Frequently Asked Questions
Applies to our standard log cabin range, field shelter and garden sheds – any questions on bespoke buildings can be answered direct to you via email, letter or over the telephone.
In this section you will find answers to the questions we are most frequently asked. If you do not find the question and answer you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact us on 01275 549476.
- Where does the timber used in my building come from?
- What are the log cabin doors and windows made from?
- Why are the buildings pre-treated?
- What makes the cabin waterproof?
- Do I need Planning Permission for log cabins, garden sheds and garden offices?
- Do I need to prepare a base for my building?
- Do you offer an installation service?
- Can I add roof and floor insulation?
- How long will it take to build my cabin?
- Can I build it myself?
- What tools do I need to install my building?
- How do I place an order?
- Do you deliver to anywhere in the UK?
- How long will it take for my building to arrive?
- How much does delivery cost?
- What am I buying? (Properties of timber)
- Do you offer a warranty against rot and fungal decay?
- Are you an environmentally friendly company?
Where does the timber used in my building come from?
Amid Building Solutions are committed to preserving the environment and our timber is sourced from sustainable and well-managed forests. We are FSC and PEFC certified. For every tree that is cut down at least 2 saplings are planted.
The timber used in our buildings is responsibility sourced from a number of European Countries. See About us page for more details on our environmental policy.
What are the log cabin doors and windows made from?
Our doors and windows are made from the same quality and species as the rest of the cabin. They are double-glazed. They come complete with matching high quality chrome furniture and the door has a high-security lock. Windows can be opened from the inside of the cabin only and each window has a latch on the inside. Timber is by far the least carbon intensive window material available.
In its life time a uPVC window produces 1200% more CO² than one made of wood. (Napier University, Life Cycle of Window materials – A Comparative Assessment)
Please note the window in the garden shed is Perspex not double-glazed – see features under product description.
Why are the buildings pre-treated?
All of our timber buildings (unless requested otherwise) are high pressure treated. Any timber coming into contact with the ground needs to be high pressure treated in order to protect it from rotting and suffering fungal decay. Treating provides a durable and effective barrier against insects and fungal decay. The treated timbers can be painted over if you wish. The timber itself will turn a straw yellow colour after being exposed to daylight for a few weeks and the slight green tint to the treated timber will not be evident.
After parts are treated they are dried to allow the timber to return to its original size and moisture content before installation to minimise movement within the building.
By treating the timber that makes up a log cabin we can offer a 15-year warranty against rot (conditions apply – see our terms and conditions page).
What makes the cabin waterproof?
We apply a clear water repellent sealant to your cabin as part of the installation service. All cabins should be waterproofed but this is a further measure we take to ensure that is the case. The outside corners of the cabin are sealed with a clear sealant and a corner-finishing piece is applied over the top. The log design and notching system is responsible for keeping the cabin waterproof.
All parts are interlocking to give a solid sealed building.
N.B if you are installing the cabin yourself you are required to apply a sealant to all outside corners of your log cabin. We also recommend you provide and apply a water repellent coating.
Do I need Planning Permission for log cabins, garden sheds and garden offices?
A log cabin, shed or garden building situated in your garden is classed as an outbuilding. The following information comes from the Planning Portal website.
Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:
- No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
- Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
- Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house (if your cabin is situated within 2 metres from your boundary/fence it has to be a max height of 2.5metres. If the building you require is over this height and you wish to place it against a boundary or within 2 metres of it you will need planning permission)
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings. Your log cabin cannot take up more than 50% of your garden/land without applying for planning permission.
- In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres -on designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
- Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.
*The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
*Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Please note a mobile field shelter is not a permanent feature and therefore may not need planning permission. Please check with your local planning department if you are unsure on any of the above.
Do I need to prepare a base for my building?
The life of the building depends on its foundations. It is extremely important that your base is firm, level, square and the correct size to accommodate your cabin. The base is required to be 10-15cm thick. If you are not confident that you will be able to lay a square, level base as described above, we recommend you employ a professional builder to lay it for you. We recommend that you add 10cm on each side of the cabin to allow for any minor miscalculations when laying your base if you choose to lay the base yourself.
You can construct your base in a number of ways:
*A concrete base will be the most solid and stable
Sheds can have the bases mentioned above or any of the following as long as it is firm and level.
- Railway sleepers
- Paving Slabs on top of hardcore
Mobile field shelters do not need a base they sit direct onto the ground. It is recommended that the ground is level. It will need to be fixed to the ground with a stake.
We offer a supply, delivery and installation service, but not a base preparation service, therefore if your base is not suitable at the time we arrive to install the cabin, we will have no alternative but to leave the building at your address for self installation or re-deliver and install at a later date once the base is correct and ready – this will incur re-delivery cost of £400.00 plus VAT.
Do you offer an installation service?
Yes we do offer an installation service, our installation team will treat your property with respect, we will always leave your site as we found it and clear up after ourselves. Our professional expert installation service is charged at £850 (ex VAT).
Our installers have built many buildings over the years and own log cabins themselves, so have a special understanding of how to put these buildings up and how to deal with any problems, should they occur.
If you insist on the building being installed against the advice of our Amid Building Solutions installation team, we will only undertake this work once you have signed an acceptance of full responsibility for any defects, which may occur as a result of an inadequate base etc. Unfortunately we cannot offer a warranty under these circumstances.
Can I add roof and floor insulation?
Should you wish to add under floor or roof insulation to your cabin we can arrange this for you and will quote you at time of enquiry.
How long will it take to build my cabin?
