timbergardensheds

Home Office "SAM10" - Marlene, Redland Bay, QLD

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:15:00 GMT

April 2026

A few words about these "Completed Project" posts (as well as about this website in general). The text and images are NOT created by AI - full stop. As a matter of fact, we take great pride in creating these blog posts ourselves - yes, we know - "old fashioned". We just can't stand "fake" texts that are soaked in AI created populist phrases like "seamlessly blending", "craftspeople", "carefully curated" and so on...Our team of shed builders are real people - as real as this website. We are down to earth, we genuinely care about the products we sell, and we share your excitement when handing you the keys to your new log cabin!

Existing Concrete Slab

By pure coincidence, the old concrete slab at Marlene's place was the exact same size as the footprint of our "SAM10" cabin. Whilst this, in theory, meant that no additional foundation was needed, Marlene opted to raise her new office cabin off the ground by installing one of our popular steel purlin foundations. This eliminated any possible future flooding issues.

Instead of concreting the four support posts into the ground, we used bolt-down feet, still using height adjustable post tops. This enables Marlene to raise the entire cabin by a further about 200mm in case of local flooding. For ease of access to the cabin we also installed a 2-step stringer and 1.5m wide hardwood steps. The stringers are also height adjustable, so can be raised together with the cabin if need be (see below).

Roof beam attachment to log walls....

Over many years of installing these type of cabins, we have continued to refine and improve the installation procedure. Often, these adjustments are based on feedback we receive from you, the log cabin owners!

Recently, we started to affix the roof beams to the log walls using 200mm HD gal steel batten screws. These are normally NOT needed, as the roof beams are rebated and fit neatly into slots that have been routed into the wall log. The rebates show nicely on the image on the very right. The holes through the centre of the roof beam joints are rebated, allowing the batten screw heads to sit below the top of the roof beam.

Roof Boards

All our cabins come in either 28mm or (like this SAM10 cabin) in 50mm wall thickness, with t&g roof boards in 18mm thickness. Thinner boards of 19 mm or even as thin as 14 mm are NOT suitable for any garden shed wall construction.

We opt screwing these boards down using galvanised outdoor screws of 45mm length, we do not use the chrome coated shiny nails often supplied with European made cabins. Our strong winds and tropical cyclones necessitate different construction methods than what is used overseas.

We also always use metal top hat battens, instead of timber battens. Metal battens are much stronger and provide total peace of mind during storms etc.

Roof Alignment

To guarantee everything lines up nicely, it is essential to start with a 100% level and square foundation. Installation of all following cabin components are then very easy.

Both the timber roof boards and the corrugated iron roof sheeting need to be squared up. This is made a lot easier by first installing temporary vertical scrap pieces of timber at the rear end of the two outer roof beams and the centre roof beam. This is shown nicely in the centre image on the right. Just push the roof boards and than later the roof sheets against these stops before screwing them down. This ensures that everything is square, making for a neat finish.

Another happy log cabin office owner!

To fit the cabin doors sometimes poses a few challenges. The two doors need to line up to enable the European multi pin locking mechanism to work without any effort.

Alignment of the doors is achieved via the hinges. These are three-way adjustable - up and down, in and out as well as left and right. With a bit of patience, the doors will always line up 100%.

They will need re-adjustment shortly after the initial install, as the timber dries out and settles.

To accommodate this movement the door architrave is not screwed into the wall logs. This, however, sometimes causes the entire door frame to move to a side, which happens when one door is closed while the other door is open, so they pull both in the same direction instead of counteracting each other. To avoid this, we insert two small holding screws into the wall logs, on the inside of the cabin, at the side tops of the architrave.

Garden Room "SAM10" - Debra and Jeff, Ipswich, QLD

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:21:10 GMT

February 2026

Our second build after the Festive Season. As mentioned previously, we do not normally build any cabins during the hottest period of the year, however, due to the inevitable backlog of cabin builds we decided to "tough it out" and do a couple of builds before the temperatures start dropping as we approach Autumn.

Access to the rear of Debra and Jeff's property was a little tight, to say the least. But we love a challenge, we managed to park our 8m trailer with the cabin pallet close to the build site, and set up our tools and workshop right next to the build area.

Ground Preparations

Ideally, before any cabin building or steel purlin foundation base installation, there needs to be some work done to avoid any vegetation growing back underneath the cabin.

The owner Jeff did a great job preparing the build site. Jeff removed the grass, leveled out the site, placed builder's plastic on the soil and topped this with a layer of white gravel - it looked great when we first arrived on site.

We installed both the steel purlin base and the treated pine base on day one of the build.

The detail image of the gal steel stump shows soil already being placed back on top of the concrete underneath. The plastic cut-out was then replaced and topped with white gravel.

Our preferred brand of power tools is MAKITA, as you would have guessed when looking at image 1.

Still learning and trying....

Once the roof beams have been installed, roof boards are next. When screwing these down, they can easily get out of alignment when installing one after the other.

To ensure that the first board is 100% squared up and aligned with the end of the roof boards, we recently started installing temporary vertical braces at the end of the roof beams (shown on the centre image on the right). These scrap pieces of timber not only guarantee that the first roof board is properly positioned, they will also do the same for the corrugated iron sheets.

We also installed a second window with this cabin. One window is always included with the cabin, and can be placed in any of the three walls. A second window helps with cross-ventilation and lets more daylight into your cabin!

Roof Boards

We also always use metal top hat battens, instead of timber battens. Metal battens are much stronger and provide total peace of mind during storms etc.

Done and Dusted

It is always very rewarding for our crew when everything comes together nicely.

Installing the very last bits on the last day of the install is the final exciting step towards handing over the keys to the proud new owner.

We managed to install the metal battens on a Saturday late afternoon, and decided to go back to site at 6am the next morning to avoid the worst of the heat, trying to install all roof sheets by lunchtime.

It took our experienced crew only just under 2 hours to install both the sheeting and the insulation! All other bits like the barge capping, the gable top diamond shaped timber pieces and finally the ridge capping followed closely.

We will soon be installing another cabin like this!

Leatherworks Studio - Wayne and Ruth, Springbrook, QLD

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:28:04 GMT

January 2026

Finally - our first build for 2016! At the end of last year we took 2 months off, touring Europe and visiting our suppliers. Upon our return to Oz, we had the usual hot and wet Australian January weather. We normally do not schedule any builds while temperatures outside are frequently above 30 degrees, and always communicate this to our customers. However, sometimes we are asked to build a cabin even while the weather is not too favorable - like in this case in Springbrook, Qld. We were overall lucky, with overcast conditions for most of the build. So here is to another great cabin building year!

Ground Preparations

Ideally, before any cabin building or steel purlin foundation base installation, there needs to be some work done to avoid any vegetation growing back underneath the cabin.

The owner Wayne was "on the ball"! Wayne removed the grass, leveled out the site, placed builder's plastic on the soil and topped this with a layer of gravel - it looked great when we first arrived on site.

We managed to install the steel purlin base at the end of September last year, before we went overseas. That meant that the steel base was "in the way" for a few months, but Wayne and Ruth were perfectly ok with this.

In the end we were very happy with having done the steel base already when the weather was much cooler!

Addition of new cross connectors

Once the steel base is complete we level it out 100% using the nifty adjustable stump tops we always install.

Over the past few years we had two inquiries regarding the outer wall purlins slightly bowing sometime after the installation of the cabin had been completed. This is caused by the settling of the wall logs or treated pine base frame, so on occasion the bottom timber pushes down onto the steel purlin. While this is purely cosmetic and does not compromise the structural integrity of the cabin we nowadays install a short connector brace timber, as shown in the last image on the right.

This ensures that the outer purlin remains straight and "looks right".

These can also be fitted retrospectively.

Treated Pine Base Frame

This separates the first layer of the timber log wall from the steel base. The treated pine base frame comes with your cabin, in full 90x45mm, providing a very strong foundation for the floorboards and the cabin.

It is a good idea to affix the first layer of logs in the overlapping corners only. This helps greatly aligning the wall logs with the particle board flooring. The last floorboard can easily be positioned properly by removing the first log again, slide in the floorboard and tap it into place using the now accessible side of the floorboard, and then reinstalling the first log. It is VERY important to screw down the first layer of logs after all particle board flooring has been installed, using 100mm batten screws for the half-height logs (at the front and rear) and 150mm batten screws for the full height logs (for the two sides of your cabin.

Some details...

We are often asked about certain details of the construction of a garden shed log cabin when the cabin is being built by the owners.

We are always available on the phone and are also happy to help via video calls.

The factory-supplied screws in the top and the bottom of the door frame are M16, a "little" too strong for their application, we always replace these with M10 screws. The image on the very left shows the lighter screw already inserted in the pre-drilled hole, and the factory-supplied screw placed closed to it, for comparison.

The pre assembled gable pieces need to be affixed to the log wall using 150mm batten screws close to each corner of the cabin. The top centre image shows the correct positioning of the screw.

Electrical Work

To get a sparky on site at the exact time needed is close to impossible. We therefore always run the lighting cables from the front entry switch to both the external porch lighting and the internal lighting.

To leave this task to an electrician coming on site after the build is finished is impractical, as this would mean that the sparky has to remove the metal roofing and insulation etc. again!

The images on the right show how we install the cabling, using 20mm conduit fittings.

Using very strong full 50mm thick (!) logs enables our factory to pre-drill electrical holes 450mm in from all corners of your cabin, so you can place power points and switches where you want.

Another great SAM10 build completed!

We were very lucky with the weather, for most of the build time we had overcast skies, making for much cooler temperatures than what could be called "normal" for January.

Especially when doing roofing, shade or cloudy conditions are essential, as in the direct sun the metal roofing gets VERY hot VERY quickly.

We were also extremely happy with the quality of the current batch of timber cabins coming through. There are absolutely zero issues with twisting or warping of the logs (which can happen during the drying process), the pallets are properly stacked and covered by our factory, all components are included and fit together nicely - in short, these cabins are a real pleasure to assemble.

SLEEPOUT ROOM "ORAN 20" - Simon, Mullumbimby, NSW

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 01:20:18 GMT

August 2025

This build was very close to the location of our warehouse, making logistics like delivery and accommodation very easy. Access to site was also drive-up, just the grounds were still a little soggy from the wet weather we had leading up to the start of the build. In these cases we are very appreciative of owners not being too concerned about tire tracks in their lawns we HAD to make when arriving on site.

Steel Purlin Foundations

We first lay out the outer frame of the steel purlin base, and consult the owners as to its exact positioning. This gives us the location of the post holes. Once marked out we move the base frame out of the way, and dig the holes.

How long this process takes largely depends on the ground conditions - we have been digging foundation holes in just plain soil, sand (!), rocky ground and just about everything else. We have removed tree roots (a reciprocating saw is best for this), boulder, bricks and roof tiles and other previously buried builder's rubble. Sometimes our petrol auger digger does the job, but more often the digging needs to be done by hand.

But we ALWAYS get there, of course. Foundation holes for garden sheds do not need to be as deep as for residential dwellings.

Start of Timber Works

Once the steel base is complete we level it out 100% using the nifty adjustable stump tops we always use.

The treated pine base frame is assembled, squared up and secured to the steel purling base via metal angle brackets. The first layer of logs is placed, electrical holes are drilled through the treated pine base frame (all electrical holes through the centre of the logs have already been done by our factory) in a 45 degree angle to clear the steel purlins.

Once all electrical holes are drilled the first layer of logs is screwed onto the treated pine base frame. Floorboards are next to create a level even working surface.

Walls up

Our new model "ORAN20" has a separate room at the rear, which can be used for storage, bathroom or whatever you like. It comes with a very nice 1.5m wide barn door and a small window with frosted glass.

This means that with this cabin kit you get more different types of logs - they are all numbered, so assembly is easy IF you follow the instructions...

The image on the right shows our typical site setup.

Cabin assemblies are always a lot easier if we can get our vehicles as close as possible. A flat area close by is also great as this makes unpacking, sorting and temporarily storing logs a lot quicker.

Shade is also highly welcome, depending on the time of the year of course!

Some details...

We often receive questions regarding certain details of the construction of a garden shed log cabin when the cabin is being built by the owners.

We are always available on the phone and are also happy to help via video calls.

The first two images on the left show how the gable barge boards are attached - this is not all that important as the metal roofing barge boards will cover these.

The image of the corner logs shows the neat alignment of the floor boards with the logs - noting that this is NOT always the case, a gap of a few mm is perfectly ok.

The roofing image shows the proper alignment of the roofing sheets at the top. A small gap is needed to let condensation escape.

Roof Boards

One of the exclusive features of these types of log cabins are is that ALL timber components are included. This means that when you look up inside your cabin you see t&g solid timber roof boards - and NOT the underside of corrugated iron sheets, or rolls of insulation wool or aluminium blankets. We also take the time to screw these down into the roof and wall beams to ensure adequate wind ratings (instead of using nails).

Once the roof boards are installed the cabin is 99% watertight, as the t&g timber boards lock into each other quite tightly. In case the cabin is exposed to rains you will only have a few very minor drip leaks through the inevitable branch knots in the timber.

We LOVE these cabins!

Nearly done...Front door incl. architrave and the internal barn door are still missing on these photos, they have of course been installed soon after...

Oiling or painting your new cabin is a MUST as soon as possible after the build is finished. This guarantees your cabin will give you many years of enjoyment and use.

Our display cabins "SAM10" and OSCAR20" have now been exposed to the elements for 7 and 5 years respectively - and they both still look like brand new. Yes, over that time we have applied several coats of CUTEK oil, which is always a bit of work - but it pays off big time, with no splitting of logs, no structural issues etc.

Painting is initially more work as three coats need to be applied immediately after construction, but after this you can "walk away" for a few years.

