Do you need foundations for a summer house?

However, before you can sit back and relax in your new garden building, you will need to prepare a safe and solid foundation on which your summerhouse can stand. Building a summer house base is an important stage in preparing your garden for its new addition.

scottsofthrapston.co.uk - What Is the Best Base For My Summerhouse? - Scotts of Thrapston

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With a delightful selection of summerhouses on offer at Scotts, choosing the right one for your garden can be an exciting time as you create the garden of your dreams. However, before you can sit back and relax in your new garden building, you will need to prepare a safe and solid foundation on which your summerhouse can stand. Building a summer house base is an important stage in preparing your garden for its new addition. We always say to our customers, a good base helps provide stability and promotes the longevity of your summerhouse, so it’s important to know which material will work best in your garden. In this blog post we have put together a list of our recommended types of bases that you should consider before buying your summerhouse.

CONCRETE BASE

A concrete summer house base provides a permanent and solid base that is extremely durable. Concrete bases are suitable for larger, heavier timber garden buildings, such as big summer houses, log cabins and even garden offices. Having it raised slightly above ground level allows for water to run off rather than creating a pool around the base of the summerhouse. This helps to prevent damp and rotting wood. However, a concrete base can work out to be more expensive and time-consuming to install, as more groundworks are involved. If you wish to opt for a smaller summer house or shed, concrete foundations may be a little excessive and restrictive. A concrete base is permanent.

PAVING SLAB BASE

Paving slabs are another popular, alternative base choice and one of the easiest bases to construct. Depending on the paving slabs you choose to buy, they can make an attractive patio area for the front of your summerhouse, where you can add extra garden furniture such as chairs and tables. Paving slab summer house bases can be laid on a base of sand and cement, with anchor points at the corners. Additionally, unlike a concrete base, paving slabs do offer a flexible option, in most cases, as they can be easily extended, should you wish for a larger patio area. A foundation of paving slabs is relatively easy to lay compared to bases such as concrete, and they can make an attractive patio area in front of a summer house or log cabin.

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The choice of slabs is important, as riven paving slabs, with a texture, are not recommended and they should be evenly laid otherwise you could end up with an uneven surface. Additionally, if the ground below the slabs is not stable, this may cause movement.

TIMBER DECKING BASE

Timber decking can create an attractive base for your summerhouse and has become very popular in recent years. This type of base can help prevent dampness in your summerhouse as a ridge decking base will allow water to run off the top and the space beneath the decking allows for air circulation. Although a good looking base, timber decking needs regular maintenance and isn’t suitable for larger summer houses. Furthermore, timber decking can get quite slippery when wet, so can become a safety hazard.

COMPOSITE DECKING BASE

Composite decking is a new alternative which can add more style to your outdoor space, as compared to timber decking. Made from recycled plastic and wood fibres, it is environmentally friendly and has many benefits, including low maintenance, durability, longer life expectancy and no splinters. There is the added benefit that most composite boards come in varying colours, which means you can choose a colour that complements your summerhouse and garden. Overall, composite decking is a more expensive alternative to timber decking. And, if you are looking for a natural feel and look to your decking, composites are, unfortunately, not the answer. Like timber decking, composite decking can also become slippery.

GROUND SCREW BASE

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The final type of base we would highly recommend, is the Ground Screw base. We have recently partnered with The Ground Screw Centre to offer an alternative solution to these traditional methods. A Ground Screw base removes the need for any digging and can be instantly loadable once installed. In addition, the ground screws can be easily removed if you choose to relocate your summerhouse in the future.

Further benefits include:

It is cost-effective

It is environmentally & ecologically friendly with no ground contaminates

It allows air flow to ensure your timber frame base remains decay free It can be set right down to ground level or can be left elevated, especially useful in gardens prone to becoming water-logged or in flood risk areas

It is perfect for level or sloping sites

No heavy machinery is required on site

It can be installed in a single day

It is important to decide on where you want to place your summerhouse in your garden before deciding on the type of base you require. And, budget is obviously a key consideration in your final choice. If you are planning to buy a Scotts summerhouse, please ensure you obtain the base plan relevant to your summerhouse prior to constructing your base, so it is built to the ideal size. For more information on building a summer house base feel free to contact our summerhouse Sales Manager on 01832 732 366 or email gazebos@scottsofthrapston.co.uk.

scottsofthrapston.co.uk - What Is the Best Base For My Summerhouse? - Scotts of Thrapston

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