Timber Information

The Wood Used in our Log Cabins is North European Spruce sourced from either Scandinavia or from Northern Europe.  This is classified as a softwood however when grown in the very cold climates of the above countries it grows very slowly and is very dense with a significantly greater weight per cubic m than similar timber grown in a Western European Climate.

This characteristic of being significantly more dense than other timbers means that the wood machines very well and produces a fine finished surface as well as allowing the corner joints to be machines to very fine tolerance thus ensuring a consistently good weather-proof shield.

Please see below some information links that customers may find both useful and interesting:

Click for Base Preparation and Timber Treatment Information

 

As with all softwoods spruce responds very well with most recognised timber treatments (Always read the label of any treatment that you propose to use) and it is important that the wood is treated.

It is very important to use the correct type of treatment for your log cabin, it should be noted that clear treatments alone are not sufficient as they do not waterproof the building. Both the interior and exterior of your log cabin should be treated as an exterior surface and should not be treated with an interior treatment alone as this will not stand up to the constant movement of the timbers of your log cabin.

A flat solid Level base built in such a way that it will not move or settle over time is essential along with treating the timber regularly are the key points to ensuring the longevity of the buildings.

Most Log Cabins (although not all - please check the description) include pressure treated base beams this does not include cabins where the floor is an option.  In those cases, it is the Floor Option that includes the base beams.

Pressure Treatment is exactly what it says - the stages are as follows:

1) The wood goes into a sealed tank.

2) The air is then drawn from the tank and a vacuum created.  The wood will stay in this vacuum for a period of anything from around 15 minutes to 1.5 hours.  The idea of this is that the air is drawn not only from around the wood but also from within the wood such that a vacuum develops within the wood grain.

3)The vacuum is then used to draw timber treatment into the tank until the tank is full.  This is filled quickly - usually within a few minutes.

4 The tank is then placed under a high pressure so that whilst there’s still a vacuum within the wood the treatment around the wood is pressurised.  The effect of this is that the timber treatment is forced / drawn into the wood much more deeply than it would be using any other method.

Pressure treated wood is used on bases as it is far more rot resistant than any other form of treated wood and will tolerate very wet and muddy conditions for very long periods without suffering any form of decay.

 

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Unless stated otherwise all of the cabins and other buildings are delivered untreated except for base beams.  Please note:  If the floor is an option, then base beams are part of the floor and not part of the log cabin.

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Dimension Information

It is important to remember that wood is a natural material. It differs from man-made materials each piece of timber will have grains and knots which will vary. Being a natural product wood will react to changes in atmospheric conditions. Wood will expand and contract.  Almost all of this movement is across the grain of the wood so height dimensions will vary according to moisture content of the wood.  It is very common to find that actual initial height dimensions do not conform to exact specification as stated on the web site product page and that over time the actual height may be both in excess of and slightly below stated heights.  All height dimensions are exclusive of roof insulation and at *15% moisture content of the wood. Some splitting of the timber may occur as it expands and contracts with changes of humidity and temperature.  Many cabin kits will show some warp and twist in boards.  This is more pronounced in thicker boards.  It is common to see some damage to tongues and grooves on boards when unpacking.

Garden Sheds and other Sectional Buildings may allow the ingress of water through wall panels in the first weeks after delivery.  This is owing to the wall boards contracting in their dry stored environment.  The wood will go through a natural process of regularization where the timber will absorb moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, the wood will slowly expand, and any ingress should cease.  If the process continues after the early weeks, then the solution is to use a mastic sealant between the boards and in the joints.  It is essential that the wood is treated both inside and outside as this will reduce any ingress of water and will protect the wood under any mastic that may be used.

The above processes are perfectly natural and do not affect the integrity of the timber or of the structure it is used in and therefore splitting, cracks & knots, expansion and contraction and any other feature / processes that are as a result of wood being a natural product etc are not covered by any guarantee.  All dimensions are shown as within reasonable acceptable tolerances for the product sold.  Garden buildings are not sold or presented as being exact dimensions owing to the nature of the material used in manufacture Timber thickness is the thickness of the timber as sawn.

All buildings are ordered and supplied on the basis that their actual dimensions, weights and descriptions are within reasonable tolerances of those stated given the nature of the product as a garden building.  There will be factory accepted tolerances on most of the above which you agree to accept by making the purchase.

Unless otherwise stated log cabins and timber buildings will be delivered untreated and will require the application of a good quality timber preservative.  Treatment MUST be APPLIED ON ALL SURFACES:

* Moisture content to which wood is dried when going through the kiln drying process.  Actual moisture content can vary from around 8% to 20%.  Clearly this variation can significantly affect the dimensions of each board.