Log Cabin V Steel Shed - Advice/Recommendations

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funnymunny

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Hi,

With baby no. 2 on the way we are in dire need of more space. We have been looking into getting a 'garden room' as I do some work from home and it would free up our spare room. I have been looking at various sites with log cabins and they are all pretty similar, with the drawback of having to get an electrician to put in plug points etc in. The plus side of the log cabin is that I think it looks really nice and if the blurb is to be believed they are not really high maintenance as one would think.

We visited a garden centre yesterday and came across a company doing steel sheds, but with a pvc cladding in timber effect. Their reception building was one of their own sheds and it looked really good inside and quite nice on the outside, but I'm just not sure about the external look in relation to the look of the log cabin. They do however put in the plug points and do timber cladding throughout the interior and have fascia and soffit on the outside. They are called steeltechsheds.ie (I am not affiliated with the company in any way but want to give the name in case anyone has used them).

My head is wrecked with it all. While initially it will be an office, it will also be used for storage and probably eventually a playroom so I want it to have good heat retention. One of the log cabin guys I was talking to said that the steel sheds are hot in the summer and freezing in the winter, but then he might have just been trying to sway us to the log cabin.

So if anyone has any iinput, positive or negative or any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Thanks in advance.
 
I had the same dilemma.

The timber log cabins have very varying prices, depending in the thickness of the timber walls and the finish. The downside is maintenance.

Steel sheds also have a downside. They suffer from condensation and are too hot to enter in sunny weather. Make sure they are well insulated.

I, in the end, decided to build one in block and slate the roof.
 
Steel shed not the answer for human habitation.

If you have easy access around the log cabin then the maintenance should not be 2 much of a chore.

If it were me: block and roof tile jobbie all the way.
re the sparks work, you will still need a sparks to run power from house to shed so you need to solve that puzzle also
 
Just talking about what I termed the "Sheomra Solution" for office needs by people working from home to the Planning Desk of out local authority this afternoon by phone.

Relatively easy to put on a site, almost nobody establishes the right to so as required by law -

  • As a non-residential use, the office requires Planning permission.
  • As a use detached from a house, the office requires a Fire Safety Certificate and a Disability Access Certificate.
  • As a commercial undertaking, the office attracts Rates.
I know of no-one who has put up a Sheomra or external office of some form or other who even goes for planning permission.

ONQ.

[broken link removed]

All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matters at hand.
 
hastalavista said:
Steel shed not the answer for human habitation.
Click to expand...
I agree, our steel shed is like a sauna in the summer. Would not like to work out of one or ever have kids play in one...

drop me a PM if you need any info on the log cabins. We have one and use it most of the year and is not as high maintenance as you read alright
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, it certainly made it easier to dismiss the idea of the steel shed.

Funny that some of you mention about the container, my father in law knows a guy who practically has another house at the back of his house made from containers and apparently it looks really really good, from both outside and inside. Not sure we would have the know how though to make it workable!

Husband has sort of decided that block and slate roof may be the way to go. He thinks that we could build it for around the same money as one would spend on the log cabin, which would have been around 5k. I am dubious about this as I have said that I would want it the same spec as a house, in terms of being fully insulated. Does anyone know if this is a realistic figure to build roughly a 6x4 building, with fully insulated walls and an insulated slate roof? He is going to ring a guy today to come out and get a quote but I just have a feeling that he might be underestimating it.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies.
 
We got a home office from Abwood in North Wicklow about seven years ago. It cost 10k for a 15ft by 10ft struture. That included all insulation, plastering, internal wiring, sockets, etc. We were responsible for getting all wiring as far as the office and for making the physical connection once there (electricity, phone lines, etc).

We've had no difficulty with it since. The outside walls are pressure treated and haven't required any maintenance. The wooden door and windows have required treatment every couple of years. As a wooden structure, it blends very well with the rest of the garden.

Just for clarification is your prposed structure 6 by 4 METRES or FEET. If it's the latter it would be a lot of money to spend on what would be a very small room. If it's metres, then yes I'd agree that that it seems quite cheap.
 
Sorry to drag up an old thread but in a similar position myself.

Trying to decide on a brick built garage versus a log cabin/external room.

Would be looking at something like 5x5 metres minimum. Seem to be a lot of companies providing log cabins/sheds but I don't know anyone who has gone in this direction.

Would love to hear from any with experience of having made a similar decision..
 
tosullivan said:
I agree, our steel shed is like a sauna in the summer. Would not like to work out of one or ever have kids play in one...

drop me a PM if you need any info on the log cabins. We have one and use it most of the year and is not as high maintenance as you read alright
Click to expand...


Hiya, I was wondering about getting a steel or log garden chalet and its the mainenance of the log cabin is putting me off. But your saying your steel shed is too hot , is this insulated as well ? Thanks for any advice
 
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