Category Archives: Customer Reviews

Category – Tuin Customer’s Detailed Reviews.

Lots of our customer enjoy their projects and enjoy sharing them with other people, we invite people to send in their projects, experiences and thoughts. For our future customers these are very useful to see what you are letting yourself in for. These posts are always full of some great ideas and tips.

For all reviews that are sent in we always offer presents, discounts and thanks so if you would like to send it your own detailed review we would love to hear from you.

The Guide to Outdoor Dining

PostedApril 15, 2019 by Megan

Hello everyone, Meg here-

We’re quickly approaching summer. Days are feeling warmer as the evenings get brighter, but we aren’t quite in the Summer season yet – That also doesn’t mean that spring isn’t a good reason to have fun. I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “Dining alfresco” although it’s not a direct translation from Italian, it’s often referred to as “Dining in the cool” or “Outdoor dining”. Although if you were to use the term “al fresco” in Italy, you could be asking to dine in jail – So be careful!

We’ve seen plenty of our customers use our products to create the ideal outdoor dining scene. Since Spring is the ideal season for Al fresco dining, I wanted to create a collection of examples to inspire you on the essentials for outdoor dining.

The Shelter

Of course, Al fresco dining can be done without any shade – But it’s a known health benefit to stay in the shade if you’re outside for long periods of time. Our gazebo range covers a range of styles and sizes:

Our Barbara Log Cabin Gazebo is one of the few in this style of gazebos, perfect for transforming your garden corner – The Log Cabin Gazebos are the ideal size for a corner sofa and coffee table. Perfect for the more casual dining events.

For those that don’t have a lot of space in their garden – The Tourist Gazebo measures 3.4m x 3.4m and is perfect for providing shelter for you and your loved ones. Featuring a traditional apex roof design, it’s easy to see why this Gazebo is so desirable.

Our team here at Tuin can all agree that the warmth from Larch timber is very aesthetically pleasing, that’s why a fair amount of our Gazebos also have a Larch twin – For those that want to bring warmth in their garden.

This Samos Larch Gazebo has been modified with the Larch Cladding wall infills, but it’s an ideal way to add some privacy to your outdoor dining set up.

We also understand that not everyone desires the apex roof type, for a more modern garden we also have some Modern Pent Roof Gazebos.

Get all the family around the table with the Excellent Modern Gazebo – Measuring at 5.92m in length, you can host your alfresco experience for everyone, while gaining the envy of the neighbours. This Gazebo had been modified with See Through Walls for an extra level of privacy and sun shading.

The Seating

Now that we have our shelter covered – What about the seating? We offer a range of Garden Dining Sets from rustic/shabby chic styles to wicker furniture. Here’s a select few that would look both stylish and provide comfort.

Beverly Wicker Dining Set is one of the four wicker options we have in this range, featuring a glass topped table – You can dine in the ultimate comfort with these cushioned reclining chairs that are included in the set.

A perfect pair with our Modern Styled Gazebos, the Montgomery Dining Set is extremely sleek in design. It also features a comfortable but powerful combination of Textilene and Quickdry foam to ensure years of use- even with the unpredictable weather.

Or, if the other styles in our range just doesn’t quite suit your taste – You can find the ideal set up with our Create Your Own Garden Dining Set. This product page allows you to pick either a modern or rustic styled table in a number of styles. As well as choosing the number and style of wicker chairs to complete the set – Ideal for when you host large dinner parties.

The Heating

Even in the summer evenings, a chill may dampen the dining atmosphere, so why not think ahead with a heating solution? We have a range of Garden Heaters that would be compatible with your gazebo, from free standing to overhead heaters.

The Decor

Now that you have the essentials for your outdoor dining space, now it’s time to decorate it. A lot of our customers stick with a theme when decorating our garden buildings and gazebos. From traditional shabby chic to Bohemian Fantasies- Here are a few of my favourite decor examples:

Soft furnishings like cushions or blanket throws are an easy say to subtly sneak a theme in. For example, these customers who wanted to continue the warmth brought from the Samos Larch Gazebo with the uses of a soft yellow, green and those rich teal flower pots.

Alternatively, you could use the soft furnishings to add a pop of colour to your setup. Reds, Oranges and Blues would make a bold contrast against our wicker furniture.

