets, depending upon the size of building. Smarts are specified to ensure every client has ample sockets! All cables are hidden within wall cavities, with all fittings being flush mounted (no unsightly boxes) and everything is completed to the current (17th edition) electrical regulations. What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? We use attractive spotlight fittings, which are ceiling mounted each with their own adjustable dimmer switch to give the Smart owner complete control of their.

High specification bitumen shingles What is the interior lining and floor covering? Every Smart building is supplied with a high quality, broadloom carpet as standard. Each building can also be specified with a natural, wood stained bare floor board too. Smart walls have an attractive, smooth white silk finish which are complemented by timber features throughout the interior

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Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type? All our larger buildings are supplied with a thermostatically controlled radiator – which oﬀers the best controllability for the user.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

building will last even longer. What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? A nice solid 5-year no-quibble warranty

Invest in a garden office from a manufacturer (not a middleman)who will personalise and configure your building to suit your own specific needs and to suit your garden space. Don’t forget to make sure your garden office matches your house style and avoid “fashionable” design styles which will look dated in a few years time.

Like what you read? Well give Smart Garden Oﬃces a call on 0800 242 5559 or visit their website www.smartgardenoﬃces.co.uk

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Windows As we have already seen the doors you chose for your garden office can have a significant effect on the appearance of a garden office and how it is used, the same can be said for the style, size and number of windows you choose. House Quality Windows In most cases the windows used in garden offices are exactly the same as those specified in house construction. Casement windows are regularly used; the opening leaf of the window is hinged on the side meaning the window can be opened right out. If you have limited space outside your garden office you should consider windows that are hinged at the top or bottom, these still let in plenty of air but don’t need the swing space required by casement windows. The windows used in garden offices come in several different materials, softwood windows will need to be painted or stained to preserve them, hardwood windows are more hardwearing than softwood and look great with timber cladding, UPVC is maintenance free and is now available in several more colours than the obligatory white, aluminium clad timber windows are very popular and available in several colours, the inside of the window is timber whilst the out surface is maintenance free aluminium.

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Clever Design Garden office designers are becoming very clever with their use of glass; some companies have designed their buildings so that the roof looks like it rests on a thin glazed panel, others have designed the intersections of the glass at the floor and ceiling to look like there’s no frame, creating a very slick finish. Some designers use several thin glazed panels which tease you with the view outside whilst others create whole walls out of one pane of glass. Be creative with your use of glass…

Positioning Your Windows With modular garden office design there is quite a lot of flexibility as to where the windows are positioned, you should give this careful thought at the planning stage. If you plan to use your garden room as an office you don’t want to be sitting at your desk and not be able to see out of the window because its positioned too high, so consider mid height windows. If your garden has a focal point think about positioning windows to frame the view. Ventilation Full length glazed windows are popular in modern garden office design but it is worth considering mixing your fixed pane windows with some opening ones, having windows that you can open gives you quite a lot of flexibility when it comes to letting air into your garden office, it can be quite limiting if your only option is to open the door. House quality windows have trickle vents in the top of the frame; these vents offer a trickle of air flow into the garden office, these can prevent condensation forming. Consider the Roof Don’t limit your windows just to the walls; consider utilising the space in the roof. Roof windows offer the opportunity of getting more natural light into the building and some high level ventilation. Roof windows come in several sizes and can look great if grouped together. Roof windows can be opened manually or operated by remote control; there are lots of options when it comes to blinds for roof windows.

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Thermally Broken You may see the term ‘thermally broken aluminium windows’ on garden office specifications, this does not mean the window is broken but is a term that means a insulating barrier has been placed between the inside and outside components of the window. Heat wants to travel from warm spaces to the cold so in winter the heat wants to travel from within your garden office to the cool outside, this thermal break stops that, it works in reverse in the summer helping to keep your garden office cool. Spend some time working out the best position for the windows in your garden office – don’t just go for either side of the door, take the opportunity to frame a view of your garden or set a window at the right height so you can see out of the window when sitting down – it is possible to add windows to a garden office later, but the best option is to get the decision right in the first place!

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3rd Space

What is your most popular garden office design? As every 3rdSpace garden room is modular and easily customised, we do not have a typical ‘bestseller’. However, from recent installations we know our 2 Bay model (2.4m x 3.6m) is very popular as a garden office, due to it’s practical size – fitting into most garden areas without compromising on usable interior space. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Inspiration and functionality are two key themes in our opinion. 3rdSpace buildings are designed to provide an environment which encourages efficient and creative working by way of comfort, ergonomics and quality of light. We also passionate about the small details. We believe that there are intrinsic benefits to working in a space where every detail and material has been carefully considered. How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission?

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In most instances, planning permission is not required for our garden rooms. We will always advise based on your specific case. What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? Our 1 Bay model (2.4m x 2.4m) is ideal for a business with less spacial requirements, however the real beauty of our unique modular system means when your business grows, your garden office can grow with you! And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? Our 2 Bay model (2.4m x 3.6m) is a nice size for 2 people to work from. The ability to customise 3rdSpace garden rooms also comes into int’s own here, should there be a desire to make each work area personal. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Our

prices

are

fully

installed,

including

foundations. We use a series of heightadjustable screwjack pedestals on concrete slabs, meaning we can install with only 2-3 days on site & what’s more we can easily dismantle and relocate your garden office. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? 3rdSpace garden rooms are designed and built for all situations, all year round. The key to maintaining a comfortable work space is excellent insulation and build-quality. We use solid Kingspan panels, built into our unique wall, floor & ceiling modules. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? Western Red Cedar is one of our recommended cladding options. It has a long life-span, requires minimal maintenance and is responsibly sourced from FSC certified forests. And of course, it looks beautiful. We also love to hear custom design ideas Some of the options green walls, laser-cut timber species.

from customers about for external cladding. on oﬀer include living metals and additional

What is the roof covering? We use Firestone EDPM, which is a very high-performance membrane. A slight gradient allows water run-oﬀ, which can either be collected or directed to a soak away via an aluminium down pipe. A popular choice today is also living green roofs. These can help blend your garden room into it’s setting (particularly if looked down upon), as well as adding further insulative properties.

addition, we favour a natural rubber floor finish, providing a resilient surface with a vast choice of colour options. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? Within the standard prices, we always include a minimum of 4 electrical power points, wired back to the built-in consumer unit. What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? We provide ceiling mounted lighting suitable for most working situations, however as trained architects and designers we are only too happy to recommend and provide bespoke lighting solutions or products. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? With great insulation and build quality comes very little need for additional heating. For the winter months just a small electric heater will provide enough ambient temperature. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? Depending on location, an existing home or business WI-FI signal can be used. Where this is not possible, we will provide advice on how to organise a new BT line, or similar. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? Good furniture will pay for itself in time. Ergonomically, functionally and aesthetically, good furniture is our recommended ‘extra’. Speak to us about the perfect set up for your business.

What is the interior lining and floor covering? One of our favorite wall finishes is Birch plywood, a beautiful and natural material, which we finish with wax oil for durability. In

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What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? 4

weeks

production

time,

from

How much does a typical two person office cost? Starting from £13,800 including VAT and installation to mainland UK. Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) There are a number of options to get power to your garden office, all of which we can advise on. What is the lifespan of your garden offices, is there any ongoing maintenance? By specifically using only high quality materials we can ensure problem-free usage year after year. For What guarantees come with the office, are they free? As with a new house, or having an extension built, we will guarantee our workmanship and in the unlikely event of any defects, rectify these free of charge within 12 months of installation. If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be?

conﬁrmation of order. What is the typical on site build time? Only 3 days on a typical-sized build, so minimal disruption. How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

A good quality garden oﬃce is a major investment for many people. For this reason we designed our system to be ﬂexible enough to accommodate growth, and more importantly – should your life or business need to move, we can dismantle and relocate your 3rdSpace for you!

Starting from £13,800 including VAT and installation to mainland UK.

Want to learn more? Have a chat with the 3rd Space team on 07861 247910 or visit their website www.3rdspace.co.uk

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Interior Linings

The finish you choose for your garden office interior walls will have much effect on its style and feel as your choice of exterior cladding. A few years ago your only option was timber matchboard cladding but today there are several options each giving a garden room a distinctive look. When deciding on your garden offices interior think about how close to a room in a modern house you want the finish to be. Matchboard Lining Matchboard means several identical boarded joined together with a tongue & grove joint. This way of lining a garden office has been around for years, left in its natural state matchboard lined garden office can look a bit like a sauna but if painted it can create a soft, Shaker styled room. Boards are normally fixed vertically and come in different widths, for added detail, consider specifying beaded tongue and groove boards. Vinyl Wall Panels Some suppliers use a shiny white panel as the wall lining in their garden office, this comes in large sheets and is jointed vertically every 1.2m (4ft) or so, some suppliers add a cover strip over this joint which protrudes slightly from the wall. This finish creates a light bright room which is practical as it can be easily washed down.

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Plywood Many contemporary garden offices are finished internally with plywood. High quality plywood is used (not the stuff used for garden office sheathing) and it is waxed or lacquered to bring out the beauty of the grain. The finish of this type of internal lining is made by its hidden fixings and the neatness of the joints between panels. Plywood creates a crisp modern feel but at the same time the wood is warm and inviting. Plasterboard Many garden office suppliers now offer a fully plastered garden room interior which gives the garden office the same feel as any room in your house. Plasterboard has many benefits in garden office design as it has good thermal and acoustic insulation properties and is fire retardant. You need to be careful when reading specifications, some suppliers line their garden offices with plasterboard and then paint it leaving the vertical joints visible, others tape and fill the joints between the boards and then paint whilst the best finish is achieved if the plasterboard is skimmed with plaster and then decorated – so be clear what your supplier is specifying. Vinyl Coated Plasterboard A few suppliers specify vinyl coated plasterboard for the walls and ceiling of their garden offices, this product comprises of plasterboard as described above coated with a vinyl film, this film is subtly coloured and slightly textured and is easy to clean if marked. You will have seen this type of product in the ceilings of commercial office buildings fitted in grid work frames. Lacquered Panels White lacquered panels are popular in modern garden offices, they are normally fitted in small panels such as 50mmx 100mm with a small joint between each panel, and they take skill to install so that the fixings aren’t visible. This type of interior lining creates a modern light room. MDF MDF can be used as a lining for garden offices, it is a very hardwearing material and in its natural state is a beige/brown colour, and it takes paint well so you can create whatever look you want. Metal We have described metal garden offices in other areas of this guide, but they are made up of a sandwich of steel sheets and rigid insulation, one side forms the exterior cladding, the other side the internal lining. Metal linings are normally powder coated to give a long lasting, hardwearing painted finish. Decorative Finish When it’s completed a garden office is a blank canvas for you to make your mark on, you may decide to make a statement with a feature wall of wallpaper but most people opt for a painted finish. The paints you use in your house are all suitable for use in a garden office but as garden office construction is one of the most environmentally friendly building methods its worth considering completing the job with eco friendly paint. Eco paint is free from volatile organic compounds (VOC) which are normally found in paints, they are kinder to the environment and are considered to create a healthier environment for us, they come in a wide range of colours and many of the leading brands now offer eco friendly paints.

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Garden Offices UK

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

an installation application

Our most popular Garden Oﬃce design to date has been our FREELANCER 2 model, with a internal size of 9m2 and a all inclusive price of £5,995.00 installed its a winner.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? The freelancer 2 is our larger model giving a cost effective light airy comfortable place to work all year round. How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission? We find being under 2.5m high we have never had

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which

needed

planning

Our Freelancer 1 at £4,995 installed ready to go is 7m2 of comfortable all year round working space And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? Our Freelancer 2 is 9m2 for £5,995 installed and ready for up to two workers comfortably. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Yes, our prices are all inclusive with NO hidden

or extra charges Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

What is the interior lining and floor covering? Interior walls are finished with our solid wipe clean white wall boards, while our floors of covered in a quality cushion vinyl flooring (choice of colours)

Our Garden Offices our highly insulated, with 50mm kingspan rigid insulation in the floor/ walls/ roof and argon filled upvc double glazing they make a comfortable all year round work place.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

The exterior is tanalised tongue and groove pine cladding ﬁnished in a choice of colours giving years of zero maintenance.

Our ready to go electrics provide for 2 six foot ﬂuorescent ﬁttings

Our ready to go electrics give four double sockets

What is the roof covering?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

We bond a single piece of rubber E P D M to our roof sub decking board.

