What materials are used when building garden rooms?

What materials are used when building garden rooms
  • Author: Fazal Umer
  • Posted On: January 19, 2023
  • Updated On: January 19, 2023

A garden room can be a valuable addition to your home. It is a space suitable to be used as a garden office or just a room to get away from distractions and relax. To build a garden room, you must know what building materials are used in their construction.

This is why we created this guide. If you don’t want the hassle of sophisticated construction, you can go with metal garden rooms with relatively more straightforward construction. Else, here are the materials you must know.

Breather Membrane

First, you have to make arrangements to keep your garden toom waterproof. A breather membrane is a water-resistant material that allows air to flow through. During the garden room construction, this membrane is lined between the cavity space and the oriented strand board (OSB). This board is on the cold side of the insulation. This membrane is essential for your garden rooms to keep moisture and other elements from penetrating the building.

The risk of moisture and other elements seeping in with metal garden rooms is much less. This is why these rooms don’t require a breather membrane.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB)

The OSB is the preferred choice for bracing the structure of the garden room. Oriented strand board is a strong and durable material that is better for making the structure stronger but not for finishing. The board doesn’t have a finishing lining, so that it won’t look good on the interior. However, some people use it to give a rustic look to their garden rooms.

Ecotherm Insulation

Another important layer of insulation you will require for your garden room is the rigid board compressed insulation called Ecotherm insulation. This material is made explicitly for fitting within timber frames to maximize the internal space while complying with the building regulations. Most contractors prefer the versatility of Ecotherm as it is available in several thicknesses. Garden rooms need extra insulation, and this material is excellent for the job.

Lining

If you build metal garden rooms, you won’t need as much lining; otherwise, you will need lining to provide the final finish and insulation. Most people choose to go with plasterboards as they give a perfectly smooth and modern finish. But if you install the plasterboard, you will need a skilled decorator to do the interiors.

Roofing

For roofing, there are several options available.

You can choose a steel box profile that uses steel sheets to cover the roof of the garden room. The steel box profile is also suitable for metal garden rooms. Another benefit of steel roofing is its durability of up to 20 years.

Shingles are another common material used for roofing. They are made from bitumen and available in two shapes, square and hexagonal. Shingles have a better decorative appeal but are more expensive than steel.

Slate is rarely used, but it is also a material that can be used for roofing. You can talk to the contractor about installing a slate roof in your garden room if you want.

Flooring

For flooring, you can choose to install laminate flooring. It utilizes laminate tiles on the floor that provide a distinct level of insulation. Some people also use wooden flooring for the garden rooms, but it can be prone to rotting as garden space often has high moisture. You can choose alternatives like stone flooring, which looks elegant and natural.

Conclusion

These are the materials you will require when building your garden room. However, you can build strong and sturdy structures with metal garden rooms with lesser materials.

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Author: Fazal Umer

Fazal is a dedicated industry expert in the field of civil engineering. As an Editor at ConstructionHow, he leverages his experience as a civil engineer to enrich the readers looking to learn a thing or two in detail in the respective field. Over the years he has provided written verdicts to publications and exhibited a deep-seated value in providing informative pieces on infrastructure, construction, and design.

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