Guides

Using paving slabs for a shed base is one of those brilliantly simple ideas that people often overlook because they assume it’s either too hard to do or won’t be stable enough. In reality, a well-laid slab base can be absolutely rock-steady, weather-resilient and a whole lot easier to build than pouring concrete or wrestling…

A gravel shed base is one of the most popular choices in the UK, but it’s also one of the most common to get wrong. If the gravel is too shallow, uneven, missing a proper sub-base, or you don’t use the right type, your shed can start to sink, tilt or hold water underneath. When…

A good garden shed needs a solid base, and a timber frame is one of the easiest and most versatile options to build for UK gardens. It keeps your shed level, lifts it off damp ground and creates the airflow it needs to stay dry and sturdy.  In this guide, we’ll walk through what timber…

Building a shed is one of those DIY projects that actually feels exciting. You get to design the space, picture what you’ll be using it for and maybe even daydream a little about how organised your life will be once it’s up (especially if you’ve been living in a jumble of clutter or trying to…

Building an outdoor sauna is becoming one of the most popular wellness upgrades for UK homeowners. According to the British Sauna Society, the number of public saunas in the UK doubled between 2023 and 2024, and is expected to double again by the end of 2025! Saunas offer an authentic way to relax, rejuvenate, and…

Conservatories had their moment. Loft conversions, too. But a garden room extension is the modern upgrade homeowners actually want today. They’re warm in winter, cool in summer and designed to look exactly the way you like. With moving costs climbing and traditional home extensions dragging on for months, it’s no wonder people are turning to…

If you’ve been looking for ways to add more usable space to your home without the stress and disruption of a traditional extension, you’ve probably come across the term garden room. But what exactly is a garden room, what makes it different from other garden buildings, and how can it fit into your lifestyle? This…

The beauty of a summer house is that it can be anything you want it to be. With the right paint, you can turn it into a peaceful retreat, a vibrant workspace or a cosy spot to escape the chaos of the main house. The magic’s in the makeover. A lick of colour can warm…

There’s something deeply satisfying about giving your summer house a fresh coat of paint. A little effort now can transform it from weather-worn to wow and help it stand strong through sun, rain and everything in between. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to paint your summer house from start to finish….

Thinking about adding a garden room, home office or timber building to your Scottish property? Whether you’re after a quiet spot to work from home, a creative studio, or a place to unwind, it’s important to know where you stand with planning permission before you start building. Fortunately, many garden buildings fall under something called…

One of the most important steps is to think of what wood to use for your log cabin. As you might expect, there are a few different options. The good news is that it’s actually not that hard to choose the material, since most log cabins in the UK are made from either pine or…

In this guide, you’ll learn what U-values are and why they matter, along with relevant U-values for Summerhouse24 timber cabins and their components. All U-values are listed in tables for various wall thicknesses, insulation, windows and doors.  If you’re after some in-depth information, don’t forget to read the last section. We’ll cover some technical details…

Are you looking to understand concrete base costs for your shed? You’re in the right place, because we’ll break down everything you need to know in our helpful blog post. Building a shed is a great way to add storage space and value to your property, but…  Often enough, the foundation is overlooked in the…

Not every garden building needs planning permission. But what if you built a summer house that required planning permission, yet you never got it? This is a situation where property owners sometimes find themselves in and then learn about the so-called “4-year rule”, which has been replaced by the “10-year rule” in October 2023.  These…

In the UK the word ‘summer house’ is most often used to refer to an outdoor garden structure, that has a pitched or flat roof made of tiles or felt and that has windows and a door or two. The Oxford dictionary defines a summer house as ‘a small building in a garden, used for…