We ﬁnd the small electric wall heater we provide as standard is ample even in winter,

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providing a all year round comfortable working environment

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? Our Freelancer 2 costs £5,995

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? We find the wireless router option is by far the best value for money. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) ABSOLUTELY NO HIDDEN EXTRAS What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance? Expected lifespan upto 20 years

We generally ﬁnd all our clients needs have been met with our standard package

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the lead time on your garden offices? Our Garden Offices are a stock item, so allowing for busy periods i anticipate you having your Garden Office up and running within two weeks of completion of order. What is the typical on site build time? As our Garden Offices our built in our factory quality controlled environment we typically complete installation in one day

All our Garden Offices come with our 10 year manufacturers warranty If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be? Which ever Garden Office provider you choose ensure the quality of the build, paying special attention to the insulation specification, it will save you money in the long run.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? Our Freelance 1 costs £4,995

Want to learn more? Give Garden Oﬃces UK a call on 08001488063 or visit their website www.gardenoﬃcesuk.com for more information.

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Electrics

It’s important that the electrical system in your garden office complies with Part P of the Building Regulations, to achieve this; the electrics need to be installed by a certified electrician. Compliance with Part P means the electrics have been installed to a high standard and most importantly they are safe. Many garden offices have the electrics installed in the wall panels whilst in the workshop – it’s important to confirm with your supplier that the electrics have been certified to comply with Part P; after all you can’t see what’s behind the walls! A certified electrician is needed again once the building is installed on site to connect the electrics to the mains supply and test the system. Mains Connection One of the few additional costs when buying a garden office is the connection of the electrical system to the mains supply. This involves running an armoured cable from the consumer unit in the garden office to the main house supply. This armoured cable needs to be buried in the garden, a trench is dug approximately 500mm – 750mm deep, the armoured cable is laid in the bottom with a warning tape laid above, and the trench is backfilled with earth and the garden made good. The electrical cables need to be buried like this so that if the ground is disturbed in the future, such as when you are digging, the cable is deeper than the average spade depth and people will come across the warning tape first alarming them that there is an electrical cable below.

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This connection needs to be made by a certified electrician; the cost can vary depending on your site, how far the garden office is from the house etc, but as a rough guide allow between £500 and £1,200 for this connection. Once your electrician has made the connection, they will test the circuit and issue a certificate. Electrical Specification Garden office electrical systems normally comprise of a consumer unit (fuse box), power sockets, light switches and lights, some companies include outside lighting, heating, telecommunications and audio visual systems, burglar and smoke alarms. When reading the garden office specifications assume that fixtures and fittings are white unless stated otherwise.

Flush or Surface Mounted It’s not always clear from the specification list if a garden offices electric cables are hidden within the wall structure or mounted on the surface. Electrics installed within the wall structure have light and power sockets mounted flush with the wall, and the finished effect is like you would find in any modern home. Surface mounted electrics are just that mounted on the surface of the wall, the cables are hidden in conduit which is fixed to the wall, the light and power sockets stand proud from the wall, this is a more industrial look and not aesthetically pleasing to some people, but is cheaper to install. Another type of surface mounted electrics is the dado system, this system is often focused on one wall, all the cables are hidden in a wide trucking, which has a number of power sockets, light switches and telecommunication points fitted in it, you’ll have seen this type of system in offices, schools and hospitals. With this type of system it is relatively easy to add extra sockets at a later date as the cables are easily assessable in the channel, the downside is that it’s not always ideal having all the electrics fitted in one area of the garden office, you could end up with trailing cables.

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Positioning Sockets It’s worth thinking about where you will position furniture in your garden office early on for instance if you have space for a sofa you may want to place a side light beside it so it would make sense to have a power socket nearby so as not to have trailing cables. Another example would be if you are having a wall mounted TV you may want a power socket behind the screen so there are no visible cables. The market is divided into companies who have their power sockets in set locations e.g. the four corners of the office whilst others have total flexibility in socket location, find out which camp your supplier fits in early on in the project. Tip Always specify a couple more sockets than you think you will need – we all keep accumulating electrical goods and you will be pleased you have enough sockets to power them. There’s obviously more to garden office electrical systems than power sockets and we will look at lighting, heating and communications in future chapters of this guide.

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in.it.studios

process for you. We have never been refused planning in the past.

What is your most popular garden office design? To date, we have not completed two identical garden offices. Each studio we design is fully bespoke and tailor-made to our client’s requirements. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Our studios are fully customisable therefore designed and manufactured to the client’s individual needs; a kitchenette, tea/coffee making facility and an extended decking area are just a few of our user-friendly options to ensure our client the most enjoyable working environment. How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission? All our studios meet the latest building regulations for dwellings, and if you’re looking for a standalone studio, it is likely that you won’t require planning permission due to permitted development rights. However if you do, we will manage the whole

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What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? A 3.0m x 2.7m is a comfortable size for one person, however in the past most of our clients have opted for a larger studio to double up as a mixed use room or to accommodate for extras such as WC’s or additional storage. And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? A 4m x 2.7m would comfortably sit 2 people but again see above Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? They are included in all of our quotes. Our preferred choice is the use of concrete plinths which are far more economical and eco-friendly using 95% less concrete than a typical slab.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

Unlike other companies we don’t have a set number or limit. If the client requires more, we will simply supply more.

The walls are 215mm thick. Rigid foam insulation boards added to thermo-reﬂective foil protected membranes ensure warmth all year round.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

Typically we use fire-rated directional down-lighters with a satin chrome finish to match the fixtures and fittings. However other lighting can be incorporated if required. We also fit motion sensing detectors around the exterior, not only for security but for convenience when approaching the studio at night.

Western Red Cedar. It has good thermal insulation properties and a great natural ability to dampen sound vibrations. We also use Accoya for our cantilevered roof design. What is the roof covering?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

We ﬁt an EPDM rubber roof as standard, however you can upgrade to our green sedum roof – a functional yet aesthetic material. This has been very popular with previous clients.

We include an electric heater as standard, which can be thermostatically controlled to maintain an optimum temperature.

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

We use an oak ﬂooring in our studios, with the typical interior lining being Latvian Birch Ply.

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What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Typically between 2-4 weeks depending on the size of the project.

Cupboard / Shelving for additional storage WC’s and Shower Units Tea/Coﬀee making facilities Floating shelving Extra decking with planters, barbecue area and outdoor seating. Extra ﬂoor to ceiling double glazed windows

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

Our prices start at £11,995 for a 4.2m x 2.7m oﬃce. Includes VAT and delivery + installation to mainland UK.

As long as planning permission is not required, about 2-6 weeks, depending on the size of the project and location as we also deliver to mainland Europe.

Our prices start at £9,995 for a 3.5m x 2.7m oﬃce. Includes VAT and delivery + installation to mainland UK. How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

What is the typical on site build time? There are no hidden extras on our standard builds,

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however if planning or excessive groundwork is required there will be a small additional fee.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Yes, our studios are guaranteed for 5 years as standard, with the roof being guaranteed for 15 years.

Our studios are built to last as long as a typical timber-frame house. This combined with the high quality materials and speciﬁcations we use mean they do not require on-going maintenance.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be? Consider an in.it.oﬃce and you won’t regret it.

Interesting read, want to learn more? Well have a chat with the in.it.studios team on 0800 0112373 or visit their website www.initstudios.co.uk

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Lighting

Current garden office design includes large expanses of glazing to maximise the amount of natural light that fills the garden office but there are times of the day and in the winter months when natural light isn’t so bright and you will have to rely on artificial light. You will have seen in our Q&A sessions with the garden office suppliers we have asked about the type of lighting they have chosen and why they chose it, we asked this question because lighting is a very important consideration of garden office design. Most garden offices come with a general / ambient lighting system the most popular form of ambient lighting are downlighters which are recessed into the ceiling and give the room a modern feel, but spotlights, fluorescent tubes and wall mounted uplighters and even pendent lights are all options: Downlighters Downlights are very popular in garden offices and they are recessed into the ceiling, they come in two types – low voltage which operates on 12v and requires a transformer and mains voltage which doesn’t require a transformer and can be dimmed. Down lighters fill the room with bright, clear light. Spotlights Spotlights are ideal for directing the light to specific areas of the room such as over a desk area; they come in many styles from tracks of three spotlights to single spotlights. Spot lights can be fitted on the ceiling and directed down into the room or at the top of the wall and directed up into the roof.

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Florescent Tubes Florescent tubes yes we are talking about those tubes you used to find in kitchens, they are considered quite slick in garden office design and give off a bright light but very little heat. Uplighters Uplighters are fixed on the wall and shine light upwards; they normally give off quite a soft light ideal if you want to create a mellow environment. Track Lighting Track lighting is popular in garden offices with vaulted ceilings as it can bring the light down into the room, it also has a very modern feel, cables with a current running through are stretched from one side of the office to another and light fixings clipped or screwed to the cable. Task Lighting With a garden office you will probably want to incorporate some task lighting, some garden office suppliers will be able to incorporate specific task lights over desks but in many cases task lighting will be installed after the office is finished in the form of desk spotlights. If you have shelves or units in your garden office why not consider recessed lighting, this can look great. Types of Light Incandescent Light You will probably only find incandescent light fittings in the most basic of garden offices as this type of lighting is being phased out. Incandescent bulbs are cheap to buy but not economical or efficient to run, about 80% of the energy used by an incandescent light bulb is given off as heat rather than light. Incandescent bulbs produce a steady warm light useful for most situations they can also be dimmed, bulbs typically last 1000 hours. Halogen Lights Halogen bulbs are a variation on incandescent technology, electricity is passed through a tungsten filament enclosed in a tube that contains halogen, the tungsten filament is hotter than the filament in a incandescent bulb meaning a halogen bulb gives off more heat than a incandescent bulb so care needs to be taken where halogen bulbs are used so they don’t come into contact with flammable materials. Halogen bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs but more efficient energy wise; they also last longer at typically 3000 hours. Florescent Tubes Florescent tubes are popular in garden office design as they look quite modern, one bulb can light a large area and they give off very little heat. Florescent tubes work by passing a current through argon and mercury. Florescent tubes have ballast components which provide the right voltage, there are two types of ballast magnetic and electronic, electronic ballast overcomes the problem with humming and flickering that used to be associated with florescent tubes. Florescent tubes last approximately 10000 hours.

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Compact Florescent Lamps Known as CFL’s they are the modern low energy light bulb, they work on the same principle as a florescent tube and give off little heat and are cost effective to run. CFL’s fit in most standard light fittings and have replaced the incandescent bulb in many situations. Compact florescent bulbs have a typical lifespan of 8000 hours. LED’s LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes these are a different type of lighting to those described above, a LED produces light when electrons move around within its semiconductor structure. A LED light is very efficient it is typically 85% more efficient than an incandescent bulb and around 5% more efficient than a CFL. As well as being energy efficient to run LED bulbs last much longer at around 45,000 hours, the down side is that they are much more expensive to buy than other types of light so you will probably only find them on high spec garden offices. Which is the brightest light? Whilst you will want to compare your choice of lighting by its energy efficiency, cost and lifespan you should also consider the amount of light it gives off. The amount of light a bulb gives off is measured in lumens and the lighting we have mentioned here varies greatly, the table below shows the lumens for different wattages of bulbs. Don’t Forget Outside It’s worth considering exterior lighting for your garden office, again there are several types – many contemporary garden offices have down lighters recessed into the soffit board or veranda overhang, other garden offices have wall mounted exterior lights , and some have LED lights in the deck. Exterior lights can be controlled by a switch in the garden office or by PIR sensors which switch the lights on when movement is detected – a good security feature. Remote Control A few companies also offer remote controls for the lighting system meaning you can switch the lights on and off from your house, some even have apps for your Smartphone so you can control the lights of your garden office from anywhere in the world! As you can see there’s quite a lot to consider when thinking about the lighting of your garden office.

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Room4-you

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

What is your most popular garden office design? The Vista and The Arc have proven very popular whilst the bespoke option is often chosen for those wanting to create something a bit different. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? A Garden Office from Room4-you offers all the comforts of a new build home including double glazing, fantastic thermal insulation to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer and traditional plaster walls. Energy efficient fixtures and thermally efficient components (better than 90% of UK houses) ensure you will keep running costs down whilst also reducing your carbon footprint. All windows and doors have insurance approved locks and secured by design hardware ensuring your Garden building and all its contents are as safe as possible.

