A garden cabin survey and inspection service could save you lots of money. It can prevent future degradation of your log cabin or garden building.
We run through a long check list of every part of your cabin. This isn't just a simple survey, we also grade each part of the building as well. This helps us identify underlying problems. We also take photos of any areas of concern. That way we know if something needs preventative measures taken to stop it getting any worse.
Our top to bottom survey doesn't stop at just the timber building. We also check all around it to see what condition the base is in. Plus anything surrounding the building that may cause issues in the future.
Comprehensive inspection
This is a brief summary of what we inspect during the garden building survey and why -
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Base type and condition - a bad base can cause many issues, seemingly unconnected to the untrained eye. A case in point is that a building will slowly settle down to the shape (and possible undulations) of a "wavy" base. After a while the walls start to distort. Resulting in the doors and windows within that wall binding or not work at all.
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Is the base the correct size or over-sized? Oversized bases catch rain water. This can cause rain splash-back and therefore will cause rot and decay over the long term. Not only that but rain water will collect on the excess base. Then it is almost certainly finding its way under the base and floor of the building. If there is a damp proof membrane, that is helpful to stop rising damp. However if this has been cut off flush all round then the edges are still at the same level as the lying water. And that water will just get on top of it and unable to drain away causing even more issues. This is exactly the same problem with strip of damp proof course under each floor bearer. Water will rise above the top of the DPC and make the bearers constantly wet. This only leads to one result - rot. Do not believe that "Tanalised" pressure treated bearers are the only protection you need. They will not stop rising damp. So your floor boards will be damp and start to rot after a period of time.
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Dirt / vegetation against the building. This will cause timber to rot.
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The state of all wall logs
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The state of the stain or paint - is it in good condition and therefore protecting the timber?
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Structural roof timbers. If they are weak, the roof will be bowing down with various consequences.
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Fascia boards - many garden cabins are built for economy. The cheapest way is for the rain water tp run over the timber edging pieces which will cause rot.
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Roof covering condition. It can be some time before a leaking roof becomes evident. By this time it may have caused damage to the roof boards underneath. Catching this early can save a lot of money.
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Checking all windows and doors to make sure they are working properly and are weather-tight.
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Guttering. Mis-aligned or leaking guttering can cause all sorts of problems as it can funnel a concentrated waterspout against a building.
That is a brief outline, but the actual survey is far more comprehensive.
Charges
This is a chargeable service as it not only involves carrying ourt the actual survey on site but also a lot of time and care is taken to draw up your survey report and estimates for any works that may be required. The price is £200.00 inc. VAT plus travelling expense at £1.00 inc. VAT per mile one way from our showground at RH13 6NX (payable in advance).
What happens after the cabin survey?
Once the garden cabin survey is complete, we will produce a report. This will offer solutions for anything that needs attention, accompanied with a no obligation estimate for that work to be carried out. It will be in the form of an estimate because things can change as we start to uncover the problem area. Possibly requiring different work once fully exposed. If this is the case, it will be immediately reported back to the customer. Our installers will offer various options and prices as a pathway forward.
Even more options!
We also offer upgrading options for garden buildings. This will also help to
extend the life of your log cabin. For instance, if you have a summerhouse but want to use it as an insulated garden office for all year use, we can help. Our garden cabin survey will give us enough information to be able to quote for any improvement work required. Therefore we can not only carry out any maintenance or remedial work that you garden building needs, but also adapt it to be much more usable for you as well.
