Yes, we have six branches throughout mainland England, situated in Bedford, Warminster, Faversham, Flixborough, Basingstoke and Liverpool. Each branch has a display garden with a wide range of products available for viewing. Please see our visit us page for contact information and opening times of each branch.
Of course, our payment pages are secured using high level encryption. Credit card payments are processed using SagePay, a secure server. All credit card numbers are encrypted in the software when the order is placed and are only decrypted after they reach us. They are not held in clear text on any web site. We will seek to verify all card transactions against the cardholder's address to avoid any payment problems and fraud. For more information about payment methods click here.
No, it is not necessary to have an account with us when ordering. This means there's not another log in, for another website, that you will need to remember.
Once your payment details have been verified and your order is successful you will receive confirmation of your order. If you order online the confirmation will be in the form of an email, offline orders will receive confirmation via email and post. For customers who purchase our installation service online the confirmation will be sent via email.
We accept VISA, Master card, Debit Cards and Personal cheques. We can also accept payment via bank transfer.
Please allow up to 10 working days for any cheques or bank transfers to clear. With card payments over the phone, due to our strict method of Address Verification, used to minimise the risk of fraud, we are only able to deliver to the cardholder's address.
Online orders may be placed to alternative delivery addresses, but only if the online card payment is in full and the card passes a 3D Secure check such as Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode.
If you prefer, the payment can be made via bank transfer or cheque when ordering over the phone with one of our friendly sales advisors. Alternatively you can pay via chip and pin or cash by visiting one of our six branches. If paying by cheque we advise paying the whole order amount to avoid delaying your delivery date due to clearance timescales, however this is not required.
No, full payment must be made before any items will be delivered.
Yes, a 25% deposit can be paid on all of our products. The remainder of your payment is then made before your delivery or installation.
No, there are no additional charges when paying by card.
VAT is paid on all purchases from Dunster House Ltd. The VAT is charged at the current UK rate.
If you do not wish to provide an able bodied person to offload the vehicle with the help of our driver, we can provide additional manpower with our 2 Person Delivery Service. The driver will arrive with another person and between them they will unload the goods and deliver them onto your property up to 50m away from kerbside, access permitting.
We offer this service on all items (except pet products) that are delivered (except Scotland), we do not offer this on our couriered products. Prices for this service can be found on individual products.
As soon as stock is available for delivery a member of our despatch team will contact you to arrange a delivery date. For more information please see our delivery page.
The turnaround times on our website are all approximate. This is because your delivery depends on stock levels, driver availability and, the most uncontrollable of all, the weather.
We do not offer timed deliveries, which is why we ask that somebody is at home and available between 8:30am and 6:00pm on the day of the delivery. This is in case our driver meets unexpected traffic and has to change the route, you've then possibly gone from first on the route to third.
On the day of your delivery you can track your order on our website, just click here. Simply type in your order number and postcode and you will get an update on your driver’s location. This means that if you need to pop out on the day of delivery, you can check where your driver is and do what you need to do without worrying about missing your delivery.
On the day of your delivery you can track your order on our website, just click here. Simply type in your order number and postcode and you will get an update on your driver’s location. This means that if you need to pop out on the day of delivery, you can check where your driver is and do what you need to do without worrying about missing your delivery.
We ask that somebody is at home and available from 8:30am to 6:00pm to accept the delivery. If, for whatever reason, you need to go out then please make sure that somebody else is at home and able to accept and help unload your delivery.
If there is nobody available to accept your delivery you will be charged a redelivery fee and given a new delivery date. For more information on redelivery fees see our terms and conditions.
We would love to be able to boast a fantastic delivery service by magic carpet that would deliver your order while you sleep, but this would not be true.
We can however boast our own drivers, with our own fleet of vehicles, who will deliver your order on an agreed date. Our products come flat packed, as shown in our delivery section
There are two levels of service for delivery: either our standard, (one person service) or our two person delivery service.
With the Standard Delivery (1 Person) Service we will send 1 driver who will need the assistance of an able bodied person at the delivery address to help him unload the vehicle to kerbside.
With our 2 Person Delivery Service the 2 drivers we send will unload the vehicle without your assistance and will deliver the good onto your property up to 50m away from kerbside. Please note we will not carry goods through houses, but will carry them through outbuildings providing the route is clear of obstructions and any damageable property as our delivery people carry long lengths of timber through it.
This is part of our Standard delivery service and means that our drivers will unload their vehicle on the kerb outside of your home, nowhere else. They are not able to carry your garden building into place in your garden or into the garage for storage so you will need to be able to do this. For more information on kerbside delivery, please see our delivery section
If you wish to, you can upgrade to the 2 Person Delivery Service by selecting it on the product you wish to purchase and we will then carry the goods for you up to 50m onto your property from Kerbside.