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Generally speaking our offices are designed to allow use of permitted development rights with a maximum overall height of 2.5-3m for a mono pitch roof or 4m for a double pitch roof. In the event that planning permission is needed we can take care of this on behalf of our customers. What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? This depends on the activity that is involved. For example a dental technician who recently installed one of our offices needed space for lots of equipment at different work stations. We would also suggest that consideration be given to after hours use and if the office can offer space for a bed settee this offers flexibility and provides better value for money. The smallest we offer as a standard

configuration is 3.8x3.1m providing approximately 9m2 internal space. And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? Once again this depends on what will be happening in the office and whether space is needed for visitors or guests. Being on top of each other whilst trying to hold a phone conversation can be very frustrating and we would recommend building to the largest dimensions possible within the constraints of budget and space. The larger the building the better value for money is provided. This is due in part to the fixed costs like connection to services which will not alter regardless of size. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Room4-you have developed a unique foundation system which is included in the standard price of our buildings. Our foundation system offers substantial benefits over other systems thanks to the speed of installation and solid footings which have been tested to building regulation standards. We also offer other systems if the ground conditions dictate this.

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Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Our garden offices are designed and constructed to last a lifetime and be used every day, regardless of weather. We generally use a sustainable timber frame structure with solid insulation providing the best balance of durability, sustainability and value for money. Our wall thickness is up to 235mm which includes the insulation and a vented cavity behind the cladding. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? We use either 20mm thick Western Red Cedar or Thermowood depending on our customers choice. We have also used Scottish Larch but found it brittle and more prone to wastage which negated the initial cost benefit. Western Red Cedar offers a natural product with resistance to rot and fungal attack for up to 60 years whilst Thermowood provides similar protection for over 40 years. Neither of these require any maintenance.

What is the roof covering? We use a single ply EPDM rubber membrane with a 25 year manufacturers warranty. What is the interior lining and floor covering? We use traditional plasterboard which offers warmth and comfort with the feel and look of a quality home or office building. Plaster allows for owners to change the interior decoration as often as they wish whilst offering the flexibility to move fixtures and fittings without leaving unsightly marks or damaging the walls. We use Uni-clic laminate which offers hard wearing properties and will keep it's high quality finish for many years after installation. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? We include 6 double sockets as standard with the option of adding as many as you like - we recently completed a project with 30 double sockets! What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? Externally we use LED downlighters whilst internally we offer either LED wall lights or flush fitting ceiling lights with energy efficient bulbs. We have recently moved away from internal downlighters as the manufacturers have issued a warning that vented roof spaces can cause the warm air vented through the light fitting to condense and cause moisture build up or dampness. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? We offer 1 or 2 radiant convector heaters as standard dependent on the size of office. Upgrades include air source heat pumps or under-floor heating. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? We can fit CAT 5 or CAT 6 cables at the same time as laying the armoured electrical cable. We have also enabled Broadband services with a Homeplug network kit offering Broadband access through electrical wiring.

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What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? The upgrade to an air source heat pump offers a sustainable heat source whilst also enabling cooling in summer. The cost of running these is far less than most other forms of heating and if anyone mentions the Garden Room Guide we will offer one as a free upgrade before the end of September 2011. What is the lead time on your garden offices? This varies but is generally 4 weeks from receipt of an order. What is the typical on site build time? Thanks to our innovative off site manufacturing and exceptional project management we can install most of our office buildings with just 5 days on site. How much does a typical one person office cost? We only offer exceptional quality materials with specification the same as a new build home or extension. This means we do not compete on low cost options and will not lower our standards. The installation and foundation costs vary according to the unique nature of every site but as a guide we can offer a full installation of a 3.8x3.1m office from approximately £12,000. How much does a typical two person office cost? As above some costs vary according to the unique nature of each site but as a guide a 5x3.8m building starts from approximately £15,000 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) We have a very transparent pricing policy and always ensure our customers are aware of the full cost of completing their project. We need to conduct a survey to confirm the price of the electrical connection and to ensure the ground conditions are suitable for our standard foundation system (90% of cases are suitable). If planning permission or building control is needed these attract a fee set by the Local Authority and professional fees may also be necessary.

What is the lifespan of your garden offices, is there any ongoing maintenance? Our garden office buildings are designed and constructed to last a lifetime and we use tried and trusted house building technology rather than shed or static caravan knowledge. Maintenance is limited to clearing out the gutters and cleaning the windows. What guarantees come with the office, are they free? We offer an insurance backed 10 year guarantee with all our garden offices as part of the price.

Manufacturer warranties are included with ancillary items such as the electrical items and heating. If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be? Discuss your project with a number of suppliers and evaluate your options making decisions based on cost and quality. If the office will be used for meeting customers the style and quality is very important to demonstrate the values of your business. Do not be tempted by superficial style without substance.

Like what you read? Give Room 4-you a call on 01709 877888 for a chat about garden oﬃces or visit their website www.room4-you.co.uk

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Heating

Modern garden offices are highly insulated which means they are naturally comfortable to use all year round, but you should consider adding a source of heat for the coldest days of the year. Some garden offices come with heating, others don’t and you should be aware of this when comparing specifications and prices. You have quite a lot of choice when it comes to the types of heating you can use in a garden office. Radiant –v- Convection Heat There are two types of heating radiant heating and convection heating. Radiant heating warms people and objects whilst convection heating heats the air in the room. Convector Heaters Slim line electric heaters that can be free standing or wall mounted, they heat the air in the room quickly. Although not noisy they do have a slight hum which can become monotonous and they can dry out the air in the room. Convector heaters are fairly cheap to buy and can be retro fitted in a garden office with ease, there needs to be clear space around and above a convector heater so can limit where you position furniture. Better models come with timers and thermostats so you can programme when they come on or set them to kick in when the temperature falls to a certain level. Some of the more expensive models look very slick, almost like works of art on the wall.

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Oil Filled Radiators Finned oiled filled radiators are normally free standing and moveable as they are mounted on casters although they can be a little cumbersome in small spaces. Although they heat up quickly they don’t provide instant heat like fan heaters. Oil filled radiators are convector heaters in that they heat the air in the room. They come in several sizes with different outputs, with more sophisticated models you can programme when they come on or set them to kick in when the temperature falls to a certain level. Oil filled radiators are ideal for retro fitting in a garden office as they simply plug in and are relatively inexpensive to buy. Infrared Heating Infrared heating is a form of radiant heat; it heats people and objects in the room rather than the air. Infrared heating comes in different forms from portable heaters to ceiling mounted panels which are quite slim and unobtrusive. Infrared heating is a fast heating source and energy efficient because it heats people and objects rather than all the air in the room, the downside of this type of heating is that it can be less efficient if people and objects are not directly in line with the heater. Infrared heaters can be retro fitted although ceiling mounted panels will need to be wired into the garden offices electrical system. Central Heating Some garden office companies offer central heating in their larger buildings, this is just as you would find in a house and can be run off electric, gas and oil. The installation costs of this type of heating make it an unrealistic option for most garden offices. Underfloor Heating Underfloor heating has become very popular in garden offices, most systems used in garden offices consist of a heated mat system which can be controlled with thermostats and timers giving you control over when the heating is on. As heat rises underfloor heating creates a comfortably heated room. Underfloor heating is more expensive to install than other types of wall mounted heating so is normally an optional upgrade on garden office specifications. Walls are kept free so there are no restrictions where furniture can be placed. Because the heat source is literally under the floor, undrefloor heating is not a realistic option for retro fitting in a garden office, so consider it carefully when buying your garden office. Air Conditioning Although air conditioning is controversial particularly in an eco friendly construction form like garden offices, but it’s worth considering as it can produce a year round solution to heating and cooling a garden office. Air conditioning works by taking warm air from within the building and replacing it with cool air, you can set the desired temperature for your garden office and an air conditioning unit will maintain it all year round. Air conditioning also offers health benefits as it filters the air removing pollen and pollution making it an ideal system for asthma and hay fever sufferers. Free standing air conditioning units are available but they are rather cumbersome and have ducting that has to go out of a window, most units used in garden offices consist of a unit positioned high on the wall that is linked to a condenser unit situated outside. Air conditioning units use considerable energy and coolants which aren’t great for the environment, to ensure efficiency of the unit doors and windows need to be closed – this takes away one of the delights of a garden office, that of connecting the indoor outdoor space by having the doors open!

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Wood Burners It is possible to install a wood burner in a garden office and it would make a wonderful focal point in the room, the installation of a wood burner needs to be undertaken by professionals and comply with building regulations. Whilst a wood burner would look great, compared to other forms of heating a wood burner is expensive to install in a garden office and it could be difficult to control the heat given off in smaller garden offices. Wood burners are not instant heat sources and you have the work involved in cleaning the stove. How many watts do I need? A common question is how many watts it will take to heat your garden office, the team at www.multiheat-energysystems.co.uk have advised us on a rule of thumb of 50w per square meter of floor space so for example a 3m x 3m garden office has a floor space of 9sqm so would require a heating output of 450 watts, it should be noted that this figure will vary depending on the quantity of doors and windows your garden office has, but it’s a useful formula to make sure you have enough heating. However well insulated your garden office is you do need to consider a heat source, as you can see there’s plenty of choice.

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Pod Space

What is your most popular garden office design? The Mini Pod is currently our most popular Pod for a garden office, although this is changeable. The Mini Pod is large enough to comfortably accommodate 2 workers whilst maintaining a bright spacious feel. For individual home workers our Micro Pod and Micro Pod Max remain very popular, especially as they are compact enough to fit in to most gardens. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? The Mini Pod like all of our rooms is fully customisable so your office can be exactly what you want it to be. It already features full height glazed sliding doors to the front and because we can fit additional windows and doors to your exact specification we can make the best use of the available light and views in your garden so that your

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garden so that your office is a light and inspiring space. We can also fit options such as integrated desks and shelving so that your office is making the best use of the space available. The installation process is as user friendly as the building itself and our use of a pre-cast concrete foundation system means that disruption to your garden will be kept to a minimum. Once the foundations are in the building can be installed in as little as 2 days and is ready to use immediately. How do your garden offices comply with Planning Permission? All of our garden rooms are designed to comply with permitted development. So for example all of our buildings are 2.5m high at eaves. Individual circumstances will of course be discussed and we are happy to advise clients further on whether planning permission would be required for their

project. We will apply to the local authority on your behalf if necessary. What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? Our smallest garden building is the Micro Pod and at 2.5 x 2.0m it is compact enough to fit in to even a small garden whilst still being large enough inside to comfortably accommodate a lone worker. There is even sufficient room for shelving and storage. And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? The Mini Pod at 4.1 x 3.65m can happily house 2 office workers with desk and storage space. For those looking for room enough for desk space and a meeting or sitting area then the Glide Pod offers 5.45 x 3.65m. The Glide Pod is even large enough to include w.c. or mini kitchen facilities making it a self contained office space. Both of these Pods have large full height glazed sliding doors so are equally bright and spacious. They can of course be customised to ensure they are providing you with exactly the office space that will work for you. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? There are two pricing levels on our website. The basic supply price excludes foundations and electricity connection for those who wish to use their own preferred workers. We also have a full price which includes installation, foundations and power supply to the house. The foundations that we use are an adjustable pre-cast concrete system. This avoids the need for messy wet mixing of concrete in your garden and reduces the amount of time required for laying foundations. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? All of our garden buildings are insulated to exceed the building regulation requirements of a modern house. Our walls are 220mm thick and include a SIPS panel construction for high levels of insulation again to exceed that in most modern houses. We

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also include contemporary flat panel heaters or Scandinavian low energy under floor heating for winter comfort. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? We specify western red cedar from well managed FSC certified Canadian forests. This timber is chosen for its naturally hard-wearing qualities. It is naturally durable and will typically last maintenance free for up to 40 years. It does not require any treatment and will naturally fade to a silver grey colour. What is the roof covering? We use a SIPS construction in the roofs of our Pods to ensure superior insulation. On our smaller units the flat roof is finished with the latest high performance single ply waterproof membranes. This can of course be completed with an optional green sedum roof to add to eco credentials of your garden building. There is also an option to have a mono or dual pitched roof which can be finished in either cedar tiles or grey roofing panels. What is the interior lining and floor covering? Our standard finish is painted plaster. We also offer premium grade white birch cladding boards as an option which can be finished with a factory sealed satin lacquer coating. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? On the Mini Pod we include 3 double sockets as standard. These are all finished in satin stainless steel to match the other fixtures and fittings. We also include a telephone and data point in the same satin stainless steel finish. What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? On the Mini Pod we include 6 low energy spotlights internally. These are again finished in satin stainless steel and are chosen for their energy efficiency to maintain our eco credentials. Outside we also include 2 moisture resistant spotlights to the external overhang. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type?

