Category Archives: Customer Reviews

Category – Tuin Customer 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.

FREE 18mm Floor on Select Log Cabins

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It’s not very often we will launch a promotion like this but you know what,.. its been a rough couple of years with covid related troubles mixed in with a global timber shortage. I think a little positivity and excitement is in order for our log cabin enthusiasts

We have had a few deals come up in the past, we offered a free upgrade on composite foundation beams https://www.tuin.co.uk/blog/free-composite-foundation-beams/ back in 2019 which was very well recived.

Going live on the 25th october 2021 we will be listing coupon codes on this page to the same value as the 18mm floor option on a select few log cabins in our range, Don’t miss out as the codes do have an expiry date of the 30th November 2021.

18mm Floor for log cabins

18mm Floor option for our log cabins

Our 18mm floor arrives in packs which are then cut to size on the day of the installation, The packs contain the T&G boards, Pressure treated joists as well as some skirtings to cover the expansion gaps. For more information on how our floor arrives and are then fitted into your log cabin, please visit the following https://www.tuin.co.uk/blog/log-cabin-floor/

Rules/Terms of the offer

  • The offer is only valid for new orders placed with in the specified timeframe
  • A valid code must be entered/supplied whilst ordering
  • The coupon value can only be used to offset the cost of the selected 18mm floor. If the coupon is used without the 18mm floor selected the order may be rejected

Thanks for making it this far, Now here’s the bit you really wanted to know. Which cabins are included in this offer and how does it work.

The offer is only valid on the following Log Cabin Models:

So how do you take advantage of this deal you may ask, let me explain the process

For Phone Orders,

Just be sure you have the code ready before you speak to an agent. they will then take you through the order process verbally and apply the discount for you.

For online orders,

Please start by selecting your chosen log cabin from the list above and visiting its dedicated product page.. Let’s choose the 40mm Emma corner log cabin for this example

Emma Product page

Product page for the Emma

We now need to chose any extras we may want, Including of course the all important 18mm floor, to do this we need to select the “options” tab

Selecting Options

Click on the Options tab

Now, Be sure to choose the 18mm floor from the list of options. Note: this will automatically increase the total but dont worry!. We haven’t entered the coupon code yet… this comes later on.

Selection of the floor

Select the 18mm floor

Once you’re then ready, Add the Emma into your cart and proceed to checkout. Once you have then entered your address details and chosen your preferred payment method you are then asked if you have a coupon to redeem.. That you certainly do.

Coupon Redeem

Click to enter coupon code

And thats about it!. you enter the supplied code and hit the “enter” key on your keyboard to apply the coupon.

emma coupon active

coupon value deducted from total

 

Delivery in Time for Christmas 2021

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Sorry to mention the C word already… I am very disappointed with myself too… in my defence the supermarkets have beaten me to it with their vast displays of festive chocolates.. its October… But still.. very sorry.

The reason for this post to spread the word, Delivery times for our log cabins and other types of garden structures are longer than they used to be, be sure to plan accordingly and allow yourself extra time if you plan on treating a loved one to a garden improvement.

So what’s on your wishlist this year, we have a huge range of log cabin, Larch buildings, Aluminium Verandas, Shepherd huts and much more to offer

On every product you will find a delivery timeframe, For the larger items you can chose your own delivery week just in case you need to postpone a little longer.

Preparing Your Log Cabin For The Winter

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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 Henning Log Cabin

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.

Log Cabin Camping Barrel

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:

Blackpool Log Cabin Office

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?

Yorick Garden Office Log Cabin

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.

Daisy Log Cabin

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?

Yorick Garden Office Log Cabin

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!

Timber Shortage and Prices 2021

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Timber Shortage as of April 26th 2021

For the DIYers and garden enthusiasts on social media, you may have seen memes like these ones:

Timber Shortage Memes

All credit goes to the creators.

Timber Shortage Meme

All credit goes to the creator.

