Hortons can repair, restore, and improve your existing garden cabin. We have decades of knowledge covering all types of garden buildings and interlocking log cabins. Repairing or restoring a cabin you already own can save you a lot of money compared to buying new, and it’s quicker and less hassle. In many cases, the finished result looks better than the original.
Come to the Garden Building Experts for Cabin Repairs
We have specialist equipment that no other company has, allowing us to repair and replace panels and rotten logs in log cabin walls quickly and safely. Lifting a cabin isn’t easy; they’re heavy and need to be raised all round evenly, not one corner at a time, or the cabin will rack, skew and be pushed out of square, often causing further damage.
Not only can we replace rotten wall logs, we can add extra courses of logs as well — transforming a low, pokey cabin where you have to duck to get in, into a proper garden room you’ll actually want to spend time in.
To quote for wall log repair, we’ll need:
- Width of cabin
- Depth of cabin
- Wall log thickness
- Number of rooms in the building
- Number of logs needing replacement (width logs & length logs)
- Your preference: untreated, factory-applied insecticide & fungicide basecoat, or pressure-treated replacement logs
Improving your existing log cabin means base problems can also be solved
Our equipment is also used for replacing a floor or base. The whole building can be suspended while we work beneath it, so if your concrete base has cracked or subsided, we can lay a new base without dismantling the cabin. Unfortunately, it’s common for garden buildings to be installed without a damp proof course; this leads to rising damp and rotten floor bearers and boards.
Why do garden building floors rot?
If a base is oversized, rainwater collects and runs underneath the building, causing wet rot. We’ve even seen cases where the resulting damp caused condensation under the roof, wrongly diagnosed as a roof leak. Whenever we replace a timber floor or its base, we always install a damp proof membrane as standard, extending the life of the cabin (more on damp proof membranes).
If anyone tells you “these floor bearers are pressure treated, so you don’t need a damp proof course,” be wary: a small spend on a DPC or DPM at the outset roughly doubles the life of your floor and saves money later.
To quote for base or floor repair, we’ll need:
- Width of cabin
- Depth of cabin
- Number of rooms in the building
Is your cabin in the wrong position?
We are able to move your garden building to a new position. We don’t always need to take the building down – we have specialist equipment allowing us to move cabins within a garden, laying a new base in the process if required. You can read more about this service in our “Relocate your garden cabin” post.
Or if you have moved house we can relocate the log cabin to your new address. There are various ways that we can do this –
- Dismantle the cabin, load onto a vehicle and re-build at the new address.
- Use a large HIAB crane vehicle to lift it out of the garden, transport it to the new address, and then crane it into the new site. However, this does rely on very good access for the lorry at both addresses.
Don’t just repair your log cabins, take the opportunity to improve it as well!
Not only can we repair your garden building and maintain it so it is in tip-top condition. But we can improve your existing log cabin as well. We can offer any of our services individually or combine them. It is possible to “kill two birds with one stone” which is obviously more economic as well. A good example of this is to replace any rotten logs or timbers plus replacing your old rotten timber windows and doors. Possibly upgrading them with uPVC windows and doors.
Another good example is to add roof insulation to your cabin whilst repairing your leaky roof. However, it doesn’t need to be anything major – whilst on site we can adjust your windows and doors back into full working order. Do you have a broken pane of glass? We can repair these as well (anything from single glazed timber shed windows right up to double glazed uPVC or aluminium doors).
Log Cabin Windows & Doors: Repair and Upgrade
Sometimes a window or door just needs a new lock or latch, or it’s sticking and needs adjusting. Other times it’s too far gone to repair. We can fix broken panes too, from single-glazed timber shed windows through to double-glazed uPVC or aluminium doors.
Our factory makes standard and custom-size timber windows and doors, and we also sell standard uPVC windows and doors that fit directly into our own cabins. If your cabin needs different sizes, we supply made-to-size uPVC joinery too, using our unique subframes so the frames aren’t fixed rigidly to logs that need to move. uPVC eliminates ongoing painting and maintenance, and the risk of doors dropping, windows swelling, or timber rotting. Trickle vents and tilt & turn functionality are available on uPVC just as on timber.
Our uPVC joinery can have the same functionality as our timber joinery. We can still add trickle vents where required and tilt & turn functionality for windows.
Made-to-measure uPVC windows and doors
We also sell uPVC joinery separately so you can upgrade an existing cabin without a full window replacement job. The subframe is essential; you can’t fix uPVC directly to log cabin walls, since the logs need to move freely. We can build to any custom size, meaning a straight swap for your existing window is usually only a few minutes’ job to fit.
