Now that the heating is on……..
Some people have said to me recently “why would you want to heat a fancy shed?” and my answer is always:
1. Because garden rooms are not fancy sheds
and
2. Why would you not want to use your garden room all year round?
If you have invested in a quality garden room, which is fully insulated to building regulation standards there is no reason why your garden room isn’t as warm as your house in the winter. If you garden room is going to be used as an office then you will need to be using it all year round and wanting to protect your office equipment from getting too cold. This is why investing in a garden room which is heated is important.
Another question I get asked regularly is “can you put a wood burner into a garden room?” Of course the answer is yes and whilst I understand the romantic reasons behind wanting one, my response is that the room will be so hot it will be difficult to sit in it for any length of time!
So what are the other options?
If you are using your garden room like most people for an office, art studio, teenage den, games room, man pad or similar a simple electric radiator will be more than sufficient at heating your garden room. I always advise to have one installed with a cold watch in case the temperature really plummets so that any equipment or paper is protected.
Your second option is underfloor heating. This can work out more expensive but it can have its benefits if wall space is needed and cannot be sacrificed to mount your electric radiator. It may also be a good option if you are using your garden room every day for the purpose of an office so the distribution of heat is even.
Your last and cheapest option if your room us only used occasionally is to simply plug in a cold watch fan heater. You can usually buy these for around £20. The only down side to these is that they can look a bit ugly and in the way. They are also very noisy if you are trying to concentrate. The other alternative to this is an electric oil filled radiator, but again you need the space in your garden room to put it somewhere!
If your garden room is large and more like a granny annex then a wood burner may be a viable option to keep the whole space really warm. You really wouldn’t need to have the electric heating on as well though.
Fitting a wood burning stove to a wooden building is as easy as it is to fit it in a standard home with the flue either venting out of the roof or the wall.
To keep using your garden room all year round and your room warm before even considering any heating options the insulation you have is the key. Inadequate insulation will result in a cold and damp space so it is important to get it right. When researching options for garden rooms you may be drawn in to contacting some companies by the lower price they offer. A word of caution however, they will probably not be as well insulated as other companies garden rooms. The saying “you get what you pay for” really does apply here! Good insulation is expensive.
Solid Wooden Walls of Spacetwo's Garden Rooms
Spacetwo’s garden rooms are built using 140mm of solid wood meaning that they are incredibly insulated. This building method is used in many of the homes built high up in the Alps being one of the most traditional building methods around, so you can be assured that your room will be usable all year round.
Wood Fibre Insulation used in Spacetwo's Garden Rooms
We also insulate the roof and the floor to keep your room toasty and warm. Our rooms come fitted with an electric radiator unless you specify underfloor heating, which we are happy to accommodate.
So what are you waiting for….. Get that heating on!