We include a contemporary slimline flat panel heater with fully programmable digital thermostat or low energy underfloor heating. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? Our installation team can connect your Pod to a telephone line with broadband with no problem. This can be arranged on placement of order. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? To complete the internal contemporary look of your garden office we have a range of integrated office furniture that can be fit at the time of installation. We also appreciate that all gardens are different and so all of our Pods can be customised with additional windows or doors to allow you to make the best use of the available light and views in your garden. We can even include roof lights if your Pod will be tucked in to the boundaries of your garden. Of course the Pod needs to enhance your garden with its exterior design also so you may wish to add a green sedum roof.

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What is the lead time on your garden offices? Our standard lead time is 10 to 12 weeks, however, depending on your choice of windows and doors we may be able to install in as little as 5 weeks from placement of order. What is the typical on site build time? If it is possible to crane your Pod in to position we can have the whole process finished in 3 to 4 days in one continuous installation. We will advise you further on installation times at a site visit. How much does a typical one person office cost? Our Micro Pod price starts at £10,890. How much does a typical two person office cost? Our Mini Pod price starts at £21,850. Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) For all of our Pods we have a price available on our website that includes installation, foundations and

electrical hook up. We are more than happy to apply to the local planning department on behalf of our clients, should this be necessary, and we would simply pass on their charges which vary between local authorities. What is the lifespan of your garden offices, is there any ongoing maintenance? Our Pods are maintenance free and are expected to last for many decades. We have chosen the materials that we specify for their sustainability as well as their quality and function. We are constantly revising our specification to ensure that we are at the forefront of design development and utilising the latest components. That includes the parts that cannot be seen so every part of your Pod structure is the highest quality of specification.

What guarantees come with the office, are they free? We offer a five year guarantee on the structure of our Pods. We also offer a 12 month guarantee on fixtures and fittings or the manufacturers warranty. If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be? Check out all of the structural components of a garden building. There are many ways of constructing a garden building so it is worth doing your research to check that they are built in accordance with building regulations for a house. Then you can be confident that it is built to last.

Interesting read? Find out more by calling Pod Space on 01484 841167 or visit their website www.pod-space.co.uk

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Communications

Chances are quite great that you will want to use the internet in your garden office, and you can obviously make use of your houses wifi network and cordless telephones, the problem is that the heavily insulated walls of a garden office and the fact that garden offices are normally situated someway from the house can mean the signal is weak or intermittent but there are ways of overcoming this. Cable The obvious solution for a reliable internet connection is to run a Cat5 cable from your router to your garden office, it would make sense to do this at the same time as connecting the garden office to the mains electrical supply as the cable would need to be buried in a deep trench. You may only realise you have a weak wifi signal once your garden office is fully installed and there are several retro fit options: Home Plug The Home Plug system is a two part system, one part connects to your router via an Ethernet cable and is plugged into a 13amp socket, and the second part of the system plugs into a 13amp socket in your garden office, Home Plug boosts the signal by transferring data down the electrical system. Home Plug systems

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come with wired and wireless connections, which you choose is dependent on your needs. This system does not offer the speed and security that a cabled network offers but is a useful option. Antenna Replacement The antenna on your router works in an omnidirectional manner, meaning it sends out signals in all directions, if you want to increase your signal in one direction you could consider swapping the antenna with a directional model and aiming it towards your garden office. Router Booster You could buy a booster unit for your router which amplifies the range of the wifi signal greatly; some models suggest a 600% increase in signal strength can be achieved. Repeater If you are considering a repeater you should choose the same brand as your router. A repeater bounces a signal from the router to the repeater to your computer extending the range the signal can travel greatly. Upgrade to N technology N-range networking is the new standard in wireless technology and you should consider upgrading to an N-range router. N-range technology works on a multiple input multiple output system meaning the router uses more than one antenna to transmit data; this is an improvement on older systems which just used one stream at a time to transmit data. N-range networks also transmit data at a faster rate making them ready for the future demands we place on such systems. Telephones Many garden offices come with a telephone point, this is connected to your main phone supply (in the same trench as the electric cable) meaning that your home phone line can have an extension in your garden office, this will be a more reliable connection than using cordless telephone extensions whose range may be effected by the distance of the garden office from the house and the heavily insulated walls. Future Proof – designing today for your future needs You may be focused on what you need from your garden office today but it is worth taking some time to work out what your future needs for your garden office might be – what communication systems will we be using in the future? It’s worth burying a communications channel with your electrical supply large enough to take the communication cables you might need in the future, include a draw string in the channel so that it is easy to pull cables from the house down to your garden office. Don’t forget the door There’s nothing worse than waiting in the house for a parcel when you should be in your garden office but you can’t hear the door, the solution is to connect you front door bell to the garden office, this can be done quite simply at the time of installation by including a bell wire in the communications channel and having a bell in the garden office. If your garden office is less than 100m from the house you can use a wireless

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doorbell, this consists of a button on your door and a ringer which you plug into the mains supply. If your garden oďŹ&#x192;ce is further from the house why not consider a doorbell /intercom system these consist of a button which when pressed rings a wireless telephone which allows you to talk to whoever is at the door, some options will dial a mobile phone so you can talk to whoever is at your door no matter where you are.

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Those Garden Rooms

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design?

Why deliver a dark room to and artist?

Every oﬃce we deliver is unique, all builds are designed to the requirements of our customers. Why give them something oﬀ the shelf, if they are spending hard earned money it should be something they really want rather than some thing I could easily give them

Why give poor insulation and acoustic qualities to someone who is going to be banging drums in a studio?

Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly?

We are not into a feature functions battle with other companies, we are Industrial Designers who know how to listen and add value to what we do. Its taken years to learn that, ignorance is easy to adopt...

By understanding the requirements we can deliver excellence.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

Why give someone using the building as a salon loads of glass, when intimacy is needed?

We work closely with planning oﬃcers to ensure we are complying with local regulations.

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Some are relaxed, some are so difficult its painful, if you're the planning officer in question reading this ease off! ;-) What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? My first building was 2.4m x 2.6m enough space for a two to sit at a desk with cabinets underneath. We also had a leather sofa in there to chill out on. Its also great to have a bit of decking out the front to sit out on, on a sunny day. And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? As above our little build was great, think about how it is in a commercial office with furniture designed to squeeze as many people in as possible. That's probably why your working at home now, or thinking about it.... What do you need in an office? Chairs, Desks, filing cabinets? that's all well and good if your PC based! An architect might still yearn to have their Drawing board, albeit it might now be used for dropping your coat on. Someone wanting a sewing room may need a large table to cut material? I cannot dictate to you the size, but I can deliver on your requirements.

survey! Is the ground sloped? Do we need to dig out? is there an existing concrete pad there already? We survey and advise. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? I could not deliver a build and hand over the keys if I though come October you would be freezing. We have seen this so many times with people buying log cabin builds? Do they not understand thermal bridging? All our builds are insulated, floors walls and ceilings. Some builds we use Celotex, some Rockwool for acoustic values, I'd use sheep's wool if that's what the customer wanted What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? What cladding? there's a good question? We offer a number of cladding materials from Treated Softwood which will need treating every year to different styles of Cedar. We are now also looking at other materials such Siberian Larch to Eco recycled cladding. We are not cladding snobs! What is the roof covering? We use typically EPDM which we are approved fitters, sometimes we use Sarnafil.

Have you got the room for a good sized build? Future proof this idea, when you sell the house, the oﬃce may be used as a playroom or an additional room to place loud teenagers?

Once again cost and application...

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Interior lining is usually plaster boarded and skimmed.

Yes foundations are included based upon a site

Floor covering is down to the clients choice,

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What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

you might like dark chocolate, I like milk! don't hold that against me! and I also like Cadbury's....

What is the requirements? what will ﬁt that requirement!

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

We don't have a standard amount of sockets? do you want them at ﬂoor level? do you want them above a desk?

Typically our buildings are so well insulated a minimal heat source is all that is required.

My clients tell me.... What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? Lighting? there is a pattern forming! we have fitted standard sunken halogen spotlights to fibre optic twinkly lights, we have also fitted fluorescent strip lights.

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Don't forget, you are asking for this build to be an office.....there are now additional heat sources such as bodies and pc's etc. Normally my clients set a wall heater on for a few minutes before they enter on a timer, once in, they switch it off. If you want a log fire, I'll specify that for you.

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

But a cuppa helps everyone! How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

When we commission the electric to the build, this is a great opportunity to lay down telephone and cable connection in.

We can have an entry level building for one person starting at circa £7,000

We had a customer who trades online, he required two Internet lines into the building in case one of them fails.

However, we can oﬀer ﬁnance so that lump does not seem as large spreading the payments.

If you need it, we'll ﬁt it.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

A kettle to make sure you don't keep popping back to the kitchen.

Trying to determine price per person is an odd question due to the fact we are not restricted to style, materials, method of build, therefore we can allow our creative ﬂair to come to the surface and create beauty or reign it in to deliver practicality.

Blinds on your windows when it gets sunny.

We listen, learn and deliver!

A decking space, use this for inspiration.

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

Optional Extras?

I love having an umbrella nearby in case its pouring when you ﬁnish and close shop for the day. What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? Lead times is normally dependent upon capacity and material availability.

We have taken the approach of using local electrical contractors to commission the buildings, as we are nationwide its a comfort for use that if you want to make an change or alteration you have local source to you who knows where everything is.... What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Test us and we can discuss.... What is the typical on site build time? That hugely varies upon size, location, access, how much ground preparation is required. Anywhere from a week to three weeks, how long is a piece of string? We can advise after a meeting when formulating a quote. Our aim is to cause as little disruption as possible to your normal day.

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Lets consider the areas that can fail and why? Water is usually the most destructive source we encounter therefore the roof for me is the biggest area to get right. With both Firestone EPDM and Sarnaﬁl we oﬀer considerable guarantees. Cladding is the next area of consideration, soft woods will need to be treated yearly, however Cedar albeit a softwood it does not need as much treatment, it will age silver. Oak, even longer.....

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

A cheap log cabin wont cut it in a cold February morning covered in snow!

As above the rooﬁng material come with the longest guarantees, from 10 - 20 yrs.

if you buy one, you will then have to insulate it after....

We oﬀer a 5yr build guarantee as standard.

Are you buying oﬀ the shelf? why are you taking something that suited someone else? Does this really suit your needs?

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

Speak to an Industrial Designer who cares and who can deliver on your needs.

Do your research! Consider why you want this building? what are your needs? how long do you want to be in the building, both during a day and during a year?

Punchy? Have a chat with Those Garden Rooms on 07753685575 or visit their website www.thosegardenrooms.co.uk

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Toilets, Kitchens and the like

Many people buying garden offices today want them to be self contained units that can be totally independent of the main house and include toilet and coffee making facilities, this is quite easy to achieve at the design stage and more difficult, though certainly not impossible as a retro fit option. A large number of garden office suppliers offer toilets, shower room and kitchen facilities as an option on their garden offices. Most companies use standard toilet, shower room and kitchen fixings and connect the garden office to your mains water and sewage supply, whilst a few companies offer caravan style cartridge toilets which don’t require mains connection but do require a commitment to emptying them! It’s important to check with your garden office supplier as to what’s included in their toilet, shower room and kitchen packages, some suppliers fit the fixtures and fittings and run the pipes to the outside wall of the garden office and leave the customer to arrange for the connection to the mains which can be pricey as it involves burying pipes etc, other companies include this in their price. You need to think about water supply to your garden office, the obvious answer is to run the mains supply from your house to the garden office but some suppliers use systems that draw water from water bottles and collect the waste water in another container, this system involves work for the user but means you can have running water at a significant cost saving. When it comes to heating the water most garden offices use instant water heaters which heat the water as it is needed, more sophisticated plumbing systems may use a boiler like you have in a house. Adding plumbing facilities, whether just a toilet, full shower room or a kitchen is a wise investment it means that your building will be self contained and opens up a host of possible uses in the future such as a granny annex.

