My Room In The Garden - Questions ??

mishmogs

helvelyn wrote: »

MrsLurcherwalker A small caravan would be my dreamsolution but unfortunately the only entrance to our back garden is a small narrow passagewayleading between us and the house next door - otherwise I would have one tomorrow and play outside in it all year long! Would be like having my own lifesize dolls house.... ooooh I want one - Wonder how much a crane would cost to lift one over the house? or is that just entirely mad?

Boodle LOL if my DH reads that he'll have a fit - really nice idea but garage is already shared by DH's motorbike and cycle (oh and the family camping stuff)

valk_scot Unfortunately we have very little loft space, there isn't even room to stand upright. I am very intrigued by the idea of a craft cupboard though - I might be able to fit one of those into a corner of the living room if we got rid of a desk we no longer really use (teenagers no longer need homework space) can't seem to get your link to work though, would you mind terribly posting it again or the name of the website where you saw it? Thank you very much.

mishmogs Excellent ideas and information tahnk you very much indeed - would it be cheeky for me to ask if the insultaion cost very much and was it hard to fit? am just about to PM you ... much appreciated

Hello, for the insulation, I used 2 x rolls of rockwool and installed in the walls and the roof and left overs went around the bath and the tongue and groove was the cheapest I could get. Unfortunately, it all came from the Focus closing down sale so was dirt cheap but I know the rockwool doesnt cost a lot say £20-25 but the wood..... I would check out builders merchants or recycled wood yards and get a price for bulk buying or ask them for rejected wood or possibly buy it in the sales?? Hope this helps...

shegar

Ive also got a summer house, its insulated with celotex, and boarded over with ply wood, its painted a nice sunny lemon......Its got a small 3 seater sofa and armchair, a small fridge for my coke, and a radio and a coffee table and I love it to bits, I can watch the wildlife birds etc and see and hear the running water in the pond and also see my flowers borders, which are a bit battered with all the rain..........

Its my tranquill little placethat I love to sit and have a cup of tea, I have been known to fall asleep with the 2 dogs on me for a hour here and there....:D

I bought that with my 50 th birthday money which is now 4 yrs past, at least ive got something to show for the money, its home from home in there and its my little sanctury:D....................

SpikyHedgehog

Mum & dad put up a summer house in the back garden - dad & little sis's boyfriend actually put it together but both are handy & have made & built things before so it was easier for them than for people who are not so used to doing such projects.

They've got electricity down to it, which you 'd need for lighting, & I'm guessing ironing/sewing. They also have a stereo & tv in there, & there's room for the 2 eldest grandsons to sleep in it. (Well, there's room for the others though not too many at a time, but only the eldest are trusted to sleep in it.)

I keep looking at it, thinking, 'You need more insulation! It wouldn't be hard...' but that may be my winter prep head as they have an open fire so are my emergency 'there's no electricity so I can't heat my house' destination ;-)

zippychick

As this has dropped down the board, and is more a home related question, i've moved this to our in my home board. I think you would get more specific advice over here.

Good luck, i hope it works out for you

Zip

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

mikey72

I have what is effectively a large shed.
Ordered with the windows where I wanted them, and the doors.
Plumbed in water, electricity, heating.
The walls I insulated internally with a reflective "bubble wrap" type insulation, a lot thinner than rockwool, and not attractive to vermin, it acts as a damp proof membrane as well, the floor has a dpm, overboarded with hardboard, then carpeted.
The inside I lined with hardboard, with hindsight, ply would have been better though.
No problem with damp, rodents, spiders, (in fact the integral garage is worse).
I haven't needed to insulate the roof, but I was going to use 1 inch polystyrene sheet if it gets too cold.

shegar

mikey72 wrote: »

I have what is effectively a large shed.
Ordered with the windows where I wanted them, and the doors.
Plumbed in water, electricity, heating.
The walls I insulated internally with a reflective "bubble wrap" type insulation, a lot thinner than rockwool, and not attractive to vermin, it acts as a damp proof membrane as well, the floor has a dpm, overboarded with hardboard, then carpeted.
The inside I lined with hardboard, with hindsight, ply would have been better though.
No problem with damp, rodents, spiders, (in fact the integral garage is worse).
I haven't needed to insulate the roof, but I was going to use 1 inch polystyrene sheet if it gets too cold.

Well at least if "her indoors" kick you out youve got a good place to go.......:D

shegar

helvelyn wrote: »

I want my own room! (where is the stamping foot smiley? lol) Seriously, I was thinking the other day both my teenagers have their own room, DH has his own room - well it's the garage, but it's his own space to play and stash his treasures IYSWIM. I don't have anywhere and I'm fed up.

We have a 3 bed semi, no room in our bedroom for crafts or strorage, and only a living room and kitchen downstairs. I'm quite a tidy person and can't bear having the living areas messy, I like it cosy and welcoming, so having my sewing machine or craft stuff spread out on the dining table for days at a time drives me mad. Often the idea of having to get everything out knowing I have to put it all away again is enough to stop me starting a project in the first place.

DH (who is lovely and is "trying" to understand) has suggested I have a summer house in the garden (garden not massive so it could only be small) and make it my own little oasis, decorate it, make it cosy etc. I have £1,000 stashed away from a legacy that my lovely DH made me keep for myself and has forbidden me to use on stocking up / bills / kids / house, so I have a start....BUT!!!..... would it be practical? I've looked online and what seems to be an enormous amount of money to me will only buy a very basic building and I have three main questions I thought you lovely people could help me with:-

1. If I store my fabric in what amounts to a fancy shed will it end up damp and covered in mildew, crawling with spiders or as a nest for baby mice?
2. Is it going to be practical to heat such a space so that I can use it all year round without going bankrupt paying the heating bills?
3. Am I shortsighted and stupid for only being able to think of two questions? Is there perhaps some other elephant in the room I'm not aware of?

If anyone has any input they'd like to add I would be sooooo grateful

Well having a thou already will be a dam good start for a summerhouse......As long as you insulate it , it will be okay for the winter and your materials wont go damp and mouldy, also after insulation get it boarded out, and you wont get mice in there, you may get the odd spider but you get them anywhere dont you.?....Get some elec supply to it and a portable gas heater and you will be fine .......Nice to have your own space........:D