Before buying a garden room, you should consider the different construction materials used by manufacturers. This is important because some materials offer better longevity, durability and versatility than others. You want to make sure you’re getting good value for money, so construction materials should never be overlooked in the purchasing process.
In this guide, we’re going to discuss some of the construction materials we use to create each of our bespoke garden rooms and explain why we use them instead of alternative materials.
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Glass fibre and carbon fibre
Glass fibre and carbon fibre are composite materials that balance low weight with high strength. They are an excellent alternative to traditional timber for construction for a number of reasons.
Firstly, carbon fibre has a very high tensile strength. This means it is capable of withholding a large amount of stress before breaking—a crucial criterion for constructing buildings requiring durability and robustness. Glass fibre is also very strong, and is an excellent insulator.
Glass fibre and carbon fibre are both chemically stable, resistant to corrosion and require very little maintenance. Unlike wood, they won’t deteriorate over time and don’t require treatment in order to prevent swelling, warping or rotting.
We use a combination of carbon fibre and glass fibre for the frames of our pods, in an innovative design process that allows these frames to slot together without the need for a nail gun. They are also very lightweight, keeping transportation costs down and ensuring the installation process is as swift and straightforward as possible.
Find out more about why we use glass fibre and carbon fibre for our garden room frames in our expert guide.
Composite
Composites are made of two or more chemically different constituent materials. Composite material is excellent for construction purposes because it is extremely strong and durable. It is also resistant to fire, corrosion and other weather-related degradation, pests and cracks, dents, scratches and other damage.
Composite construction materials are also very low maintenance, flexible in design possibilities and capable of limiting heat loss from a structure due to its low thermal conductivity.
We use composite material for the external cladding and optional decking on our garden rooms, designed and manufactured to the highest standards. We use composite because of the material’s superior performance to wood, as well as its low maintenance, durability and longevity. Our cladding and decking offer a sleek, modern appearance and are available in three natural colour finishes, including brown to imitate timber if you prefer a more traditional or natural style.
For more information about composite material and to learn more about our composite cladding and decking, read our expert guide.
PVCu
Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC, also known as PVCu) is a common construction material owing to its chemical resistance and durability. Compared to wood, PVCu offers better resistance to weather damage and will not rot or warp over time, nor will it rust or corrode as steel often does.
We use PVCu for the windows and doors of our garden rooms because it helps minimise heat loss and provides excellent soundproofing properties—ideal if you want to use your Garden Retreat as a music room. Our PVCu windows and bifold and patio doors won’t require the routine treatment and repainting you expect with wood, and their finish won’t peel, flake or fade.
Our expert guide explains what PVCu is in more detail and discusses why we use this material for our garden room windows and doors.
Luxury vinyl tiles
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring is designed to mimic the aesthetics of natural wood and stone, but is much more hardwearing and comfortable underfoot.
Compared to linoleum and laminate flooring, LVT is less likely to experience water damage and is more resistant to damage such as scratches and dents. LVT is much simpler to install and replace than stone flooring, and far easier to maintain than wood panels.
We have a wide range of 19 different LVT styles for you to choose from when designing your Garden Retreat, including a timeless grained wood-effect and soft stone. Our tiles have a special K-Guard surface which protects them from stains and helps you maintain good hygiene and sterility levels.
We talk about luxury vinyl tile flooring in more detail in this expert guide.
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