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Oazis

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

What is your most popular garden office design? Oazis - 4 x 3.5 m and Oazis 3.75 x 3m Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? The Oazis provides a stylish, comfortable garden office environment with a constant 2.2m ceiling height. They are built like small luxury wooden houses - not just an insulated so it really feels like a room in a real building. Every garden situation is different - the Oazis can be configured with the right amount of glass and doors to provide an ideal balance of light and privacy. Our customers tell us that the ventilation window really helps to maintain a comfortable environment.

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The Oazis garden office studio is specifically designed to comply with the Householder Permitted Development rights and is just 2.5m high yet still manages to balance generous insulation levels with a 2.2m flat ceiling. What size garden office do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably? The size of garden office depends on what the worker is doing. For example an in interior designer may need a large library of reference books and materials to hand so will need a larger garden office than perhaps the home based sales manager who needs space for a laptop, screen, printer and maybe some files. where a 3 x 2.25

(10'x 8') garden office may suffice. For many of our customers their garden office doubles as extra guest accommodation so a 4.5 x 3m (15 ' x 10') may be more appropriate. And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? Two workers may need space to collaborate - say a round table and perhaps meet visitors with comfy chairs with a space to prepare drinks etc. Perhaps a partition to hide the mess. Noise distraction also needs to be considered. If one of the workers has a lot of telephone work and the other needs peace and quiet for concentration a larger. So probably a 4.5 x 3m minimum.

in summer and the sun out in summer. These Argon filled double glazed exceed Building Regulation requirements for new houses. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? The Oazis is not an insulated wood or metal shed. It is built of solid laminated timber log beams as used in log homes. The only cladding we use is on the the fascias which is 20mm thick. What is the roof covering? We use Firestone EDPM seamless rubber roofing material over an 18mm exterior grade OSB board. What is the interior lining and floor covering?

Your needs today may be different from those next year. The cost per m2 goes down as the building gets bigger. So buy the biggest garden office you can fit in your available space and that your budget will stand. It can always be partitioned at a later date.

The ceiling is a 19mm tongue and groove timber. Walls 65mm planed timber log beams - these can be left natural of or painted a colour of your choice.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

The standard ﬂoor is solid 90 x 21mm spruce ﬂooring with an 21mm oak option.

Each installation is unique. Some customers already have a base - this might need to be extended and others are are on a more diﬃcult slope and others will need to integrated with a landscape environment.

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

For this reason we do not include the foundations in our basic price.

What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls?

Customer preference.

The Oazis is built like a small wooden house not an insulated shed and is suitable for year round use. We use the natural insulation properties of thick wooden walls, ceilings and floors backed by Cellotex under-floor and breathable mineral wool in the roof. Your garden office will probably have a substantial amount of glass. This is generally the weak point in the insulation. We offer 24mm Low E Argon filled double glazed windows (triple glazed option where sound insulation is important). The Low E glass reflects heat in in summer and the sun out in

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Every garden oﬃce is unique. We do not provide electrics as standard.

Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? We do not include heating as standard. Depending on size a small fan heater or wall mounted air-source heat pumps which heats and cools are popular choices. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? WiFi. DECT cordless phones or a good old fashioned cable from the house!

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

Low-E Argon ﬁlled glass would be my ﬁrst recommendation

Excludes base, electrics

A great chair. Good quality speaker system for the iPod or streamed music output. What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

The Oazis garden oﬃce should last generations. It will need to be treated with solid or translucent stain every 5 - 8 years depending on situation. What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

Four to six weeks

10 year structural guarantee. 5 year guarantee on double glazed units. Included in the price

What is the typical on site build time? Three days

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? 3 x 2.25 = £6,200 3.75 x 3m -= £7,200 Assumes standard delivery and installation

A garden office is a substantial investment - your needs today may be different from those next year, so buy the biggest building that will fit in your available space and that you can afford. It can be partitioned at a later date if required.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? 4.5 x 3m = £8,200 5.25 x 3.75 = £10,200 Assumes standard delivery and installation

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

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Want to learn more? Call Oazis 0845 - 0707 313 for a chat about their buildings or visit their website www.oazis-garden-oďŹ&#x192;ce-and-studios.co.uk

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Security

Modern garden office construction is a scaled down version of that used in house building, and because of this garden offices incorporate many of the same security features as a house, so you can rest assured that your garden office and the possessions inside are secure. Secure Wall Design People get concerned that a timber structure is easier to break into than a brick one - rest assured garden office are not like sheds with only one layer of flimsy cladding and then you’re in, garden offices are made up of multiple layers which would need a whole toolbox to get through! However some garden office suppliers have taken this concern on board and designed in extra measures which would make it additionally hard to get in through the walls - some companies have incorporated wire mesh into the wall structure, whilst others have chosen to use steel cladding on the exterior. Windows In most cases the windows used in garden office construction are the same as those used in a house and feature lockable handles, meaning the windows can’t be opened if the windows are locked. Some suppliers have also sourced windows which have the glazing bars on the inside (the beading that holds the glass in the frame) meaning that the bars can’t be prised off and the glass removed by someone trying to get in. Doors Like the windows the doors used on a garden office are house quality and fitted with proper locks. There are several types of lock used in garden offices, but the most common are the mortice leaver locks and espagnolette lock. Mortice leaver locks come in different qualities, the more levers the better the lock, you will regularly see 5 leaver locks listed on garden office specifications – this is the type of mortice leaver recommended by insurance companies and the police. The other type of popular lock is the espagnolette lock, this is a multi point locking

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when the key is turned not only is the bolt in the middle of the door activated but also bolts in the top and bottom of the door. Most garden offices have outward opening doors, in theory someone could get in by attacking the hinges, which are on the outside, and lifting the door out - this is why some suppliers choose to build their garden offices with inward opening doors meaning the hinge is on the inside, other suppliers choose to use special hinges which incorporate studs which when the door is closed lock the hinge. Alarms Many garden office suppliers offer burglar alarms as an option on their garden office, these work just like an alarm in your home with censors fitted in key locations and an alarm attached to a keypad which you set as you leave the building. A burglar alarm will ring a loud siren which will disturb an intruder and alert you - some alarm systems also come with the option of telephone, SMS or email notifications if the alarm is activated. A few garden office companies also incorporate smoke alarms connected to the main house into their designs, as standard; this seems good practice and its surprising more suppliers don’t offer them.

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Sanctum Garden Studios

premium. In reality very few of our Studios are the same.

What is your most popular garden office design? All our Studios are popular for use as offices. The most common sizes seem to be between 3m x 2.4m and 4.8m x 3m. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Our flexibility. Because of the wide range of businesses that are now being operated from home offices around the country each has their own specific requirements and an 'off the peg' solution just won't work for them. We manufacture all our Studios ourselves in our own workshops and can therefore adapt our design quite easily to suit the individual- usually without a

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How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission? We keep all our studios just under the 2.5m permitted development rule so it is as easy as it can be for our customers. We do build higher for customers who have already gained planning permission or for those who can move more than 2m away from their boundaries. What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

2.4m x 2.4m is easily manageable if a little cosy with equipment, if you need more storage for ﬁling cabinets, photocopiers etc then maybe move upto a 3m x 2.4m.

roof panel which is a sandwich of insulation and specially coated steels. This has superb insulating properties and is truly long life and maintenance free.

We are just about to launch a Self-Build 2.4m x 2.4m Garden Oﬃce aimed at this market. It has the same contemporary look as our other Studios and will be £5500 inc Vat. We will also oﬀer an installation service on these.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

Watch this space! And for two workers what size garden office do you suggest? A 3m x 2.4 would be fine for two workers without too much equipment. Lots of customers choose to have a multi-functional room splitting it into say a work space in one half and home gym in the other. A 4.8m x 3m would provide a decent sized work are for two people and allow space for a running machine and weights area. Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type? Yes we include foundations as standard. We use mini concrete piles in conjunction with pre-stressed concrete ground beams which we bring with us pre-formed so there is minimum mess on site. We are happy to deduct the foundation costs if there is already a concrete slab in place. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Yes our studios are designed to be used year round. We use only Celotex or Extra-therm PIR insulation which is far superior to mineral wool insulations of the same thickness. Our walls are over 135mm thick. On some of our models we use a 'Composite'

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We use only Western Red Cedar as it is one of the most durable timbers available. Its naturally occurring oils protect it for dozens of years without any treatment and it weathers into a lovely silver grey in time. It can be oiled if preferred so that it retains its original natural colours. It is also one of the most thermally insulating timbers due to millions of microscopic air pockets. What is the roof covering? Either EPDM or a plastisol coated Composite roof panel from Kingspan depending on the design and size of the Studio. Both systems are chosen for their simplicity and therefore reliability, longevity, zero maintenance, and they look good! What is the interior lining and floor covering? The internal walls are lined with a white faced super tough MFC board. This has a wipeable finish and shelves etc can be screwed straight into it without worry or need of Rawl plugs etc. The standard floor covering is a commercial grade laminate. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? We are really flexible with the layout and number of sockets. We sometimes fit a media trunking system so that customers can add or move sockets easily as their needs develop. What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type?

We use wall mounted directional spotlights as standard. These can take low energy led bulbs. We know that flush ceiling mounted spots look good, but because we keep under the 2.5m rule and because we try to maximise available headroom inside the Studio we don't think we can fit them without them either overheating or by removing the insulation from around them and thereby compromising the thermal efficiency of the building.

However if customers want to get a hard wired connection then we are happy to wire the studio with data points and terminate them in a separate junction box outside the Studio. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup? We think we've included all the essentials in our standard package, but we do oﬀer a number of options to give our Studios even more of a wow factor.

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

These include:-

Not as standard. We, and our customers have found that a small panel heater or an oil ﬁlled radiator is more than ample even in the depths of winter- because of our high levels of insulation.

Bi-folding doors Integrated Blinds Underﬂoor heating Extra windows/ doors in any elevation

We do oﬀer underﬂoor heating as an option if required.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces?

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce? Wireless is obviously the simplest way to get connected for both telephone and broadband.

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It can be as little as two or three weeks, but can also stretch out to a couple of months. This obviously depends on our workload and seasonal factors do come into play. What is the typical onsite build time?

We build most Studios in two days on site, the largest ones can take three as can more complicated bespoke units with multiple rooms. How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? A 2.4 x 2.4 costs £7300 including VAT and tion.

installa-

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? We don't subscribe to a company oﬀering formal guarantees at the moment, but customers are covered by our very fair Terms and Conditions and of course their statutory rights.

A 3m x 2.4m costs £7700 including VAT and installation.

For our customers peace of mind and by popular demand we are looking at taking on the CPA guarantee system. Hopefully this will be in place in the next few months. Nothing will change with the studios or the service we provide but customers may feel more secure in these testing times.

Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

There are no 'hidden' extras but you will have to arrange for a local electrician to connect the mains to the outside junction box on the Studio. You won't need planning permission for our Studios in most cases, but if you do there will obviously be associated costs.

There are now many companies oﬀering garden buildings from the humble shed to state of the art, ultra contemporary designs built to standards of eﬃciency that most house builders can only dream of.

As mentioned earlier a Self-build unit will be £5500 inc Vat.

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Look at all the options, decide which you like the look of, then look carefully at the speciﬁcations of your short list.

They are designed so that maintenance is kept to an absolute minimum. The external roof and walls are made from incredibly durable materials as are the windows and doors. They will last indeﬁnitely as does a new house.

The diﬃcult part is to make sure that you are comparing apples with apples. Some 'log cabins' may look good in photographs but they don't really compare with the majority of buildings featured on this site. Good Luck!

