Are garden timber cabins watertight is a question we got asked all the time here at -.
The concise simple answer to your query is a resounding yes!
Why would they not be?
Well,let’s take a look at some of the practical troubles with a log cabin which would make the timber cabin not watertight and fairly frankly not fit for purpose.The main thing to look at as soon as possible is the roof,that’s where you would visualize the main problem would start (this is not always the situation but that’s where we will start today). The main problem with the roof would be to have the felt or shingling to not be set up appropriately. This is fairly easily done if this is something you have never done before and why it should always be carried out by a professional particularly if you are putting in a lot of your hard earned money on a log cabin.
• Make sure that the overlies are overliing in the right way. You should always start felting at the bottom of the building and felt upwards. By doing this you ensure that the felt overlies 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 start 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 operates off it will operate under the felt and consequently bring about a water leak. This is exactly the same when doing shingles,make sure you place from bottom upwards.
• Make sure the overlies of the felt/shingles are fairly generous. You don’t want them to be just barely overliing because this could bring about rainwater to get between the felt sheets and this will bring about a water leak
.• Make sure you use enough 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 building exposed to water leaks.
• It is in addition essential that when you reach the overhang of the building with the felt you nail the felt to side of the roof but DO NOT tuck the felt under the overhang of the roof as this limits the natural run off of the water. This can bring about premature rotting of the building and in some cases bring about the roof to leak around the top corners of the building as water could build up.
• Make sure you use the correct size fixings. If the roof boards on your building are let’s say 10mm,you don’t want felt nails of 16mm. Doing this would bring about the felt nails to come completely through the roof. This would not look cosmetically appealing and would in addition be a real opportunity of a water leak in the building. 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 water leak.
• The most typically overlooked area on a log cabin building is the felt or shingles on the roof. This is normally 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 exactly what you should do and I would strongly recommend at least once a year or if you notice a water leak. Because timber cabins are not built as high as the normal house and the felt and shingles aren’t fairly as tough and durable as a typical house tile they require a little more focus. 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 example would be a kids’s toys getting thrown up there which would all bring about harm to the felt/shingles. Not to mention lots of bird droppings 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 example if your timber cabin sits under a tree).
-place all of our timber cabins,we do this because we know you are investing a lot of money 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 occurs is to take care of the installation and make sure it is set up appropriately. We’ve been out to repair timber cabins in the past built by non-skilled people and if the building is not put together appropriately then number one it won’t be safe but in addition it could bring about a failure in the building to be watertight.
A prime example of this would be that the timbers haven’t been built appropriately on the walls. This would then bring about the timber cabin to differ from the design as it was intended to be. At this point when the roof was set up there might be spaces 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- place all of our timber cabins so you don’t have this to worry about. As you can visualize if there is a gap in the wall or a gap between the roof and the wall this would leave the log cabin open and it would most definitely leak which is what we want to avoid at all costs.
I in addition want to bring focus to the floor surface a second. Having your timber cabin set up 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 log cabin,don’t put it at any place that is at risk of flooding as just like the house that you live in. If the water level rises and there is no getaway 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 log 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 log 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 log cabin,which again is easily fixed by applying sealants.
In addition,in some cases particularly during the winter months,condensation can materialize inside a log cabin. This is normal due to the cabins not having any insulation fitted,it is not a water leak and can be fairly normal. We encourage at Timberdise to get a dehumidifier if you have electric access in there and leave it operating during the colder months. This will help take moisture out of the air and further increase the life of your log cabin.
If you comply with all the above guidelines you should have a water leak free log cabin for the duration of its life which can offer endless pleasure and relaxation.Remember prevention is far better than the cure.