Log Cabin/Man Cave

danza

danza

danza

Soldato
Joined
28 Mar 2005
Posts
13,679
Location
Drunken badger punching
Right, I want a log cabin (or equivalent) for a man cave. The nod has been given by the powers that be, so it shall be made so. It will be used all year round and be, well, my man cave. It'll have my PC in it, some other bits and bobs, and probably a sofabed for the occasional 'need somewhere to sleep, but spare room is now full of baby and wife is full of [insert nasty ailment here]'. Basically I'm going to be clearing my office out and moving daughter 1 into it, with daughter 2 going into daughter 1's room early next year.

I am thinking something around 2.5-3m x 4-5m in terms of floor area. Will be 2.5m or less high to avoid having to apply for planning permission.

I really quite like the look of this:

http://www.tigersheds.com/product/the-rho-44mm-log-cabin/

Is this likely to be a good product (I've read good things about their sheds, so am looking at their cabins assuming that they're probably also good)? I may consider adding extra wall insulation (Celotex) before it's occupied, but I'm not yet sure this is necessary and I haven't bothered looking into the calcs yet (but will). The roof will also be insulated (and maybe the floor).

Is this style of cabin the one to go for (with interlocking 'logs' rather than a boarded-over frame)? I'll be going for 44mm as anything under this feels horribly flimsy. The next step up in log thickness is 60mm, and is not that commonly available and usually at considerable extra cost if it is.

Also, it will be built on a patch of garden that tends to dry out in the summer, subject to cracks here and there (less than 2" wide, but worth mentioning), so I'd need to carefully consider the type of base it should go on. The ground is mainly clay. I'm thinking some kind of concrete base with steel reinforcement, but that could be completely wrong (suggestions welcome). I suspect having a cabin on the dry area will, well, keep it from drying out so much.

I'm mainly interested in info/help in nailing down base/substrate type and cost and cabin type before considering much else, as I believe most other stuff (extra insulation, power, wood preservation etc) can be easily added to the building on an almost ad-hoc basis.

Any suggestions or input based on past experience would be great.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
I’m in the process of trying to build a shed/outdoor home office too so thinking about the exact same things that you are.

One thing that is extremely on my mind is insulation and sturdiness. I’m trying to get something that will be comfortable to work in for extended periods of time and for it to last a good 10 years or so (if not more). Anything making it uncomfortable will make the whole thing futile. I’ve seen a few sheds on offer and found a one via a local garden centre which seems to fit my needs.

Important thing for me is design. I need to apply for planning permission (within a conservation area) so going for something prefab is likely to not get far with the council. The company I found can tailor to some degree so im more hopeful for a successful application.

Unfortunately I will be paying through the nose for it but as I cant do any extensions to the building, this is the only thing I can do so paying a lot of money is justified (in my view).
 
Looking into getting quotes from 4 local firms for a concrete base. No idea how much it'll cost, but I've said it'll need to be ~5.2 x 2.7m. Anyone have any idea roughly what it might cost?

Will report back once we get some quotes in.
 
When I did it I made plenty of mistakes, most of them documented in here: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18414305

I would strongly advise doing the base properly but reinforced however is probably overkill. My thread shows what I did and its fine.

This is the important bit: Get interlocking logs and get them as thick as you can afford. In fact, pay more for log thickness now even if it means putting off the 3D cinema screen, Bose surround system and Olympic size diving pool till later. Do not scrimp on the structure!

Insulate the roof and the floor - don't scrimp on this or it will get coooooollllldddd in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer. Plan for both heating and cooling. This is why you need your logs as thick as you can afford.

The best lessons I learned:

1. The preservatives and the paint cost a fortune and you need to re-do them every few years. I have been patching as I go over the last few years but I know that sooner rather than later I will need to sand it all down and repaint it, a job I am frankly dreading.
2. Plan the services you run to it meticulously (I did not and ended up replacing most of them - twice... once because the CAT5 cable was damaged during the build and second because the armour power cable I laid was not up to the load I intended to put on it and in both instances I had to relay the surrounding patio and make the routes into the cabin through the wall rather than through the concrete base grrrrr....)
3. Don't underestimate the amount of water that the roof will harvest. One rainy weekend can overflow 800 litres storage. I jest not.
4. Wooden floating doors are a nightmare - I still have to constantly adjust mine between seasons - try to avoid double doors. Also, wooden doors don't stand up to much battering - make sure the ironmongery on the doors is fixed with at least 4 screws, and preferably bolted right through he door, which is a problem for 5 point locking doors. Make sure the hinges are fully adjustable and are beefy.
5. You cant just screw timber batons, insulation and plasterboard inside due to natural expansion of the logs over seasons - this needs special sliding fixings or the logs will warp and create gaps and you will need vapour barriers between the wood and the internal layers if you want to prevent rot etc etc - better to spend the money on thicker logs when you build it.
6. In fact be very careful when mounting anything to the walls - you don't want to span more then 2 boards vertically, and you need to be very careful with shelving and make sure you don't overload anything you mount on the walls.

