Are garden timber cabins rainproof is a question we got asked all the time here at garden log cabins .
The brief simple answer to your question is an unquestionable yes!
Why would they not be?
Well,let’s take a look at some of the possible problems with a log cabin which would make the timber cabin not rainproof and quite frankly not fit for purpose.The main thing to seem at immediately is the roof,that’s where you would imagine the main problem would commence (this is not always the situation but that’s where we will commence today). The main problem with the roof would be to have the felt or roof shingles to not be installed correctly. This is quite easily done if this is something you have never done before and why it should always be undertaken by a qualified professional particularly if you are investing a lot of your hard earned cash on a log cabin.
• Make sure that the overlaps are overliing in the correct way. You should always commence felting at the bottom of the construction and felt upwards. By doing this you ensure that the felt overlaps on top of the piece of felt that is further down the roof. This will ensure there is a natural run off of the water,if you commence felting at the top of the roof and you put the overlap from the bottom pieces over the top of the felt higher up when the rain works off it will work beneath the felt and consequently create a leakage. This is precisely the same when doing shingles,make sure you set up from bottom upwards.
• Make sure the overlaps of the felt/shingles are quite generous. You don’t want them to be just barely overliing because this could create rainwater to get between the felt sheets and this will create a leakage
.• Make sure you use ample felt nails. Ideally you want to be spacing the felt nails around 6 inches apart from each other. Always do this on both sides of the felt and dependent on the quality of the felt you are using possibly put another row of nails in the middle,possibly two rows but again this depends on the quality of the felt. Failure to put enough felt nails in there could result in the felt blowing off during a bad storm which would then leave your construction exposed to leaks.
• It is in addition crucial that when you reach the overhang of the construction with the felt you nail the felt to side of the roof but DO NOT tuck the felt beneath the overhang of the roof as this limits the natural run off of the water. This can create early rotting of the construction and in some scenarios create the roof to leak around the top corners of the construction as water could build up.
• Make sure you use the correct size fixings. If the roof boards on your construction are let’s say 10mm,you don’t want felt nails of 16mm. Doing this would create the felt nails to come completely through the roof. This would not seem cosmetically pleasing and would in addition be a real option of a leakage in the construction. They way felt is now designed,there should be a watertight seal around the nail but throughout the seasons with wear and tear this may fail resulting in a leakage.
• The most generally overlooked area on a log cabin construction is the felt or shingles on the roof. This is primarily because we can’t see it most of the time and it’s a lot more difficult to get up there and have a look,but this is precisely what you should do and I would encourage at least once a year or if you notice a leakage. Because timber cabins are not built as high as the typical house and the felt and shingles aren’t quite as tough and resilient as a normal house tile they require a little more attention. They are exposed to more elements on a daily basis because they are lower,this can result in a number of things from falling debris from plants,or another good example would be a kids’s toys getting thrown up there which would all create damage to the felt/shingles. Not to mention lots of bird excrement can rot the felt if it is in an area where natural rainwater can not penetrate it to create a natural run off and cleaning system (for good example if your timber cabin sits under a tree).
timberdise garden log cabins set up all of our timber cabins,we do this because we know you are investing a lot of cash into a log cabin and you want it to be around for a long period of time. So the best way we can ensure this happens is to take care of the installation and make sure it is installed correctly. We’ve been out to repair timber cabins in the past built by non-skilled people and if the construction is not put together correctly then number one it won’t be safe but in addition it could create a failure in the construction to be rainproof.
A prime good example of this would be that the timbers haven’t been assembled correctly on the walls. This would then create the timber cabin to differ from the design as it was intended to be. At this point when the roof was installed there might be gaps between the roof and the wall. Spaces could in addition appear on the walls of the timber cabins themselves and in some situations if the initial build of the timber cabin was so bad you would have no choice but to take down the timber cabin and rebuild it.
This is why See range here set up all of our timber cabins so you don’t have this to worry about. As you can imagine if there is a gap in the wall or a gap between the roof and the wall this would leave the cabin open and it would most definitely leak which is what we want to avoid at all costs.
I in addition want to bring attention to the floor a second. Having your timber cabin installed on a proper ground base is a must. That could be a Timberdise ground base,cement base or a paved area. As long as they’re flat,level and solid you should be ok. Be mindful of where you put the cabin,don’t put it anyplace that is at risk of flooding as just like the house that you live in. If the water level rises and there is no escape for it then the timber cabin will flood,that is regardless of how thick and tight your timbers are.
Lastly let’s talk about sealants around the windows and doors. Make sure after you have treated your cabin you fit the relevant sealants around the doors and the windows. The cabins don’t come with these fitted as standard,this is so you can treat the cabin first and then apply the sealants afterwards. By not fitting the doors and windows with sealants then there’s a chance rainwater could penetrate the inside of the cabin,which again is easily fixed by applying sealants.
Additionally,sometimes particularly during the winter months,condensation can materialize inside a cabin. This is typical due to the cabins not having any insulation fitted,it is not a leakage and can be quite typical. We suggest at Timberdise to get a dehumidifier if you have electric access in there and leave it operating during the cooler months. This will help take moisture content out of the air and further increase the life-span of your cabin.
If you comply with all the above suggestions you should have a leakage free cabin for the duration of its life-span which can offer limitless fulfillment and relaxation.Always remember prevention is far better than the cure.