PROFESSIONAL ROOM "SAM10" - Sonia, Pittsworth, QLD

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 03:53:34 GMT

July 2025

We are slowly catching up with our cabin build schedule. After many weeks of very wet weather the current dry spell helps us to get quite a few builds and deliveries done. This SAM10 will serve as an office and online trading room, providing Sonia with a peaceful and quiet working environment, sometimes used very late at night. This site was a little remote, but we had accommodation on site, which always makes the "commuting" so much easier.

Foundations

We were asked to place this cabin as close to the ground as possible. We are great fans of adjustable stumps to easily compensate for uneven ground, as well as leveling the cabin at any time after its built. In this case the build site was on top of a hill, with concrete like ground with packed rocks..... with close to no chance at all of any future ground movements. The concrete corner blocks we placed turned out to be pretty close to level, only the front right corner needed to be lowered.

We still used steel purlins as the main supporting frame, the treated pine base frame supplied with the cabin is not strong enough by itself to be load bearing. Angle brackets are used to connect the two frames.

Interesting details...

The use of our exclusive 50mm wall logs enables our factory to pre-drill electrical holes at specified positions through the centre of the logs. After placing the first row of logs we mark their positions on the treated pine base frame below, remove the first row and drill the electrical hole through the treated pine, on an angle to clear the metal purlin underneath.

We then insert a section of plastic tongue for the sparky who will then be able to easily locate electrical holes and run cables.

The other images on the right show the way the corners of the log walls interlock - securely and watertight.

Roof Boards

To guarantee the authentic log cabin look all our cabins come with solid timber t&g roof boards. To achieve superior structural strength we invest the time to screw these down (rather then using nails). Once these roof boards are installed the cabin is pretty much dried in.

We often use the sheltered area of the cabin for overnight materials and tools storage.

The window on the right shows some of the protective cover plastic film on the window sill peeled off. This is important to do shortly after installation of the window, as the plastic film will dry out over time and will be close to impossible to remove later on.

Increased Roof Insulation

This cabin build also included the installation of much thicker roof insulation. We increased the roof gap by screwing down additional 35mm high hardwood battens as well as 110mm (!) high metal top hat battens.

Coupled with ultra thick insulation bats the roof cavity was increased to 190mm.

Instead of roll-out insulation we were supplied with individual bats. They proved a bit hard to cut, but we managed to keep cutting to a minimum with zero wastage. The altered roofing also meant increasing the dimensions of the barge capping, plus of course allowing space for the lighting cables.

Lighting Cables

It is close to impossible to get a sparky out to site at a fixed day and time. Besides proving pre-drilled electrical holes when doing the foundations (see before) we also run the lighting cables from the switch at the entrance through the log centres, the roof cavity and drill the holes through the roof beams into the cabin and the front roof overhang.

The images on the left are a typical examples of our workmanship. All cables are securely run through plastic conduit, we use inspection "T" junctions, and also run the flexible conduit into the roof beams.

We are not licensed electricians - we only run cables for the lighting as this would be impossible for the sparky to do once he is on site after we installed the roofing.

Ready for moving in!

Due to the increased height of the barge boards the diamond shaped top finial supplied with the cabin did not quite cover the barge board joint at the very top of the cabin front and rear.

This necessitated neat vertical cutting of the barge boards, lining up with the diamond piece centre line - worked quite well.

During the construction of the cabin we needed to trim back some of the greenery growing close to the cabin. As a general rule branches and leaves should NEVER touch your cabin, as this would provide an entry point for termites and other unwanted critters. Over time trimming foliage back is often forgotten, but should be done as part of your normal maintenance routine.

And it is off to the next cabin build....

PROFESSIONAL ROOM "SAM10" - Linda, Fernvale, QLD

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:32:58 GMT

July 2025

The variety of end uses of our cabins is amazing... In this case Linda needed a professional space for her home business. This space needed to look great, feel welcoming to clients, needed to be waterproof and well insulated as well as long lasting and structurally sound - the perfect description for our solid timber log cabins! The image above shows the finished cabin as at August 2025, boasting a top-notch paint job.

Foundations

This build site was located close to the centre of Fernvale. This meant accommodation and other facilities were close by, making logistics easier.

The cabin was placed facing the main road, next to the main residence. The site was pretty much level, with easy access all around.

If you noticed that the images on the left look "dull" - you are right. The weather on the first day of this build was overcast, with the occasional light drizzle. We had to closely watch this as leaving power tools out in the rain is never a good idea.

But overall we made excellent progress - largely due to our great building team we had on site. Three guys make for quick work.

Second Day - still rain threatening

We tried to get this build done as quickly as we could - leaving not much time for chats and photos.... The images on the right are "fast forward" from the first row of images above.

The door architrave (but not the doors themselves) as well as the windows need to be installed as the walls go up. They CAN also be installed after all walls are finished, but this means much more work and fiddling around. The window that comes with the cabin can only be installed in the centre of any of the three walls, additional windows are available (please check with us) and can then be installed anywhere you like, but must be at least 300mm away from a log wall corner.

Lighting Cables

Our unique log thickness of 50mm (instead of only 44 or even 28mm) allows our factory to pre-drill electrical holes through the logs. This enables our local electricians to neatly install power points, light switches etc without using unsightly conduits and the like. Lighting cables must be installed BEFORE the roof sheets. It is close to impossible to get an electrician on site at exactly the right time, especially in remote locations.

We therefore run lighting cables from the switch at the entrance to all lighting outlets - one for the front door overhang (the cable show on the image on the right) and one or two outlets inside the cabin). We also pre drill cable holes through the treated pine base frame and insert a plastic tongue that extends at the bottom, so the sparky knows where we provided access for his cables.

You can spot the yellow plastic tongue sticking out underneath the cabin on the image on the right.

Another SAM10 done

We are always happy when the roof sheets are installed - as of that point forward the cabin is close to being fully "dried in". Barge and ridge capping make the cabin 100% waterproof.

The diamond shaped timber pieces you spot at the very top where the barge capping joins are for cosmetic purposes only.

The front doors can be tricky to adjust while the timber of the cabin has not settled yet. Timber logs move and "shrink" over the first few months after the installation, and also sometimes tilt a little. This is totally normal for a naturally grown building material, and just means that doors might need to be readjusted via the hinges.

FARM CABINS "OSCAR20 " and "ORAN20" - Frank and Patricia, Eureka, NSW

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:31:17 GMT

June 2025

This is our largest build ever - four interconnecting steel base foundations, one for our "OSCAR20" cabin with a front entry deck, and one for our new model "ORAN20" cabin with an interconnecting deck between the two. After three weeks of rain delay we finally had a period of dry weather, enabling us to get these two builds done in one go, with only a few days break in between each.

WET, WET, WET...

When we first visited the site the sun was out, the grass was green and everything looked picture perfect. The site had been marked out, a couple of trees needed to be removed, but overall access for our vehicles was easy.

Than the heavens opened up, and for several weeks the site turned into a soggy mess, especially where the trees had been removed. The muddy conditions temporarily stopped any construction work, so we used the downtime to build a "SAM10" cabin in Uki (see previous blog entry).

After many days of dry weather the site was finally ready for vehicle and foot traffic. Materials and our vehicles need to be as close as possible to the build site, to keep construction times to a minimum.

Steel Bases

We had to construct a total of four interconnected steel purlin bases. Two for the cabins, and two for the decks. Steel purlin bases are ideal for sloping grounds, as posts can be cut to size as needed, and final height adjustments are done via the stump tops from LEVELMASTER.

We opted to first construct ALL four bases, rather than only tow and then start building the first cabin. The first base needed to be 100% square and level, as the other three were joined on to the first one. The saw horses shown in the first image on the right were only temporarily holding up the outer frame while we dug the holes for the foundation posts. All images enlarge if you click on them.

Additional Rear Door

The first cabin we built was our "OSCAR20". A second rear door was needed to connect the cabins via the deck between them.

Fortunately, we had a single solid timber door in stock, leftover from another project, which we were able to install in the rear wall.

This door was initially designed for internal use. This meant that we had to spend a fair bit of time manufacturing a proper architrave. The end result looks great we think!

The images on the left show the cabin with walls up, when we started installing the gable pieces and the roof beams.

Roofing

Once the walls and gables are installed, the roof beams are placed. On top of these the timber t&g roof boards are screwed.

The way our cabins are manufactured allows easy walking on the entire roof surface, making the installation of roof battens, insulation wool and the roof sheets much safer.

We also always run electrical cables for the internal and external lighting from the front door switch before we install the roofing. Our superior wall thickness of 50mm allows our factory to pre-drill electrical cable holes all throughout the cabin, so you will never be short of power points.

One down - one to go

Another top-notch cabin built completed!

Door hinges are adjusted, door jambs are plumb and locked into place (whilst still allowing for log settling) and the doors can be securely locked.

We also decided to post here an image of the sub floor construction. The centre post has a cross beam as there is an uneven number of steel purlins. As always, all post tops are height adjustable, so any seasonal movements due to various ground conditions can easily be negated.

After this first of two builds was completed, we took a couple of days off and prepared for the installation of the second cabin a few days later.

Info regarding the "ORAN20" install is below.

"ORAN20" - our new two-room cabin

We always get excited when constructing a new cabin model for the very first time. Specifications for both the steel base and the roofing need to be worked out and ordered.

As the steel base had already been constructed, installation of the second cabin progressed well.

Installation of cement sheet t&g flooring took much longer than anticipated. We normally do not work with this type of flooring, we prefer TERMIFLOOR particle board flooring, which is lighter, easier to cut and quicker to install, but for this build owner Frank asked us to use cement sheeting.

For ease of access we temporarily installed particle board sheets in front of the entrances.

Drying in

For obvious reasons we always try to get cabins dried in as quickly as we can. Once log walls are installed the gables, roof beams and roof boards are next.

Than it's onto roofing work - metal top hat battens, running electrical leads for the lighting both inside and out, place installation wool and screw down the roof sheets. Once the sheets are installed we always breathe easier as rain can no longer get inside the cabin.

Than come the finishing touches - timber eave supports and barge boards, followed by metal sheet barge capping and ridge capping.

And the usual pack-up at the end of the last day.

ARTIST STUDIO "SAM 10" - Kylie, Uki, NSW

Wed, 28 May 2025 01:34:11 GMT

May 2025

Finally, the sun is out! This year's wet weather has delayed this build by a couple of weeks, which also meant all builds following this one have been pushed out. But we managed to get this build done in three days, as the steel base had been installed a few weeks prior to building the actual cabin. The NSW country town of Uki is located at the foot of picturesque Mt Warning, our accommodation was right on the Tweed River. A great location and another successful build.

Steel Base

Access to the site was easy - at the end of a gravel driveway, right in front of the main house. We installed the steel base as close to the retaining wall as we could, keeping in mind that a minimum space of about 600mm is needed all round to allow for ladder placement during the construction of the cabin.

Height adjustment is also a breeze. We always use "Level Master" adjustable stump tops, allowing mm height precision, as well as adjusting the cabin height at any time later on should this become necessary after soil movement etc.

The last two images show the start of the treated pine base frame assembly.

Wall Construction

Always the quickest part of the construction process. All wall logs are notched to mm precision, and fit together perfectly. The window needs to be placed on top of the 10th wall log, and can be installed in any of the three walls (yes, even in the rear wall). The hinges of the window still need their cosmetic cover plates, as well as the window handles that allow the two equal window halves to be opened all the way or put into the "tilt'n'turn" position whereas just the top of the window tilts forward to let air in even while it is raining.

We also always provide you with basic electrical wiring for the lighting, which has to be done before the roofing is installed.

Floating Timber Flooring

This is normally NOT what we do - but we have frequently requests to install floating timber flooring so we do offer this at a small additional charge. You can either source the flooring yourself and make sure it is on site when we begin the construction of your cabin, OR we can provide you with this (depending on availability). We have samples of what we have in stock, keeping in mind that our range is obviously very limited.

The flooring installed here is made by FIRMFIT and is limestone based (very heavy), so it is 100% waterproof and fade resistant. It comes with matching skirting boards made from pine timber.

Protecting your cabin - asap....

Kylie, the proud new owner of this "SAM10" cabin was determined to protect her new cabin from the elements as soon as possible after the build was done. Kylie was swinging the paint brush already when we were still doing roof work. Well done!

Kylie worked with CUTEK "Wood Preservative" tinted in "Walnut". This is one of the darkest tints in the CUTEK range. If the first coat appears to be sufficiently dark, the second coat can than be applied in plain oil, OR tinted at half strength.

It is a good idea to pre-oil some of the timber pieces of the cabin close to the roof (like the roof board edge reinforcements, the eave and barge boards etc) as this makes for a very neat finish.

All done....

...well, except the oiling that is.

We are exceptionally proud of our cabins. The quality of our cabins is second-to-none. Again and again we are grateful to our Estonian manufacturer supplying these cabins. Their attention to detail is great, something we learned the hard way cannot be relied upon from all manufacturers!

Over the years we have perfected the construction method, using both the imported cabin and locally sourced materials (Colorbond roofing i.e. is a lot cheaper to buy here in Oz!) and thus also guaranteeing that your cabin will last many years if maintained properly. Over the next few weeks we will be building another 4 cabins and will post updates here as we go along.

SLEEPOUT ROOM "GRETTEL 10" - Janelle, Ocean Shores

Sat, 10 May 2025 02:26:11 GMT

April 2025

It has been a while since we last posted another one of our beautiful cabin builds. Over the hotter summer months we tend to concentrate on admin work, like website upgrades, designing new cabin models, importing of cabins and the like. Adding to this business owner Detlef (typing this) finally underwent double knee replacement surgery. Whilst they turned out great in the end, they took a little longer to heal properly than anticipated. But as of this month we are "all systems go"! First cabin build was one of our new GRETTEL 10 builds. This is a FULL size 10sqm single room cabin (similar to our best seller SAM 10 ) but in 28mm timber logs, and using a bitumen felt roof instead of corrugated iron roofing. We were seriously impressed with the overall quality!