Hope this helps.

Red
 
Last edited:
Red's lessons are good - rings true with me. I built a 14'x10' tiger shed (44mm logs) in September, on a base I built myself. It's on their Facebook page now I believe.

There is another thread somewhere where I listed the materials. Labour will vary. I had to take a tree down, and dig out endless roots so was a nightmare - your plot might be nicer (cheaper!).
 
Last edited:
I'm not a huge fan of these new 'log cabins' because they aren't really logs so offer very little in the way of insulation or thermal mass.

LT above has some great suggestions.

I am looking at doing this and I am considering 2 options, seasoned logs/trunks or even railway sleepers, the other is a simple wood structure with hay bale walls and insulation for floor and ceiling.

Proper cabins take a few years to really settle.

If you want to go the shed route, I'd advise building the frame and using cedar for the exterior. It's rot proof and will eliminate the cost and time of having to repaint/varnish it :) Use decent insulation as well and it'll be good to go :)
 
I'm with AHarvey - If I were to plan this again I would probably go for a metsec frame insulated well, internal plasterboard walls and cedar external cladding. I suspect the cost would be around the same if a little more.

Still love my cabin though :)
 
Cheers for the comments and suggestions. I initially went into this thinking I would design something myself and build from scratch (an overboarded frame, cladded with corrugated steel and insulated to a ridiculous level, but I CBA).

I've found this site/cabin:

http://www.summergardenbuildings.co.uk/products/log-cabins/log-cabin-11105461.html

They do 58mm and 70mm walls (erring on the side of 70mm). The only thing against them (apart from price) is that the door locks aren't as good as some others.

I'm thinking:

- 2.6 x 4.7 or 5.0
- 28mm floor
- Felt shingle roof
- 70mm walls

I'm not keen on double doors as they are a compromise in terms of insulation, but they would be nice in the summer.

Electrics will be via catenary wire from the garage (about 2 feet from the cabin). Garage spur is 4mm2, on a 16A RCD. Should be fine for PC and an oil-filled radiator. Lighting will be LED. Might get a beer fridge in too.
 
If you have a look in project logs there is a thread called Man-Cave by Smogsy (it has about 105,000 views. That is a brilliant mancave log of a wooden structure. It was a huge inspiration for mine also (link in sig and called project 37a wendyhouse). Mine is a block build.
 
Yep, been through both those threads. Some good reading in there for sure.

Quick Q - to fall under the 'permitted development' blanket, the 2.5m maximum height I take it is taken from the top surface of the base that the structure is built on, i.e. from the concrete plinth surface to the apex of the roof?
 
I interpreted the permitted height as 2.5m from the ground to the highest point of the roof. I think it's 3m if you're more than 1m away from a boundary fence.

I'd be buggered if it was from the footings as I have a double stack of blues plus a concrete block in the ground.
 
Steveocee said:
I interpreted the permitted height as 2.5m from the ground to the highest point of the roof. I think it's 3m if you're more than 1m away from a boundary fence.

I'd be buggered if it was from the footings as I have a double stack of blues plus a concrete block in the ground.
Click to expand...


2.5m from boundary as i recall.
 
No worries, I thought it was anyway. They say 'no raised platforms' for it to fall under 'permitted development'. This is too vague and open to (mis)interpretation. It's going on a concrete base (like many do). This will be 'raised' in relation to the ground that it's sited on, but level with other parts of the garden.

I might chuck an email to my local planning office...
 
Had two base quotes in.

First for 6-8" steel reinforced base, 2.7m x 5.2m. £2400
Second for 6" steel reinforced base, 2.7m x 5.2m. £1000

Waiting on another quote yet, but I suspect the second quote will be the cheapest.

Now I need to get onto the log cabin company and talk about cabin height...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom