Keith Lynch, Author at

19 November 2022 By Keith Lynch

Black Friday Sale on log cabins & summerhouses

Black Friday sale prices on all Hortons log cabins , Corner cabins, timber gazebos and Easibuild framed buildings AND all Lugarde summerhouses, gazebos and log cabins.

Click the links above to view our range of garden buildings on sale (you will be redirected to our master website (hortonsgroup.com). Alternatively, view some of our log cabins and garden buildings on our general page on this website.

What buildings are in our Black Friday sale?

We have lots of garden building included in our sale including all sizes and specifications of our massive range of log cabins. Everything from small 3x2m log cabins up to 6x13m multi room log cabins. We have lots of options available, some of which are also in our Black Friday deal as well.

All of our “Easibuild” heavy duty garden sheds, workshops, summerhouses and insulated garden offices are also included in this sale. If you are looking to buy an insulated garden room, now is the time to grab yourself a bargain. We have many styles for this type of building including our garden room. All of our Easibuild garden buildings can be installed and insulated. WE are also able to carry out any base work requirements as well.

Not only are Hortons own brand buildings on sale but also Lugarde summerhouses, wooden gazebos and garden cabins as well. You can generate your ideal garden building on the Lugarde configurator and whatever price it generates, we will discount it by 10%.

We’re here to help – on the phone, by email or in person

All of these Black Friday deals are available online and also if you choose to visit our showground in person. So you will still receive the sale price if you would rather see and walk around our products. And you can chat with us if you need help or advice before you decide on your building.

Click here to see all of our contact details and our showground location

3 March 2024 By Keith Lynch

Timber Greenhouses

We supply beautiful hand crafted, modern timber greenhouses. Our versatile range can be tailored to your individual requirements and is available to customers nationwide. We take great care in manufacturing our greenhouses which are installed by our expert installation technicians. In this way we are confident that your new Coppice Collection greenhouse will be installed to your complete satisfaction.
At Coppice you will find a dedicated team of specialist craft people committed to every stage of the design, build, delivery and installation of your greenhouse. Our friendly team have in-depth product knowledge and will guide you through every stage, from initial enquiry to installation.

The Ashdown Timber greenhouses range

Taking on the standard garden building in a greenhouse form, our Apex Timber Greenhouses give
you a modern transition. Our unique innovative clip system installation allows ease throughout the installation process, as well as giving you the ability to relocate your greenhouse with minimal effort.
The Ashdown apex timber greenhouse has 44 x 44mm thick pressure treated framing of which we coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons.

Standard Ashdown features:
44 x 44mm pressure treated R4C framing *
clip installation system
3mm toughened glazing
3-lever mortice lock
chrome handle
chrome hinges
2 shelf staging with brackets
2 opening windows
1695 x 720mm door, right-hand hinged

Optional features:

painted colour options
auto-opener system
double-paned door
boarded 11mm thick pressure treated dwarf walls *

*We coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons. Oil treatment will needs re-applying each year

The Burnham Bolt-on Timber Greenhouses range

This adaptable timber greenhouse will add functionality to any garden. The Bolt-On Greenhouse is a ‘bolt-on’ addition to your current garden building (height dependant), allowing for versatility within your existing space.
The greenhouse includes one door of which allows you to enter the main greenhouse area, whilst the back panel fits onto the exterior of your existing building. The Bolt-On is made up of 44 x 44mm thick pressure treated framing with half boarded panels built from our premium 11mm pressure treated cladding, of which we coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons. *.
Whilst the boarded panels are very elegant, we also offer an alternative glazed panel option, which will give an indoor-outdoor space illusion.

Burnham Bolt-on wooden greenhouse and shed

Standard features:

44 x 44mm pressure treated R4C framing *
boarded 11mm thick pressure treated dwarf walls *
clip installation system
3mm toughened glazing
2 shelf staging with brackets
2 opening windows
1695 x 720mm door, right-hand hinged
3-lever mortice lock
chrome handle
chrome hinges

Optional features:

painted colour options
3mm toughened glazing dwarf walls
auto-vents fitted
storage apex building upgrade available **

Thetford Octagonal Greenhouses

This stylish greenhouse offers your garden a contemporary, yet modern building whilst being able to fully utilise your space. The Octagonal Greenhouse lets in as much light as possible with full 360 degrees toughened glazing, offering an elegant, yet functional space. This building includes multi-storey shelving which maximises your planting area, as well as 7 opening windows allowing extra ventilation for your growing needs.
The Octagonal is made up of 44 x 44mm thick pressure treated framing with half board height panels built from our premium 11mm pressure treated cladding, of which we coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons. *
Whilst the boarded panels are on trend, we also offer an alternative glazed panel option which will give an indoor-outdoor space illusion.