Interested and want to learn more? Give the Sanctum Garden Studios team a call on 0844 800 9750 or visit their website www.sanctumgardenstudios.com

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Outside Space

Your main consideration will be the space you are going to gain inside the garden office, but don’t forget the outside space, by developing it you will gain another living space. Some of the most successful garden office projects are those that are designed to be part of the garden. Extending Your Living Space You can extend the living space in your garden office by adding a veranda or decking area. There’s something rather nice about sitting on the veranda of your garden office on a balmy summers evening, glass in hand! Traditional style garden offices tend to have a balustrade enclosing the veranda whilst contemporary designs have open plan verandas, the roof overhang offers some shade which will be welcome on hot days. Verandas look great but you can often find that they are too narrow to be a truly useable outdoor living space, think about what furniture you would use on the veranda and how many people it will take. A way of overcoming the limited space problems of a veranda is to install a deck area, decks tend to be larger than verandas and can wrap around a garden office providing plenty of living space. Many garden office suppliers can design in deck areas into the project and it could be argued that decks that are part of the garden office design are more successful than those added at a later date, this is because care is taken to match or compliment the materials used in the garden office, attention is also paid to floor and decking heights so there’s an almost seamless connection between the two spaces. So, consider outside space early in your project and you’ll end up with two rooms for the price of one! Planting Around a Garden Office The most successful garden office projects are those that are nestled into an established garden, the

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garden office looks like it was part of the garden design rather than a large box plonked in the corner! If you don’t have an established garden, consider developing the area around your garden office to make that connection. We’re not gardeners so you’re not going to find a planting plan in this guide but you could do worse than take inspiration for the planting around your garden office from the designers at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. When garden offices have been shown at Chelsea they have been coupled with topiary – shaped box often in matched pairs gives a garden office a strong architectural feel. The other thing we have learnt from the Chelsea designers is that an expanse of a single colour planting can offset a garden office well, this year it was the blue/purple of lavender which contrasted dramatically with the wooden cladding. Material Contrast Striking effects can be created by choosing different materials for the elements that surround your garden office, for instance the reddish brown colour of cedar and strong straight lines of the cladding contrast well with the silver colour and smoothness of steel planters, the opposite effect can be achieved by mixing wooden planters with smooth metal clad garden offices. Natural stone is another material that contrasts well with the timber; why not pave the area around the garden office to make maximum impact with this combination? Think about the colours you choose, what looks right with new timber might not contrast as well with aged timber, for instance slate colour paving contrasts well with new reddish brown cedar but will there be such a contrast when the cedar goes silver?

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Contemporary Garden Rooms

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? The myPod Garden Room Why does your design make the perfect garden oﬃce, how have you made it user friendly? It is installed in 1 day and can be re-sited in the same time period if required.

The standard myPod is 3m x 2.5m and comes complete with a wrap around work-space and built-in storage cupboards. All the customer requires is a Chair to sit on...... And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest?

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

We would say a minimum of 3m x 4m, which is easily achieved by adding an extra 1m to the width of the myPod or choosing one of our other 2 product ranges in an equivalent size.

They are below 2.5m and to not have any "permanent" foundations.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Yes, reinforced steel concrete pylons with concrete lintels

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Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Yes, with Pilkington K double glazing, solid wood doors and windows the myPod makes a great all year round office. The walls are 110mm thick with 75mm Recycled Glass insulation which is moisture, rot and fire resistant plus offers excellent acoustic deadening properties.

Engineered wood ﬂoor covering and painted engineered marine plywood internal walls How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? 2 Double Sockets What sort of lighting do you use in your oﬃces, why have you chosen this type?

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

3 Way Spotlights

Red Western Cedar

Do you include heating in your garden oﬃce as standard, if so what type?

What is the roof covering?

Red Western Cedar in the myPod's case and EPDM underneath that

Broadband and telephone are important in a garden oﬃce, how do buyers get these to the oﬃce?

What is the interior lining and ﬂoor covering?

Powerline Networking or Wiﬁ

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What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup? Blinds

You will need to add a little extra for some armoured cabling to run between a socket point in your house and the myPod which we supply with the electrical hookup

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

4 weeks What is the typical on site build time?

None if you allow the Cedar to turn a natural silver. Lifespan....we would think at least 30 years, the building is wrapped in a EPDM membrane which on it's own has a lifespan of 50 years if exposed to the suns UV rays.

1 day for the myPod How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost? £6995

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

Yes a standard 10years on the main structure

£8995 Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc)

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be? Compare Apples with Apples!

Want to learn more? Give Contemporary Garden Rooms a call on 01952 825630 or visit their website www.contemporarygardenrooms.co.uk

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Future Proofing

Good quality garden offices are designed to last many years, some suppliers forecast a life expectancy in excess of 60 years, so thought should be given how you can future proof your building making it as useable in the future as it is today, here are our tips: Design Be clever with your choice of garden office design, don’t choose anything that is going to look dated in 5 or 25 years time, opt for design features which will stand the test of time – we predict that large expanses of glass connecting indoor and outdoor space will always be popular on garden offices. Give some thought to the materials your choose, a garden office that has a fully plastered interior giving the look and feel of a room in the house is unlikely to date compared with a matchboard interior which could be said already looks dated. Future Use Think about how your garden office will be used in the future – will it always be an office; will your business expand and need room for more staff? Consider buying a bigger building than you need today to allow for future expansion. Consider adding a toilet, a shower room or a kitchen area, this will enable the

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building to be self contained for use as a granny annex in the future – it is possible to add features like this at a later date but it will never be as successful as being incorporated in the original design. Electrics Don’t stint on the electrics for your garden office, try and specify more sockets than you need today to allow for future acquisition of electrical appliances. It is possible to fit more sockets at a later date but it won’t be as easy or as cheap as specifying extra sockets at the design stage. Communications How will our communications change over the next few years – who knows, but our guess is that we will become more dependent on computers. Wireless technology is bound to improve but because garden offices are so well insulted and have pretty thick walls, wireless signals can be intermittent. It would be good practice to plan ahead by burying a communications channel in the trench with your electric supply – make sure the channel is a reasonable size to allow for several cables and include a draw wire to pull cables through easily. As you can see a little thought today can enhance your future use of your garden office.

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Atelier

individual clients we are able to deliver a garden studio to ﬁt their needs.

What is your most popular garden oﬃce design? Atelier manufactures two ranges of garden studio; the C-range and the S-range. In addition, we produce bespoke designs and home extensions that incorporate the Atelier style.

Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? All our garden studios come with folding sliding doors, which make the most of the studios’ garden locations, whilst providing easy access for any user. Additionally, these doors, when coupled with the combination of underfloor heating, connection to energy utilities, and great thermal efficiency, mean that Atelier’s studios are perfect for use all-year around, whatever the weather, and cheap to maintain as well.

Of these, our most popular design is probably the C-range with the curve appeal of its roof and walls, and the handsome decked veranda. Nonetheless, all our models include as standard: high level, vertical and decking powder coated aluminium fascia; cladding to rear and sides; fixed glass and aluminium folding sliding doors; under floor heating; oak internal flooring; seamless finished plastered walls, and; external decking. In essence, whatever the requirements of

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Furthermore, once erected our garden studios require virtually no maintenance, other than

Are foundations included in the price, if so what type? Foundations are included in the overall cost and we undertake their installation ourselves, ensuring there will be no delays caused by using different contractors. We install a foundation system suitable for the site conditions of each individual project. All we ask is that clients provide us with a flat surface. Are your garden offices suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Yes they are. In summer our studios’ folding sliding doors allow fresh air to circulate and keep occupants cool; whilst the combination of super effective underfloor heating and highly energy efficient glazing, allows Atelier’s studios to withstand the rigours of the coldest winter weather. Additionally we use structurally insulated panels (SIPs), which are a highly efficient modern method of construction. The panels consist of a polyurethane foam core sandwiched between two layers of OSB (oriented strand board). The result is a very strong, lightweight, highly efficient building component that when used in a SIP building will create an airtight and weatherproof seal. They are ideal for our structures. What is the exterior cladding on your garden offices? The exterior cladding consists of open joint boarded panels with a choice of one of the following timbers: • Thermowood (heat treated Scandinavian Redwood) felled from FSC accredited forests. Thermal modification improves durability and stability of the timber meaning that no treatment is needed. Uncoated timber cladding should last for 25-35 years. • Western Red Cedar felled from sustainable FSC accredited forests. This durable timber requires no treatment and has an expected service life of 40-60 years. The timber does not need treating but it can be oiled to preserve its natural colour. • European Oak felled from FSC managed sources, with an expected service life of 40-60 years.

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What is the roof covering? The roofs of our studios are made to the same specifications as the walls, ensuring the whole structure is weatherproof and watertight. What is the interior lining and floor covering? A plastered finish is offered as standard. Dry lined, moisture resistant, plasterboard is skimmed and painted matt white continuing the seamless design style inside. Alternatively, textured white laminate panels are offered as an option. These panels are manufactured from high strength board and laminated with a choice of impact resistant laminate. Panels are fitted to a framework offsite to ensure their precise fit. Using these panels will reduce installation time, they will not fade or discolour, and will wipe clean. Engineered oak flooring in a choice of finishes is offered with all our studios. How many electrical sockets do you include as standard? A consumer unit and several high quality brushed aluminium sockets with matching switches are installed as standard on all our structures. The exact location of these can be adjusted at the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) stage. What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? We offer hand-made, low energy lighting from Delta Light as standard on all models. The lighting is stylish, contemporary and extremely energy efficient. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? We include under floor heating as standard in all our studios. The system comprises a 1mm thick, laminate, polyester sheet with carbon coated heating elements fitted over 6mm insulation board. It is CE and BEAB approved with an output of 90-100 Watts/m2. The under floor heating system has running costs of just £3-£4 per m2 per year when used as the main heat source Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office?

We are very happy to assist clients with all their requirements, and these requirements are no diﬀerent. However, increasingly we are ﬁnding that wireless technology is alleviating the need for such physical connections to studios.

How much does a typical one person oﬃce cost?

What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect oﬃce setup?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

All Atelier’s studios come ready for use, so the need for any extras would come directly from the personal requirements of each client. For instance, it may well be that they want solar panels to help power their studio, or require blinds for privacy. Whatever, the requirement Atelier can meet it.

The smallest non-bespoke studio we offer is the S1, which costs £23,835 (inc. VAT, base, delivery and installation), and offers a floor space of 8m².

Our S2 studio costs £30,422 (inc. VAT, base, delivery and installation), and it offers a floor space of 10.5m². Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) No. All Atelier quotations include all specific requirements, as outlined by the client during their meeting with one of our designers.

What is the lead time on your garden oﬃces? From the point of order, it usually takes 12 weeks for an Atelier studio to be designed (if a bespoke design), manufactured, delivered and erected. What is the typical onsite build time? A typical Atelier garden studio takes 7-10 days to erect.

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As previously stated, we offer, as standard: high level, vertical and decking powder coated aluminium fascia; cladding to rear and sides; fixed glass and aluminium folding sliding doors; under floor heating; oak internal flooring; seamless finished plastered walls, and; external decking.

Additional options we provide can be discussed and approved prior to the point of sale, and these are virtually limitless depending on the requirements of the client. These extras can consist of something simple such as internal, laminated panelling, to wet rooms or solar panels.

can be left to weather and age naturally (greying in the process), can be stained or can be periodically treated with oils or waxes. The programme for maintenance is entirely up to the client but we recommend an annual inspection.

All we ask is that connection to the relevant mains is undertaken by approved professionals prior to installation, and a ﬂat surface for construction is provided.

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free? We oﬀer a free 5-year guarantee, and a dedicated aftercare support team to remedy any problems that may very occasionally arise.

The only other additional outlay would be for any necessary planning application which we can handle on behalf of the client.

If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden oﬃce, what would it be?

What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance?

Do your homework and be clear of your requirements from the outset. The garden studio market includes many companies offering structures of differing quality, and it may well be that extra money spent on a higher standard of studio will save you many pounds in your pocket in the years to come. Atelier’s studios are extremely high-specification, but, beyond the outlay of their purchase, they will last for several decades to come meeting any future requirements during that period.