Foundation - Steel Base

This install was a typical suburban "I need another room and more space" project,

A height adjustable steel base is still the most sturdy, long lasting and easy-to-install foundation for your cabin - full stop.

Even for this lighter 10sqm cabin model the advantages by far outweigh the additional costs. It keeps the cabin off the ground, saves digging and leveling out the soil, and provides a visual inspection point for termites and other unwanted critters. Grass underneath the cabin will over time, simply die out, being deprived of sunlight and rain.

Alternatively the top layer can be removed, and builder' plastic and gravel can be placed on top.

Securing the logs

The reduced thickness of the logs (28mm instead of 50mm) means that there is only one tongue & groove to vertically join the layers of logs.

This necessitates the use of corner joint screws every 5 to 8 log rows, locking in the individual logs to form a solid wall. In addition to this, we always use batten screws in the corner joints of the first layer in all our constructions, to affix the log walls to the treated pine base frame.

The GRETTEL 10 also comes with solid pine timber t&g floor boards, these are installed leaving a small gap all around the walls to allow for expansion and contraction happening with the changing seasons.

Please check our construction video on the GRETTEL 10 page , showing in detail the step-by-step assembly of the cabin.

Roofboards

Walls are up, roof beams are on - time to install the t&g roof boards. We double-nail the roof boards where they overhang the actual cabin at the rear and at the front, just to make sure they hold properly in strong winds. Gables and roof beams are also securely attached to the wall logs below them using batten screws.

As mentioned in the introduction above, we were very impressed with the overall quality of the timber. Being a sustainable, naturally grown resource the timber quality varies from tree to tree. While this can't be avoided, the cutting, milling, planing and notching of the logs is done by machines. Variations resulting from blunt tools, inaccurate settings and human error are largely eliminated by computer programs, but they still happen occasionally. What we currently have in stock from our supplier is superb and a real pleasure to work with.

Window Operating Mechanisms

We always include top-quality European made door and window hardware with all our cabins. These vary a little depending on the intended end use of each cabin model.

The GRETTEL 10 is in essence a basic one-room cabin, but it still comes with a double window. The "tilt'n'turn" opening mechanisms for the main window half is a 3-step actuation, instead of a 1-step used in our other cabins.

The main handle is turned to either "closed" (pointing sideways) or "open" (pointing down). To activate the tilt function two more steps are needed, quite straight forward and quickly done.

Also note that the window is single glazed (same as used in std. residential windows in Australia).

Oiling with CUTEK "Wood Preservative"

We normally do NOT get involved with painting or oiling of our cabins - that is always up to you, the owner. However, exceptions can be made. Here the room was desperately needed to accommodate a family member in need, so time was of the essence. Also, the owners did not have the time or patience to protect the outer walls of the cabin, so we agreed to give the cabin it's first coat of CUTEK "Wood Preservative" with color tint "Honeycomb", for a small extra charge to cover our time.

The first coat does wonders to the cabin, both in terms of looks and timber protection from the environment. A second coat will be needed in about 8 weeks, which we will also do in this case.

GRETTEL 10 cabins are readily available in stock!

UPDATE - April 2026 - Roofing

Most garden shed type log cabins produced overseas come with basic bitumen felt roofing rolls or shingles. These are cheap and quick to install, making them an appealing proposition for basic shed applications.

However, when exposed to our harsh Australian climate, bitumen has a limited life span. In this case, the felt roofing showed some signs of wear and tear after only 12 months. After consultation with Janelle, we both agreed that the only long-term solution was to install Australian made COLORBOND roofing, on top of the bitumen rollout roofing.

This resulted in a 100% waterproof cabin, with roof insulation, barge boards and ridge capping.

CONSULTATION ROOM "SAM 10" Extension - Nitai, Carrara, QLD

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 09:32:00 GMT

September 2024

This cabin features a 1.5m deck extension, using our new "SAM10 EXTENSION". While this extension is normally the same footprint than the SAM10, the owner Nitai decided to half the deck size due to space restrictions in his backyard. We have posted more information about this below.

Foundation - x2 actually....

This time we had easy access to the build site through a large side fence gate, allowing us to get materials and tools close to site. The previously installed shed had already been removed, leaving us with a cleared gravel patch perfect for installing one of our steel bases, plus of course the front steel frame extension for the decking.

To enable us to run the decking boards across the entire width of the cabin we needed to install the decking base frame directly on top of the steel purlins instead of across. This worked very well as this resulted in extremely solid and well supported decking joists.

Start of Build

TERMIFLOOR particle board flooring is the very best floor base layer there is! It seals the floor of your new cabin, and provides an ideal surface for the installation of your preferred floor covering.

It does not require additional sealing or any other treatments. Just make sure the side marked "this face down" actually is!

The cut ends of the particle board flooring do not need to be sealed, as they will not be exposed directly to the environment. The first layer of logs sits beside the floorboards, not on top.

All electrical leads are run at this stage of the construction. Our industry leading superior log thickness of a full 50mm enables our factory to drill electrical holes through the centre of the logs.

The 1.5m Deck

As mentioned Nitai chose a combined roof and deck extension kit but only wanted it to be 1.5m deep. This meant a fair few alterations to the existing extension kit, but it all worked out nicely.

The other big plus here was the use of MODWOOD manufactured decking boards in color "SAHARA". The use of "Cleva Clips" made the installation very easy and eliminated any possible errors. The boards simply HAD to line up 100% after the base clips were screwed down.

There are two different ways of finishing off the edges of the deck - here the boards were cut long enough to cover the top of the vertical edge board.

To hide the screw tops of the edge board we applied a bit of timber putty, the last image on the right shows this clearly, an effect that disappears when putty dries completely by the sun.

Making progress

Working with solid timber logs is always very rewarding. All components fit together very neatly, there are close to no issues with warped or split timbers as all logs have been dried to around 12 to 14% water content prior to milling by our European Factory.

When assembling a cabin NEVER cut any logs - they ALWAYS fit as is. And in the unlikely event that they do not "seem to" fit - refer back to the previous sentence!

Of course, if you ordered an additional window (which we always keep in stock) than the window opening needs to be cut. But only then.

Nitai opted for second window to aid with cross ventilation. All our windows open inwards to allow for the installation of fly screens later.

Finishing touches....

After the bulk of the building work has been completed, and the cabin is dried in quite a few smaller bits need to be done. For example, we install the window handles and hinge covers, plus of course test all windows for proper functioning. We hang the doors and adjust them to line up properly (the hinges have three different adjustment screws - up / down, in / out and left / right). As the timber logs will still settle over the next few months the door hinges will need to be re-adjusted occasionally as needed.

The European door locking hardware is supplied to fit all thickness doors, so the screws will need to be shortened to suit. We also tighten the corner storm bars but these also need re-tightening soon.

TINY HOUSE "Freedom 28" Part 2 - Mullumbimby NSW

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:06:55 GMT

April 2024 to Oct 2024

This project is taking MUCH longer than thought! Over the past 6 dryer cooler months or so we have been flat-strapped delivering and building log cabins all along the Eastern Seaboard, often hundreds of kilometers away from our warehouse. Building the Tiny House simply had to wait, though we did manage to keep building in between other projects.

Outdoor Work

Due to the height of the Tiny House on top of a 800mm off-the-ground trailer we needed to pull it out from our warehouse and continue the build outside - the pressure was on to quickly build up all walls so we could install the roofing.

The images on the left show a few details of the build - for example in the first image near the main entrance the square pegs in round holes, these are used to interlock and align individual wall logs.

Even during the early stages of the Tiny House construction we also wanted to protect the outside walls from the environment, so we applied the first coat of CUTEK "Wood Preservative" oil to the outside.

Main Entry Door

The quality of the European made main entry doors never ceases to amaze us. Solid timber construction, double glazed glass panels for superior insulation and sound proofing, a full surround double rubber seal to keep the elements at bay, European locking hardware makes for a very strong and secure doorway.

The door hinges are fully adjustable via hex keys (also commonly referred to as Allen Keys). Hinges can be adjusted up and down, left and right as well as in and out. This is necessary as the door will move slightly during tows, you will find that doors are sometimes a little sticky over time or after you have placed your tiny home in a new location.

Working high up

The final height of the tiny house will be just under 4.3m, the maximum height allowed for trailers.

As we continued the build, the use of firstly ladders, than our forklift with a man cage was deemed to be the best and safest option.

This allowed one person to work higher up (especially needed when doing the roofing) and another person operating the forklift below. NEVER move the forklift while someone is up high in the cage! It takes only little time to lower the cage and to move the forklift into position with an empty cage. This also often means that the tinu house itself needs to be moved around, a small price to pay for peace of mind.

DRYING IN asap....

Installing corrugated iron roofing always means getting a log cabin watertight - well here at least to the largest possible extend! The challenge was to install the roofing without any eave overhangs as this would have resulted in exceeding the max. allowed width of 2.5m

Due to the frequent rains we had this year we also needed to install the roofing BEFORE a lot of other building works that normally come before roofing.

For example, the mezzanine floorboards needed to wait, only the main support beams were installed as part of the overall wall structure. Power cables needed to be run before the roof lining boards could be installed.

Nearly done....

Finally we had no rain for a few days, and NO immediate building project scheduled - so we managed to finish all roofing and flashing.

You will notice the vertical flashing we installed to cover the log stick-outs. Besides looking great, they prevent rain water to enter the tiny house while being towed from one location to another.

There are also "eyelashes" on top of all windows and the door, again helping to negate rain water runoff from the roof (no overhangs, as mentioned).

There are still a few minor things to do inside, but in general - our new FREEDOM28 Tiny House is now ready for showing at our warehouse site in Mullumbimby! It can be yours for only $119,500

Bathhroom

Shower cubicles need to be placed BEFORE the log walls are built up, as they are wider than the bathroom entrance.You will notice that taps and a shower head are "missing" - this enables you to choose your own fittings. The shower curtain rod can also be replaced with a shower pivot door.
The centre image shows the toilet space opposite the shower cubicle. You can also install your favorite type of vanity or washbasin.
You will notice electrical cables still hanging from the ceiling. The final wiring up will be done soon, all electrical wiring, switches, light fittings and power points are included.
We have installed 100% waterproof flooring made by "FIRMFIT FLOORING". This is a heavy-duty limestone-based vinyl floating timber-look flooring (NOT MDF based!) that is indistinguishable from real timber flooring - ideal for wet areas.

WORKSHOP - Ann and Chris, Surfers Paradise, QLD

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 03:08:14 GMT

September 2024

This build again shows that our 10sqm garden shed timber log cabin "SAM10" fits in the smallest of spaces! The site is on Chevron Island, Surfer's Paradise, right on the canal facing East. After purchasing their property the owners Ann and Chris renovated their new house and were in the need for a garden shed. A tin shed was out of the question, it just did not fit in with their beautiful new home. After cedar sheds were discarded due to their inherent structural weaknesses our SAM10 solid timber log cabin was the obvious choice.

Preparations - Materials Delivery

It is often underestimated how much preparation goes into a log cabin build. Besides importing cabins from the Baltic States of Europe many months in advance, there are then upfront investment costs in infrastructure such as a warehouse, forklift and vehicles. And once that has been covered and a cabin is sold, we organise the delivery of the cabin using mostly our own vehicles, as well as locally sourced materials (cheaper then getting these with the cabin from Europe!) such as roofing, foundations, particle board flooring and other associated hardware.

The images on the right are not "pretty" - we are not into slick advertising showing ladies sipping latte's in front of their fully landscaped cabins - we are "down-to-earth", supplying and building the best looking log cabins at the best possible prices.

Start of Build

Proper foundations are a critical part of the cabin build. For the gal steel posts we only use adjustable "LevelMaster" stump top connectors, which feature a ball bearing mechanism, making the adjustment a breeze using a 375mm shifter spanner. Just a few turns either way increases or reduces the height of the steel base by a few millimeters.

The treated pine base frame that comes with your cabin is attached to the steel frame via a number of gal steel brackets, using a variety of different fasteners. After that we place the first row of logs, drill electrical holes through the base frame (they are already pre-drilled by our factory through the centre of the wall logs) and install the particle board flooring "TERMIFLOOR".

THE BUILD

It is always a good idea to install the floor boards before the walls are constructed. The floor boards create a solid and secure flat area, ideal for placing ladders and working higher up later in the build.

We always run the electrical leads for the lighting only, as this is close to impossible for the sparky to do after the roofing has been installed. One light for the porch overhang above the door, and one inside (but two can be run on request).

The centre image on the right shows the rear wall of this cabin - to provide sufficient space for the internal head unit of the air-con we moved the window one log down.

The Surfer's Paradise high-rise buildings skyline can be seen in the background. Temperatures during the build were well above 30 degrees - the first hot spell of the pending start of spring.

The Roof is on!

Well - most of it anyway.

Once the insulation and roof sheets are installed the cabin is close to being waterproof. Our crew worked hard all day in up to 35 degrees heat, so the installation of timber eave boards and metal roofing barge and ridge capping had to wait a couple of days.

We went back to site two days later, installing all missing bits - especially the metal barge and ridge capping is needed to make the cabin fully waterproof.

The glass areas of the window and the doors are already taped up ready for spray painting. We will soon again be on site, installing a floating timber floor, which we offer as an extra.

Floating Timber Floor

We don't normally get involved with floor finishing, but can help with this on request. When installing cabins it makes a lot of sense for us to do the lot - as we are already on site with all tools etc. We can either supply flooring we sourced, or we can install flooring you bought, the choice is yours.

For Ann we installed KRONOTEX floating timber click flooring in a very light finish. Looks great and lasts many years.