Another idea is to introduce more natural elements to blend the scene in with your garden – Like with this Curved Lattice Gazebo where the customers introduced both planters and hanging baskets for subtle, but definitely effective pops of colour.

Or for our all-night events, why not experiment with some lighting? We do not offer electrics in our own installation service, but with the help of a qualified technician- You could certainly upgrade your wooden gazebo with a touch of modern technology. Imagine colour changing light bars that you could set the ambiance with?

The Menu

So now that the area has been set up, with all the finishing touches – I’m certain that your dining area looks great… But what to serve alongside it? I personally would go for this Teriyaki Salmon Noodle dish to get those taste buds in action, paired with a fruity Pinot Noir to complement the dish.

Is al fresco dining not just for you? Why not take a look at our Log Cabin Pubs inspiration post, or maybe you would prefer looking at how our products can be utilised for Hot Tub Covers.

The Bohemian Blue Hut

PostedMarch 29, 2019 by Megan

Hello everyone –

Today I’m going to be talking about some customers that I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while, and they are @the_bohemian_blue_hut on Instagram, these customers have done an amazing transformation of our Shepherds Hut 600 into a true bohemian fantasy.

Invitingly cosy!

How did they do it? Well, it all starts with an order and a delivery:

From getting the delivery and being ready to install your cabin/shepherds hut, we always recommend to start looking at the plans and identifying the parts needed throughout. As shown below, all of the parts were laid out for the wheel frame for the hut, then the floor joists and floor were laid down. By the next picture you can see how fast it can be to install one of our Shepherds Huts, the paneled design allows you to position the windows how and where you want them in a timely manner.

From walls to roofing, the process seems to flow one step into another – These customers also added insulation in the wall panels. We recommend using 35mm – 45mm Celotex (or similar) insulation in the walls and rockwool in the roof, allowing you to increase the heat capacity and usage possibilities of the Shepherds Hut.

Everyone involved seems to be hard at work with installing this 600cm Shepherds Hut

Our Shepherd Huts were made with insulation in mind, with the supports of each panel sticking out some, you now have the ideal size for getting your insulation even. To hide the insulation in the walls you can then essentially ‘twin skin’ the shepherds hut, either by using plywood or 8mm pine cladding to build a new wall.

From this point is where the true transformation takes its shape. These customers created picture frame-esque framing to create a vintage style which when painted, really makes the hard work paid off- Making the walls appear naturally vintage. Two colours of paint were used for the interior, using a lighter colour of blue as the base they then painted over with a rich blue shade. The effect from using chalk paint allowed these customers to achieve a naturally weathered look, and I can’t believe I never thought of that myself!

The exterior of the Shepherds Hut was painted using a green exterior paint, giving the exterior a natural look, suitable to suit the surrounding lake and woodlands. (Which in itself, is the perfect setting for this building).

The contrast from the natural exterior to the bright and bold interior, to give your guests a little surprise.

The Bohemian style has certainly made a comeback in the recent years, and I’m personally not mad about it – The modern Bohemian style consists of a few main points: Colour, Contrast and Pattern. Along with the vintage theme, these customers used a bright blue as the base for their hut, then they created their contrast by using colours ranging from pink, red to orange for their accessories.

Some elements of this project just oozes vintage luxury, from the hardwood sink cabinet and tables, the board games all the way to the lighting, each piece was chosen with the theme in mind. I also love the touch of Moroccan styling with the gold patterned curtain frame- Afterall, Moroccan aesthetics were highly praised for their luxe bohemian look in the mid 2000’s.

Did I mention that these customers also added plumbing and sewage access to this hut, allowing them to make a dainty, but certainly usable bathroom.

All pieces for the interior design was chosen with the primary colour of blue in mind.

What we now see is a transformed Shepherds Hut with a distinctive theme- A perfect theme for extra accommodation, for those few nights away when you just want to be closer to nature and to yourself. As of last week, these customers opened up their Shepherds Hut for guest bookings on Airbnb, and with a cosy bed like this, I think these guys will do well with their future of hosting.

They even managed to introduce the patten element of Bohemian style with the bedding.

I know for sure that I’m starting to feel creative again after looking through this transformation, are you?

If your brain is budding with ideas on a transformation, you can look into using the Shepherds Hut 600cm as the base for your project.

Or if you worry that 6m won’t be enough space for your ideas – We have recently added an 8m version of our Gypsy Wagon.