Yes, it is possible for customers to collect their order from one of our depots/branches. However, this must be arranged during the sales process. Further information about appropriate collection vehicles and collections in general can be found here
Yes, we offer an installation service on the majority of our products. For more information please click here.
Yes, upon delivery, it is important that you check each item you receive carefully. Your instructions and components list will be packed inside the product pack.
It's important you check that all parts delivered are in excellent condition. Any missing or broken parts must be noted on the delivery discrepancy note and returned with the delivery driver. Please check our Returns Policy for more information.
No, we do not deliver over the weekends or public holidays. All deliveries are Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 6:00pm unless a public holiday falls on one of these days.
Yes, it is possible to have your order delivered to a different address than your billing address.
You can order over the phone with a member of our Sales Team who will take payment via a bank transfer or cheque sent by post to Dunster House Ltd. Alternatively, you can order online and use your credit or debit card to pay for the transaction providing that you have signed up to 3d Secure which is a system that your bank will run that requires you to enter a separate password with them when making online purchases, such as Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode. For more information on payments please refer to our Payments section.
We do not ship goods outside of the mainland United Kingdom. However, we will deliver to ports and your designated agent. Additional charges may apply for additional costs for packaging the goods. Please speak to a member of our Sales Team for more information.
You can cancel your order with us either by email to cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk or by post: Customer Services, Dunster House Ltd. Caxton Road, Bedford, MK41 0LF.
Your right to cancel your order extends for 14 days after the items have been delivered unless you have altered the items in any form. Refunds are within 14 days with returns at the cost and risk of the customer. There are some exceptions, so please read carefully our Returns Policy
If any of the items delivered are broken or damaged then please make sure you ask the delivery driver to bring the damaged parts back and we will arrange replacement parts to be delivered, without any delivery or returns charge. If a part is damaged and you would like to return the whole order, or if you are unsatisfied with the product, simply send the whole order back with the driver and you will receive a full refund. There are some exceptions, so please read our Returns Policy carefully.
In the unlikely event that we leave the goods and you subsequently cancel an order, then you will need to make suitable arrangements to return such Goods, unused and unassembled, at your own cost and risk. Your statutory rights are not affected. Please read our Terms and Conditions.
Returned goods will be inspected and refunds will take place within 14 days after the items have been returned.
Refunds may be subject to deductions, so please refer to our Returns Policy page for further details.
You should always contact us in writing with a detailed explanation of the situation or your query. That way you can be sure that there aren’t any mistakes or misinterpretations and it will allow us to answer you appropriately and professionally.
Please contact our Customer Service team either by email to cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk or by post: Customer Services, Dunster House Ltd. Elms Farm Industrial Estate, Caxton Road, Bedford, MK41 0LF. Alternatively you can use our Web Form
Dunster House products are designed for competent DIY assembly by two or more adults. Please remember to allow time to understand and check the instructions, parts and nature of the materials that you will be using. This may take hours to days depending on the size of the project that you are undertaking.
The assembly process will vary according to individual abilities and complexity of the project. Any indication given as to time required to assemble a product must be deemed as approximate as wood is a natural product and may require manipulation prior to assembly.
Alternatively, we have invested a lot of time and knowledge into training our in house installation teams to ensure a smooth installation of our Garden Buildings. For more information on this service, please see individual product details.
That is why on each products page you will find a wealth of Information by clicking on various links within those pages. Try clicking on the words that are next to the tick boxes for the various different options and you will get a pop-up explanation of what those options are, you can also look at the various articles in the ‘Additional Information’ section on each product page as well as browsing through previous customers photos and reviews
Alternatively, please contact our sales team if you have any further queries or cannot find the answer you are looking for on our website.
If you have already received your goods and have any further questions please contact our customer service team.
We offer an installation service for most of our products, please check the individual product to confirm it. The service is carried out by our own teams of installers who are specially trained in the installation of our products.
The Installation Service does not include treating your gardening building, as we don't know how you would like your finished product to look, or providing base work.
We do not install third party or customer provided electrics during the installation. For further information on the Installation Service please refer to the Installation Terms and Conditions.
The most important thing you must do is check if the area is free of rubbish, clutter and debris. Also, there must be adequate space surrounding where your garden building will be for the installers to work in. This varies depending on product range, please refer to the Installation Terms and Conditions for product specific measurements.
You must also make sure that any base you have is ready for our installers. It must be clear and level for the installers to start building on it. It is advisable that if you are planning on laying a concrete base, you have this completed days before the install. This gives it time to dry and settle. For more information please read our base document
Building regulations can be complicated but are normally defined by use, so depending upon what you want to use your garden building for, you may not need to worry about them.
Please check our Building Regulations section for full details.
So you’ve found a beautiful Dunster House Garden Building and you’re wondering if planning permission is required to put it up.