Throughout the past decade, we are dealing with timber shortage. With the amount increasing each year, factors such as demand and climate change are huge factors. With the winters becoming warmer, forest grounds are staying wet and muddy causing difficulty with collecting timber and maintaining safety standards.
However this year there’s a slight difference- With some additional causes of the timber shortage.

Covid-19

The lockdown and policies brought to protect everyone during the Covid caused a lot of disruptions for many businesses, timber milling included. Most factories and timber mills were running at 50% to be able to keep running while making it safe for their employees, some factories closed during this period and are either starting to reopen or remain closed.

There was also a big trend during the national lockdowns, a lot of people dove into hobbies and projects. This includes gardening, DIY, baking and more. Which led peoples free time into tending their garden, growing plants and even building garden offices to be able to work from home, but still have a little peace.
These trends, the decrease in the timber workforce as well as transportation restrictions from closed borders all have contributed to this high demand, low supply shortage within the timber industry.
This also explains long delivery times you may find across many companies, unfortunately it is out of our control, but all parties within the timber product chain are now working as hard as they can to catch up to demand.

However, there is also another large factor to take into consideration for this years timber shortage..

The Biden Plan

With the introduction of the newest president of the United States of America, along came new ideas and plans to build a new infrastructure to support the future of the country.
How does this relate to timber? Well, a major part of the Biden Plan is to contribute trillions of dollars to upgrading, building and weatherising buildings. All which is great news, until it comes to the nitty gritty.
As mentioned above, Covid-19 took a large hit in the timber and milling industry- This also applied to Canadian millers, who before the pandemic were the American’s main supply of timber.

The solution to this, is for the timber to now be sourced from Europe, buying for up to double than what Europe wants to. China has also been purchasing timber at a higher price, to the point where a benchmark of 4×2 softwood product rose by 149% in price over the past year. Meaning that for european companies who don’t want to significantly raise the consumer price of their product, are now further down the buyers chain.
You can see how this now adds a domino to the current situation, while things are beginning to pick up again in the UK as we ease out of lockdown, some industries still have some time to catch up until things are running as before.

While this post was to share and explain some memes we’ve come across. We also want to use this to help our current and possible future customers understand what is happening with orders.

For those who have placed an order, rest assured we know your order and know what our backorders are.
The Tuin and Tuindeco team are working as hard as they can to handle the situation, however there is only so much we can do and provide given the current situation.

Now for some final points to wrap things up, we do thank you for your understanding during this process.

  • If you are holding on placing an order due to the hope lower prices. Unfortunately this will be unlikely for a while during this shortage.
  • Lead times listed on the website are based on current forecasts, these may change with short notice. We work on updating the website as soon as we receive an update, but please don’t shoot the messenger..
  • Our staff have no control over the current timber shortage in Europe and the delays in receiving stock. We understand that this is a frustrating situation but please try and be civil.
  • We will not request payment until your order is ready and secured for delivery.
  • If the delays are too long for you, you can cancel by emailing in to info@tuin.co.uk – We understand if you decide to cancel your order.

Timber floor update as of June 2021

Unfortunately, the timber shortage isn’t improving as of June. We are now experiencing a shortage in supply for our Log Cabin Flooring.
If you order your cabin with flooring, there may be an additional delay in delivery until stock has been replenished.
However your Log Cabin can be installed and used without flooring, floor deliveries will take place as soon as stock is in.

Update as of October 2021

The timber shortage is showing signs of stabilizing now, with a large cabin restock coming within a couple of weeks. Because of this, a lot of timber prices have decreased for the first time this year, ranging from 3 – 10%.

For more information, please read this article from the BBC on the current timber shortage. As well as this article written after Travis Perkins warning on this shortage of materials.
Another BBC article can be found explaining the post-lockdown demand.

Annabel Log Cabin Review

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The Annabel Log Cabin is known for its sleek and modern design. Take a look at this customers overview of their installation proccess for the Annabel Log Cabin.