Pent Installation Roof Advice

PostedDecember 6, 2018 by Ben

A little insight to how you can format the parts of our Modern log cabins

So you have built up your new log cabin up to roof height and you will come across a sight like the one below, the skeleton of a roof ready to be finished off.

Up to roof height with purlins added

I have made a quick guide which I hope proves useful, there are different methods in doing this roof style that you may prefer to use.

Firstly lets identify all the roof components that we will eventually call upon, in this case we have the two-tiered eaves boards for all four sides, squared battens and a mixture of mounting slats and blocks, sometimes the eaves boards for the longer cabins arrive in half lengths which when offered up to one another span the full required length.

Identifying Roof Components

A good opportunity is often missed at this stage which is treatment and plenty of it as a lot of these parts become very inaccessible once you get further along, for more guidance on what treatments to use you may be interested in the following; https://www.tuin.co.uk/blog/log-cabin-treatment-again/

To begin with let us install the mounting blocks on the front and back of this particular log cabin, these provide more support for the eaves boards when you fit them, sometimes these blocks can be fitted to the sides instead, depending on the model, to fix these I am going to use a two of the 60mm screws at each point.

Starting to install the mounting blocks

Please do not think too long and hard where the mounting blocks need to be placed, as if the plans in front of you do not show a specific precise location, as the eaves boards may have arrived disassembled as shown in the second image above, just place them in a realistic fashion and copy the same for the back.

Mounting blocks also fitted to the back wall

The mounting blocks have all been fitted, so now it is time to think about making up the eaves boards, in this case we have been supplied with a narrow and a wider board, these two together make up the full eaves height, you may have seen that the plans are telling me to use the wider boards on the top, so let us do just that.

Eaves boards ready to be assembled

To join the two boards together we need to use the mounting slats supplied in the kit and identified earlier, anything can be used including spare pallet timber.
Please pilot drill these before securing them, by doing this with any wood you can be more sure that the wood will not split or crack, make sure their locations are correct, use the roof as a guide lining up the slats with the blocks already in place or take measurements.

Offering Eaves boards up to the fitted block locations to aid positioning

Screw the mounting slats all onto one side of the boards, I used 30mm screws which worked nicely.

Screws sent though the mounting slats into the eaves boards

Mounting slats lining up with mounting blocks and overhanging the wall logs/purlins.

Mounting slats lining up with mounting blocks

Now we have all the eaves boards made up as well as all mounting blocks and slats fitted, we then need to think about how we want the chosen roof material to be formatted.Roofing Felt, Easy Roofing or EPDM

Felt, Easy roofing and EPDM Roofing for our pent roofed log cabins

Fitting roofing felt, Our aim is to fold this under the roof edge on all four sides of the roof securing it into place using the supplied battens or sourced trims.

Fitting Easy Roofing ( ERM ) this is an easier solution to roofing felt and requires no nails as its all self adhesive, A heat gun in the colder months of the year is suggested to enhance the overlaps

Fitting EPDM now we save the best until last! The Epdm rubber roof, supplied with a spray adhesive and laid straight onto a “clean dust free roof”, like with the easy roof you would dish this up on the inside faces of the eaves boards on all four sides or just the front three

FELT ROOFING FIRST

We do have a video showing how felt in general is laid which for the basic principle is important as well as our very detailed online installation manual for pretty much everything you would need to know about getting the cabin constructed from the ground up; https://www.tuin.co.uk/blog/tuin-tuindeco-log-cabins-instruction-manual/

but more specifically here for a pent roofs which we hope helps further.

Assuming it is felt that we are fitting today we need to get the roof boards on before anything else, However what we like to suggest at this stage is to temporally tac your front eaves on first as this then gives you a line to offer them all up against knowing they will be correct.

Eaves boards fixed to the blocks ready for the roof boards

You may find that the mounting slats obstruct some of the roof boards from sitting flush so I am trimming them down, or I could have trimmed the relevant roof boards instead to slot around them.

Cutting the mounting slats so the roof boards fit flush, The roof boards could be trimmed instead where required

With the slats trimmed the roof boards sit flush against the inside face

When you go to fit the last roof board you nearly always need to rip it down to allow it to sit flush with the ends of the purlin(s)

Remember to use two nails or screws per board at every junction as the roof boards are key to strengthening the whole building, in the summer leave a 2mm gap
in-between each board whereas in the winter you close them up as tight as possible.