Virtually no maintenance is required – only what any proud homeowner may want to undertake as a matter of course. The timbers we oﬀer have been chosen because they require little or no maintenance during an expected life cycle of up to 60 years. The timbers

Want to learn more? Give Atelier a call on 0800 046 1296 to talk about garden oﬃces or visit their website www.atelierzone.com

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Pricing

We wouldn't be surprised if you are reading this section of the Garden Office Guide before the others, and why wouldn't you, we all want an idea of what the project may cost us! You will see in this guide (suppliers were asked to give a price guide for 1 & 2 person offices) that prices for garden offices vary greatly, you can pick up a garden office for around £5,000 from some suppliers whilst others may charge £30,000. In our opinion garden offices come in three quality/price bands – cheap and cheerful, functional and well built, and high specification designer units. Band 1 You can pick up a garden office for under £5,000 but they tend to be cabin style buildings which owe their origin to the garden shed, they tend to be poorly insulated and of flimsy construction compared to more expensive garden offices, on the plus side you can gain quite a lot of space for little outlay but you have to weigh up low initial investment against future running costs and longevity. You have to be aware when looking at offices in this price band that there tend to be a lot of additional costs such as delivery, installation, foundations, double glazing, and electrics which will all bump a low initial price up. Band 2 In the mid range of the market you are looking at prices between £5,000 and £12,000, in this sector garden offices are built using house building techniques rather than being posh sheds. More attention is given to design and the material choices – most have been chosen for their longevity and low

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maintenance properties, the build quality on this range of garden offices is good. Many garden offices in this price band include the foundations and offices tend to be well insulated making them comfortable to use all year round. Many of the high end garden office designers have designed standard design units which fall into this price band and they incorporate all of the popular features at a great price point. Band 3 Garden offices in this band can range in price from £12,000 to in excess of £30,000; they tend to be cutting edge design with high spec materials. Offices in this price band tend to incorporate the latest building techniques and are designed by architects and other design professionals. Projects of this cost tend to be turnkey developments whereby the garden office supplier handles everything and hands the keys to the office over when the building is ready to move into. This band of garden offices are highly insulated, often exceeding the regulations for new housing meaning they will be very comfortable to use all year round, cost effective to heat and cool and kind to the environment. Compare like with like It’s important that you compare like with like, don’t try comparing a £3,000 log cabin with a £20,000 fully insulated office – there’s no comparison! Set your budget early and then compare garden offices in that price band, compare how well insulated the offices are, the longevity of the materials, and what the package includes – pay particular attention to delivery, foundations and heating. How do garden offices compare with other types of extension? This is a question we are often asked, a mid range garden offices start at around £800 per m2 (based on a 13sqm office) high spec garden offices start at £1400 per m2 (based on a 13sqm office) compare this with prices for an house extension built to a standard specification with standard quality fixtures and fitting and you’re looking at approximately £1500 sqm whilst high spec, complex buildings with bespoke features and designer fixtures and fittings can set you can set you back £2000 per sqm. So, significant cost savings can be made by installing a standalone garden office as opposed to a traditional extension, in addition to the cost savings garden offices are normally less disruptive to build with onsite build times varying from 1 day to 2 weeks and totally project managed. Do they add value to a house? It is generally agreed that an outdoor room or designated office space adds value to your house when you come to sell up; we think it is fare to say the better quality the garden office the more value it will add. Estimates vary on how much a garden office adds to a houses value, some people predict they add 5% to the value whilst others say you will make back your initial investment. Our advice if you are planning on adding a garden office to increase the value of your house is to choose a design that is not going to date and will appeal to a large audience. Cut commuting costs You can find lots of statistics on the Internet about how much we spend on commuting to work each year, a typical commuter travelling from Guildford to London spends £3,300 a year on train travel this is expected to rise by nearly £1000 over the next four years, if you were to work from a £15,000 garden office this would have totally paid for itself in less than 4 years and you would have at least 2 hours a day more productive time and a great work / life balance.

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Garden offices for business use If you are running a business from your garden office and are VAT registered you can claim back the VAT part of the cost, you can also set a garden office against tax, we recommend you talk through the options with an accountant. Payment terms You will usually pay for your garden office in stages, your order will be confirmed on receipt of a deposit this can be anything up to 50% of the project cost, a further payment is normally due as the office is delivered to site, often around 45% and a small final payment is due on completion of work, normally 5%. Don't forget When budgeting for your garden office project don't forget that the majority of garden office suppliers don't include the cost of the electrical connection of the office to the mains supply, this cost can vary depending on your site and the location of your garden office but as a guide you should allow £500 to £1200 on top of the cost of the garden office

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eDen Garden Rooms

Which is your most popular office design? We recommend our 3.6m x 3.6m design which is compact and perfect for a small office in the garden. All of our designs are fully insulated and heated and have electric and data points. We are happy to design bespoke offices for customers to ensure that their office meets their business needs. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Our design concentrates on ensuring that the office is perfect for year round use. As it is fully insulated and comes with underfloor heating, as standard, it is

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kept warm in the winter and can be easily cooled in the summer. Again, as standard, we provide stainless steel data and electric points and if required can easily incorporate a TV/entertainment system (if that is what is wanted for a modern office suite). As standard we install high quality windows and doors with multi point locking system ensuring you and your office equipment are safe as can be. All lighting is low voltage and the thermo efficient double glazed folding doors combined with highly efficient insulation ensure that our garden offices are minimising energy consumption, saving money in the long run.

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

(PIR) thermal insulation board which oﬀers excellent U values and ensures eDEN is better insulated than the Building Regulations require for new builds!

In most cases our garden rooms do not need Planning Permission. However if it is required we can work closely with the client to ensure the process is smoothly and eﬃciently actioned.

What is the exterior cladding on your garden oﬃces?

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Timber clad in Western Red Cedar or Larch (whatever the customer prefers) with powder coated aluminium fascias (can be in the customers colour choice). All require zero maintenance.

We would recommend our 3.6mx3.6m workspace. This offers space for a desk and chair, plenty of room for filing and shelving plus you could easily fit in an extra couple of guests chairs so you can use your office to hold business meetings. The 3.6mx3.6m offers plenty of flexibility within the space, you can even incorporate a small tea making corner!

What is the roof covering? Single Ply Membrane. We have extensive experience in installing living/green or sedum roofs in new home builds and this is always an option for our customers. Living roofs help the Garden Oﬃce blend into its surroundings as well as oﬀering thermal and acoustic insulation and a perfect habitat for the local wildlife.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? Well this really depends on the space you have in the garden. You could actually ﬁt two people in the 3.6m x3.6m space but it would a squash and you may have trouble when on the phone!

What is the interior lining and floor covering? We plasterboard and then finish plaster the walls. They are then painted by our specialists in the customer’s choice of colour, we also offer the option of feature walls and built in cupboard systems – a great choice in a Garden office as it offers ample storage, hidden behind doors (thus reducing clutter!).

With our clients we would ask lots of questions about how the garden oﬃce will be used, will there be visitors? How much storage is required? Will you need toilet facilities? Will you need tea making facilities? Is the business desk based or is a treatment/therapy? Using this information we would recommend a size to meet the needs of the business.

The ﬂoor covering is REAL wood and is available in a choice of ﬁnishes.

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

How many electrical sockets do you include as standard?

Yes the foundations are included in the price and undertaken by eDEN’s team of specialists. We use a concrete pad plinth system which allows for variances in the level of the ground and ensures eDEN has air ﬂow around the base of the building and avoids ground moisture. Concrete plinths also have the added bonus of being eco friendly compared to the traditional method of a concrete base.

We offer stainless steel faced light switches and 4 double sockets plus data points, this can obviously be easily increased depending on the size of the Garden Office What sort of lighting do you use in your offices, why have you chosen this type? We have chosen low voltage lighting throughout, for the interior lighting (standard) and the exterior security lighting and decking lighting (optional).

Are your garden oﬃces suitable for year round use? What type of insulation do you use? How thick are your walls? Yes eDEN is suitable for year round use. We use a premium multi purpose rigid polyisocyanurate foam

It is important to us that every eDEN we build is a low energy building and we chose products that ensure this target is achieved every time.

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Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? We believe that if you claim that your Garden Office is suitable for year round use then you MUST include heating as standard! As standard we include underfloor heating which can be thermostatically controlled. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? This would depend on the setup in the customer’s home. For example the simplest and least disruptive is WI-FI – we would work with the client to understand their individual setup and their requirements to develop the method for them. It may require Ethernet cables to be installed at the same time as the armoured cables – the price for this would be additional. What optional extras would you recommend to create the perfect office setup? Well we would certainly recommend a tea station and if the space allows a integral toilet – this means that customers won’t be dashing up and down the

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garden in the rain! We would also recommend the built in cupboard system for clearing away all the files and office clutter. What is the lead time on your garden offices? This varies dependent on the time of year but generally 6-12 weeks from placement of order. What is the typical on site build time? We like to allow 10 days but in most cases it will be considerably shorter. How much does a typical one person office cost? Our Garden Offices are high specification rooms which will be fully useable all year round and built to a high and exacting standard – we are experienced in building new homes and effectively eDEN is built to the same Building Regs required for a new home. Therefore don’t compare the price of an eDEN with a glorified shed, compare eDEN with the price of an extension or moving home.

The one person oﬃce of 3.6m x3.6m costs in the region of £13,500 (excl VAT).

Is there any ongoing maintenance – well you have to clean it! Other than that it is maintenance free.

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost?

What guarantees come with the oﬃce, are they free?

The two person oﬃce of 3.6m x 4.8m costs in the region of £18,000 (excl VAT). Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) We don’t do ‘hidden extras’! All are prices and what is included as standard are clearly explained. However electrical power, Ethernet connection and waste/water supplies to eDEN are an additional cost and will be priced according to the site. What is the lifespan of your garden oﬃces, is there any ongoing maintenance? eDEN is constructed to the same standard as a new home so is built to last and will withstand the English weather. The lifespan is at least 30 years but we would expect 50 years.

We offer a 10 year guarantee as standard – yes it is free! If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be? Think carefully about how much time you will spend in there, how you will use the space and how much it will cost to run before you rush out and buy the cheapest on the market. A garden office is an investment and should be a comfortable and secure place to work because you could be spending as much time in your Garden Office as you do in your home. For example if you are awake for 15 hours a day, 7 of those awake hours are probably going to be spent in your Garden Office – make sure what you spend your hard earned money on is going to be fit for purpose!

Like what you read? Contact eDen Garden Rooms on 01227 833010 or visit www.edengardenrooms.com

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Finance

So, how are you going to pay for your garden office? Many people extend their mortgage to cover the cost of their garden office project or some of the cheaper garden offices fall in the price band of a personal loan or even a credit card, if you are in business you could apply for a business loan to pay for your office, but there are other options. Many garden office suppliers offer finance options on offices so you can spread the cost of your garden office: Interest Free Credit Some suppliers offer interest free credit on a garden office, with this type of agreement a deposit of around 20% is paid and then a fixed number of monthly payments, the number of 0% months varies from supplier to supplier but typical examples are 10, 12, 24 and 36 month periods. Buy Now Pay Later If you want a garden office today but don’t want to pay for it for a year you could consider a buy now pay later deal. With this type of finance you pay a deposit of around 20% and defer the final payment for 12 months, if you pay the final payment before the end of the 12 month period you don’t pay any interest but if you go over the agreed period you will pay a high rate of interest. Fixed Monthly Payments If you want to pay for your garden office with fixed monthly payments you might consider this option, a deposit of around 20% is paid up front with fixed payments over 12,24,36 or 48 months, you pay interest on this type of arrangement and although longer terms have lower monthly instalments you will pay more interest over a longer term. You might of course just want to pay with cash!

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Insitu Garden Offices

ﬁtted oﬃce, without the expense of bespoke manufacturing.

What is your most popular garden office design? Given the very specialist nature of our product offering and the wealth of experience that we have in the office interiors and space planning fields, the majority of our offices are bespoke to a greater or lesser degree: However our centre glazed models tend to be the most popular, largely because the installation of glazing on a single elevation makes for a more effective use of the internal wall space, particularly with regard to accommodating most space efficiently our modular storage systems. Why does your design make the perfect garden office, how have you made it user friendly? Not just user friendly but equally importantly legally compliant. All of our studio office dimensions have been carefully configured internally to neatly accept both work stations and storage systems from our wide choice of high quality contemporary office furniture ranges, making the best possible use of the space available, and creating the wall-to-wall feel of a fully

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Following our in-depth office audit the appropriate number of power/data points are established and positioned strategically with regard to workstation wire management systems and other electronic devices. Our unique fully fitted ready to go office solution has the advantage of determining accurately VDU users PC/lap-top working positions in advance, this enables us to reconfigure the standard lighting grid (If necessary) to avoid unnecessary and uncomfortable glare on screens, in compliance with the 1993 EU VDU directive, a legal obligation when “employed” staff are to be accommodated. All of our operator/task chairs and workstations have been ergonomically designed not only for comfort but to meet the necessary VDU user regulatory requirements. For further information and to better understand employers’ obligations, we recommend you visit: http://www.safeworkers.co.uk/vdusandcomputers .html

How do your garden oﬃces comply with Planning Permission?