Ann is using her SAM10 shed as a restoration workshop for small furniture pieces. She built the work bench herself, complete with pegboard back to hang all her tools etc. Well done we think!!!!

"SAM10" Veranda Extension Part 2 - Wilsons Creek, QLD

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 01:07:04 GMT

August 2024

This blog covers Part 2 of the Veranda Roof Extension for a SAM10 we built back in April this year. We first installed another steel base with hardwood base frame and Merbau decking - this was covered in the previous blog - Part 1.

Removing the Existing Roofing

We take the greatest of pride and care in ALL cabin build projects we install. For one reason or another, back in April this year when the cabin was installed, we had to leave the roof installation of this cabin to someone who claimed to have built "over 70 cabins" before. It soon became clear that the entire roofing needed to be replaced - mainly caused by the fact that a(n insufficient) number of roofing screws were screwed through the VALLEYS of the roofing sheets!

We were asked to replace ALL roofing when installing the veranda extension. Taking things apart is not really "our thing", but in this case it needed to be done.

Frame going up

Installing the Roof Extension retrospectively meant that we had to alter the existing 700mm front roof overhang that came with the original cabin, to suit the shape of the roof beams for the veranda.

As again rain was threatening, we initially only screwed down the old (already oiled) roof boards to re-install the battens, so we could also install the new roof sheets for the cabin.

The photos on the left show the state the cabin when we had to leave at the end of the first build day. It was too late in the afternoon to install roofing sheets, so we used the remaining daylight to screw down a few of the new roof boards.

Roofing

The weather was kind to us - we made great progress, though we had the occasional challenge with the way the roof had been installed previously.

Barge capping for example have a sharply bent-up lip at the bottom of the flashing to allow rain water to run off instead of potentially running "back" on to the timber roof beams. We altered the previous incorrect installation of the barge capping, however, consequently the top ends of the barge capping did not quite line up correctly in the new mirror image. We managed to adjust this by re-shaping the barge capping which ended up fitting quite well.

We also ended up re-using the ridge capping, and were very pleased with how it all worked out.

And there you have it!

Adding a veranda extension to your SAM10 creates another covered area, always greatly increasing the usability of your cabin. Sitting out on the deck overlooking the valley below will be a very calming and enjoyable experience!

Amanda and Paul will soon oil the newly installed timber components of the extension, making for a more cohesive look.

A handrail will also be added, as the front distance from the ground to the decking exceeds 1.2m

Note the tannin run-off from the decking timber on to the steel purlins, this is normal as the MERBAU decking bleeds out in rain. This can easily be wiped off using turps, painting the steel purlins would also work and hide the tannins.

"SAM10" Veranda Extension Part 1 - Wilsons Creek, QLD

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 05:11:40 GMT

August 2024

This project is a follow up to a cabin built over this year's Easter weekend. Some time ago we decided to offer 3m roof extensions for our most popular model "SAM10" but when this cabin was built the first lot of these extensions had not arrived in the country yet. A few months later we finally received the first shipment, enabling us to retrospectively fit a deck and veranda to Amanda and Paul's cabin. This blog shows step 1 of this project - installation of the deck.

Steel Foundation for the Deck

The easiest way to create the foundations for the "SAM10 Extension" deck is to simply attach another base frame to the existing one.

We reversed the orientation of the original cabin front purlin bolts which enabled us to attach another purlin and the angle brackets using the same bolt by securing them with another nut.

Due to the slope of the site the front of the deck is quite a bit higher than the cabin. We dug deep holes for the stumps, cut gal steel posts to suitable size, placed them into the stump holes and secured them with rapid set concrete. After that the inner cross purlins were added.

Hardwood Base Frame for the Deck

Installing decking boards directly on to steel base frames is possible, however, cross-linking the steel purlins via a treated pine frame is the much better and stronger option.

In this case we actually used 70x35mm hardwood that we were lucky to source at an excellent price. Hardwood is overall stronger and also lasts longer, but is harder on the tools, plus all decking screws needed to be pre-drilled. Yes, it is more work... the things we do!

The hardwood frame was then secured to the steel purlins via angle brackets, allowing for a 5 to 10mm overhang all around to aid with rainwater runoff.

MERBAU Decking

Installing decking timber is always a lot of fun. It completes the deck extension and just looks great!

We decided to upload a couple of "messy" photos on the right, showing different stages of this project. Bits and tools everywhere!

You will also spot a yellow ratchet strap - some of the boards we used were slightly bowed, and needed to be pulled straight before screwing them down. The easiest way achieving this is by positioning the board with the centre of the bow pointing away from the previous board, use spacers at either end of the board, and pull the board straight by using a ratchet strap.

Deck done and dusted!

We managed to finish the decking late afternoon, with rain forecasted the following days. This deck also worked out well in othe respects - Paul gave us decking timber that was left over from another project - and we had JUST enough lengths to complete the deck! Plus the spacing of the decking boards worked out perfectly (well, we measured before of course!!) so that the first and last decking board had the same overhang on the left and the right.

As mentioned, this blog covers the first part of the veranda and deck extension. We will soon start on the second part, extending the front roof to create a pergola roof over the decking we just installed.

COUNTRY RETREAT - Paul and Carlene - Georgica, NSW

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:31:34 GMT

July 2024

Over the past four months we have delivered more cabins than we built - owners were keen to build their own backyard cabins for all sorts of uses. We delivered cabins to the Blue Mountains (well, two actually!), Coffs Harbor, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Luckily, our scheduled container deliveries from Europe arrived in time, enabling us to effect deliveries within specified time frames.

As at end July 2024 we were busy preparing our next cabin build in Georgica.....

Howzat for a Commute?

Access to the site in Georgica was a little more challenging than normally. Due to the recent wet winter weather, the "road" needed some work after it had a chance to dry up.

The views from the site were breathtaking. We were lucky with the weather, despite cold winds the sun was out every day and everything dried up quickly.

We never had to "dodge" cow pads before - but there is always a first time for everything! Carlene and Paul diligently shoveled away what the "ladies" left behind overnight, so we could get to work straight away.

The site was on a ridge and therefore fully exposed to the elements, something we of course take into account when building the steel base foundation for this cabin.

Treated Pine Base Frame

The delivery of the cabin happened over a couple of days, so all materials were on site when we started the foundations. A total of 9 height adjustable stumps were concreted into the ground. The centre stump was fitted with a SHS cross-brace supporting the two centre purlins.

To allow room for a composting toilet chute, one of the purlins needed to be moved slightly, easily done by adding four more purlin bolt holes.

The treated pine base frame was then installed on top, providing a solid stable foundation for the cabin. We doubled the number of attachment points, to cater for the strong winds often

This particular cabin is a custom design manufactured using 70mm thick logs.

It will also have a full cabin width front deck added later, to take advantage of the valley views.

The assembly starts

Once the floorboards are installed the log walls can go up!

There are several electrical holes pre-drilled through the centre of the logs. We place the first row of logs and then extend these though the treated pine base frame to allow cables to be run from underneath the cabin. From there it's building up the log walls. Logs are all numbered individually and must be placed in the exact position indicated as per the drawings provided.

Close to always logs can not be placed where they are NOT supposed to go, but great care needs to be taken not to reverse the orientation of the logs to avoid misalignment of the pre-drilled electrical holes.

The door openings feature rebates for the installation of stabilising braces

Walls, Doors and Windows

This custom design cabin features two full-height windows that can still be used as doors due to their European design tilt'n'turn opening function. As the winds were picking up we clamped on a temporary brace to stabilise a small wall section at the front of the cabin. Full structural integrity is only created once the top wall connector beams are placed.

In general. windows are installed together with the walls, the same applies to the door frames. The main entry doors can be hung last after the roof has been installed.

Bathroom windows are supplied with milky or frosted glass, for privacy reasons. New generation windows now also feature a metal window sill, increasing the lifespan of the window.

Roof Beams and Boards

The need to dry in any cabin as quickly as possible is obvious. We built quite a few cabins with rain interruptions, they always dried out quickly once the sun was back out again. The naturally occurring pine oil in the logs prevents any damage as long as the timber is not exposed to the elements for prolonged periods of time.

When placing logs on the ground always use a tarp (or the plastic pallet packaging material!) underneath to protect the timber. Logs should be supported evenly until they are installed.

Australian made COLORBOND roofing in the color of your choice should be installed as soon as possible - only then is your cabin waterproof

Roofing and Oiling

The proud owners of their new cabin, Carlene and Paul, decided to apply the first coat of CUTEK "Wood Preservative" in tint "honeycomb" while we were still building. It is always a good idea not to wait too long before protecting the raw timber logs from the environment.

Different lighting throughout the day makes the oiled surfaces on the images on the left look different - the same oil was used all around.

Our crew always enjoys the final day of the construction. It is very rewarding to see a cabin come to life, transforming a flat-packed pallet (or two) into a beautiful log cabin. Add to this the great location, phantastic views, and good weather (though it was sometimes very windy...) - well, looks like we finished yet another successful log cabin country retreat.

Child's Playroom "SAM10" - Sunny and Matt - Slacks Creek, QLD

Wed, 01 May 2024 10:04:42 GMT

May 2024

We managed to do this build in just two days, after the usual deliveries of material and the cabin a few days before. Being well organized before means that everything goes smoothly once the construction starts. There are a fair few items that are not included with the cabin pallet packed overseas, as these items are cheaper sourced here downunder, as well as being more suitable to the harsh Australian climate.

Ground Preparations

Another steel base foundation, ideal for log cabin garden sheds. The site was level already, Sunny and Matt had the lawn removed. We than placed black builders plastic on top of the soil, and topped this with a layer of gravel. This makes sure that NOTHING will grow back underneath the cabin, and also provided us with a clean surface to work on.

The importance of starting with the best possible foundation is often underestimated. Whilst placing your new cabin on pavers for example work s well in the short term, it still means that over many years rising damp will cause various issues. Yes, the cabin sits on top of a treated pine base frame that will help keeping your cabin off the ground, but raising your cabin off the ground is a much better solution.

Steel and Treated Pine Base Frames

Once the outer steel frame is assembled and the adjustable stumps concreted in, the cross purlins are installed. They are attached via general purpose angle brackets and M12 purlin bolts, very secure and strong.

The treated pine base frame is laid across the steel base, and attached also via a number of angle brackets.

On top of this the first row of logs is positioned, and electrical holes are drilled through the base frame using the existing pre-drilled electrical holes in the logs as a guide.

All our cabins come with a total of EIGHT pre-drilled electrical holes drilled though the centre of the logs (two in each corner of your cabin), they are not visible from either the inside or the outside.

Walls up

After building so many of these beautiful timber garden sheds in various regions of Australia we have the procedure down-pad! Everyone knows what needs doing, and we are extremely proud of our phantastic construction team.

However, this can also be done be anyone with handy experience! On occasions where the build site is far away from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we work together with either you, the new owner of the cabin, and/or someone you organise to help. Ideally, three people are needed for assembling log cabin garden sheds, but it can also be done by two. Many hands make light work!

Change of plan...

Sunny and Matt decided to turn their SAM10 log cabin into a play room for their son instead of an office. Kids rule!

We took exactly two full days to complete this build to perfection. Additional works that still need to be done once we leave the site are electrical connection (power in as well as lights and power points), flooring (to go on top of the particle board flooring we installed) and painting or oiling of all log surfaces - especially important on the outside of course.

This entry was created on 1 May 2024. We currently have ONE only "SAM10" still in stock, more will be landing early June.

LOG CABIN "SAM10" - Amanda and Paul - Wilsons Creek, QLD

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:47:36 GMT

April 2024

The frequent wet weather this year forced us to work over the Easter weekend, as the sun was finally out and more rain was forecasted for the week after Easter.

Still, rain clouds were hanging around, so as per usual installation procedure we first concentrated on getting all materials on site, then on the construction of the steel base foundation. We managed to finish the build by the Tuesday after Easter.

Steel Foundations

Another steel base foundation - we think they are ideal for log cabin garden sheds. The site was leveled and had all vegetation removed, black builders plastic was placed on top of the soil, and held down with a thin layer of gravel. This makes sure that NOTHING will grow back underneath the cabin. Note that these preparation works are normally carried out by you as the site owner.

Instead of bolting the stump feet into concrete pads we prefer to insert gal steel posts into the stump holes and secure them with rapid set concrete. This ensures that your cabin is firmly anchored into the ground and is never susceptible to strong winds.

It was raining - AGAIN!

2024 shapes up to be one of the wettest years on record. We ideally need 2 to 4 consecutive days of dry weather, to organise our crew and making sure that the new owners of the cabin are happy with the scheduled build date.

The images on the left were taken at the start of the second build day, both the treated pine base frame and the first layers of the wall logs show sign of the overnight rain. After rain we take all care not to carry too much mud and dirt into the cabin, but sometimes this simply can not be avoided.

Luckily, the sun came out later that day, drying out everything nicely. The detail photo of the electrical leads shows the way we run the leads through the treated pine base frame into the centre of the log walls.

Roof Boards are on

Always a major step forward - the tightly fitting tongue and groove timber roof boards make the cabin 99% water proof. On top of these Australian made COLORBOND corrugated iron is installed, making sure your cabin will last for many years.

We use 40mm "top hat" metal battens, a must for subtropical regions, for areas South of Coffs Harbor hardwood battens are also ok to use. To keep your cabin cool in the summer and warm in the winter we also install R1.3 to R1.8 insulation (depending on your area). In short, Australian made roofing in the colour of your choice is a must to protect your cabin from the elements.

Rain, rain ,rain...

Amanda and Paul got the oiling of the cabin done immediately after it was finished, just in time before the rains returned. Protecting your new cabin from win and weather is a must - raw, untreated pine can not withstand what mother nature throws at it for any length of time. There are a number of suitable timber outdoor finishes available in both oil and paint. If you prefer to keep the original timber look of your cabin we recommend CUTEK oils that can be stained in lots of different color tones. NOTE - IMPORTANT - some color tones contain white pigments that under certain conditions can cause the wood surface to appear milky. Consequently, we do NOT recommend using "White Ash, Burnt Ash, Light Oak, Grey Mist and Smokey Grey".

GARDEN SHED "SAM10" - Joyce and David - Tamborine Mountain, Qld

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:58:20 GMT

March 2024

We try to NOT build any log cabins during the hotter times of the year, we use the time after the Festive Season for on-line work, refining our cabin offer for the next year, work on our websites, maintain our fleet and so on. We managed to make some progress on our TINY HOUSE "Freedom28" but the wet and humid conditions made for slow progress. When the weather started to cool down we immediately started to work on the back log of cabin builds. First up was a "SAM10" that weirdly enough is REALLY used as just a garden shed!

Existing concrete slab

Joyce and David chose a location very close to their existing house. There was a nice pebble concrete slab, however, it sloped away from the house (as it should for water run off). So firstly the treated pine base frame that comes with the cabin needed to be pre-assembled and leveled.

The easiest way to level shed base frames on concrete slabs is to firstly raise the lowest corners. Next, hardwood lengths were positioned underneath the base frame by sliding them into spots were all base frame timbers had contact with the hardwood supports. Once that was achieved, the treated pine joists were screwed into the hardwood supports.

The pressure was on....

Due to frequently wet weather we had to delay this build on THREE previous occasions already. The rain was again threatening so we took full advantage of having four guys on site. Everyone worked as fast as we could, and when the weather turned bad early afternoon, we had the cabin dried in via the tongue-and-groove roof boards, plus we placed a tarp on top just to make sure the cabin stayed as dry as possible.

Normally, the particle board flooring would have been installed before the walls went up, to enable our crew to place ladders on it. The pending rain dictated leaving the particle board flooring out and concentrating on getting the roof boards installed. The schedule was tight - but we managed!

Building (too?) close to the house...

Having the cabin as close to the main house is often the ideal solution, this avoids getting wet when going to the cabin on rain days, it also provides protection during storms.

However, sometimes, despite measuring as accurately as possible things don't quite work out. Here a down pipe running off the gutters of the main house proved to be a challenge. To keep building we partly dismantled the existing down pipe and installed a temporary plastic water tube to avoid too much water splattering.

A few days after this build was finished both the roof boards and the corrugated iron sheeting was cut to exact size enabling the re-assembly of the original down pipe.

Another "SAM10" cabin finished!

After the rains finally stopped, we went back to site to do all "finishing touches" like installation of the doors incl. hinge fine adjustments, properly screwing down the roof ridge capping (only secured temporarily when the skies opened up a few days before), installation of door locks, and oiling an attaching the diamond shaped top gable end pieces.

We take great pride in the 100% completion of all cabins we install! AND - we clean up after ourselves, leaving no rubbish behind, sweeping the cabin interior and so on - we simply LOVE log cabins!

Log Cabin Garden Sheds - Unbeatable Quality versus Cheap Price

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 02:54:44 GMT

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. Benjamin Franklin

No matter how valuable top quality is for longevity and performance - there is always someone working on making products cheaper by reducing the quality, features and inclusions. They say "You get what you pay for" - and this is 100% true when it comes to garden sheds.

Garden Sheds by their very nature are fully exposed to the harsh Australian climate. This automatically means that they need to not only fulfill your expectations according to what you will use the shed for, they need to exceed these expectations.

We have below compiled a list of the different type of garden sheds currently on offer, their intended uses and their various respective performance levels. They also say "Horses for Courses" - there is a place for all of these different types, but they must to be properly matched up to the type of garden shed you decide to get.

NEED HELP DECIDING WHAT SHED IS BEST FOR YOU?
WE OFFER A FREE CONSULTATION SERVICE INCL. SITE INSPECTION....

SO - WHAT IS THE RIGHT TYPE OF SHED FOR ME?

Metal "Tin" SHEDS

Metal Tin Sheds are the most commonly used in Australian backyards. They are the most basic garden shelters, housing your gardening tools and similar items that can get wet, or are not effected by humidity (also caused by condensation), heat and cold etc. These type of sheds let insects and other creepy-crawlies enter.

They come in a huge variety of brands, shapes, sizes, colour etc. They do not generally need Council approvals and are quick to erect.

And of course - given their very low performance they are cheap. So for the most basic garden storage needs - these might be the ones you are after!

Plastic "Resin" Sheds

Plastic or Resin Sheds have been around for some time.

Being made from non-renewable crude oil-based resources they have become a less popular choice, especially in recent, more environmentally aware times. They come in individual panels, so automatically have very low structural strength, and therefore can also not be manufactured in larger shed sizes, and always come in "boxed-in-feel" low head-height designs.

Their designs are quite appealing, though, and will suit some backyard applications.

We do actually like the aesthetics of these sheds, they often nicely match the colour scheme of the house, so if your are after a low-maintenance storage shed only these might be they may be the type of shed you need.

Timber "Western Red Cedar" Sheds

Western Red Cedar Sheds are offered by a large number of companies, and come in all different shapes and sizes. Being made from Australian grown timber they appeal by ambience and a nice timber smell. Unfortunately, the way this timber is harvested and is cut for use in these sheds means again that they come in individual panels made from individual planks of cedar, thus they have low structural strength that will not withstand the worst of weathers.

They are quick to erect, and in general look great, but have low roof height as well as very basic door and window fittings etc.

There are applications where these sheds will be fine, as long as your expectations are not artificially bolstered by slick advertising and unrealistic promises with regards to what these sheds can do for you and how long they last etc.

Timber Frame Constructions

Timber frame construction sheds are an often overlooked type of shed that can be done using standard construction methods also often used in residential dwellings.

These do not normally come in kit form, these are individually designed by their owners, materials are sourced from local hardware stores, and the designs vary vastly depending on the level of handy-person skills and chosen materials.

The results are often very strong and beautiful sheds that last many years if maintained properly.

This type of shed requires more hardware experience, but building one of these can be very rewarding and a lot of fun!

Solid Timber Log Garden Sheds - "State of the Art"

Well - where do we start... Needless to say, solid timber log garden shed cabins are the best there are - full stop. Superior in all design and construction aspects, they are not the cheapest, nor were they ever designed to be. Over many years we have resisted the temptation to dumb-down our cabins so we can offer lower prices. Making our beautiful timber cabins cheaper by reducing the overall quality or removing performance features is just not our thing, there are plenty of other manufacturers and importers out there doing this already.

Choosing either our SAM10 or OSCAR20 cabins means you get a structurally 100% sound cabin, with plenty of head-height, insulated Australian made COLORBOND roof, sealed (waterproof and bug tight), double glazed tilt'n'turn windows, double glazed doors with European locking hardware, 50mm thick solid timber log walls with interlocking corners and the list goes on - there are simply too many features and quality inclusions to mention all here. These cabins are used as professional suites, sleep-outs, offices, hobby rooms, creative artist studios, LEGO caves, puzzle dens, tinker sheds etc. Custom sizes are available on request.

We also offer a slightly lighter build garden shed cabin "Grettel10" to anyone falling in love with these log cabins, but really only need it for storage.

Fitting these out is also a breeze, as anything can be attached to any spot on the walls. The walls will also need a new coat of oil or paint (depending on your initial treatment) but overall the inside needs less frequent applications due to not being exposed to the elements.

Please get in touch!

If you have come to the conclusion that we might have the right log cabin garden shed for you, please get in touch , we love to hear from you!

We deliver and install cabins to just about anywhere in Australia, and also offer FREE "White Glove" DELIVERY anywhere between Sydney and Brisbane as well as 150km surrounds. Join our log cabin family today!

TINY HOUSE "Freedom 28" - Mullumbimby NSW

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 06:34:39 GMT

Dec 2023 to Mar 2024

Our NEW "pet project" - we have entertained the idea of building Tiny House Log Cabins on trailers for some time, and after a lot of research and planning we designed a Tiny House Log Cabin we think you will love! We imported the first prototype late 2023, the trailer was custom made locally by "Trailers Direct" at the Gold Coast. It measures 8m x 2.5m which we feel is the ideal size for tiny house living - not too small so there is enough space for up to 4 people and not too large to avoid issues with weights when towing. The design incorporates two sleeping lofts and a separate bathroom with a sliding barn door.

TINY HOUSE Trailer

To legally tow a tiny house the trailer and the cabin need to adhere to certain limitations regarding size and weight. We opted for a flat-bed trailer rather than dropping the deck and having the wheel arches protrude into the cabin. This also means a better height off the ground, so in case the tiny house is placed near a river or like it is less likely to get flooded, plus provides an easy access to service connections.

The triple-axle trailer has electric brakes, four drop down adjustable stabilizer legs and a very strong 70mm tow ball connection, plus everything else needed to legally tow this Tiny House.

Flooring and First Row of Logs

As a Tiny House will be towed and therefore subjected to more vibrations and side-wise movements than would be the case with fixed constructions, the way log cabins are attached to tiny house trailers are of utmost importance.

The trailer's frame as well as ALL logs and rafters feature pre-drilled 12mm holes that allow us to insert a total of 28 (!!) threaded rods that securely connect the entire log cabin to the trailer.

The images on the left show shorter lengths of threaded rods, these are temporary only to accurately position the first row of logs to in turn help with the installation of the particle board flooring.

Wall Log Installation

The next step took a little longer as the temporary fitted threaded rods needed to be lengthened for each additional log installed. This resulted in a 100% accurate alignment of the walls.

When building up log walls for ANY cabin it is very important to stick to the log numbers shown on the construction diagrams. Even when logs look the same and are identical in length i.e., there are always differences if they have different numbers. These are mainly caused by the holes drilled for threaded rods, electrical holes and hidden fixings, they all run through the centre of the logs.

For this tiny house build we also opted to secure all corner logs with a 90mm batten screw, just to make 100% sure the cabin is rock solid.

Window Openings

Building this cabin inside of our warehouse meant that we could work in the shade and stay out of the hottest weather of the year. We were only able to build up the walls to the height of our warehouse roller doors of about 3m.

Next step would be to install the windows, but this will need to be done outside. The same goes for the shower enclosure which we still needed to pick up from "Flair Showers" .

We can't wait until the current wet weather period is over (Jan/Feb 2024) so we can continue this build. More updates will be posted soon.

POOL HOUSE "SAM10" - Deborah and Phil - Gold Coast, Qld

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 09:12:43 GMT

November 2023

Yet another excellent use for our most popular garden shed log cabin model "SAM10" - here positioned close to the pool. The actual location within the backyard was a bit of a discussion point. As always when there is a bit of space in a suburban backyard, the 10sqm "SAM10" could be installed in several different locations. In the end the "Pool House" option won, plus a small deck out the front.

Steel Foundations

After many years of cabin installations we are more and more leaning towards using a "C" purlin steel base for all our cabin models. While adding a bit to the overall costs of the cabin build, a steel base provides the ideal base for your brand new log cabin garden shed and pays for itself many times over the lifespan of your cabin!

There are a few distinct advantages over any other base - firstly your cabin will be raised above the ground, which will provide you with a visual inspection point for pesky termite trails, your cabin will be "high and dry", and can also be very easily leveled due to the adjustable stump tops we are using.

Many hands make light work

For this build we were lucky to secure the services of a new helper. The difference it made to have THREE guys building the cabin instead of two, or indeed, only ONE person, was amazing.

The build start had to be delayed by one day due to the wet weather anyway, so we only had three days instead of four. While this was of concern in the early stages of the build, it became obvious that we would manage just fine, despite being back to two on the third last day.

We were also impressed with the quality of the timber our suppliers used for our latest cabin delivery. Timber quality varies of course, being a naturally grown material.

Another VERY happy log cabin owner

In February 2024 we finally got around to visit the site, and the sun was out so we were able to take some photos. And there it is - a brand new "pool cabin", complete with a small deck out the front, fully protected by two coats of CUTEK oil, lighting installed and so on.

We always enjoy seeing the cabins we supply (and often also build, like this one) in action. There are so many uses for these beautiful solid timber log garden sheds - way too many to mention here.

Please get in touch if you would like to join our log cabin family - we guarantee you'll love your new space!

SEWING STUDIO "SAM10" - Louise and Gordon - Tamborine Mtn, Qld

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:21:43 GMT

October 2023

Another "CUSTOM" size cabin. Louise and Gordon have a corner block, so space in the rear of the property was extremely limited. But after a site inspection and giving our measuring tapes a bit of a workout we designed a custom size for Louise's new sewing studio. The chosen size was rectangular, the window was placed in the rear wall, and the slope of the site was overcome by using a steel base with adjustable steel stumps.

Busy, busy, busy....

Well, what do you know - we started the build flat-strapped keeping everyone working as fast as we could - and forgot to take photos of the steel foundation base...hmmm There are plenty of detail photos of the base we are using on other blog entries if you want to check it out!

The images on the right show all walls up already, and the roof beams in place.

Windows are always placed while the walls go up, as well as the door frame, the door is normally hung last.

Again we have run electrical cables for the lights, ready for the sparky to connect everything once the build is finished.

A couple of rain interruptions later..

As mentioned, the space we had to work with was very limited, especially to the right of the cabin. The bolder retainer wall posed a bit of a challenge when installing the sideboards and eave reinforcements - but with a bit of good will and patience all got done. As always, the cabin needed to be 1 meter away from the neighbor's border.

We also placed the front left stump post on the existing concrete slab, to avoid digging a post hole too close to the foot path, worked very well.

The rear of the cabin needed longer stumps than we would normally use, this was due to the sloping site we placed this cabin on.

Using height adjustable stump post tops makes leveling out the cabin a breeze.