After that you can then remove the front eaves board as its time to fit the felt.

As mentioned, we really want to get the felt wrapped round the ends of the roof boards and under, most cabins come with battens to attach the felt under the boards, in this instance I have been supplied with the two long lengths as shown in a previous picture, I will use these and any other spare pallet timber to secure the felt if needed.

An example of how to finish the roofing felt around the ends of the roof boards

Another example showing how to overcome obstructions

You will at points have to work your way around the mounting blocks, purlins or wall logs, you could remove the blocks temporally while the felt is fitted. you can also leave the felt simply wrapped round the sides of the roof boards to avoid the obstacles but just be sure they are secured down in some way either using Felt Glue or clout nails, Ideally both.

After the felt is fully installed you can then fit all your eaves boards around all sides, the natural gap at the back is there to allow the water to drain off the roof

Expect a gap at the back of the roof, This is for drainage

EPDM or ERM Rubber Roofing

For more specific guidance on the actual installation of the rubber itself, Please visit the following for support and advice

https://www.tuin.co.uk/Easy-Roofing-Membrane.html

EPDM on LOG CABINS roofs.

For this cabin we opted for the Easy roofing as it is the best with no overlaps, the same fitting aid also applies for the Easy roofing, for these rubber options I am going to dish the roofing up on the front three sides then wrap it around the back to allow the run off.

After the initial stage of fixing all mounting blocks onto the cabin I am going to go ahead and fix all four completed eaves boards onto the sides of the roof.

A close up of a corner, Mounting slats cut and uncut as preferred

An extra pair of hands is useful for this part, but you could use clamps if you have some large enough. I screwed through the outside fascia of the eaves boards through the mounting slat into the mounting block with two 70mm screws at each point.

Eaves boards fitted at the back, Note they sit higher than those at the front due to the roof pitch

All eaves boards in place and ready for roof boards followed by the EPDM roofing

With them all fitted to the perimeter of the roof I’m ready to fit the roof boards following the same process as we did for the felt part of the guide.

Dishing of the rubber roofing can be formatted in different ways, As an example you can just have the rubber coming upwards against the inside face and apply a hidden trim to cap it off, however it is best to actually wrap the rubber around the top of the eaves board and down the other side as it helps prevent any possible ingress under it, you can then cap this off as you wish.

You may like to cut the mounting slats down on the front three sides like we did for the felt approach early as this makes offering the Epdm rubber roof easier to lay on the inside face of the boards.

Roof boards start getting laid, Remember two nails per board at every junction

Examples of how the rubber roofing can be dished up

Then for the back where the natural drainage gap is we are going to wrap it around the side of the roof boards, Some fitters at this point will actually make cuts into the tops of the blocks so they can get the EPDM wrapped further around, But you can just glue and tac the roofing to the sides

Some fitters will be very clever at this stage and actually cut a channel into the tops of the mounting blocks, eventually fitting a guttering length directing the water into a downpipe, you may need to increase the wood size of the block used depending on the gutter size, you can then glue the EPDM into the inner face of the gutter instead.

With a channel cut on the back overhangs you can fit a guttering length rigged up to a downpipe

I will mention once again that the methods above do not have to be strictly followed, “like anything in this world there are always room for enhancements!. “So fill your boots ladies and gents” and have a go. Any questions please feel free to contact us for advice

Jos Log Cabin Customer Review

PostedNovember 12, 2018 by Megan

Hi everyone!

It’s getting closer to the end of the year – But it’s great to see customers who are still installing their Log Cabins, even with the temperamental weather in the UK. For example Mr M – Who has very kindly sent in some pictures of their Jos Log Cabin installation, which has been transferred into a cosy Gin Hut!

Mr M writes as follows:

The arrival of my Jos corner cabin. Delivered by friendly/skilled forklift driver who even managed to unload into the garage. Worth taking the time to check off the materials list prior to assembly. We’ll protected packaging with materials to spare. (Note – We recommend this within our T&C too!)

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These rot proof packers are worth considering and helped me out greatly throughout my build. After spending great effort ensuring a near level slab base I still used these packers to take up any gap such as the slight skirting to slab edging. I would always recommend a wet mix of sand and cement rather than dry.