Standard features:

44 x 44mm pressure treated R4C framing *
boarded 11mm thick pressure treated dwarf walls *
3mm toughened glazing
chrome handle
chrome hinges
multi-shelf staging with supports
7 opening windows
1870 x 900mm door, right-hand hinged

Optional features:

painted colour options
double-paned door
double-paned panels
3mm toughened glazing dwarf walls

Hatfield Lean-to greenhouses

The Lean-To Greenhouse operates as an addition to your current garden structure, allowing you to build
onto an external wall or fence (fence specification must be suitable).
This greenhouse has the versatility to open up as garden a room directly from your home. The Lean-To allows you to choose which gable-end your door is located for your personal preference.
Having auto-openers as standard within this greenhouse allows you to be worry-free when concerned regarding temperature, as our auto-openers work on a hydraulic system which ventilates the greenhouse dependent on the internal temperature, all of which are fully adjustable.
The Lean-To framing is 44mm x 44mm thick pressure treated framing with our half boarded panels from our premium 11mm pressure treated cladding, of which we coat prior to leaving
our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber
throughout the seasons. *

Standard features:

44 x 44mm pressure treated R4C framing *
boarded 11mm thick pressure treated dwarf walls *
clip installation system
3mm toughened glazing
1 shelf staging with brackets
2 opening windows with auto-vents
1695 x 720mm door (either end), right-hand hinged
3-lever mortice lock
chrome handle
chrome hinges
3mm toughened glazing dwarf walls

Optional features:

painted colour options
fully glazed

*We coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons. Oil treatment needs re-applying each year

Gisburn Combi Timber Greenhouses

This versatile, modern timber greenhouse will add style to any garden. Featuring a storage space within
the building, this greenhouse offers more than just your standard growing space.
Our ability to provide combination rooms means that we are perfectly happy to create a space as well as
separate storage for other items. The Combi Greenhouse has 44mm x 44mm thick pressure treated framing of which we coat prior to leaving our factory in a microporous oil treatment that allows the timber to breathe, whilst protecting the timber throughout the seasons. *
The building includes 2 doors, one of which allows you to enter the storage space, whilst the other door allows access into the main greenhouse area. The option is available to change this door to a sliding door** which allows the building to utilise all of its space, whilst being easy on the eye.

Standard features:

44 x 44mm pressure treated R4C framing *
standard pent building with 11mm cladding for storage space
clip installation system
3mm toughened glazing
1 shelf staging with brackets
1 opening window
hinged door divider between storage area to greenhouse

Optional features:

painted colour options **
auto-opener system
1695 x 720mm gable-end door, right-hand hinged
boarded 11mm thick pressure treated dwarf walls *
3-lever mortice lock
chrome handle
chrome hinges
additional opening windows to roof *
storage pent building upgrade available with sliding door **

16 October 2022 By Keith Lynch

Log cabin repairs

Repairing log cabin walls – is it possible to replace rotten wall logs in a log cabin?

The simple answer is yes BUT it’s not something for a DIYer or even a “professional” handyman. We have specialist equipment and decades of experience carrying our log cabin repairs and in all things “log cabin”. Click here if you would like to know more about us.

Analysing the problem (we don’t just guess what work or repair in needed!)

The usual logs that need replacing are of course the ones at the very bottom. This is where they get wet from rain splash back dripping off the roof. The bases are all too often oversize. This then creates a “shelf” for rain to drip onto from the roof. Or even just heavy rain that lands on it, causing splash back. When timber gets wet over a longish period it also causes any paint to peel off. This exposes the bare timber and making the situation even worse.