Roofing in the color of your choice

Importing roofing from overseas together with your cabin makes no sense - Australia is the world king of corrugated iron roofing!

To mine the iron ore here, than ship it to Europe where they make their own roofing profiles, and than ship it back to Oz is prohibitively expensive - corrugated iron can be sourced locally for less than half the price compared to importing roofing.

This also reduces the risk of damage to roofing during transport, plus you can choose your own color!

The most popular color right now (Oct 2023) is "MONUMENT" as used with this build.

We do never install gutters for all sorts of reasons (ask if you like to know) but these can be installed easily after the build is finished.

She-Shed!

There is an intrinsic beauty that is synonymous with all log cabins. It's the natural look of solid timber, combined with the smell of pine oil that somehow never completely disappears. The warm ambience of a log cabin invites to relax, calm down and in general enjoy the space.

This cabin will be used as a sewing room for Louise. We will try to post images of the fully kitted out cabin once this has happened. For now the cabin awaits being stained in CUTEK "Wood Preservative" in tint "dark ash". Should look great!

TINY HOUSE "TORSTEN 27" - Mullumbimby NSW

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:31:32 GMT

August / September 2023

We used the month of August to start building a new display cabin called "TORSTEN". The one we previously had on display went to Tasmania in March (see below). While we replaced this display cabin with an "OSCAR20" we also surprisingly ended up having a flat-packed TORSTEN in our warehouse (long story - don't ask!). While offering this in the flat-packed version, we had a few inquiries for a fully-built TORSTEN. And when we also ended up with the custom made skid for this cabin we decided it's time to "swing the hammer".

The TORSTEN on the move...

Transporting the fully assembled TORSTEN display cabin from Northern NSW Coast all the way to Deloraine, Tasmania via the Tasman was never going to be an easy task, however, with the right equipment, top operators, a bit of patience and good will we got this done!

Due to it's overall height the cabin needed to be loaded on to a low-loader. The first leg of the cabin's journey was a bit "basic" - the cabin was pulled down a steep track on its skid. Second leg was on the back of a tow truck, transferring the cabin to a paddock near the main road. Third leg was lifting the cabin off the tow truck and transferring it on to the low-loader semi.

HD Skid

A properly constructed foundation of adequate strength is the basis of any residential building. The skids we use for our skid cabins are over-engineered and are guaranteed to not only stand the test of time, but also guarantee the safe transport of our skid cabins.

A H2 treated pine base frame is directly attached to the skid, using high tensile M10 bolts that go though the timber joists and the outer steel frame of the skid.

The first row of logs is then attached to the treated pine base frame using a variety of fixing methods, main one being treated pine batten screws and metal angles. Floorboards are than screwed down using 45mm outdoor square drive screws. .

Installation of Windows

The actual sequence of the window installation often varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and also between different grades of log cabins and wall thicknesses.

In this case we had the "luxury" to install the windows while we built up the walls. This is overall easier and stronger than installing the windows after the roof is on, as we were able to properly screw the window frames into the log wall inserts.

We also installed custom-made metal flashing at the bottom of each window, thus insuring a 100% leak-free installation.

Decorative architraves will be added later in the build, to both the outside and the inside.

Walls are going up!

When installing logs one-by-one the overall structure of the cabin takes shape quite quickly, though occasionally there are some stubborn logs that need some convincing to slide into their positions.

Especially the logs connecting window and door openings can be a little tricky to install, as the walls below sometimes "walked out" to a more or lesser extend.

There are various methods that will help with correctly placing these logs, we sometimes use ratchet straps to pull walls together, or pull them into one direction by attaching s strap to a fixed object such as our trailer or a tree etc. Bottom line is that they ALWAYS end up fitting nicely!

Oiling on the go....

We had the luxury of having someone on site doing the oiling while we built the cabin, so the logs were protected from the environment at all times. But this meant that we had to watch where we touched the cabin during construction, as the still wet oil got on our fingers and than of course onto (yet) untreated logs.

We applied the first coat of CUTEK "Wood Preservative" tinted in 'cedar tone'. Looks great and gives it a slight reddish appearance, which we noticed settled into a more brown/yellow tone after a few days in the full sun.

As our warehouse was very close by we also had the opportunity to use our forklift and a personnell lifting cage to do some of the higher-up work projects. Worked out to be much quicker and also safer when working on the roofing!

Outside all done!

Well, and here it is - outside (nearly) fully completed...

Last was to put on the window architraves, which we pre-oiled to make that job easier, installing the main entry door (bottom architrave still missing) and installing 500mm long corrugated iron roofing extensions.

The roofing needed to be shorter for transporting the TORSTEN, so we opted to install a slghtly shorter roof sheet and an even smaller extension to create the full length sheet needed - BUT this will enable us to reduce the overall width of the cabin to just under 3.5m, the maximum width allowed for transporting this skid cabin on public roads without the need of an escort vehicle (see below).

The TORSTEN cabin on the move

Loading up a 9m long log cabin for road transport and making sure all goes smoothly is never an easy task! Fortunately, the professional guys from GoldCoastCraneTrucks.com.au are always on their "A" game!

We spent the day before cabin pickup removing the roof sheet extensions we installed previously to get the cabin to a max. width of 3.5m, taking the diamond shaped gable top pieces off, securing the already installed shower screen and the windows etc - in short ensuring that nothing could get damaged during transport. The heavy duty metal skid foundation of the TORSTEN cabin guarantees torsional stability and provided proper lifting points.

The total weight of the cabin came only to a little over 6t including the metal skid.

Unloading at destination

The final location of the cabin necessitated the use of TWO crane trucks, as the one arriving with the cabin was unable to maneuver into a position that would allow it to safely lift the cabin.

But all worked out in the end - yes, it took some time, but the end result was exactly as per plan. Once the cabin was placed both trucks were able to safely pull away from the site.

As is always the case when working with big machinery some minor collateral damage must be expected - due to the recent wet weather the trucks left tyre tracks in the lawn they had to drive on for reversing, but of course these can be filled in and the grass will grow back.

Preparing a level area for the cabin before delivery is a must.

Sitting pretty!

And there you have it - another VERY happy log cabin skid cabin owner. After the delivery we went back on site a couple of times.

We spent a few hours leveling out the cabin as this can never be done properly while the trucks are on site. We used two hydraulic jacks and hardwood packers. We also installed stair stringers with two hardwood steps.

Time ran out before delivery, so the second coat of CUTEK oil for the windows also needed to be applied after delivery.

We feel extremely privileged working with solid timber log cabins of all kinds - tiny houses, garden sheds, residential dwellings and skid cabins. If you can think of it - we can manufacture and supply and build it for you. You are only limited by your own imagination...

COFFEE ROASTING SHED "SAM10" - Ben and Bron, Legume NSW

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 10:38:23 GMT

July 2023 - updated May 2024

We often get inquiries for cabin builds a "little" further away from our warehouse and home - happy to help, within reason of course. This time we traveled inland to Legume (NSW) / Killarney (QLD), on a deadline despite the weather forecast looking less than "ideal"... We normally schedule our builds according to the weather, but this time it just did not want to work out. As expected one and a half days were spent sitting in a motel waiting for the rains to stop.

Loading Up - All in one go....

Due to the distances involved, the tight deadline we had been given for this build as well as the lack of security on site we decided to load everything up in ONE lot - besides the standard cabin pallet of 6m length that meant we needed to also load up the roofing, the steel base, ten bags of rapid set concrete, the floorboards as well as the floating timber flooring the customer ordered, one additional window, as well as all the "standard" installation materials and all tools, ladders and so on.

As the closest BUNNINGS hardware store to the build site was in Warwick (a good 40 minutes drive away) we needed to be fully self-sufficient.

FOUNDATIONS

We pulled the build forward by one full day, trying to get the foundations all done before the rains set in. This worked out well - the site was reasonable flat, open space all around and the soil did not offer much resistance to our (newly acquired) petrol post hole digger.

Using rapid set concrete for the post holes means that the build can continue immediately after the concrete has been mixed. Initial set time of rapid set concrete is only a few minutes.

While we still had some daylight left after the foundations were done, the wet weather rolled in and we opted not to open up the cabin pallet but rather leave it sealed up ready for use once the sun was out again.

36 hours later.....

The sun was out, the rains stopped, though it was minus 4 degrees in the morning - meaning we worked faster to keep warm (not). It warmed up quickly, and from the moment we opened the factory-sealed cabin pallet it was all systems go.

The first row of logs needs to be fixed to the treated pine base frame with 150mm batten screws for the full-height logs and 90 to 100mm batten screws for the half-height logs.

All following log rows do not need to be screwed down in any way, as they interlock with their cross wall counterparts and thus form a structurally sound log cabin.

The floor boards should be installed fairly early in the construction process as this will make for a flat level surface on to which ladders can be placed when building up the walls.

ROOFING

We always take great pride in all our cabin builds.

The installation of a proper residential type roof is part of the "fully installed" option, using quality Australian made "Colorbond" roofing in the color of your choice, as well as a min R1.3 insulation blanket. The valleys of the corrugated iron at the top are bent up to avoid water ingress in the heaviest of downpours in windy conditions.

In QLD metal "top hat" battens (here 45mm) are a must, in NSW and VIC hardwood battens can also be used.

After the roof installation is completed the roof MUST be swept clean, as the metal shavings of the screw holes will make rust spots if left on the roof.

NEARLY DONE

Due to the weather delays we had during this build it was all a bit of a rush on the last day - but all got done to proper lock-up stage and the cabin was 100% watertight. Owners Bronwyn and Ben were on site the last day, painting the cabin black.

The images on the right show the cabin in various stages of the paint job, we will try to post new images once all painting has been completed.

Our next two cabin jobs are "just" deliveries, one to Albury/Wodonga, the other one to Toowoomba. After that help with a residential cabin build near Kempsey. And than we will be waiting for the next container to arrive early September...

Another SAM10 "in action"....

The images on the left were sent to us late May 2024 by the owners. Looks like they are enjoying their cabin!

We love the night and dusk images, the lanterns look great. Bron and Ben were lucky to have mains power very close by, so connecting to the main grid was very easy compared to many other locations we worked on.

As always when our "garden sheds" are used for more than storing a lawn mower the quality we supply is so very important. The full 50mm log thickness (instead of 44 or even 28mm "thick" ? planks) makes for a very strong construction that will last many years. Combine this with all the other European made inclusions and the SAM10 is a clear choice for everyone wanting the very best quality and longevity.

HOME OFFICE STUDIO "SAM10" - Sharyn and Andy, Tamborine Mtn, QLD

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:39:52 GMT

June 2023

Immediately after our Europe trip visiting our suppliers, it's back into cabin building. First cab off the rank is a SAM10 for Sharyn and Andy, located on Tamborine Mountain (our "home turf" so-to-say). The large block is ideal for a small cabin, offering Sharyn the space she needs for her home office. The actual site is close to the main house and the driveway, access was ok overall despite the fact that we needed to park our vehcicles a little further away from the build site.

Ground Preparations - Double Steel Base

We normally do not get involved in building decks and verandahs, however, we found the idea intriguing to simply double the std steel base we normally use, and to use the second base out front of the cabin as a covered deck.

The two normally individual bases were joined by using the purlin bolt normally used to secure a GP bracket to secure a corresponding "C" purlin - the purlin bolt thus connects both bases together, with M14 nuts used a spacers.

Due to the need of installing a post in the centre of the veranda front we opted to install one more adjustable stump directly underneath.

DECKING and FIRST LOGS

For decking Andy and Sharyn chose "ModWood" decking, using the "ClevaClip" attachment system - brilliant, easy to work with and to install, low to no maintenance and it looks great!

The clip-on strips are screwed on to the foundation treated pine bearers, and the decking boards are secured to the clips by simply stepping on them - the boards click into place without issues. That way they are also 100% evenly spaced, there are no often unsightly screw heads to be seen AND the boards can still be adjusted lengthwise by pushing them forward or backward.

"ModWood" also has a rough and a smooth side, either side can be used, the choice is yours. The rougher side provides better grip of course, especially important after rain, but it is harder to keep clean.

"CUTTING" it thin....

It is often impossible to accurately judge the space needed for a cabin build, especially higher up!

Ideally the area of the cabin build site is level and cleared to about 2 meters all round, but that is often not possible. After observing minimum distances from the fence the cabin looked like fitting nicely in the available space - but already the roof boards JUST cleared a large tree branch, and there was still the corrugated iron sheeting to go on. Our local tree loppers were luckily available to help at short notice, and within an hour the "offending" branch was trimmed back...

On a general note - NEVER let foilage grow on to your log cabin, branches provide easy access for termites and other unwanted visitors. In particular bamboo is bad news as subterranean ants can use the hollow sections of the stems.

Work in pogress...

They say "work hard - play hard" - we always enjoy a cabin build, and when the sun shines it makes it for an even better fun building experience.

Again we were very lucky for the duration of this entire build, while it was sometimes a little cold the sun was close to always shining and temperatures topped 25 degrees during the day.

If you look closely you will spot our coffee machine, always on site where power is available. We also always happily accept any coffee offerings from site owners - even a cold beer at night will find grateful acceptance.

WINDOW HANDLE INSTALLATION

The windows supplied with your cabin are very nice European double-glazed "Tilt'n'Turn" windows. The window handles are supplied separately, installation of these is very easy.

In each window there are three holes, the centre is for the square fitting, the top and bottom holes are for the fixing screws. Simply lift the plastic cover ends that hide the two screw heads with your fingernails, turn the cover 90 degrees to expose the screws, insert the handle into the three holes making sute the handle points downwards, tighten the two screws and turn the plastic cover back to hide the screws. Now turn the handle to its horizontal position, which will open the window. Close it again, and turn the handle all the way up, this will enable you to "tilt" the window open.

WINDOW HINGE COVER INSTALLATION

The silver metal window hinges need to be covered with black plastic clip and slide on fittings supplied.