Different professions, occupations, work practices, technology & IT/Data requirements,not to mention individual personal preferences can vary considerably client by client: This is precisely the reason for our office audit and interiors consultation process. More importantly the information gathered will enable us to advise the ”Correct” size for each individual client. As a guide, we find that most single occupation offices tend to have a footprint of approximately 9-12 Square metres

Generally speaking our studio oﬃces have been carefully designed to avoid the need for planning permission, being considered allowable under the permitted development rules, however there are a few exceptions such as in areas of Outstanding natural beauty and National Parks. For the avoidance of doubt we would always recommend you make contact with your local planning authority, to discuss your outline proposals before proceeding, if planning permission is required we can handle the planning application on the clients behalf for a small additional fee.

And for two workers what size garden oﬃce do you suggest? Similarly for two worker occupation, we would make recommendations following the consultative process. As a guide a footprint of 12-15 Square metres would appear to be most popular.

What size garden oﬃce do you recommend for one worker to work comfortably?

Are the foundations included in the price, if so what type?

Years of experience has taught us that there is not a “One size ﬁts all” solution.

Yes foundations are included in the price, assuming

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down-lights, configured in a lighting grid designed to deliver a minimum 200 Lux level evenly throughout the building. We believe that the quality of light provided by using standard LED single chip spotlights is not suitable for professional office use, and in many cases when poorly positioned non-compliant with current regulations. We use a well established specialist lighting company to advise and design our lighting systems, as such we specify a unique LED down-light in a “Flood lens” format with the widest beam angle (38 degrees) currently available. These lights feature not one, but three high power Rebel LED’s for a really powerful decorative light output. The exceptionally low wattage makes them extremely energy efficient in addition to producing very low face temperatures. Strategic positioning, the wide angle beam and the “Warm” white light colour option we use (As opposed to “Cool” white) helps reduce irritating and uncomfortable glare on computer screens creating instead a very comfortable working environment, essential for those who want to maximise their productivity and avoid debilitating eyestrain caused by extended periods of computer use in inappropriate light conditions. Our lights are approximately four times more expensive than the standard spotlights widely used, but we believe the investment to be a wise one, and that the superior light quality created to be a considerable aid to effective office working. Do you include heating in your garden office as standard, if so what type? We do not include heating as standard, although we do offer highly effective under-floor heating as an optional extra. Our buildings are so well insulated that a simple plug-in oil filled radiator or small wallmounted panel heater is more than adequate in most cases. Broadband and telephone are important in a garden office, how do buyers get these to the office? We can supply IT/Data and Communication solutions in partnership with our approved partners, that range from supplying a totally new package to reconfiguring and moving an existing

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home based network. The ability to offer the exact cabling and back-up systems that make for a stress free business environment, as part of a complete package, is universally considered a major benefit by our customers. We can deliver a full VoIP telephone system that works the way that you work. Want your phone system to cover office, home & home office? No problem! We can even include mobile phones as extensions on the system. Each extension can have a separate phone number, so calls can come direct to you, or through the main ‘switchboard’. You can even keep your existing number. And if you move, you can take the number with you, even if you move to the next town or city “Flexible phoning. Forever.” We use the Internet to send and deliver your calls. So wherever you have an Internet connection, you can connect to your telephone system, using an Internet phone, a softphone on your laptop, or through the mobile network. To ensure the best quality Internet connections for your calls, we can supply suitable telephone line and broadband connections, as well as leased line and fibre circuits. We can migrate existing lines to take our broadband, too. We also supply Internet phones to suit your budget & style, including Snom and Gigaset desk phones, as well as Gigaset DECT cordless phones. On a like for like basis, we generally find that by using Internet telephony your bills are reduced. However, in addition to this, the functionality available using Internet telephony is increased. You will also just have one bill each month for lines, broadband and calls. We will work with you to tailor the system to work in the way that you want it to work. Should you prefer, we can provide training, so that you can manage the system yourselves. Of course, if you don’t want to manage the system, we’d be delighted to do it for you. IMPORTANT! Not all Internet Telephony systems provide connection to the Emergency Services. Rest assured that our systems do: 999, 112 and 911 will all get through to the Emergency Services from our Internet telephony systems. What optional extras would you recommend to

create the perfect office setup? We are specialists in the design and supply of fully fitted “Ready To Go” garden offices, as such we have included almost everything for the modern professional office user, however depending on the orientation of the building window blinds may be advisable, as would the installation of a suitable air conditioning unit if a South facing glazed elevation was either desirable or the site situation made it altogether unavoidable. We include high quality ergonomic task armchairs in our furniture packages, your office chair is the most important piece of office equipment you will use both in terms of long term health and effective working: If however you are not using our chairs, then take our advice and invest in good quality “fit for purpose” task seating…. For the sake of your back do not buy “Economy” self assembly office chairs under any circumstances. What is the lead time on your garden offices? From receipt of order and deposit payment usually 6-8 weeks, although lead times may be extended during the busier summer months. What is the typical on site build time? Given “Normal” site conditions generally 7-10 working days, although some of our larger bespoke offices may take a little longer. How much does a typical one person office cost? One person office typically £16,000 inclusive of VAT

before an order is confirmed. The electrical connection to the house supply is at extra cost, which can only be accurately determined following our Free of charge site survey. As previously mentioned, we take the lighting in our buildings very seriously and we may, on occasion, following our space planning consultation, recommend a reconfiguration of the lighting grid to suit individual need, which may result in a small additional charge. What is the lifespan of your garden offices, is there any ongoing maintenance? The modern methods of construction that we employ, allied with the high quality of the materials that we use will deliver buildings with a maintenance free life expectancy in excess of 50 years. The Western Red Cedar we use as our principal exterior cladding material needs no further treatment being naturally resistant to both fungal and insect attack, it will fade in time to a silvery grey or can be treated with Danish oil to preserve its’ original rich and varied colouration. What guarantees come with the office, are they free? We provide a 10 year insurance backed guarantee with all buildings. In addition the LED lamp replacements, have a 7 year lifespan guarantee. If you could give a buyer one piece of advice about buying a garden office, what would it be?

How much does a typical two person oﬃce cost? Two person oﬃce typically £21,000 inclusive of VAT Are there any hidden extras? (planning fees, electrical hookup etc) There are no “Hidden” extras but there may be additional costs incurred in foundations depending on the site conditions, however should any such costs apply the client will be advised accordingly

When using a garden room for professional oﬃce use, buy only from a specialist, who has knowledge of, and experience in creating functional and eﬀective working environments, that will in turn promote a healthy, safe and highly productive workspace: And don’t forget that no matter what the work chair is all important. You wouldn’t really expect us to say anything else would you?

Valuable advice from the Insitu team. For more information call Insitu on 0800 061 2639 or visit their website www.insitugardenoﬃce.co.uk

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Guarantees

Most garden offices come with a guarantee; we’d be suspicious of those that don’t! The type of guarantee can vary from supplier to supplier. Guarantee On Materials Some garden office guarantees consist of the manufactures warranties on the different materials used in the garden office, for instance the roof covering may come with a 20 year manufactures warranty and the windows may have a 15 year manufacturers warranty – this is reassuring if a material fails but what about workmanship? Installation Warranty In general garden offices are very well built but sometimes problems occur due to poor workmanship – problems could include badly fitting doors, a loose piece of cladding or a leaking gutter, these problems wouldn’t be covered by a material or components manufactures warranty as the problem arose because of poor installation rather than component breakdown. You should check with your garden office supplier how this type of problem is guaranteed and for how long. Will your supplier return to rectify problems personally or will they engage a local tradesman. You may be told that they have never needed to rectify such a problem as their garden offices are so well built, this is obviously reassuring but it would be good to know they have a procedure in place. How Long Is The Cover Most garden office companies clearly state how long their warranty lasts, our research has shown

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anything from 12 months to 10 years is common. It’s worth noting that a new house has a 10 year guarantee, so 10 years on a garden office is very good. Insurance Backed Guarantees Some garden office suppliers offer a insurance backed guarantee on their offices, this offers the consumer additional peace of mind because in the unlikely event that your supplier goes out of business during the period of your guarantee all repairs will still be covered under the insurance policy. Most insurance policies are covered by the Consumer Protection Association who vet the companies they insure to ensure high levels of workmanship which is good in itself. Are Guarantees Free You may have noticed in our Q&A session with the garden office suppliers we have asked if guarantees are free, we ask because in some cases where an insurance backed guarantee is offered, the customer has to pay the premium for the policy. As we say garden offices are generally very well built, but a guarantee will offer you long term peace of mind on what is a very significant investment.

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Paperwork

When buying a garden office you are entering into a legally binding contract and your supplier will give you quite a lot of paperwork, this might include: Written Quotation You want a written quotation for all work to be undertaken and detailing the size and specification of your garden office. Make sure you have a quotation rather than an estimate as a quote is a fixed price whilst with an estimate figures are open to change. Specification You should have a detailed specification detailing the materials and how your garden office is built. Payment Schedule Most garden offices are paid for in stages and your supplier should give you a schedule of the dates when payments are due and how much will be required; this will also inform you of the ways of paying. Contract You will sign a contract agreeing to your chosen supplier providing you with a garden office, your supplier should give you a signed copy of this for your records, the company’s terms and conditions normally accompany the contract and you should take time to read them carefully. You will normally pay a deposit as part of signing the contract.

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Terms & Conditions The terms and conditions of sale are very important and you should take time to read them carefully, if there is a problem a supplier will stand by them – some suppliers are known to rigorously enforce them! Pay particular attention to delivery clauses – some suppliers say that the customer has to have someone available to help unload the lorry! Other clauses to keep an eye on include reporting damaged materials – some say if you don’t tell the delivery driver before he leaves site it’s too late! Delivery Note Some suppliers ask you to sign a delivery note to say you have received the goods and that they are all in good order. If this is the case take the time to check the materials – a big job we know, but once you have signed this note it may be too late to report damaged materials. Snagging Lists Not every supplier will issue with this type of form so you may want to make one yourself. At the end of your project, before the workers leave site go around your garden office with the specification and plans and check everything you ordered is there, and that it is all finished to the standard you expected, if it’s not make a note of the problem and take a photo then talk to your supplier and give them the opportunity to rectify the problem before they leave site. Signing Off Your supplier may ask you to sign to say that you are happy with the building and the work done, we suggest you go around the building with a snagging list as described above – hopefully it will remain a blank sheet, before signing this form. Once you have signed this form the final payment becomes due.

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Our Buying Tips We have asked each of the garden oﬃce suppliers included in this guide for a piece of buying advice, here are our tips for buying a garden oﬃce: •

Spend time doing your homework, research the market well, visit shows or ask to see previous oﬃce builds.

•

Don’t go for the cheapest garden office, the installation of a garden office is a big project and some of what you are paying for is the personalised help you will be offered.

•

Go with an experienced ﬁrm, if a website keeps showing the same picture it’s probably the only garden oﬃce they have built.

•

Study photos of garden oﬃce designs – are they real buildings that have been built or CGI images?

•

Buy a slightly bigger oﬃce than you think you need – you don’t often hear people say they need less space.

•

If it’s a weigh up of size over speciﬁcation – go for the higher speciﬁcation

•

If you want to use your garden oﬃce all year round don’t settle for a cheap shed like garden oﬃce

•

Choose a highly insulated garden oﬃce – it may cost more today but it will reduce your annual heating bill so you will recoup the cost quickly

•

Look for an oﬃce where each element is insulated i.e. the ﬂoor, walls and roof and the doors and windows double glazed.

•

Don’t go for a quirky design that will date quickly

•

Specify more electrical sockets than you think you need, also consider outside lights

•

Don’t forget heating, however well insulated your garden oﬃce is you will need a heat source and maybe a way of cooling the oﬃce in summer

•

Incorporate a communications channel in the trench with you electric cable so that future echnology can easily be added.

•

If you are buying a small garden oﬃce consider ﬁtted furniture to maximise the space

•

Consider outward opening doors to maximise internal ﬂoor space

•

Don’t forget the area around your garden oﬃce, it can double your living space particularly in summer.

•

Give some thought to security, you will be storing important stuﬀ in your garden oﬃce so consider an alarm

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garden