Replace a rotten wall log in a log cabin — Does this look familiar? If so, then you need to do something about it – if it’s still solid timber then treat it with a wood preservative and then paint it with a waterproof timber treatment. If rotten then this should be replaced sooner rather than later as it will only ever get worse.

It may not be just the wall logs

The next in line is the floor of the cabin – all too often, cabins are built straight onto the concrete base. There is no form of damp proof course or membrane. So although customers think that it is only rotten wall logs at the bottom of their wall(s), it is very often the case that the floor bearers have gone rotten as well. Leading to a comment such as “I thought the floor was a bit bouncy over there”!

Avoiding a bodge job repair (that will only make matters worse)

Log cabin walls are built from the ground up. Fully interlocking into the logs above and below as they go up. That means it is not possible to just simply remove and replace a log. Someone not knowing this would probably just try to repair the log cabin wall by cutting the log in question out. They don’t necessarily think about how they would get a new one back in. This probably resulting in a bodge with glue, filler and screws that would end up leaking.

Hortons have the knowhow (and the right equipment) to carry out log cabin repairs

Hortons have developed a method to carry out these log cabin repairs where we actually lift the whole cabin up above the rotten logs. How is this possible??? We use hydraulic rams! We lift it high enough to be able to simply lift the log in question up out of the notch joints in the corner.

https://youtu.be/kRixO1wU3tg

The gap needs to be about 150mm to do this. Then we just slot the replacement log into place. Then simply lower the cabin back down again for a seamless repair.

How to replace a wall log and floor in a log cabin

Do everything once and do it right

We can also easily replace rotten floors / floor bearers as well whilst the cabin is up in mid-air. Cabins are always built off of the floor bearers meaning that they are trapped under the walls, making them very tricky to replace. In order to get to the floor bearers, we need to lift the floor boards first. Unfortunately nearly all floor boards are nailed down and it’s almost impossible to avoid damaging them when taking up, so new floor boards are usually required. However, the good thing is that we can take advantage by also laying a full damp proof membrane (DPM) over the whole area to stop this ever happening again (see a video of how we lay our DPM here).

Our log cabin repairs are as good as new – Sometimes even better!

By the time we have finished, the cabin is in a great state of health and will last more many more years to come, just look at the corner log cabin below being repaired. This is a list of things that were carried out in this cabin repair –

New damp proof membrane
New replacement bottom logs around the whole cabin
New timber base ring beam and floor bearers
New floor boards
New windows and doors

We give our customers peace of mind as well as many more years of use for their log cabin!

This is not a job for the fainthearted! Unless you are a real expert, we don’t suggest that you even think about trying it.

14 August 2022 By Keith Lynch

Painting a log cabin after installation

This is a hint worth knowing about!

When painting a log cabin you need to be aware that the log cabin will settle down immediately once built. It doesn’t matter how hard you hit the logs as you are building it (for instance, one log may bow down a millimetre or two. But the next log on top may bow in the opposite direction – suddenly you cabin is 3 or 4mm higher). The weight of the roof bearing down on the cabin walls is enough to start straightening these “imperfections” out, but this take a little bit of time of course. It is easily possible for a cabin to settle down 50mm in the first few weeks.

Decades of experience

We have actually built very tall cabins that have settled 100mm! The taller the cabin, the more it will settle down. This is because it is made with more logs and therefore more joints between the logs which need to “mould” into each other. It is also a fact that the thicker the wall logs, the longer it will take to settle down (they are stronger and so will resist this compression phase for longer).

So that’s the initial settlement phase of a log cabin, but there is also the seasonal change as well…..

PAINTING A LOG CABIN DURING SUMMER

As the air temperature and moisture content decrease, the wall logs will also reflect this change. Depending on the exact use of the timber, “normal” moisture content for softwood timber for external use is around 19%. When timber loses moisture, it shrinks. In extreme cases, ie heatwaves, external timber can reach below 5% moisture content. This means that a typical 135mm high log could reduce down to 132mm. This doesn’t sound like much. But if a cabin is 15 logs high, it means the cabin can be 45mm shorter than it’s equilibrium status (during Spring and Autumn)!