Use a DPM under the foundation beams for further protection

Then I cut and filed down the tongue. Screw fixing of first wall panels. 2 per board is an ample amount, screwing them approx 150mm from ends .From this point assembly is quick. I clear coated all tongue and grooves throughout. Note the space which I left for required annual wood preserving. This is essential in prolonging the life of your cabin. Don’t be tempted to squeeze into a corner to maximise space!

Build coming along, wood preserving as I went. This helps maintain the cabin colour from expected expansion/contraction movement particularly in 1st seasonal settlement. Note the upside down section of door frame top. My tip and is best practiced throughout construction – place prior to securing. This was easily corrected later in the build and then squared and secured.

Time for the roof. The roofing timber was less awkward than expected, beams to kingpin are pre-angle cut- a job made easier with another pair of hands. I chose to add further protection by stapling in more DPM sheeting prior to shingles. I also decided to use the 75mm board from delivery pallet rather than the 40mm barge boards supplied. I reckon it is better proportioned to the final look of the roof. Time spent on the double angle cut where boards meet. Cut with green and trial fit to achieve best fit.

Shingles on! Choose a dry day so as not to trap moisture and preferably a day warm enough to bond the bitumen strip. Watching the pyramid roof shingles video Tuin provide was particular helpful.

I decided to further weather seal the foundation by adding folded sheet metal. This was bonded to slab using sikaflex EBT external sealant then primed and oil base coated.

Floor time! More DPM sheeting and floor joists approx 300mm apart. Note more use of glazier packers to help level out the base.

You could also use off cuts of shingles if required.

Jablite boarding to help insulate underfoot… I purchased the optional 27mm flooring. Ensure the flooring is nailed tight with approx 10mm gap all around acting as a floating floor.

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The window latches were installed with more glazier packers to help centralise to frame. Off setting the second pin was another helpful tip from Tuin to add better seal when window in closed position.

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Personalised wee gin den! I also picked up from previous customer review about finishing above the door with edging. A nice finishing touch.

A great way to lay the rules straight for gin.

Project complete. So happy with the cabin Tuin supplied. I decided to go with a preserver which was in keeping with our house. There are some lovely new colour choices in wood preserving but I opted for the more traditional look showing the beauty in natural wood, knots n’ all.

Don’t be frightened to have a go, and don’t rush your build, enjoy it! Some reviews mention about done in 2 days etc… Yes you can assemble quick but my advice is to allow for several good quality preserving coats remembering to take into account drying times and unpredictable weather. Protect as you go and don’t feel rushed into completing.

I hope this review gives you some useful pointers and demonstrates the well built garden spaces Tuin provide. Well done Tuin for having such a fantastic range of product and very reasonably priced. Your product deserves the time and feedback to allow you continued success within your field.

… Now time to enjoy our new space with a gin or few!

Some very handy tips in this review, I love the sign above the cabin door! The end product shows how perfectly the Jos Log Cabin can become a cosy Gin Hut for two, truly marvelous! Thank you again for sending this in.

Interested in more reviews like Mr M’s? You can find more with a range of cabins at: Tuin Pictorial Customer Reviews.

Preparing Your Log Cabin For The Winter

PostedOctober 23, 2018 by Megan

Hello everyone!

I’m sure you’ve noticed right now, but winter is coming, which for the UK means plenty of cold mornings, rain and, if we’re lucky, some snow. I feel like most people would love to just stay at home in a cosy room all day when it comes to winter, almost like hibernation, and one way you can find your area of peace and warmth is within your Log Cabin.

But before we continue, this post will be about the interior decor of a Log Cabin- If you want a building that will suffice through the groggy weather than you will need to be prepared. We recommend for all year around use at least a 40mm Log Cabin should be considered, although when thinking of logs it’s all about the heat capacity. So for a slightly more expensive cabin, such as our 58mm Log Cabins or 70mm Log Cabins, you would save money in the long run when it comes to heating and keeping the heat in the building. Insulating your Log Cabin will also aid greatly when it comes to keeping warm in the colder months.

We also highly recommend that you learn about expansion in Log Cabins and how timber naturally acts within the damper months. Although the process of expansion is normal for timber, there are a few ways that you can help prevent this, this especially includes treating your Log Cabin correctly, with the most suitable products for timber buildings.

