There are many ways you can transform all aspects of traditional log cabins, including roof and floor. Whether it is a contemporary log cabin, log cabin summerhouse, log cabin playhouse or even corner log cabins.
One of the most popular uses of a log cabin outdoor building is to turn it into a home garden office. This is as a garden cabin can be a room separate to your house to differentiate between work and home. Perfect for those who are self employed or small business owners, by installing a log cabin into your garden you will cut down on travel costs and won't be required to rent office space. A log cabin outdoor building could be the ideal spot for a home garden office as they feature large windows that provide sufficient amounts of light into the building allowing you to have a healthy mind. Furthermore, they can be decorated in a large amount of ways and they are likely to last for a long period of time. Determining the work and home life balance has never been easier for someone who works from home with a garden home office. This is as to get from work to home you are physically having to leave one building to enter another. For help with choosing the best log cabin home office, have a read of our guide .
Log Cabin Sheds
Additionally, log cabins can be used as a style of storage sheds similar to that of wooden sheds. For instance as bike sheds and as a wooden garage. Unlike single doors, the double doors allow for easy maneuvering of belongings whether it be your lawn mower, motorbike, garden tools or even a mobility scooter. Convenient for those constantly looking to use their outdoor based belongings. Also, with the option of either single or double glazing you can protect your belongings however best for you. This makes the log cabin a highly convenient outdoor building.
Our log cabin sheds are made from premium softwood materials. This provides strong structural strength and dependable durability. The sheds themselves are available in alpine, apex, pent and traditional styles meaning all gardens and all tastes are catered for. Built to last, any items you are looking to store inside the log cabin shed, from bikes to lawn mowers and outdoor toys to barbecues, are guaranteed to be safe.
As with traditional sheds, log cabin sheds can also be used for other means such as a home pub, she shed or man cave.
Small Log Cabins
We understand that many of you are limited with the garden space you have, especially the garden space that you can afford to take up with a garden building. That's why we offer small outdoor buildings. Made with the same care and precision as our larger cabins, you too will have your own additional room to escape to. Although small, a cabin can still be transformed into a cosy spare living room where you are able to curl up and read a book, stream you favourite videos and music, or simply take a nap. Or, they can be an excellent way to include a slither of additional storage space into your home. Whether it's gardening tools, outdoor toys, or simply stuff you don't have space for in your attic or loft, a small log cabin can provide you with plenty of space to fit your needs.
Log Cabin Playhouses
Not only limited to adults, log cabins can also be bought in the form of a playhouse. This could therefore be the best place to allow your kids imaginations to run wild with creativity. Whether it's pretending to be a cowboy, astronaut, princess or the next Avenger, a log cabin playhouse can provide plenty of space for all kinds of play.
Our log cabin playhouses come with beautifully crafted doors with the option of traditional cottage style windows, shutters and flower boxes. With these features combined, a log cabin playhouse could easily entail the same classic charm noticeable in more traditional playhouses such as a wendy house.
In addition, some of our log cabin playhouses are available as two storey. This means the children have the opportunity to believe they are owners of their own home. With a raised platform for a bed, add some comfy chairs down stairs with a pretend kitchen, maybe even real snacks, and you may find they are wanting to spend more time in there than they do in the actual house.
Also, by allowing them to have real plants in the shutter boxes on the outside of the playhouse you may introduce them to a new love of gardening. Simply give them the task of watering and taking care of their plants and you may find that they want to help in looking after the rest of the garden too.
Log Cabin Summerhouses
BillyOh summerhouse log cabins are a luxury style of summer house guaranteed to bring you joy. Designed to provide you with an outdoor garden space which is suitable for relaxing, storing garden tools, as well as working from home, a log cabin summerhouse could be the answer to wanting a home extension with no means of achieving it. And, with the log cabin construction, you will gain access to a sturdy outdoor building built to last.
Outdoor Building
However, before purchasing stylish log cabins, it is important to know about any planning regulations which may apply to your wood garden building. This is as we don't want you to go through the excitement of getting your own log cabin to then be ordered to take it down.
A few planning regulation issues which may affect you include whether your log cabin is likely to extent past the boundary of your house. Similarly, if your log cabin is within two metres from the boundary it is essential to make sure the highest eaves height is no larger than 2.5m with a ridge height of 4m. However, this won't apply if you are opting for a pent log cabin, which has a flat roof. This is as there are no eaves on the outdoor building meaning you are able to get away with a maximum height of 2.5 metres.
However, these terms can vary depending on where you are, the type of accommodation you live in, and the style of garden building you are opting for. Therefore, we recommend reading our blogs which will help teach you all you should know before purchasing a log cabin.
Log Cabin Maintenance
Taking care of your log cabin is essential in ensuring longevity. One of the most important ways of maintaining contemporary log cabins is by regularly applying treatment to your log cabin. This could either be in the form of oil-based treatment, water based treatments, solve and spirit based treatments or pressure treatment.
Each form of treatment has their own advantages and disadvantages. For instance oil-based treatments only require being retouched every five years. This may sound convenient. However, oil-based treatment is actually one of the least effective forms of treatment.
In addition, solvent and spirit based treatments are one of the more effective methods of treatment, and will only need retouching every three years. On the other hand, pressure treatment is able to go deeper into the precut timber. This means it is likely to have stronger weather protection than the other methods.