The customer writes as follows

Bought an Annabel Log Cabin in the summer and thankfully the weather was kind and allowed me to get it all up and painted without too much interruption. Overall, very pleased with the cabin – spacious, robust, easy to build and looks great. Delivery was quick even under the Covid problems and the driver was great – he did a great job of getting it down our narrow cul de sac and right up to the top of the driveway which meant I didn’t have so far to carry everything round to the garden. I have added some description and pictures of the build.

This is the site prior to preparation. It had quite a slope on it so needed to remove a lot of soil to get a level starting point. Also had to remove some of the fencing and move another area to give about 50cm clearance all round and have good airflow.

Annabel Base Prep

The site levelled off and ready to dig out the foundations.

Rather than trying to lay a concrete base and struggle to get that flat, I chose to lay concrete foundations (about 200mm deep) and then laid medium density blocks on top to give a level and solid base. You can see the damp course for under the concrete.

Turned out to be relatively straightforward to get the blocks down and level. I used adjacent blocks and checked across to other blocks as I went along to make sure it was completely level all the way round.

Laying the base for the Annabel Log Cabin

I used the composite foundation beams. They are a little tricky as they are not very straight and level but that improves as you build up the walls and some weight comes onto the beams. You just need to nudge them into the right place but when they have enough weight on them so as not to move the overall cabin – I did this when the walls were pretty much complete.

You can see the start of the walls here – just needed to make sure everything was square especially for the first five layers or so. I used a large square but found that measuring the diagonals was the better way. That also helped make sure the space for the door was correct.

Building the walls is really easy – it is just giant Lego! The walls go up really quickly – I had the walls up within half a day. One thing to watch is making sure the wall segments between the windows and door remains vertical and even. That said, when I came to paint the cabin, I took the windows and doors out so it was then easy to nudge them back into place and get them perfect. I used a further layer of damp proof under the foundation beams – probably overkill.

In the second image, this is the cabin fully assembled with the roof and facia boards all in place. I did have to cut some additional blocks to support the facia boards at the front and back to make sure they were strong and rigid. All looking good!

Annabel Log Cabin Installation Process

I used a rubber roof which was easier to lay than I thought. I put a drain in one corner which in hindsight was probably not the best solution – while it drains OK, there is a small pool of water always left. Perhaps a better way would be to fit a gutter at the back to catch the water over the whole width. The rubber comes up the side of the facia boards which are set slightly higher than perhaps normal – and the rubber folds over the facia boards a little. I then used some timber as a capping to firmly hold the rubber at the edges all the way around.

This is the cabin now fully painted and the fencing all back in place to finish it off. Prior to painting I treated the whole cabin – inside and out – with a wood preserver. There were two coats of undercoat and two top coats. I used Sikkens paint throughout – a little expensive but wanted to make sure it was going to be well protected and would last given the investment in time and money. Painting took ages – a full day to paint one coat – was pretty glad when that was finished. I did try using a roller but it wasn’t great at getting into the chamfers between the logs so settled on a brush.

Annabel Log Cabin Painted

I removed the windows, the doors and the door frame which makes both them and the cabin easier to paint. I also used clear varnish on the inside of the cabin to seal it thoroughly.

I then sealed all around the bottom of the cabin with clears builders silicone sealant – between the foundation beams and the foundation and between the foundation beam and the bottom log – and that stops any water from getting through.

Annabel Log Cabin Paint Details

As I live is right on the edge of the Peak district, it is very windy so I took the precaution of fitting the storm braces. We did have a few windy days and nothing moved.

As this is primarily being used as a workshop / storage unit, I opted to use the plywood boards from Tuin – really solid and much cheaper than elsewhere. These were all set on medium density blocks on a concrete foundation which makes them stable and rigid. I also treated each board with wood preserver. If we choose to change the use at some point in the future it would be easy to fit insulation, lay a nicer floor and so on.

