It’s all about the base!

Choose your spot

Planning Permission varies from area to area so it may be worth checking with your local authority however since our buildings are 2.5m high or less meaning there isn’t often a need for Planning Permission unless you are in an area of historic interest etc.

If you have chosen a corner house, they can fit beautifully into the tighter areas of your garden, or if you have a chalet-style cabin you might want it to be more of a centrepiece for the bottom of the garden.

Other things you may want to think about are placing the cabin under trees, as leaves and debris can get stuck on the roof or in the guttering and making sure you leave enough room to get around the cabin when building and treating it.

Choose your base type

When deciding on your log cabin’s location, you can also have a think about what kind of base you will be installing it onto.  A log cabin can be built onto concrete, paving slabs or decking.

A flat and level concrete base is the ideal log cabin foundation, but if you already have a paved or decked area that you want to place your cabin, that is also a great idea. With any base, the most important thing is that it is solid, flat, square and 100% level. There is no need to add a run-off of any kind.

Concrete Base

1. Mark out your area

When preparing a concrete base, the first thing you need to do is mark out the area that you will be using.  We recommend that the base is the same size as the external dimensions of the joist plan plan plus an additional 100mm on all sides.

• Dig your foundations

You might wish to excavate some foundations for your concrete base, approximately 200mm deep for the base to sit in. This helps to flatten the surface, and you should use a spirit level to make sure that it is completely straight and that any incline is levelled.

• Add compacted hardcore

Many customers like to add a layer of well-compacted hardcore at the bottom of the foundations to pour the concrete onto. If you choose to do so, you may need to use some timber shuttering to frame the hardcore and hold it in place.

• Pour on the concrete

You can then add the concrete mixture and be sure to level it off using a piece of timber which is slightly bigger than the shortest side of your base. Many customers decide to get a local builder or handyman to lay the concrete for them.

• Double, Triple Check

If your base is not completely square and level, you may find that your cabin develops problems in the long term. The installation team have the right to refuse to install on inadequate bases and rescheduling installation will incur charges. It may be that the base requires a little packing during installation however this is best avoided as it is time consuming for the installation team, it can be unsightly and most importantly it can cause your building to move.

Slabs

Paving slabs are more practical and cost effective, especially for a smaller base and is pretty simple to lay.  Again, like concrete follow the base criteria mentioned. This is a quick method and probably the cheapest and can work for all the cabins we sell.