We admit that we may be jumping the gun a little bit as it is still winter. But, at the very least, it’s never too early to start preparing for your dream summer garden. A summerhouse is a beautiful little addition to any garden that you can easily build as a DIY home project! But how do you build a summerhouse? You’re in luck because in this article we will go over every step you need to take to construct a summerhouse from scratch and discuss additional features that can really take it to the next level.
What will you need?
For this DIY home project, you will need a fair few materials and tools to make it a success. The tools you will need to complete a summerhouse are:
- Tools
- Hammer
- Electric drill
- Sander
- Spirit Level
- Nails
- Shovel
- Trowel
- Paintbrushes
- Jigsaw
- Measuring tape
- Electric Screwdriver
- Electric saw
-
Materials
- Scaffolding board decking
- Pressure-treated wooden posts
- Premixed concrete
- Pressure treated timber
- Studs
- Wood preserver
- Wood Glue
- Stylish doors and windows
- Wooden cladding
- Decking screws
- OSB board
- Roof thrusts
Once you have all the dolls and materials you need for this DIY home project, you can start building your summerhouse!
How to build a summerhouse
You must invest in high-quality materials to build a sturdy and durable summerhouse. Wood rot and various other problems can ruin the structural integrity of your summerhouse. So you must invest the right amount of time and money into this DIY home project to ensure longevity and stability for years to come. This also means following instructions very closely to minimise the likelihood of your project failing.
- Foundations
The quality of the foundations of any structure will influence whether it will retain its structural integrity or collapse. For this reason, buying strong materials and laying them correctly is vital. The first thing you should do is dig a hole 400mm deep and position each of your pressure-treated wooden posts into it. Once they are in place, secure them with your pre-mixed concrete. Premixed concrete sets very quickly, so it is important to work fast, but still be careful. Each post must be buried at the same depth, level, and in a square formation as one another, else the rest of your measurements will need to be adjusted and your summerhouse will probably end up wonky. Trowel the concrete to make it level and then lay the scaffolding board decking and screw it into place. You may need to cut them first, in which case, use your jigsaw. Alternatively, rather than using board decking, you could just have a solid concrete foundation, as this will provide longevity.
- Stud work
The wall studs are the wooden beams that support the structural integrity of the summerhouse. The more wall studs you have, the more rigid the DIY home project is likely to be. Since the roof and walls of your project will be made of lightweight materials, the studs don’t need to be heavy either. We recommend you place extra studs around where the stylish doors and windows will be. You should be sure to leave enough room for these to be implemented when doing the stud work. The studs will be best placed in the vertical and horizontal sections of the structure. It is at this stage that you should apply a wood preserver to essentially waterproof them. If wood rot accesses your studs, it will cause them to deteriorate, and your structure will be weakened regardless of the number of studs you use.
- Doors & Windows
Stylish doors and windows will really make your summerhouse pop. You should install these normally and seal them with silicone so they’re waterproof. You should also apply a water-resistant treatment to their beading. We recommend you purchase your doors from The Glass Door Centre. There, they have a selection of high-quality aluminium bifold doors that will fold neatly into or outside of your summerhouse, create a very stylish look, and preserve more space than an average window or door would.
- Walls
This is where your wooden cladding comes in. We recommend you buy 10% more than what you think you need to account for cutting and wastage. Multiply the width by the height to discover the amount of wooden cladding you need, and remove the area of windows and doors. It is important that your cladding is completely dry before you install it, as timber expands when wet and will give you an inaccurate measurement. As the timber dries, it will contract. And should you install it while wet, you might find large gaps that weren’t present before. Use decking screws to secure the cladding to the studs.
- Roof
If you decide to do a peaked roof, we recommend doing a 20-degree pitch so the roof doesn’t extend too far upward. To do this, cut your timber at a 20-degree angle. Use an electric saw to cut the roof thrusts so they extend past the walls and make the walls watertight. Continue on to place all the roof thrusts, ensure they are secure, and then screw in the OSB board. You will need two people to build the roof for safety reasons.
- Finishing touches
The best part about having your own summerhouse is that you can decorate it however you want! Any colour of paint, any type of interior decor, it’s yours to do what you like with! This entire DIY home project should cost you somewhere around £1,200, give or take. So as the summer rolls in, you’ll have your very own summerhouse to chill in!