To quote for windows or doors, we’ll need:
- Wall thickness
- Height of the overall door/window frame (actual frame measurement, excluding architraves or trims)
- Width of the overall frame (actual frame measurement, excluding architraves or trims)
- Which side the hinges should be on (viewed from outside)
- Glazing type required (single or double glazed, timber or uPVC)
Log Cabin Roof Repair & Roof Replacement
We supply several roofing materials for garden buildings. For an apex roof, our felt shingles carry a 10-year guarantee and can last up to 30 years. For a flat or pent roof with leaky felt, we can upgrade you to maintenance-free EPDM rubber roofing, backed by a 20-year guarantee.
A common fault with garden buildings is timber trim strips around EPDM edges, which rot over time. We use uPVC roof trims instead, so the trims last as long as the EPDM roofing itself.
Information We Need for a Roofing Quote
- Pent roof (flat, single-pitch): width x length, including all overhangs
- Apex roof (two sides meeting at a ridge): ridge length, plus rafter length for both sides, including overhangs
- Pyramid hipped roof (4+ sides meeting at a point): eaves measurement and each hip measurement, for every section
- Ridged hipped roof (4+ sides meeting at a ridge): eaves measurement, ridge length (even if it goes to a point, i.e. 0), and each hip measurement, for every section
Fascia Boards & Guttering
If your roof needs replacing, we’ll usually need to replace the fascia boards too, available untreated, factory-applied insecticide & fungicide basecoat, or pressure-treated. We’ll also check the roof boards for leak damage while we’re up there, and can adjust or fit new guttering to keep rainwater draining away properly.
Log Cabin Insulation Upgrades
A cabin that seems warm enough on paper can still turn into a cold, unused storage shed. The main culprit is usually the roof; heat rises, and most log cabin roofs are only 18mm thick (sometimes thinner on cheaper cabins), so heat escapes fast. A cold floor makes the same problem worse. Insulating the roof and floor makes a real difference and can turn a summer-only cabin into a genuine all-year room.
To quote for insulation, we’ll need:
- Rafter length
- Ridge length
Add Extra Height to Your Log Cabin
We can add extra courses of logs to make a cabin taller without dismantling it. Using our specialist jacking equipment, we lift either the whole cabin or just the roof structure, whichever suits your cabin best, then add the extra log courses underneath the walls or under the roof, giving you significantly more headroom.
Relocate Your Log Cabin
We can move your garden building to a new spot in the same garden, often without taking it down, using specialist equipment, and laying a new base if needed.
If you’re moving house, we can relocate your cabin to the new address in one of two ways:
- Dismantle it, transport it, and rebuild at the new address
- Lift it out with a HIAB crane vehicle and crane it into position at the new site (requires good lorry access at both addresses)
Extend Your Existing Log Cabin
If your garden building has become too small, we supply extension kits designed to match your existing cabin’s style and specification, so the result looks like part of the original design rather than an add-on. To enquire, get in touch with the size and specification you need, along with a photo of your existing building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you repair a log cabin without taking it apart?
In most cases, yes. Our jacking equipment lifts the cabin (or just the roof) evenly, so we can replace wall logs, floors, or bases with the structure still standing, rather than a full dismantle and rebuild.
Do you repair sheds, summerhouses and garden offices as well as log cabins?
Yes, our repair and restoration service covers log cabins, garden offices, summerhouses and sheds, not just interlocking log buildings.
What areas do you cover for log cabin repairs?
We work across the South of England and the rest of the UK.
What’s the difference between EPDM rubber roofing and felt shingles?
Felt shingles suit apex (pitched) roofs and carry a 10-year guarantee, lasting up to 30 years. EPDM rubber is a single sheet best suited to flat or pent roofs, and carries a 20-year guarantee. We fit it with uPVC trims rather than timber, so the trims last as long as the roofing itself.
Can rotten log cabin windows and doors be repaired instead of replaced?
Often, yes, sticking frames, worn locks and latches can usually be adjusted or fixed. Where timber has rotted beyond repair, we can replace like-for-like or upgrade to maintenance-free uPVC.
How do I get a quote for a repair or restoration?
Book a garden cabin survey; this gives you an MOT-style inspection report with advisories and a repair quote, via our maintenance service. Alternatively, use the contact form below with your cabin’s dimensions and photos of the issue; the specific measurements each service needs are listed above.