Our fully experienced installation team will have your cabin up and ready within 2 days unless any unforeseen problems occur – e.g. Gale force winds, an un-level base, problems with access to your site.
If you build the cabin yourself it could take considerably longer – you will need to be competent in roofing your cabin too – Amid Building Solutions cannot be held responsible for any leaks that occur from a faulty roof being fitted by anyone other than Amid Building Solutions.
The garden shed and mobile field shelter should take 1-2 days depending on your individual ability.
Can I build it myself?
You can build our non-bespoke cabins yourself, we will supply you with instructions on how to do this, however please note that we do not offer a warranty if you build the cabin yourself. Should you put something in the wrong place, not fit the roof properly or cut a piece of timber, this could affect how stable and waterproof the cabin is.
Should you choose to install the cabin yourself Amid Building Solutions cannot be held responsible for any mistake or mis-installed logs or any problems occurring due to self-installation.
Please note the garden shed and mobile field shelter is supplied in kit form and designed especially for self installation – should you need help and guidance on installation please do not hesitate to call us on 01275 549476.
What tools do I need to install my building?
Should you choose to erect the cabin, garden shed or field shelter yourself we would suggest you will need the following tools: a spirit level, rubber headed hammer x 2, hammer, screwdriver, stepladder x 2, tape measure and drill.
You will need to make sure your building is square and you will need at least 2 people to put the building together.
How do I place an order?
By telephone
You can call us on 01275 549476 and place an order over the telephone, you will then receive a confirmation order via post. You will be required to sign the order confirmation and send it back to us with a Bank cheque or Building society cheque. Alternatively you can pay direct into our bank account.
Online
You can safely place an order online using your debit and credit card through Paypal. Our site is secure for peace of mind. You can also email us at info@amidbuildingsolutions.co.uk to ask questions or place an order.
Do you deliver to anywhere in the UK?
We deliver to all parts within the UK. Delivery is FREE for garden log cabins to the areas on the map to the right highlighted in green. If you require delivery to an address outside the green area (above M62) on the map please contact us for an individual quotation.
Please note delivery of the Garden shed is FREE to anywhere in the South West. Anywhere outside of the South West will be quoted individually.
Delivery of the Mobile Field Shelter is given on application.
Access
If there are any problems with access to your site, you must advise this at time of order. Please see terms and conditions.
We will call you a week or so before to arrange a day for delivery and call the day before to confirm an approx time. If we are installing the cabin for you we will arrive in the morning on a prearranged date unless otherwise advised.
How long will it take for my building to arrive?
Delivery times will vary depending on stock levels and production stage. If the product is in stock we can deliver within 7 days subject to payment, confirmation of a level base and installation team availability. If your product is not in stock it will either be in production or made to order – times for this may vary. We aim to have your product to you within between 1-8 weeks from receiving a signed order confirmation by post.
How much does delivery cost?
Delivery is FREE for garden log cabins to the areas on the map to the right highlighted in green. If you require delivery to an address outside the green area (above M62) on the map please contact us for an individual quotation.
Please note delivery of the Garden shed is included in the price to anywhere in the South West. Anywhere outside of the South West will be quoted individually.
Delivery of the Mobile Field Shelter is given on application.
What am I buying? (Properties of timber)
Wood is a natural product and therefore susceptible to changes in the environment and weather variants. This is a natural process and will not affect the structural strength of the wood. In all but extreme cases, timber will return to its original size.
Once your building has been installed it will still adjust to its environment and various weather conditions, as it is a natural product. The moisture content of the logs will vary from season to season which will cause expansion and contraction of the wall logs.
We cannot guarantee that timbers making up your cabin will not develop cracks, splits and move from time to time. Minor adjustment may need to be carried out due to the nature of the product. This will not affect the stability of your building. These natural occurrences are not a reason to return or reject the product.
We cannot guarantee your cabin against extreme weather such as hurricanes.
Do you offer a warranty against rot and fungal decay?
Warranty will only apply if your cabin is installed by Amid Building Solutions and the base is properly prepared.
If you or anyone other than Amid Building Solutions installs your cabin, we cannot accept responsibility for any problems that may occur as a result of the installation or base preparation.
Should we arrive at the delivery address and find the base in not adequate, not dry, not square, not level, our warranty will not apply and a re-delivery cost will be charged.
Should you paint or modify your cabin we will not be held responsible for any problems that occur as a result of these modifications.
Are you an environmentally friendly company?
Amid Building Solutions are committed to preserving the environment and our timber is sourced from sustainable and well-managed forests. We are FSC and PEFC certified.
Timber itself is a Carbon neutral product, even when you take into account energy used to manufacture the product and transportation. Trees naturally absorb Carbon Dioxide to produce Oxygen. 1m³ of timber has a carbon output of 33kg. A typical log cabin is between 1-2 cubic metres.
For every tonne of CO² a tree absorbs, nearly ¾ of a tonne of oxygen is produced (ECCM using Wood Products to Mitigate Climate Change). Managed forests are the most efficient carbon sponges and producers of oxygen. The ongoing process of harvesting and replanting ensures there is always a percentage of the forest made up of younger trees that absorb more CO² than mature trees.
The companies we source our timber from have practically zero wastage, any timber left over after machining a product is converted into wood pellets for heating and cattle bedding or wood chips for paper.
Using wood instead of other building materials saves on average 0.9 tonnes of CO² per m³. To give you an idea a tonne of red brick requires four times the amount of energy to produce than sawn timber, concrete is five times less carbon efficient; aluminium is 126 times less carbon efficient then timber. (Wood CO²ts Less – The Facts).