FAQ's

Rendering is a skilled trade; seek a 3rd party professional if not highly competent in DIY. Achieving a smooth, durable finish requires proper technique, timing, and tool handling. Mistakes can lead to cracks, poor adhesion, or visible imperfections.

At Dunster House, we only use slow-grown Spruce, specifically sourced from cold climates. Why? Because these conditions lead to slower growth, resulting in denser growth rings. This then provides your garden structure with superior strength, durability, and a more consistent appearance throughout the timber.

While we’re committed to selecting only the highest quality timber, it remains a natural material – so each piece is unique. Once assembled, your product may begin to settle, and natural characteristics may appear. These can include:

• Knots,
• Small cracks,
• Splits,
• Shakes,
• Warping,
• Minor expansion and contraction,
• Striation (fine, natural lines on the timber surface)

These features are entirely normal and part of what gives timber its natural charm. They are not considered defects under our Terms & Conditions and, in most cases, won’t affect the structural integrity or function of your product. Our expert designs account for these natural variations, ensuring your structure remains strong, reliable, and built to last.

For advice on addressing these natural occurrences, or for further support, please contact our Customer Services Team at [email protected].

Another popular addition to a log cabin that can often prevent the movement of the free-floating wall logs, and therefore lead to gaps forming, is plasterboard. We have in fact tried and tested this as a modification to our design and can confirm that it is not a good idea as it can lead to the logs being unable to tighten down upon one another to close any gaps. We therefore do not advise plaster boarding the walls as being a good idea for your log cabin.

Our products are designed for the DIY market, and supplied in flat pack kits for home assembly. A capable DIY person should have no problem erecting one of our garden buildings. The majority of parts are all pre-cut ready for you to start building. Full comprehensive instructions are included detailing the installation process of your garden building, and all necessary fixings are supplied.

The tools we recommend you use when erecting your garden building are:

• Drill
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers
• Spirit Level
• Stepladder
• Tape Measure
• Saw
• A ball of string, to check the diagonals

The time it takes to install your garden building will vary depending on your abilities, the conditions you are building in, and how much assistance you have.

In order to fix your gazebo to the flat and level surface you are installing it onto, you can use the metal brackets included in your pack to attach these to the feet of the upright posts. We would not advise burying the timber into the ground. Simply fix the brackets onto the post and secure it with the appropriate fixing to your desired base.

Yes. Any additional windows and doors that you choose to purchase as an extra with your garden building will require you to cut an aperture in order to fit it in.

We do not currently offer installation. All our garden buildings have been designed on the basis that any competent DIY customer will have no problem installing a product themselves in a short amount of time.

You do not have to be an expert at DIY to build a Dunster House garden building, as we do provide you with comprehensive pictorial instructions. Also, if you prefer video tutorials, we do have a selection of videos on YouTube which will support you in building your product.

We totally understand that DIY is not for everyone and it can be very overwhelming to start building your own garden product. Therefore, you may want to consider getting in touch with a local carpenter or handyman to install it for you.

If you do take on the challenge to put your garden building together, we are always here to help. Do not hesitate to contact us at any stage of putting your product together and we can provide you with all the assistance you may need. Contact our customer service team via email at [email protected].