PAINTING A LOG CABIN DURING WINTER

Conversely, timber swells when it gains moisture content (who remembers the old style wooden kitchen doors jamming up in the Winter???). This is where using a good quality timber treatment/paint comes in. This will stop too much rain getting to the timber face and stop too much being absorbed which would cause the logs to swell. And if left unprotected long term, going rotten of course. Nonetheless, the moisture content of the logs will increase during Winter regardless. This therefore means the cabin could be as much as 20mm taller than it’s yearly average.

So that is the background to this article – log cabins move up and down!

The easy solution

This then leads on to a helpful hint when painting a log cabin. Bearing in mind that people usually paint it in the first few days after installation. This is correct as per T&C’s but it is also before any of the settlement / movement has happened. Most people would paint around the window and door trims / architraves……But what happens when the cabin walls move?…….

Winter – the walls swell up, leaving potentially unpainted wood showing above the frame.

Summer – the walls shrink, leaving unpainted areas below the architrave “haunches”.

There is of course a very simple solution that most people don’t think of. Which is to unscrew the top trims from the frame before painting. And then replace them when the painting is complete – it’s as simple as that! It doesn’t matter what time of year it is (ie the timber moisture content, and so the height of the cabin) – the cabin will still move up and down (as it should do) but there won’t be any unpainted timber showing.

In a perfect world…..

The more all-encompassing way to paint a cabin is painting it before installing the windows and doors – which gives all round protection to all of the logs, even the hidden parts no longer in view. Thus ensuring a longer cabin lifespan.

The best option is one that not many other companies offer (but we do!) – factory painting. Not only are all logs (including the tongues, grooves and all notches), windows, doors, fascia boards painted all round (twice) but you get a much better finish because of the spray paint (or stain) finish, so there are no brush marks at all.

7 August 2022 By Keith Lynch

Damp proof membranes for log cabins

Log cabins need damp proof membranes! There are many companies selling log cabins, but very few that provide a damp proof membrane (DPM) for their cabins. Nor even advise customers about this.

There are a few main reasons why cabins don’t last as long as they should do. The major one being the lack of a DPM which prevents damp rising up into the base timbers. Then it progresses up further into the cabin floor an wall logs……. “The bearers are pressure treated, so it doesn’t need one” – WRONG! The base timbers will eventually rot, even if treated. The base timbers will transfer this moisture up into the floor boards and bottom wall boards. Such a shame to have to replace a cabin when just a few extra pounds would eliminate this problem from the outset. Installing log cabins correctly saves years of heart-ache later on, simple as that!

Correctly installing DPM is essential

So laying a DPM is essential in our view, but it’s also how it’s laid that also makes a big difference. Cutting it off around the edge of the floor / bearers just exposes open edges at ground level. Therefore rain / rain water will get on top of it and run in under the building. With nowhere to go because the DPM is waterproof! Even worse if there’s a dip in the base. This will cause a puddle under the floor. Then the water could evaporate creating a high air moisture content, which will rise up through the floor. The last stage is what causes the damage. It transfers into the building where it will condense on any colder surface. This “water” looks like there is a leak (especially if it condenses on the underside of the roof).

This is not fantasy, we have seen this actually happen. This could also happen if the bearers are just laid on strips of damp proof course. Although not as likely, assuming the ends of the bearers are open and will therefore ventilate.

The method

The best way to lay a DPM is if it is over-size and then laying the bearers on top of it. Crucially the excess DPM is folded back on top of the bearers before building the walls. This way there are no cut edges at ground level, ensuring it stays dry. Our DPM kit also adapts the floor to include an extra timber cover fillet all around the edges. This covers the exposed DPM, Thus protecting it from UV degradation and also mechanical damage (strimmers etc)…..

If you have an insulated floor, then the spaces between the bearers is full of insulation. Hence there are no air gaps and therefore nothing to ventilate (warm deck). If it is not an insulated floors then the spaces between the bearers need ventilation. This can be easily achieved by drilling a series of holes along the appropriate flank. Drill these with an upward angle at least 30mm up from the bottom so if any water does find it’s way to the opening, it will simply run back out again.

These damp proof membranes for log cabins measures will probably at least double the life of your cabin. Easy when you follow the correct installation method, and only a few pounds extra.

Black Friday Sale on log cabins & summerhouses

What buildings are in our Black Friday sale?

We’re here to help – on the phone, by email or in person