Slide down the first piece on to the rear of the bottom right hinge (first photo on the left) and clip it into place (pictured in the bottom photo).

Next, pick the correct cover as pictured, noting the round cut-out section at the bottom for the right hand hinge (the left hand hinge cover is a mirror image of the right hand one). Slide this piece on to the hinge from the side until it clicks in.

The top hinges are easier, the larger piece slides on first, the second smaller piece covers the remainder of the hinge. For this step it is easier to open the window to the "tilt" position to enable the hinge covers to click in easily.

FITNESS ROOM "SAM10" - Catherine and Shai , Tallai, QLD

Mon, 08 May 2023 06:26:01 GMT

May 2023

Our second build in 2023. Tallai is in the Gold Coast Hinterland, another hidden valley location close to everything, but still in a relatively quiet area. Located close to the Tallai Golf Course we had plenty of space to work with, the site is a battle axe block that was created by a sub-division. The owners Catherine and Shai only moved into their new home a few months ago, and decided to create a gym and fitness room located in the backyard, close to their new home.

Ground Preparations - Steel Base

We were lucky again - like is sometimes the case during the cooler months of the year the weather was perfect throughout the entire build! The site itself was slightly sloped, ideal for a steel base installation.

Access was easy just along the house, ground was sealed with fully established roll-out turf close to the house, with a lighter grass cover towards the rear of the property.

We were also able to park our new custom-made 6m deck trailer close to the build site which makes the job so much easier, cutting down the log-lumping time.

In preparation of the the cabin build the underground electrical cables were already in place, locking in the positioning of the cabin. All set and ready to start digging the foundation holes!

BASE and STUMPS

We strongly recommend the use of adjustable stump connectors - they simply make sure that your new cabin is installed 100% level, and that it will remain level forever. We only use "LevelMaster" stump top connectors, which feature a ball bearing mechanism, making the adjustment a breeze using a 375mm shifter spanner. Just a few turns either way increases or reduces the height of the steel base by a few millimeters.

The treated pine base frame that comes with your cabin is attached to the steel frame via a number of gal steel brackets, using a variety of different fasteners. Joists are spaced at max. 450mm centers to allow the installation of 19mm thick particle board flooring.

THE BUILD

It is always a good idea to install the floor boards before the walls are constructed. The floor boards make for a solid and secure flat area, ideal for placing ladders and working higher up.

On occasions where timing with electrical works does not work out the walls will need to be constructed from the outside. That is ok when like here, there is reasonable flat level ground all around the cabin.

The centre image on the right shows the temporary use of a ratchet strap - very handy for pulling log walls into place that otherwise can have a mind of their own. In this case some of the shorter logs on the right hand of the door opening were causing the wall to lean forward too much, which in turn makes the placement of the full-length log on top of the door opening quite difficult.

JUST ABOUT DONE....

The installation of the door is always the very last thing to do. Both sides of the double door need to align of course, to ensure the locking mechansim can work properly.

The doors feature hinges that can be adjusted three ways - up and down, left and right, and outward and inward. Each hinge has therefore three separate adjustable allen key screws. Doors seldomly (never??) align properly when first installed, and that is fine. With a bit of patience and using the adjustable hinges they will sit nicely.

The adjustment can also be used for countering any movements caused by the settling of the logs, occurring over the next 12 to 24 months after construction of you cabin.

WINDOW SILLS

When posting details of our latest build we always try to highlight one particular aspect of the build.

The windows supplied with your cabin are very nice European double-glazed "Tilt'n'Turn" windows. The outside bottom features an aluminium window sill which is covered with a protective film. This film needs to be removed after installation. Simply loosen the four black screws that hold the window sill into position, peel and pull off the plastic film and re-tighten the four screws. Take care not to damage the rubber screw seals in the process.

We will post details about the opening and closing mechanism of the windows in our next build blog!

EXCERCISE ROOM "SAM10" - Carrie and Ben, Brookfield, QLD

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 09:46:50 GMT

April 2023

The start into a New Year is always a little slow - school holidays and the Festive Season as well as the generally hotter weather slows down building works. Also the fact that our display cabin had be be readied for truck pickup (sold to Tasmania!) and the need to build a new display cabin "OSCAR20" meant that our building schedule only really started in April. First build for 2023 was in beautiful Brookfield, we built a cabin close by before and really like the relative serenity of this area. Brookfield is close to Brisbane - but still miles away from the hustle bustle of Brisbane.

Ground Preparations - Steel Base

The weather was phantastic throughout the entire build! The site itself was close to level, grassed and enclosed with a hedge on three sides - perfect!

Our new custom-made trailer proved again to be the perfect delivery and log storage vehicle. Being able to park the trailer as close to the build site as possible makes the job so much easier, cutting down the log-lumping time.

We used a raised steel base again, necessitated by a seasonal creek just next to the cabin build site. During the recent tropical (ex-)cyclones "Debbie" and "Yasi" the creek rose to just above the ground level of the site. Using a steel base raising the cabin by about 300mm provided the peace-of-mind needed for the next rain event. The adjustable stumps we use also enable the cabin to be raised by about a further 250mm.

TAKING SHAPE...

The intended use of this our latest SAM10 cabin build is as an exercise and gym room.

The build site boasts a lot of land, leaving ample space for lawns, horses and stables etc. The cabin build spot is surrounded by an established hedge on three sides, providing a very picturesque spot for the cabin.

The bench settings were placed on the lawns for a party on the weekend - so the "pressure" was on to get as much of the cabin done before as possible.

A typical cabin build like this one takes normally four days for two people from start to finish. Good weather always helps, as well as easy access to the site and a level building pad!

THE BUILD

Seeing the cabin log walls go up is always an exciting moment of any log cabin build.

Due to the clever corner notching of the logs they normally fit together without any problems. Occasionally a log is slightly twisted or bent, these logs are totally ok to use, they just need a bit of "persuasion" to settle into the tongues of the log below.

The first image on the right demonstrates the correct method - use a scrap piece of timber and tap the top log down into position. Also note the use of temporary vertical timber bracing for the door opening. The two slightly darker pieces of timber are screwed into each log end, keeping the door opening logs nice and straight, making the placement of the top-of-door connecting log much easier.

ROOFING

We always take great pride in all our cabin builds.

In QLD metal "top hat" battens (here 45mm) are a must, in NSW and VIC hardwood battens can also be used.

After the roof installation is completed the roof MUST be swept clean, as the metal shavings of the screw holes will make rust spots if left on the roof.

ENTRY STAIRS

Placing your cabin on a raised steel base will invariably result in the need for entry stairs.

If this forms part of our install, we use and recommend stair stringers made by "LevelMaster".

As the name indicates the stringers are height adjustable!

The bottoms of the stringers rest on concrete pavers. The centre image on the right shows the adjustable base plate.

We source hardwood steps and sand and treat these before we take them to your site for installation. They are very solid and just look the part. Of course, other types of entry stairs can be used if you prefer.

DISPLAY CABIN "OSCAR20" - Mullumbimby, NSW

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 05:40:26 GMT

December 2022 / January 2023

As is sometimes the case our DISPLAY CABIN at our site in Mullumbimby has recently been sold - it will go fully assembled to Tasmania in March 2023. The new proud owners Leanne and Tom kindly agreed to delay the delivery by a few weeks to enable us to build a new display log cabin. We decided to build one of our new 20sqm models called OSCAR20. The images below show how far we got - before we got rain interrupted on the 28th of December.

FOUNDATIONS: Post Hole Digging

Our display site near Mullumbimby is remote, picturesque and very peaceful. We started with the luxury of a relatively level area that was previously used for bulk materials storage. The site features old style concrete blocks as a retainer wall, as well as a thick layer of crusher dust making the leveling and positioning of the cabin very easy.

When installing a steel "C" purlin base frame it is best to initially work with the outer frame only. This allows for easy lifting of the frame while working on squaring the base up, as well as getting the base roughly leveled. Once we had the exact position of the 4 outer post holes marked, we moved the base frame away to commence a "little digging" - using just a metal fencing bar and a clam shell digger.

FOUNDATIONS: Steel base

The latest weather break enabled us to finish the foundations - again note the fifth post in the centre of the cabin! The OSCAR 20 is just under 20sqm, with side walls measuring 4.3m. This size cabin does need some sort of post or support in the middle, to avoid a "bouncing" effect. We always use adjustable posts, noting that in this case the centre one will be close to impossible to get to - so any fine adjustments that might be needed at some time in the future needs to work off the centre post.

The treated pine base frame comes with your cabin, and fits neatly on top of the steel frame, extending about 5mm past the steel frame to allow rain water to run off the sides.

The log walls will also extend the base frame by another 5mm

ELECTRICAL WORKS

All electrical work MUST ALWAYS be carried out be a licensed electrician!

Electrical leads should be run before the floor boards are installed, while access to the base frame is easy. As some of the leads run on the metal "C" purlins the wiring must be placed inside plastic conduit. This will also prevent UV degradation of the cable sheathing and rats chewing on the cables.

The expenses associated with taking this precaution are totally negligible in comparison to the potential costs of trying to remedy faulty wiring later down the track.

Leads can easily be run through the center of the wall logs at your desired positions.

We are currently investigating the possibility of having these holes pre-drilled by our factory...

THE WALLS ARE GOING UP...

A sunny and overcast not too hot Saturday afternoon enabled us to install the first few rows of logs. The first row always take s a little longer, as it MUST be fully squared up, as well as needing to be screwed into the treated pine base frame. Use 100mm batten screws for the half logs and 150mm batten screws for the full logs, pre-drilling with a 6mm drill is recommended.

All logs need to be firmly tapped into place, using a mallet and a scrap piece of wood to avoid damaging the tongue&groove logs. Being a naturally grown construction material, the logs can sometimes be a little twisted, and will need a bit of patience when placing them correctly.

MAKING PROGRESS - Oiling

The importance of protecting your new log cabin against the elements can not be mentioned often enough!

It is imperative that the first coat of oil or paint is applied as soon as possible after construction is finished. To preserve the natural look of the timber we recommend CUTEK "Wood Preservative" with a stain of your choice. The difference the first coat makes to the appearance of the timber is obvious.

Application is easy - we use a UNIPRO "Little Ripper" paint roller with a microfibre roller, for both the flat areas and, on a tilt, for the grooves. Once the grooves have been covered with oil, we use a standard paint brush to work more oil into the grooves, making sure that ALL exposed timber is fully covered. A second coat is needed within a few weeks of the first one.

ALL DONE! Well - nearly....

The cabin is "Dried In"! Roof completed 100%, a good feeling as the next lot of rain can no longer cause any issues.

The cabin also received one lot of timber oil all round.

We love the now more modern look of the glass panes (double glazed of course, and with "Tilt'n'turn" function) without the "French" style glazing bars. Taking these out did not only make the cabin look more up-to-date, it also makes painting or oiling much easier, plus lets more light in and lets you look out easier.

Now we are waiting for the sparky to hook everything up, and some spare time to install entry steps, vinyl plank flooring and skirting boards, some landscaping, etc.

We are more than happy to show you this new cabin any time it suits you - just get in touch to make sure we are on site!

Internal Fit Out - Shower

Fitting a fully functional bathroom into a 20sqm total cabin space was a but of a challenge, but also a bit if fun! Pretty much exactly a quarter of the available space was allocated each to the bathroom, the kitchen, and for sleeping and living.

It is NOT possible to glue tiles directly on to the log walls EVER, as these expand and shrink with the seasonally differing air moisture levels. A simple timber frame was installed which also provided the gap needed to run the pipes.

The frame was then lined with compressed cement sheeting and a waterproofing membrane was applied (the blue stuff on the walls!).

Note also that we are also a big fan of the ATR Tile Leveling System , easy to use, takes away close to all hassles normally encountered when trying to avoid "lippage" in tiles, and makes your tiling job infinitely easier.

Internal Fit Out - Vanity / Toliet

We ended up with a little over 1m gap between the shower wall we installed and the rear right corner of the cabin, just enough to neatly fit in a 1m vanity.

The images on the right show just the main objects, obviously a few more bits need to be added (towel rails, mirror, shelves, robe hooks, soap holder etc).

We opted for a more modern and functional bathroom look rather then a "country style" that would also have worked well within a log cabin bathroom.

INTERNAL FIT OUT - Kitchen

Restricted spaces call for careful planning when it comes to creating a functional kitchen. Well, more like a kitchenette, really..

To keep with the overall modern internal fit out we opted for a BUNNINGS flat pack kitchen. At just on 2.2m wide the kitchen does not allow for "luxuries" like a dishwasher or a full-size oven and cooktop. But once a benchtop cooker and a microwave has been added we reckon it's got all you need to cook up a storm!

The positioning of the tap was critical to ensure that both window halves could be opened without any hassles, the sink tap hole needed to sit exactly in the centre of the two window halves.

Our sparky was on site after these images were taken - so by now we even have proper power points!

HOME OFFICE "SAM10" - Joanna and Jason, Ipswich, QLD

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 11:28:08 GMT

October 2022 - updated Jan 2024

Joanna and Jason were facing a familar problem - Jason is working from home, and as the kids are getting older Jason's office currently occupying a bedroom within their house needed to be converted back into a kid's bedroom. Fortunately, they had a square levelled out area covered with artificial lawn, which was the ideal building spot for their new "SAM10" log cabin.

Foundations - Rough Positioning

W hile the artificial lawn looks great and made for a very neat and clean building site, it proved to be impossible to level out the pavers initially placed on top of it.

To guarantee a 100% level foundation we needed to cut out the artificial lawn which in turn gave us access to the crusher dust we found underneath. This was perfect for placing each individual paver and leveling them out.