Well we’ve made up a simple guide for you to see if your building is going to be considered to be Permitted Development and therefore not need Planning Permission. Please be aware this guide is intended for Dunster House Buildings Only.
All pressure treated wooden components carry a 10 year guarantee against damage by insects and fungal decay, including our pressure treated bearers which are featured in all of our garden buildings. This does not include other parts such as nuts, bolts, screws, door locks, mechanisms and Climbing Frame accessories, which are covered for 1 year against manufacturing faults.
Our guarantee is subject to proper installation and normal domestic use. No guarantee is offered on products subjected to abuse, negligence, improper use, modifications or attachment to equipment other than our own. Dunster House reserves the right to examine photographs of items claimed to be defective. Products returned to our factory for examination or recovery must be sent freight prepaid, unless a Goods Returned Note is issued.
Please remember that all of our play systems are designed for residential use only. Non-residential use is prohibited and will void the guarantee. Also, timber is a natural product that will change and adapt to various weather conditions and therefore these natural changes are not covered by the guarantee. Full details of our guarantees are available here.
A strong foundation is important when siting a garden building.
Dunster House would recommend a flat, level concrete base. If you are unsure about building your concrete base we would recommend that you consult an experienced tradesman. Please note that the base needs to be level with no run-off, the building will provide this.
If you prefer not to construct a concrete base, we have designed an excellent foundation system that works well with our garden buildings: RapidGrid foundations.
*Please note that the Rapid foundation systems are not available for all models. Please check they are available for the product you are interested in. This can be found in the foundation options section of your chosen product.
For more information on our foundations please click here.
If you have received your order but you can’t find the instructions or don’t remember where you’ve placed them, don’t worry. All you need to do is contact our Customer Service team, including your order number and they will gladly send you a PDF copy of your product’s instructions by email.
Wood is a natural product and all trees are different with different properties. These properties can include colour differences, warping, twisting, shakes, splits, knots, knot holes and varying surface finishes and are part of the natural properties of this type of material. These properties are normal for externally used timber, are allowed for in the integrity of our designs, and cannot be guaranteed against. Sometimes deep and wide shakes and cracks can appear unsightly but we have calculated for these in our designs. Minor adjustments may have to be undertaken on site due to the nature of timber.
Some of our products are supplied untreated, please ensure you have read the specification of your product carefully. A variety of treatments are available to purchase from us, which will help protect your product from the elements and will also give it an attractive finish.
Roofing felt is not supplied as standard. However, roof shingles and rolls of felt can be purchased as optional extras.
For more information on our products including general maintenance guides, see the maintenance guides for each product, which are available under the heading of ‘Additional Information’ on each products web-page.
The tools we recommend you use when erecting your garden building are:
All climbing frames and swing sets should be positioned on a level surface, which will provide a soft landing when falling or jumping. We advise that when planning where to place your climbing frame you measure the area carefully and allow enough room for swinging space. We recommend keeping your climbing frame 2m away from any structures.
Where ground anchors are supplied they should be used for safety reasons. The ground anchors provided do not usually need concreting into the ground, however if you find that they move when your children are playing on the equipment then we advise you to use concrete to secure them into the ground.
Children come in all shapes and sizes, luckily so do our climbing frames and play houses! We want to make sure that your children play safely, that's why our entire range is put through rigorous, independent, European safety tests (EN71) and are CE rated.
You may think that this testing is required by law for ALL climbing frames but sadly it is not, so if you are considering purchasing elsewhere it is always worth checking that the climbing frames are independently tested to EN71 regulations.
The meticulous testing ensures that our range minimises risks to your children as they play on the equipment. Whether this is to prevent heads, limbs and fingers being trapped in gaps, or clothing and toggles. We look to give your children the best possible equipment to act out their wildest adventures on!
Our climbing frames are made with non-toxic pressure treated timber. This has passed testing to EN71 part 8 which is a test for toxic substances should a child try to chew the toy.
Our playhouses come partly pressure treated. We offer a range of colourful treatments to help protect and personalise your playhouse, which have also been tested to EN71 part 8. Please see specific playhouses and optional extras for further information.
All of our climbing frames and play houses are designed to be built by competent DIYers with a basic set of tools and ideally a power screwdriver. They come complete with all the fixtures and fittings you need to build them and a full set of comprehensive, easy to follow instructions. All of the holes for parts, bolts and screws are pre-drilled so you don't need to worry about getting those wrong.
The tools we recommend you use when erecting your climbing frame are:
Yes, there are recommended age restrictions on our climbing frames. All of our products are designed for children of 3 years and older, however the maximum age varies depending on the product. Please read the product specification to see what ages the climbing frame is suitable for.
Our garden offices range is a step above the rest, packed with features to separate it from competitors and our range of Log Cabins. To help with the transition of working from home or in an office, we have tried to produce the same domestic standards in our garden offices. We've thought about everything from construction and aesthetics to practicality and comfort.