Now, let’s say that you have/are getting a Log Cabin, and are all ready for the winter months. What else could you do to build that warm and cosy sanctuary you envisioned? The rest of this blog should help inspire you on how to complete the interior of your Log Cabin.

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Many of our customers use a woodburner to provide heat into their Log Cabins, and it’s a great idea! So long as it’s installed correctly, so if you are thinking of installing one please use a qualified installer in the process. The important things to consider is the natural expansion and contraction of the log cabin and that the flue needs to accommodate this without restrictions.

If the idea of wood burners within a wooden building concerns you – Why not try out an electric heater? A electrical convection heater is known to be enough to heat a Log Cabin, a great example is shown within our Emma Log Cabin.

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Another example is this Piet Log Cabin that has been turned into extra accomodation, it just oozes with comfort- Complete with a bathroom, small kitchen area and a double bed, all of which are kept warm with the use of an electrical convection heater. These two cabins also have another common feature – Fluffy blankets, they are truly a winter necessity.

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There is a large selection of cabins that have plenty of room for a double bed, maybe even a queen sized? One of them being the Henning Log Cabin, this example also features windowsill plants – A nice but subtle way to become more in touch with nature.

The windows across the front and side of the cabin allows plenty of natural light to be let in, further building the homely atmosphere this cabin provides.

With the use of additional logs that match your Log Cabin, or the use of cladded panels, there’s not much to stop you taking our standard kits and customising them to your preference. As shown with the Piet above and also with this 45mm Hendrick Log Cabin.

Measuring at 5m x 5m, there’s plenty of ‘play room’ for you to add internal walls giving users of the cabin their own privacy when it’s needed, especially when it comes to the bathroom. You may not think that 5m x 5m is that big, but you will be surprised at this example of the Hendrick- Featuring a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

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Prefer sleeping higher than the usual bed? The Berlin Log Cabin features an upper level that’s just right to put a bed in and the bare necessities- I love the little window on this upper level, could you imagine being able to look at the sky so easily while you’re in bed?

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Did you know that we have a few buildings for these moments in mind? For example the Camping Barrel, to help you sleep in style or work in comfort. Featuring two separate rooms to help you keep what you need, in the area you need it in.

It also seems that this owner put the bed in a higher position in order to gain some extra storage space. A brilliant idea

I realise as I’m typing this, not everyone likes to spend all of their days in bed, but a seating area can still be inviting and cosy. For example, this colourful Blackpool Log Cabin:

Used as an office/study, these customers used contrasting colours to help brighten up the inside of their Blackpool cabin- With the blankets, cushions ready to be used for the winter.

Another colourful example is this Yorick Log Cabin, with the feature length windows giving in plenty of natural light, the light is also used to make the cushions on this corner sofa stand out! Not to mention that the sofa does look perfect for a social evening. Monopoly with a cuppa, anyone?

Corner sofas really are a great way to utilise space in your cabin, and sometimes (especially for smaller cabins) less is more. For example this Daisy Log Cabin, featuring just the necessities for a lovely evening.

The colour scheme for this cabin is also a wise choice, the wider wall colour will help add more visual space.

… Is it too early to mention Christmas?

Hear me out though, a sofa, table and a bar?! That is some impressive space utilisation.

Another beautifully made seating/study area is this Ukrik Log Cabin, that contradicts the earlier posts – Soft interior works too! It’s all about finding a colour scheme that suits your tastes, as well as finding enough chairs to get everyone in, since we’ve proven that space won’t be a problem for some of these cabins.

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And of course, what would be a post by myself if it didn’t include a Shepherds Hut or two? It’s one of the main reasons why I love these so much, even though they look plain and simple on the outside, there are so many ways in which you can transform a Shepherds Hut! The majority of these examples are from our Gypsy Caravan model.

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A Log Cabin can easily be turned into a cosy area with a few things. Of course, there is making sure you are prepared for when log cabin expansion naturally occurs, along with having the most suitable log thickness and insulation for the job. Once the fundamentals are down, then you can start playing with a colour scheme that reflects you and your personality, picking the heating source you’d prefer and of course, finding all of the fluffy blankets and cushions that you can.

How are you preparing for the winter? We’d love to learn how in the comments below!

Shepherds Hut Deluxe Review

PostedOctober 16, 2018 by Megan

Hi everyone – It’s been some time, hasn’t it?