I would definitely recommend reading through the instructions and all the helpful advice on the Tuin website before you begin – it made it so much easier as the instructions that come with the cabin are rather limited. Overall, put in the effort to get the foundations right, building the cabin is much more straightforward and quicker than you think, painting was easy but it is a big area so does take some time but the end result is really satisfying. Now just need to sort the rest of the garden but perhaps that’s a job for next summer.

Thank you so much to this customer for this overview of the installation process for their Annabel Log Cabin. A real transformation with a striking colour scheme to match the sleek style of the Annabel.

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

Clockhouse Log Cabin Customer Walkthrough

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This customer review and walkthrough was certainly a delight to receive, while I will try and do this well thought out structure justice in this blog. All credit goes to Mr M for this detailed walkthrough of his installation of the Clockhouse Log Cabin.

Mr M writes as follows:

This blog is intended for information purposes only and should not be used for formal instruction or standards in anyway. I’ve produced this blog to capture and share some of my ideas in building the Clock House log cabin from Tuin. I am not a qualified builder, electrician, carpenter or any other trade, nor am I an expert in log cabins; this is my first build. I love making things and I consider myself to be a “reasonably competent” DIY’er.

Our requirements

We are a family of four, my wife and I and our two teenage boys, living in a reasonable sized house. We wanted to extend the house to give us more room and some breathing space, but lockdown happened and things changed. My wife and I are fortunate that our jobs remained, but the two of us working from the dining room table is not a viable option in the long term. The house extension was unaffordable for us and too high risk in these uncertain times, so we decided on a garden building of some description.

Some friends recommended Tuin so we made some investigations and sketched out what we wanted. Basically, we had three requirements;

1) Home office for me permanently and a second desk for Elaine and the boys to use
2) Chill out/TV/gaming area
3) Home pub/bar area for socialising

Tuin offer a massive range of options so we sketched out a few layouts and matched these to some Tuin designs. We settled on the Clock House as it was the right size, and looked attractive. We really didn’t want a “box” in the garden.

With the dimensioned plans of the Clock House on the Tuin website, I sketched out a layout as shown below. For reference I use Microsoft Visio for these sort of sketches.

Clockhouse Log Cabin Layout

Layout of Clock House showing plenty of room for home office, pub/bar and chill out spaces

With this settled we then researched all the various options for the project, the main ones detailed below:

A. The base
There is some excellent information on the Tuin website regarding the base options. For me, this is the most important aspect. Get this wrong and you’ll struggle with the build and longevity of the cabin. I decided on a concrete base for three reasons (i) we have a slope in the garden which can be easily dealt with by a bit of digging; (2) I believe concrete is a great way of dealing with damp by the application of damp proof course and damp proof membrane, and (3) I am an old school engineer and wanted a solid structure to build my cabin on!

B. The roof
Easy one this for me. Clock House a nice pitched roof so the shingles option was a no brainer. We opted for the free shingles offer from Tuin.

C. The floor
Lots on information on the website regarding the floor, but fundamentally this choice boils down to affordability and intended use. I plan to use the cabin all year round as my home office. It’s a large structure so, in my mind, the floor should be substantial. I also want to do it once only and have it last for the life of the cabin. I therefore decided the floor options from Tuin were best for us. After a little googling I calculated you can’t buy that quality wood for those prices from a timber merchant, so again the Tuin option was a no brainer. I ended up going for the 25mm floor. Probably overkill for our needs but for an extra few hundred I felt this was worth the peace of mind.

D. Insulation
As we intend to use the cabin all year this was a necessity. Once again the Tuin website provided great information. I decided on 50mm insulation boards for the floor and roof, a damp proof course to go under the foundation beams and a damp proof membrane to lay on top of the concrete base.

Constructing the base

I’m not going into the details of laying a concrete base as I am in no way qualified to do so. There is lots of stuff on the internet on how to do this. My biggest challenge was how to get the base perfectly flat and level as it is quite large at 5.5m x 4m.