For more information about a buying guide, log cabin maintenance, how you can use a log cabin and what the best log thicknessess are, for instance 19mm interlocking logs, 28mm interlocking logs, or 44mm interlocking logs, take a look at our ultimate guide. And you will learn facts like 44mm log cabins are constructed using double tongue, this means it is 57% thicker than the 28mm option.
Additionally, learn about the Garden Buildings Direct experience by hearing from our customers directly in our blog. For instance in our BillyOh Dorset log cabin stories as well as our BillyOh Devon log cabin stories.
Log Cabin Thickness
There are many log thicknesses available to you. These include 19mm, 28mm, 35mm, 44m and 70mm. But finding the right thickness for you can be difficult. Therefore, here are some quick helpful tips to help assist you with your decision.
19mm uses interlocking construction which is strong and durable, although this thickness will not be as effective as thicker logs at protecting the log cabin against the weather. Therefore, 19mm is best suited to summerhouse log cabins which will be used in warmer months. A 28mm thickness is similar to 19mm but is a more premium summerhouse option. Whereas, a 35mm log thickness is ideal for outdoor buildings used in Autumn, Spring and Summer.
Furthermore, unlike logs of a smaller thickness, 44mm logs are constructed using double tongue. This allows the log cabins to be better equipped at dealing with harsh weather conditions. We recommend opting for double glazing for log cabins being used all year round, as they offer better insulation. However, for the garden building designed with the four seasons in mind, opting for 70mm is the best choice. This is as the walls make use of extra purlins that help make the building impressively strong as compared to thinner wall thicknesses.
Stylish Log Cabins
There are a number of ways you can transform a log cabin into something amazing. Many are conventional, however there are some which way shock you and spark your imagination.
One example of a traditional log cabin is using it as a crafts room. A place to store all of your pens, pencils and paints. A crafts room can be the perfect compromise to having a space that can get messy without it mattering. No matter if you enjoy drawing or painting, a log cabin can provide the space for a large flat table, or even floor space to get creative. Whereas, if you prefer crafts and always end up with a large amount of fabrics waiting to be used, why not put shelves and draws in your log cabin for the ultimate organisation. You can even put the work you are most proud of on the walls for a spark of decoration.
Alternatively, why not convert your home garden log cabin into a home cinema. A few blackout blinds to block out the sun, a TV or projector with surround sound technology and a few comfy seats with fluffy blankets are the essentials you will need to create an amazing home cinema. And, for the ultimate experience, invest in a small drinks fridge to keep cool drinks on tap, a popcorn machine for a tasty snack, and some LED lights with dimmer switch to really make you feel like you're in a world of your own. And, of course, don't forget a shelving unit to store all of your DVDs and videos.
On the other hand, if relaxing isn't your idea of a good time, convert your log cabin into a home gym. A log cabin home gym can be a very cost-effective way of keeping fit. This is as you are not having to pay for that pesky gym membership, the locker when you get there or are required to spend money on the transport to get there. A home gym can also give you the flexibility to exercise when you want rather than being limited to gym opening times. Make sure when planning a home log cabin gym to take space into account. Take into account how large the exercise equipment you are purchasing is as this may determine what size log cabin you require. Also make sure to plan how the equipment is going to fit into the log cabin, as you will need not only space for the equipment but space to use it too.
Furthermore, if you enjoy housing friends and family but are limited on space, a great solution is to convert your log cabin into a spare bedroom. This, like other examples of log cabins, is an easier method of making space without having to undergo the hassle of investing in a home extension. In a few easy steps you can transform the outdoor building into a lovely escape for your friends and family to escape to. A spare log cabin room is the perfect scenario to be in when you have friends over to stay. This is as it can give them the necessary privacy they require to be comfortable, whilst still being in your home. Alternatively, it could be an amazing alternative to a bedroom for a teenager. This is as it gives them their own space whilst giving them a small slice of extra freedom.
Contrastingly, another great way to utilise a outdoor garden cabin is to turn it into a studio or games room. We think you would agree that there is no more pleasing feeling than knowing that your children or other half is having fun and you don't have to listen to it. For instance, if they are into their music, a log cabin can be the best place to move the noise into somewhere where you are not required to hear it. Fill it full of musical instruments such as guitars, ukuleles and drums and maybe even invest in some sound proofing so your neighbours don't have to hear it either. Or, if you are looking at having a games room for the children or even for yourselves a log cabin could be the perfect divide between work and home.
Garden Log Cabin
Although thinking about the interior of a log cabin can be an exciting experience it is crucial that you take into consideration the amount of space you have available to position a garden building first. Make sure to measure your available garden space efficiently, both height and width to reduce the risk of being disappointed to find out you purchased the wrong size. Size of your garden isn't the only important factor.
The size of the outdoor building you are interested in should be in your mind throughout the whole process. This is because the size of the log cabin will take a bearing on what you can include inside. For instance, a large spacious log cabin will be able to accommodate larger furniture and more of your belongings. Whereas a small log cabin will be limited to what it can hold. Furthermore, it is important not to cover the windows of your log cabin completely, if you intend to use it during the day, as this will block out the light and may cause you to not be able to see clearly. Therefore, once you have purchased a log cabin we recommend planning how you are going to decorate the interior. This is as, in some cases, it can quickly become an expensive affair.