Now that the seasons are changing it’s starting to get quieter for this industry, but we do still have customers installing their cabins! For example, Mr M’s installation of their Shepherds Hut Deluxe to which he kindly sent in some images along with some commentary and tips for future installers.

Mr M writes as follows:

A stable-full of beams and panels. Get it all under cover if possible. We started off by completing the base after correcting the three warped centre joists with modded joist hangers. Note the bases – just paving slabs laid on a bed of sand. Nearest is a thicker cast concrete slab also laid on sand to correct for the slope away from the wall.

Extra joist hangers were needed to correct 20 degree warp in the beam. Tuin supply 18 but you will need 10 or 12 more if your beams are not straight. Ours were cut-down joist hangers (they are only twisted plates) – not brilliant quality but good enough. Not sure if Tuin could sell you more of the real thing, I didn’t ask. (Note: We do sell joist hangers)

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This is by far the most tedious part of the build

Apply preservative and stain/paint as many parts as practicable before assembly – pay particular attention to the end grain.

Flooring goes on late into the evening – note two teenage helpers; almost as essential as the tea and hammers. Also note the clamps – you will need them. We are using cut-clasp nails. You will need roughly three packs – 14 nails in each board. It may sound overkill but it makes the base really secure, better safe than sorry.

Sides are on in the next image, as are the steps and the door hinge beams. Pay close attention to getting the hinge beams vertical in all planes prior to the roof going on or the doors will be skew-whiff.

The roof and doors are on the next picture, I did the doors first as the roof will get in the way. The roof is easier than expected, just keep it all tight at first with your sash cramps to keep it nice and square. This is a month or so after the previous pic – I fell off our original step ladder adding the first feather roof beam and cracked a rib. Highly recommended replacement cherry-picker ladder featured!

The completed hut. Looks good doesn’t it? The picture was taken after first frosts of the autumn (October 5^th). I haven’t added the eight end roof arcs yet. We plan to add a wriggly tin roof eventually, and the roof arcs will finish that off nicely.

Note replacement glass fibre reinforced felt laid across the arc – there are six pieces all glued and clout-nailed with the overlap away from the prevailing wind – important in Highland Perthshire! Laying it this way uses less felt and we think looks better than length-wise. It is certainly easier to do as it has no tendency to want to slide off. I suggest that you check YouTube shed covering videos which show a proper drip edge rather than wrap the covering round the roof edge as the instructions show – that will encourage the rain water to travel up to the sides of the hut via capillary action and you don’t want that.

Some very handy tips in this review, though we are sorry to hear about your step ladder incident – I hope it healed nicely! The end product shows how perfectly the Shepherds Hut Deluxe fits in with its surrounding garden, truly marvelous! Thank you again for sending this in.

Interested in more reviews like Mr M’s? You can find more with a range of cabins at: Tuin Pictorial Customer Reviews.

Gijs Log Cabin Customer Review

PostedJuly 31, 2018 by Megan

Hi everyone,

The heatwave continues to beat our expectations – And so do our customers! Installing their Log Cabins in this heat, determined to see the finishing result. For example, Mr S’ installation of their Gijs Log Cabin. With plenty of pictures to back up his words, but need I say more? Lets read what Mr S has to day about our Log Cabins.

Mr S writes as follows:

I chose to buy the Gijs from Tuin for a few reasons, I’ll list them in case it helps anyone else.

Design – loved the size of Gijs with the overhanging canopy
Value – You get a lot for your money and the free shingles offer was great
Floor – I wanted to do my own thing and they didn’t force me to buy one from them
Website – I love all the reviews, advice, blog, instructions etc on the website. By far better than anyone else in this market.
Service – They look like a company that cares about their customers. They do, I have been very impressed.

I wasn’t disappointed and would thoroughly recommend this cabin.

I thought I would contribute to the website by offering my thoughts on the build process, and some photos. I hope someone finds this interesting or useful.

Foundations

I have a sloping area at the back of my garden where the cabin was going. I really didn’t like the idea or expense of excavating and laying a concrete slab so having read the website advice and doing some other homework decided to use pads with a wooden framework on top. I also wanted to install a decking area under the canopy so the foundations I needed were almost 6m x 6m.