I had a load of old decking boards laying around so I selected the straightest and flattest and used these to construct the shuttering. A couple of day’s hard graft digging by hand and laying the shuttering got me to a good position.

Clockhouse Prepping Base

Preparing the base. All done with lots of old wood, some decent hand tools, a long spirit level and plenty of string. Chickens are optional!

It’s really wise to use string as the basis to work out your levels. If you look closely at the picture you can see how I’ve used it. The shuttering is held in place by wooden stakes. Once I was happy with the level I screwed it all together using battens to ensure it wouldn’t move. Next, in went some hard-core. Again I had some old blockwork and patio slabs so I smashed these up and used them as the bottom foundation layer.

Clockhouse Base adding Hard Core

Hard core going in. Be careful not to move the shuttering

Finally, in went the scalpings. I needed approximately 1.5m3 so I ordered 2x1m3 bags. Many wheelbarrows later and lots of tamping by hand with a tamper from Screwfix the base was prepped for the concrete.

Continuing the base adding scalping

Scalping’s in and tamped down hard and flat. Note the re-enforcements to the shuttering I added to ensure no movement when the concrete was poured.

Finally a week later I had the readymix concrete delivered. 3.5m3 all to be borrowed in manually. With the help of two friends and #1 son we did this in approximately 45mins. The next hour was spent levelling and tamping down to a flat smooth surface.

Base Concrete Laying

Pouring, levelling and tamping. Take your time, get it right. There is no going back from here!

Taking Delivery

One week later the log cabin was due for delivery. Slight hitch from the hauliers in they they were a day late. No biggie, just a little frustrating although perfectly understandable during lockdown. The huge articulated lorry arrived. We are lucky in that we live on a quiet road and we have room in our front garden for the drop off of the pallets. They are massive and a little daunting if I’m honest.

Clockhouse Delivery

I checked over the pallets for damage and found a few scrapes and minor splits in a few logs. I took photos just in case but they turned out to be very minor and did not affect the build in any way.
The next task was unpacking and carrying the logs to the back garden. I was staggered at the volume of wood. It took 2 hours to unpack and lay out but by doing this properly it certainly helped the construction. I tried to lay the logs by size and shape, and the order they would be assembled.

Clockhouse Part Checking

Erecting the main structure

Several reads through of the instructions and lots of YouTube videos later I was ready for the build. To be honest, the instructions were not great. I am mechanically minded so I managed to understand them, but I did wonder how non-technically minded folk would fare with this build.

First job was the foundation beams. I’d opted for the black composite beams as opposed to wood. They’ll last forever and they actually look really nice. They were actually quite twisted and bent due to how they were strapped to the pallets but once they were laid out they were easy to straighten with a little pressure.

I spent a good hour positioning the foundation beams the base, measuring the diagonals to ensure they were square then cutting to length. It’s vital these are positioned perfectly, and once done, I laid down the first row of logs. Once happy I carefully lifted them to place the damp proof course underneath. One final measure and I was ready to build.

Clockhouse Foundations Installation

DPM under the foundation beams

Happy with the foundation beams I started the main structure. With the help of #1 son we were up to the final logs within a couple of hours and ready for the gable ends and purlins. So far this was very straightforward. One tip is make sure you install the windows with the way they open in mind as they are left and right handed.

Clockhouse Log Cabin Installation

Up to now, I was really happy. All straightforward and simple and safe to erect. The gable ends and purlins were a different proposition though. With hindsight, I should have borrowed/rented some scaffold of some description. Doing this with ladders was a real challenge and I found it extremely difficult to stop the gable end logs from moving. In the end I used a nail at each to pin them together which helped a lot but was not ideal. The purlins were also slightly twisted which made it even more difficult. On reflection I wonder if the whole gable end structure should have been assembled with screws then installed as one unit?

With all the purlins now in, we were done for the day. No matter how hard I tried I could not get a perfectly straight row of gable end logs. The picture below shows the run out. With some careful persuasion I did rectify it to a degree but I could not get it perfect.

