Practical Aspects

Practical aspects

So you’ve chosen the size and style of your log cabin, and now want to order it. Before you do, we’ve outlined some useful points to consider.

Planning rules – it is possible to construct outbuildings like sheds, cabins and greenhouses in your garden without the need to apply for planning permission. This is possible if provided the proposed building meets the following conditions:
1. it is not intended for full time residential use
2. it is not positioned in front of the building line (any wall of the house facing a highway
3. it is not more than 4m high if it has a pitched roof, or 3m if it has a flat roof
4. the construction does not result in more than 50% of the total site being occupied by buildings (including the house)

However, if your building contravenes any of these conditions or is any of the following, it will be necessary to apply for planning permission if:

• it is in connection with a business,
• your house is a listed building
• you live in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB)
• the building is within 5m of your house if it exceeds 10m³ in volume

Outbuildings are also exempt from Building Regulations provided the footprint of the building is less than 30m² (e.g. 5m x 6m cabin)

In the event you do need to make a planning application, it is useful to note that it might help your application if you refer to your cabin by its specific use such as “studio” or “playroom” as the term “log cabin” can be suggestive of an alpine skiing chalet.

If you are in any doubt as to whether your planned cabin will require planning permission, always consult your local Planning Office.


Assembly – all of our log cabins come in flat pack form and can be constructed by several people over a couple of days. Every cabin comes with everything needed to complete a building, excluding optional extras such as roofing shingles.

The base – as with a conventional brick building, it is necessary to properly prepare the footings onto which your building will be built, so it’s worth taking your time over it! The most important consideration is that the land onto which you plan to build is both level and stable. Some people choose to lay a solid concrete pad in order to achieve this, or choose to set the building on concrete paving slabs on a bed of sharp sand and cement, which should be set on solid ground, ideally hardcore. Each cabin’s floor timbers are pressure treated and designed to be set down directly onto the prepared base.

Power – in order to get the most out of your cabin, you should have mains electric fed to it so that lighting, heating and electrical devices such as computers and televisions can be used. This connection should always be left to a qualified electrician.

Lighting – provided there is a safe electrical supply, you can light the interior of your cabin in any way you choose. Soft lighting in the form of table lamps can create a cosy atmosphere, while lights with some form of protection from stray balls and toys would be ideal for a play room. Exterior lighting would be a brilliant addition to a cabin terrace for lengthening long summer evenings, and to highlight your cabin as a garden feature with appropriate accented lighting.

Heating and ventilation – if you plan to use your cabin throughout the year, it will save you money on your heating bill if you opt for double glazed windows and have the roof insulated. It will also help temperature regulation in both summer and winter if you choose a thicker log wall (44mm or more).

For particularly warm days in the summer, it would b useful to have opening rather than fixed windows. If this is not an option, table top fans and air conditioning are relatively inexpensive alternatives.

Cabin maintenance – even if your building is pressure treated (the majority of cabins are), it is important to treat it with a quality anti-fungal wood preserve and then stained or painted to protect the wood and prolong its life. You can either treat all parts of the cabin before construction or once it has been put together, using a rose sprayer to treat even the nooks and crannies.

If your cabin will have plenty of air circulation under and around it or if you plan to heat the cabin interior, it would be fine to treat the exterior of the cabin only. In order to get the best quality finish for your stain (not a colour wash as these are quite ineffective, particularly on pine buildings), we recommend that you use products from quality manufacturers only.

When selecting the colour of your wood stain, it is important to bear in mind that a very light stain will turn ‘grey’ after a few years. A darker stain will hide the grey, although if you apply too many coats, you could end up with a ‘muddy’ brown instead. To offset the problem, it’s a good idea to choose a lighter stain on for the details, such as window frames, shutters, door frames and fascia boards to break up the main colour. Paint can be easier to apply as the coverage is excellent and complete colour changes are relatively easy to effect. Drips and runs are much less noticeable than with stains as well.