Insulation
The garden offices feature 117mm insulated walls. Working from the outside in, the walls are comprised of: 12mm pressure treated tongue and groove timber for an attractive exterior, a 70mm timber frame that keeps the panels structured and rigid, 25mm Polyurethane Insulation which retains heat far better than cheaper alternatives such as polystyrene or rockwool, and then 10mm Plasterboard for a clean interior finish. The construction of our walls creates a high retention of heat, calculated at a U-Value of 0.62W/m2k. This is largely due to the Polyurethane core. This is much more impressive than the garden offices of some competitors which offer 45mm un-insulated walls with U-values of roughly 1.9W/m2k. A U-Value relates to how much energy is lost through a material, hence you always want as low a number as possible.
To ensure that the insulation in the walls isn't wasted by heat escaping from the roof and floor, we've insulated these too in a bid to keep your heating costs low. We use unique Structurally Insulated Panels for our floor. This is a chemically bonded sandwich panel of 10mm MFP, 25mm double backed Polyurethane and then 10mm MFP, providing a 45mm thick insulated floor that is reinforced with integral wooden battens to add strength.
To our knowledge we are the only company to offer such a technically advanced flooring system which combines strength and very high insulating qualities. The roof is constructed slightly differently, We use 10mm Plasterboard on the interior of the roof to continue the same attractive, clean finish as on the walls. From that, inside the roof we slot 25mm Polyurethane Insulation between the strong structural 140mm-280mm high purlins, leave a small cavity, to allow air exchange and stop damp building up. The roof is then finished off with 10mm MFP board and finally EPDM, resulting in a roof that slopes from 160mm to 300mm thick, perfect for retaining heat.
Plasterboard Interior
Using a technique unique to Dunster House, we’ve been able to create panels that simply slot together, ensuring the rigidity and strength of this office surpasses many alternatives. This means that the panels are reasonably customisable.
Unlike a lot of our competitors, we use plasterboard for our office interiors. It is the only way you will end up with a wonderfully smooth plasterboard finish where all the joints have been taped and jointed, just as it would be in any new timber frame house. This means that the inside of your office will not be sullied by crisscrossing trims trying to conceal the panel join seams or multiple polypin nail heads sprouting out of panels leaving you feeling like you are working in a glorified portakabin. This is why we are one of the very few companies who will actually show you a close up of our office interiors.
Consumers sometimes avoid the use of plasterboard through apprehension over the appearance of cracks. Our own 70mm x 35 mm frames (these are finished sizes not nominal – nominal is the size prior to planing the timber and would be 75mm x 38mm), offer the appearance of a newly made timber framed house. You do not see cracks appearing in the boards of a newly made timber framed house, why should you see them in a similarly framed garden office? Plasterboard is a superior option to MDF, polyester vinyl coated plywood, or even tongue and groove timbers. Unlike the aforementioned, plasterboard is also fire resistant and gives thirty minutes of fire protection; the reasoning behind its use in houses. We have searched comprehensively to find other companies offering a plasterboard finish and they are all usually at least twice as expensive as our own offices. We do it as we want to be the best!
Finishing Touches
A common apprehension over cracks forming comes from where the skirting boards meet the plasterboard. This is due to floor movement, typically near staircases, and the natural settling of the house. For this, we have found a neat solution, which also solves the problem of unsightly wires for your home office equipment.
We provide a skirting board conduit. We have searched extensively for what we consider to be the closest analogue of a normal house skirting board; in fact, it is so close in appearance it goes largely unnoticed. This conduit does not crack where it meets the plasterboard as it is not sealed to the plasterboard! As a conduit you need to be able to open it, thus it sits very nicely next to the plasterboard and you need not worry about cracking where the two join.
To keep with this style and encourage a homely feel as a finishing touch to our office ceilings, we have added coving to soften the join between the walls and roof.
Low Maintenance Exterior
We have not neglected the outside either. As standard, we pressure treat our garden offices in our very own pressure treatment plant, leaving you with a pressure treated 12mm overlap finish and a 10 year guarantee against rot and insect infestation. By pressure treating our garden offices there's no need for it to be re-treated annually, an excellent alternative to an untreated garden office which could be purchased from a competitor which would need to be re-treated each year.
Another highly specified area on our offices is the windows and doors; we manufacture these ourselves in our Bedford Factory and they are made to the same high standard as the ones we sell for houses. The windows have multi-point locking systems with espagnolette mushroom headed locks, whilst the patio door has a 4 point locking mechanism, with a 6 pin euro cylinder barrel, as specified on home insurance policies. These are supplied with 28mm sealed units made to the same high standard as we sell for houses and we have been making windows and doors for over 20 years now, so we know what we are doing!
