The reason this article is called Product Maintenance Guide – Greenhouse Materials is because, although our Greenhouse range has been discontinued, the high-quality materials we use in their construction are used throughout our products. Materials such as pressure-treated spruce, internal beading and 4mm toughened glass. This product guide will teach you how to keep these features of your Garden Buildings in tip-top condition.
Toughened Glass
When looking at a Log Cabin, Garden Office or any garden building, the materials they use for their windows and doors should be a priority for you. The word ‘material’ is appropriate as many of our competitors use Perspex or acrylic. Not only is this often ‘bendy’ so unable to truly fit into its fitting, it is easily scratched and cloudy to the degree that it becomes unusable.
Glass Thickness
We use 4mm toughened glass throughout our products as standard, not the 3mm glass that some competitors use. Dunster House initially started exclusively as a windows and doors company. This means we have years of experience in developing glass that can withstand daily wear and tear. Whether you use your Log Cabin for entertainment, or as a family escape, it is a good idea to ensure your glass can withstand a stray ball hitting it.
Although tougher to break than the horticultural glass, our 4mm toughened can break under extreme pressure. If it does break, it will shatter into small pieces rather than large shards. This means the glass won’t cause more damage during the clean up process.
Double Glazing
We do have the options available to add 14mm and 28mm double glazing to our cabins (range permitting). These consist of two panes of 4mm toughened glass, and either a 6mm aluminium spacer bar or a 16mm spacer bar. These, as with all of the glass we use, are made to EN1279 standards. These standards hold our glass to the highest standards. This ensures they are suitable for domestic use, including thermal and sound insulation.
We conduct our own tests on our products too, ensuring the highest quality when they come to you. For instance, we make sure our glazed units, either single or double, do not have a build-up of condensation inside that can make it hard to see or enjoy your environment. See some of our experiments on our YouTube video.
In terms of maintaining your windows, these can be maintained the same way as your domestic windows and doors. They are, after all, made to the same substantial quality. Any shop-bought window cleaner can help remove the streaks and dirt from your windows. Our internal beading makes it easier to remove to get rid of any stubborn stains.
If you do find any issues please email our customer services team at [email protected]. They will be happy to offer advice or a replacement (charges will apply)
Pressure Treated Spruce
You want to make sure that your Garden Building can withstand the varied elements that the UK weather throws at it, including snow, rain, sun and hail. As timber is a porous material, it absorbs any moisture. When this moisture is absorbed into the grain it will become weakened over time as rot and fungal decay sets in.
Throughout our website, you will see the term ‘pressure treated spruce’ on certain products such as our Garden Offices, Climbing Frames and Gazebos. Pressure treatment refers to the process the timber goes to before being delivered to you. We take special care to pre-cut our timber to size before placing it into the large treatment chamber. This allows us to be certain that the entirety of the timber is treated, forcing the preservative deep into the grain.
This special care is taken to help you. We know, over time, any building with heavy footfall is going to suffer knocks. Over time the little knocks can create chips in the timber. Even the slightest chips can leave your timber exposed to the elements. By pressure treating the wood, you can have confidence that your building is protected even from knocks and bumps.
Pressure Treated Bearers
If you opt for our Log Cabins, you will still see the benefits of the pressure treatment albeit not on the cabin itself. The bearers of the Log Cabins are pressure-treated as standard. These are the foundations of your building, the framework that your entire structure stands on. These are exposed to the elements surrounding them; either concrete, grass, soil or our rapid grids.
This growing environment is naturally going to expose your timber to a consistent stream of dampness and moisture. By pressure treating the bearers, you can be sure they remain strong and your Garden Building remains upright.
Pressure Treatment Maintenance
Maintaining a pressure-treated Garden Structure could not be easier. Annually, we ask that you take the time to apply a water repellent to your cabin. These help offer additional protection for your cabin, especially in the months when rainfall can be particularly heavy. There is no primer needed for this, and they can be sprayed on or painted depending on your preference.
The only thing you need to do to prepare for this treatment is to make sure your garden building will need to be clean from any dirt, debris or grease. Using a pressure washer, or hose with attachment, and a scrubbing brush, ensure the outside of the building is clean.
Why Don’t We Treat Our Log Cabins?
With all the benefits that pressure treatment offers, you may be wondering why we don’t treat our Log Cabins. This is because we want you to be able to customise the Log Cabin to best suit your style and taste.
We do sell treatments in a variety of colours for you to choose from when treating your log cabin. We strongly recommend you do this as soon as your Log Cabin is constructed so you don’t leave your Log Cabin exposed to the elements. The application of these treatments is simple. It shouldn’t take you longer than a weekend to apply the three coats of treatment and allow your Log Cabin to dry.
We advise people to start at the top of the wall and then move their way down, letting each coat dry before applying the second coat. It is important to pay attention to weather reports as you need your cabin to be dry whilst treating it.
Due to the internal beadings that we mentioned in the top section of this article, you can thoroughly treat your Log Cabin without risking getting treatment on the glass in your windows or doors. Simply remove these and place them somewhere safe where they can’t be damaged.
If you like the idea of a low maintenance, high quality escape for your garden, browse our website or call our team on 01234 272 445 who will happily talk through your options with you.
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