I used 2 different kinds of pads. 6 of them (4 corners of the cabin plus middle of the front and back walls) were excavated to about 30cm deep by 50cm square, then filled with concrete. I then sank a couple of those hollow construction bricks into the concrete and filled the holes with concrete. The other pads (about 16 of them) were expected to take less load, so I made these by laying some sharp sand and placing a concrete paving slab on the sand, then building up from there using dense concrete bricks. I didn’t bother using mortar – I’m no brickie and my builder friend said they would be fine! If you are using a similar method I strongly recommend taking time to ensure they are all level, it saves a lot of time and hassle later on.

After this I put a layer of weed suppressing cloth down so hopefully nothing will grow underneath.

I then built the frame using treated 2 x 6″ timber from the builders merchant. I put a double thickness on the edges where the cabin walls would be. Possibly overkill but I like things to be solid. I needed to use a few wedges here and there to make sure there was contact between all points on the frame and the pad foundations. At this stage I also build the frame for the stairs that will lead up to the deck.

I am a relatively keen DIYer and found the foundation stage hard work physically, but quite rewarding. I haven’t built any foundations before, and had to put up with some sass from my builder friend who thought I’d over-engineered everything. He may be right.

Cabin Build

I have helped a friend build a similar cabin so knew roughly what to expect. First stage was delivery.

Unfortunately my drive is too narrow for the fork-lift which is 3.8m wide so we had to leave it on the road. The driver was very helpful and the communication about delivery dates and times excellent. Unfortunately this left me with the task of shifting everything to the back of my garden quickly before I got a parking ticket. Fortunately my son had just finished his GCSEs and was willing to help – for some pocket money…

I made one mistake at this stage. I stacked everything horizontally at the bottom of the garden except the doors, which I stood in the house for a couple of days before the build. It was only after they warped that I read the advice on storing them flat. Store them flat!

The build is really straight forward if there are two of you – more pocket money for my son. Some of the wall pieces were hard to get in due to warping but could be fixed with some clamping and hammering as advised in the build video.

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We had the walls and about 1/3 of the roof completed on the first day. Be very careful of the ends of the apex pieces. They are held on by a very thin strip of wood and break easily. I broke two of them off. It didn’t make a difference to the build and I was able to stick them back in place for the cosmetic look after it was finished. One problem I had was getting the purlins to sit flush with the walls. Mine were a bit warped and didn’t sit all the way down. The website advises getting a plane out, but I wasn’t too happy about that. I ended up coming up with my own solution of laying draught excluder tape along the front and back walls so that when I added the roof beams, it closed all the gaps. There’s certainly a better solution to this, but it seemed to work for me.

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Roof

Finishing the roof seemed to take ages, but I was very glad I owned a nail gun. Mine’s a weedy electric one so I alternated between the proper clout nails and my nail gun to make sure it was solid. I then cracked on with laying the roof shingles. Again I found this quite straight forward, just a little time consuming.

I decided against insulating the roof because I’ll mainly be using the cabin as a workshop and I don’t get cold easily. What I didn’t consider however is heat! We’re in the middle of the 2018 heat wave and the black shingles act like a giant radiator – the roof is hot to the touch on the inside. Maybe next time I might put a layer of insulation up there.

Floor

I did decide to insulate the floor. I cut OSB board to hang between the joist then cut up sheets of expanded polythene to fit into the voids. Over that went a layer of plywood screwed to the joists, then an engineered wood oak floor that clipped together really easily. It looks lovely.

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Finishing

After quite a few test pots we finally opted to use Sikkens HLS (1 coat) and Sikkens Cetol 7 (2 coats) in light oak. It has a slight gloss/silk sheen to it which I like but won’t appeal to everyone.

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Final thoughts

An excellent product from Tuin at a very reasonable price. The quality of the boards was excellent with a handful of warped ones. Service, before during and after has been outstanding and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Tuin or this cabin. If I were to do anything different in the build process I would spend more time getting the foundation pads exactly in the right place, square and level. A couple of mistakes cost me some time and headaches later in the build (including the use of a car jack to lift one corner up while I put in some shims!). Best of luck with your builds!

A very appropriate treatment choice for this Gijs Log Cabin and a beautiful setting to pair with it! Thank you to Mr S for sending in their honest review of their experience with installing their Log Cabin.

Interested in more reviews like Mr S’? You can find a load more at: Tuin Pictorial Customer Reviews.

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