Roof Purlin Installation

Gable end run out which I did improve but only slightly. Main structure all completed. Very pleased!

The Roof

What’s the best way to describe installing the roof? Real hard graft! Simple as that. The Clock House has approximately 120 roof boards. I put 2 nails in each purlin per board. That’s 1200 nails! If you are not used to this sort of work, and I am not anymore, it’s just hard going and very laborious. I had a ladder with a roof hook which was ok but I’ve lost count of the number of times I went up and down that, even with help from #1 son! I did consider hiring a nail gun, but decided not to as that would add an element of rushing to the job, hence more likely to make a mistake. It eventually took a full day to complete nailing the roof boards.

Clockhouse Roof Installation

#1 Son giving me a break nailing the roof boards. The ladder angle looks awful! I think that’s just a photographic effect!

Now for the insulation board and the shingles. This was the most worrying part of the job for me. I’d never laid shingles before and was a little anxious that it would look horrible and I’d be stuck with it for the next 10 years. Lots of internet research that evening and I felt prepared.

First up was the insulation boards. 50mm boards from BuildBase as recommended by my builder friend. Easy job. I purchased 5kg of 65mm clout nails also from BuildBase. To help retain and conceal the boards I used the long planks that made up the pallets the cabin was delivered on! A trim up and a light sanding and they were perfect. My overall plan was that everything other than the main construction and essentials was to be re-cycled so this was a great start!

Insulating the Clockhouse Roof

Insulation boards up and nailed in place. 1 on each corner and 1 in the centre of each board. Note the pallet plank sits nicely to retain the insulation boards.

Now for the shingles. First job was to mark a line for the first row. I used a string line and spent time getting it spot on. The first row went up and looked really good. I found a really good YouTube video from IKO which showed it done really nicely. From there on, it was just a matter of taking my time over each one.

Log Cabin Shingle Installation

Once all the shingles were up I decided on a capping run to really finish it off. Again lots on YouTube here. I looked at lots of pics on the Tuin website and noticed that very few had done this. I think it looks great as once finished you cannot see any nails on the whole roof. Very pro!

Roof Shingle Capping

Cutting the capping shingles was very straightforward. The finished product looks really neat and adds additional protection.

It took me a full 1 ½ days to complete shingles; 2 ½ days for the roof in total. The main challenge was the pitch of the roof is at such an angle that I couldn’t stack anything up there easily. Hard graft and time consuming but I was delighted with the finish.

The floor

Another nailing epic begins! At least I was not working at height. First job was to lay out the floor joists and cut the insulation to fit. This is where the nice flat concrete base was beginning to pay dividends. I’d ordered the 26mm thick flooring from Tuin and for some reason (I think I saw it on a blog somewhere) I was expecting the floor joists to be 70mm. It turned up with the standard joists at 45mm so I had a small problem to overcome as my insulation boards were 50mm thick. To over come this and in the spirit of recycling I decided to cut shims from the shingle offcuts to raise the joists by the required amount. Perfect.

First the damp proof membrane went down. A few quick calculations and I worked out that by running the joists front to back at 500mm spacing’s I’d get a perfectly symmetrical layout with efficient use of the insulation boards. Although Tuin recommend 400mm minimum, in my opinion 500mm is ample for 25mm thick floorboards.

Clockhouse Flooring Installation

Final calculation for the floor was the length of the boards. I wanted a nice symmetrical look so I calculated 3 lengths to align with the joist spacing and leave 10mm clearance around the perimeter. This resulted in the joists being symmetrical to the building when laid staggered. I’ve tried to show this in the following pics. The cuts align beautifully with the door opening to give a really nice finish. I really took my time nailing the boards, aligning the nails to add to the finish. I was well pleased with the result!

Clockhouse Flooring Installation

After pinning the beading around the edges, I was done. I decided to lay the beading flat and used a mitre joint. The floor in total took 1 complete day.
Final task was to seal between the base and the foundation beams as added protection.

