In this blog, we investigate the options for making your dream wooden garden shelter ideas a reality and ensure that you are informed about the pros and cons. Whether you are considering a hot-tub surround and cover, rustic pergola attached to the house, or an outdoor eating area, you will need to ponder the building method carefully.
Although many of us have had more time at home in recent times, time is still a precious and limited commodity! Perhaps have purchased an oak BBQ shelter kit but can’t find the time to put it up? This is a prime example of when you will need to engage a handyman or carpenter to erect it for you.This turnkey build solution certainly has its pros with outsourced labour saving you considerable time and effort.
Potentially slightly more achievable than starting from scratch and certainly fewer headaches, this option still maintains that extremely rewarding outcome of DIY. There are a large variety of timber shelter kits available made from both pressure-treated softwood and durable hardwoods.While these garden gazebo kits can perhaps restrain the choice of your dream bespoke structure to some degree, they are able to offer some distinct benefits as well.Are you a DIY enthusiast wanting to get real enjoyment from creating something unique? Building wooden garden shelters from scratch, using your own selected wood(s), fixings, and custom measurements are totally achievable.Starting from uncut lengths of wood, planning, and the sweat of the brow to erect the barbeque shelter and sunshade of your dreams can offer a unique and entirely customisable option for the purist.Why not consider getting value out of the structure all year round and add a bespoke log store in oak or softwood for the winter while you build? Composting your grass cuttings also makes a bunch of sense so perhaps consider integrating a composting bin or section?With the ‘True DIY’ option where the structure is made from scratch, you can build to your exact sizes and materials, and you are not limited by pre-made sizes.While this option can give ultimate satisfaction to craftspeople, it is certainly:
The Tradesmen Option
Although many of us have had more time at home in recent times, time is still a precious and limited commodity! Perhaps have purchased an oak BBQ shelter kit but can’t find the time to put it up? This is a prime example of when you will need to engage a handyman or carpenter to erect it for you.This turnkey build solution certainly has its pros with outsourced labour saving you considerable time and effort.- The cost is essentially fixed to what you are quoted, allowing you to budget for a total-build-cost sensibly and with some definite cost and time frame expectations.
- Time is money, and with a tradesperson undertaking your project, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. In many cases, your tradesperson will have the tools, skills, and experience needed to do the job better, and faster, than DIYers.
- Under this option, you can still choose a pergola style outdoor eating area or BBQ shelter as a kit that suits your taste exactly and not have the sweat of putting the kit up.
- Tradespeople are exceptionally busy because of home improvement projects that have been instigated during recent lockdowns. You will most likely have read about the truck driver shortage, but not the trade folk dearth! The fact is, it can be difficult to even get guys to do the task.
- Tradesmen can be very unreliable on arrival and time scales, leading to a project running late, frustration, and possibly cost overruns. Just when you wanted it all at the ‘press-of-a-button’, you end up finishing the job yourself!
- Cost of labour is key – especially when carpenters are in great demand, meaning they can charge more. It is almost certainly going to cost more to undertake the project than if you put the shelter up yourself.
- With a tradesman, there is a lack of control and creativity that you would otherwise have when creating your own DIY shelter. While for some this wouldn’t be an issue, others like to make decisions as the project progresses, not all at the start. With a tradesman, all these design decisions will need to be made before the project begins.
The Wooden Shelter Kits Option
Potentially slightly more achievable than starting from scratch and certainly fewer headaches, this option still maintains that extremely rewarding outcome of DIY. There are a large variety of timber shelter kits available made from both pressure-treated softwood and durable hardwoods.While these garden gazebo kits can perhaps restrain the choice of your dream bespoke structure to some degree, they are able to offer some distinct benefits as well.- They allow you, your friends, and your family to indulge that creative and constructive instinct, with a shelter kit you still get your hands dirty and enjoy the result of your labours as you go along.
- Everything is cut and shaped to size complete with brackets, fixings and plans and you can see what the end result will look like before you begin.
- A great deal of time is saved with all components ready to fix up; this means other projects in the garden or house can be sorted as well. Considering a home office in the garden or man shelter? Now, this is something that can definitely be used in the summer!
- Is it cheaper to buy a kit and build yourself than undertake complete DIY? We think it is when the high retail price of timber is appropriately treated with preservatives and the lower time factor is considered. You are sure of what you are purchasing and have a manufacturer guarantee as well. Furthermore, you don’t have the hassle of measuring to size and cutting (or miscutting) lengths. A surprising amount of costly waste can build up from such errors!
- Wooden garden shelters in kit form are carefully designed around client feedback and key trends so there is a high chance that the supplier will have something that suits your taste.
The DIY Option
Are you a DIY enthusiast wanting to get real enjoyment from creating something unique? Building wooden garden shelters from scratch, using your own selected wood(s), fixings, and custom measurements are totally achievable.Starting from uncut lengths of wood, planning, and the sweat of the brow to erect the barbeque shelter and sunshade of your dreams can offer a unique and entirely customisable option for the purist.Why not consider getting value out of the structure all year round and add a bespoke log store in oak or softwood for the winter while you build? Composting your grass cuttings also makes a bunch of sense so perhaps consider integrating a composting bin or section?With the ‘True DIY’ option where the structure is made from scratch, you can build to your exact sizes and materials, and you are not limited by pre-made sizes.While this option can give ultimate satisfaction to craftspeople, it is certainly:- Not the quickest method. Maybe you can fit more DIY projects in if you buy a shelter kit?
- Hard work and a lot of cutting and shaping, drilling, and potentially researching time online.
- Possibly more expensive, with the terrific climb in timber prices of recent months.
- Potentially frustrating, with materials and timber shortages of certain sizes.
- Are you able to source or treat the timber with pressure treatment yourself? This is needed to preserve softwood and could be a challenging task when not outsourced.
- Ask yourself – do you want to be treating or varnishing the structure frequently in years to come?