The electrics and network

Clockhouse Log Cabin Electrics Installation

Now I was structurally sound and waterproof I could begin the electrics and internet network. I sketched out my plans and had ordered the components so was ready to go. It’s really important to plan this layout carefully. Mine are shown in the following diagrams.

Finishing off

The last few jobs before kitting out and furnishing were treatment of the wood and fitting the Clock House feature. Regarding the treatment, we opted for the Embadecor in Walnut. Three coats on the outside. Looks lovely as you can see.

Clockhouse Treatment And Clocktower Installation

Scaffold is essential to install the Clock House feature. I borrowed one from my local builder friend.

Finally the Clock House feature. There were no instructions for this so I decided to assemble it on the ground and install it using scaffold. Far too heavy for ladders! We fixed it with 3 x 100mm screws at the front just under the eaves on the outside of the cabin, and 1x100m screw at the pack point from the inside of the cabin. This is a really tricky task requiring very careful placement and measurement.

At the time of writing I’m 3 weeks in to the project. I’ve been working from home in the cabin for a whole week now and it’s brilliant. I’ve spent every spare hour on this project but it’s worth it. My first desk is in and I’m constructing the bar from left over floor joists, the delivery pallets and some wood I salved from a recycling yard. A second desk, a sofa, TV and a few pictures and we’re there! But before all that we are going to paint the interior with Embalan timber paint which Tuin kindly swapped for us for the two tins of walnut stain we didn’t use.

Clockhouse Garden Office Finish

Conclusions

The quality of the Tuin product is exceptional, as is the customer service. I would thoroughly recommend them.

The Clock House is quite a complicated build. The roof and Clock House feature do add additional levels of complexity so you might wish to consider this if you are self-building. That said, I managed it by careful planning and taking my time.

The layout plans I drew up were invaluable. Although I tweaked the ideas as the build progressed, it’s vital you have a basis to start from.

For me, the concrete base is a must for a cabin of this size. Every day I look at it I’m glad I went down this route. I personally could not imagine this log cabin in a similar setting on any other base type.

Overall, I don’t think you can beat this project for value for money. The utility and space it has provided the family is fantastic.

Thank you so much to Mr M for this extremely in depth overview of the installation process for his Clockhouse Log Cabin. A real transformation providing multiple uses within this Log Cabin, certainly sounds like a hit for all members of the family!

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

PVC Windows and Doors for Log Cabins

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With the 2021 season just around the corner- Tuin will be introducing some new options on selected 70mm Log Cabins. PVC Windows and Doors are a hardwearing and virtually maintenance free alternative to standard glass windows and doors. These double layer 28mm glazed windows are an ideal alternative for those not looking for a high maintenance window set.

PVC Windows

PVC windows are also recognised for their thermal efficiency – Allowing you to save on heating costs during winter while staying cosy warm inside your cabin. Similar to double glazed windows, the windows are constructed using two panels of glass with a vacuum seal. Reducing the amount of heat that can pass through the gap and increasing its thermal efficiency.

PVC windows will pair great with roof and floor insulation for all year around use.

PVC Window Construction

While we are currently only offering PVC windows on certain 70mm Log Cabins. You can also chose to have PVC windows on your Bespoke Log Cabin, alongside this you may also select different colour variants for the window frame. Please note that coloured framed windows and doors will cost extra compared to standard white.

PVC Window Maintenance:

As mentioned earlier, PVC windows are known for their low maintenance and performance. However, to ensure the windows continue to work at their best efficiency, there is some actions you should take once or twice a year.

The main parts of PVC window and door maintenance is to lubricate the seals and fittings to ensure the elasticity and function. We recommend using a silicon oil for lubricating the seals. For the fixing we recommend to use a lubricant or oil that doesn’t contain any acids or waxes.

Please note that coloured framed windows may need maintenance twice a year.

For more information on our PVC Windows and Doors please read the following information PDFs.

PVC Windows and Door User Information

PVC Installation Manual