In general, we are a big fan of artifical grass (within reason). Placed all around the cabin it stops water run-off from the roof splashing mud back on to the newly placed log cabin walls after the built is finished. AND it helps greatly to keep your new cabin clean inside during the building process (just in case of rain...)

Treated Pine Base Frame

The H2 treated pine base frame in full size 45 x 95mm comes with your cabin. It is of utmost importance to level this frame out as close to perfect as possible, AND to also square it up by measuring diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner - both measurements should be the exact same. For the SAM10 this would be 4,455mm. Once this has been achieved the actual cabin assembly will be so much easier, as everyhting lines up and is plumb and square and level - piece of cake!

The FUN part....

Creating the foundations can be time consuming and a bit of work - depending on the soil conditions and the slope of the site plus a few other factors, though of course needs to get done first.

The actual cabin build that follows next is much more "funner" we think, it is quicker and a pure pleasure to see the walls go up in very little time.

Occasionally, there is the odd warped log, or the need to drill (additional?) electricity holes that slow down the process, but in general the walls will be up in one day, including the gables.

Note that the window needs to be installed as the wall grows, it can NOT be installed after the wall has been finished. The same goes for the door frame - the doors themselves can be installed last when all else is done.

Another log cabin handed over!

With this build we were lucky - the weather stayed dry, and the occasional overcast period kept the sun and heat at bay. The general forecast for the summer 2022/23 is for very wet conditions, so we were glad to get a few days of dry weather in a row.

Access to the site was a bit difficult due to the elevation of the house and the backyard up from the road, but as is often the case, Joanna and Jason together with a friend helped unloading the cabin and placing all materials close to the actual build site.

This was the last build we scheduled for 2022 - we are off for a (well earned!!) extended break soon, and will commence cabin building early in the New Year - bookings can be made NOW, please get in early as we JUST managed to keep up with building demands this year!

UPDATE - Jan 2024

Jason kindly sent us a few update photos of the internal fit out of his SAM10.

I am using the cabin as my full-time office. It has been fully hardwired and has a 2.5kw air conditioning unit installed. Internet is via a WiFi connection. We painted the inside and outside of the cabin with a heavy duty/mold resistant primer and than three coats of Dulux 'South Pole'. We applied a very clear varnish to the timber beams. We installed a 1.8m long LED light on the centre beam and an oyster light on the outside. We put a coat of primer on the termifloor and than laid GerFlor Vinyl planks. We used 12mm triangle pine moldings as a skirting board.

It is always GREAT to see how our cabins are used.

If YOU also own one of our cabins, please fell free to send in info and updates any time.

Thank you Jason Joanna for sharing these new photos with our log cabin friends.

PROFESSIONAL SUITE "OSCAR20" - Kate and Tom, Leura, NSW

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 09:41:52 GMT

September 2022

Kate and Tom live in one of Australia's colder climate zones. The "Blue Mountains" west of Sydney are well-known for the mountain beauty and rugged steep terrain, but are still located relatively close to the Sydney basin itself, with the Sydney CBD being only 100km away. The township of LEURA is just a short distance located from the slightly better known town of Katoomba, both located about 1000m above sea level.

GROUND PREPARATIONS:

Vegetation Clearing / Steel Base

Tom did a great job clearing the site well before we arrived - after all the drive from our "home pad" was over 1000km! Large branches of the tree close by had recently been removed by an arborist, reducing the chances of any mishaps at some time in the future.

The excellent "ground work" done by Tom enabled us to start on the steel base straight away, assembling the outer frame also helps getting a much better feel for the size and the positioning of the cabin within the backyard.

Once the outer frame is roughly leveled and properly squared up post holes are dug and steel posts are set with rapid set concrete, using adjustable post shoes supplied by LEVELMASTER.com.au .

FOUNDATIONS:

TERMIFLOOR - base layer

While the the most cost effective foundation is simply placing the treated pine base frame on top of road base and pavers we do strongly recommend to consider a steel base frame to lift the cabin off the ground which is not only ideal for sloped sites, but also provides better termite protection.

Due to the much colder climate in the Blue Mountains Tom requested an insulated floor for his cabin - no worries! The images on the right show the installation of the base layer of t ermite treated "TERMIFLOOR" particle board flooring . This was attached to the "C" purlins of the base frame via special self-drilling screws. Note the fifth post in the centre of the cabin!

FOUNDATIONS:

H2 Treated Pine Base Frame

To enable the installation of acoustic floor insulation bats, we created a 95mm gap between the two layers of particle board flooring by installing the treated pine base frame directly on top of the first layer of particle board flooring.

This gap was also used for running electrical leads

for power points, switches and data cables.

In part the bearers were affixed by screws inserted through the floorboards from UNDER the cabin - typical "spider man work" ! But certainly needed and worthwhile for structural integrity of the floor construction.

THE BUILD: Walls

The first row of logs MUST be securely fastened to the base frame, to guarantee structural strength in even the strongest of winds.

The following layers of logs can than simply inserted into their rebated log end points, in an offset fashion.

Logs are easier to settle in their correct position by using a mallet and a scrap piece of timber. Some logs are warped or twisted, and need a little patience to "convince" them to insert correctly.

We have not come across a single log that could not be correctly positioned.

The opening right hand of the double entry door is for one of the lead-lights.

WINDOWS: Custom Configuration

Tom and Kate opted for the installation of an additional window (as well as adding two lead light windows!) on the left side wall of their new cabin. For this the logs supplied with the cabin needed to be cut to size, and the off cuts were used to create the wall logs between the two windows.

The height of the windows was also altered by moving a log that would normally sit underneath the window(s) to sit on top. This makes a height difference of about 110mm.

FLOOR INSULATION

For the installation of the acoustic floor insulation bats we used the 95mm gap that was created by installing two layers of particle board flooring with the treated pine base in between.

The bats need to be cut to size, as they are manufactured to fit Australian standard joist spacing, but this really is very straight forward using a sharp long snap-off blade utility knife.

We were very happy with the end result, as this construction method guaranteed a fully insulated cabin floor, certainly needed for the cold Blue Mountains winters!

ROOF: Beams and Boards

Installing the roof beams and after that the tongue & groove roof boards is always a major step forward towards "drying in" your cabin.

The roof beams are the heaviest logs used for the construction of your cabin. Enlist the help of a second person to place these, as they lock the entire cabin structure together and need to be positioned 100% accurately.

The 19mm thick roof boards lock into each other very tightly, and prevent rain water to enter your cabin until the final metal roof installation.

The roof boards also provide a very solid surface that can be walked on without having to pay attention to the position of the roof beams underneath. This is GREAT for the installation of battens and the roof sheets, making that part of the cabin install so much safer and quicker.

INTERNAL WORKS - Hardwood Floor

Installing particle board flooring first enabled Tom to use feature grade hardwood in random lengths. Light sanding leveled everything out nicely and after some research Tom decided to use "Feast Watson" Timber Floor Tung Oil Blend.

Oiling bare timber always works a treat, bringing out the natural beauty of the timber, as the oil absorbs at different rates depending on the density of the timber surface.

Two coats are needed, the second one can be applied after 24 hours of the first one.

There are numerous other timber coatings available, so you are spoiled for choice.

More updates as they come to hand!

HOME OFFCIE SUITE "SAM10" - Stef and Jun, Tanah Merah, QLD

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 11:01:10 GMT

"FAT HALLIES" - Sep 2022

Stef and Jun wanted a break-out office space and our SAM10 model was the perfect solution. Access to the backyard was limited, but luckily with the help of family and friends unloading and carrying all logs etc into the backyard was done quite quickly. The cabin was named after Stef's cat "Fat Hallies"

Foundations - Steel Base and

"TERMIFLOOR" 19mm T&G

Stef and Jun's backyard had a bit of a slope in it, necessitating the use of a slightly raised steel base.

These bases not only create a solid foundation platform for the cabin, they also insulate the cabin from ground moisture and allow easy visual inspection to ensure termites can not get into your cabin!

Your cabin will come with chunky treated pine base beams that are placed directly on to the steel "C" purlins, secured with gal steel angle brackets.

The final levelling can be done later using the height adjustable post stumps.

Window Positioning - in ANY wall!

We worked hard with our manufacturer to ensure that it is technically possible to install the window supplied in ANY of the three walls!! And yes - this includes the rear gable wall!

For Stef and Jun the choice was easy, as their new "FAT HALLIES" cabin is positioned in the rear left corner of their backyard, the window had to go into the right hand side wall - no problem!

You can also order additional windows if you like, to get even more daylight into your new log cabin, please contact us to check availability and pricing.

Timber Preservatives - CUTEK Oil with "Gold Tone" Stain

It is of utmost importance to protect your new cabin from the harsh elements.

Applying a wood preservative oil with your personal choice of stain really makes the grain of the timber come out, and simply looks great.

The first coast should be applied as soon as possible after the build is finished, the second coat within a few days after. Stef and Jun were straight on to painting the inside and oiling the outside - the results speak for themsleves!

A little tip - when oiling or painting the doors, pull out the rubber seals first and re-install these after painting or oiling, this will make for a very neat finish with no "cutting in" efforts!

A Log Cabin in your Backyard...

Whatever your reason for erecting a log cabin / garden shed at your place - you will not be disappointed!

The internal space will be larger than you think it will be, the smell of the pine timber when you walk in is noticable for many years, and your neighbors will envy you!

There are more uses for these cabins than we can possibly list here - we have sold these as professional therapy rooms, teenagers break-outs, home offices (and LOTS of them!), tinkering sheds, hobby rooms, bee keepers honey processing rooms (yeap, you read correctly), party rooms, for hobby and collectable purpoeses, games rooms and the list grows every day!

The beauty of these "sheds" (they are so much more than that!!) is simply - well, in their beauty... they are relatively cheap, quick to put up, and will increase the value of your property by far more than they cost initially.

Plus you can put these up yourself, a very rewarding project that can be undertaken by anyone with basic mechanical skills.

MUSIC STUDIO "SPIEKEROOG 24" - Rachel and Cham, Wynnum, QLD

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 23:46:09 GMT

August 2022

Rachel and Cham live busy lives, both working in the healthcare (which is how they met, by the way, too!). A few years ago they were very lucky to secure a relatively large parcel of land in Wynnum, with a nature reserve out the back, and plenty of backyard room with a large grassy area - perfect for their border collie "Sully" to roam around! Besides a chicken coup and a small tin shed for gardening tools they decided to get one of our SPIEKEROOG 24sqm cabins.

GROUND PREPS / FOUNDATION:

Concrete Base

Rachel and Cham decided on a 150mm steel reinforced concrete base., with 4 x 1200mm deep piers This was mainly based on the sandy soil that is prevalent in their area, being located close to the beach.

Aided by the relatively soft soil level ground, a small excavator got the grass removed and the site leveled in just a few hours.

Form work was done the same day, concrete was poured a few days after.

A good quality concrete base is the very best foundation for your cabin, however, the recent price rise of concrete slabs are now making steel bases the most popular foundation.

We are happy to assist with any type of base.

CABIN DELIVERY:

Doing it the hard way....

One of the many effects of Covid19 is that it is currently (Sep 2022) close to impossible to find a local crane truck company that is prepared to do short haul transport jobs at a reasonable price.

This site was only about 4km away from the Brisbane harbour, so we decided to transfer th cabin from the warehouse ourselves.

This worked out overall ok - it just meant more individual trips as our new 6m-deck custom trailer was not yet ready for pick up, so we used a smaller box trailer....hmmmm.

The weather was brilliant throughout the entire build, leaving us to concentrate on building this quite large single room cabin instead of worrying about the next downpour.

It's building time!!

When installing a cabin on top of a concrete base we place builder's plastic underneath, to keep moisture off the treated pine base frame.

The space between the concrete base and the tongue&groove pine flooring boards was filled with acoustic floor insulation wool. That space was also used for running electrical cables.

Running cables needs to be done before the floor boards are installed, so they remain hidden and safely tucked away.

Only after the cabin is 100% finished the sparky connects all leads.

WALLS / WINDOWS / DOOR

It was great to have owner Cham working on the cabin alongside us, makes the job so much easier and quicker. No "serious" hardware experience is needed, but to have another pair of hands on the job helps with so many things.

For example, the window is really quite heavy, as it comes pre-assembled and needs to be placed once the first row of window opening logs has been installed. Placing the window with two people is a breeze - and a real struggle for just one person.

NOTE - we also now have additional windows in stock that we can install in any wall of your cabin!

Depending on the cabin model the door frame needs to be installed either during or after the wall construction. This depends on whether the timber door sill sits on top of the floor boards or is installed via rebate in the floor boards - we are happy to advise of the correct method.

It's more like a hall....

The SPIEKEROOG (named after a German Island) is the largest of our garden shed cabins.

Measuring 4.8m square it provides a full 23sqm internal space. The size allows for many uses of this cabin, for both private and professional purposes.

You might notice that we do not install any gutters for the roofing. This is simply to avoid having to point the rainwater roof run-off into a storm pipe, which often is impossible to achieve in backyards. No gutters means that there will be a strip of water splashes from the roof along the side of the cabin. To avoid soil splashing on to the side wall of your cabin, we recommend to place pebbles or (artificial) lawn where the water run-off occurs.

Looks great and keeps your cabin in top shape!

GARDEN SHED "SAM10" - Anna and Dan, Bogangar, NSW

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:29:29 GMT

"KONNICHIWA BEACHES"- July 2022

A nna and Dan use their beach house in Bogangar (Kingscliff) as a weekend and relaxation hide-away to sometimes escape their busy Brisbane life style. The SAM10 we had the pleasure building for them added a lot of flair to their backyard, complementing the fireplace and the new circular pattern paving they had recently done.

Installation on Existing

CONCRETE SLAB

This install was a little different with regards to a already existing concrete slab on site. It was a little too narrow, which necessitated the widening of the slab via one row of pavers on one side.

The cabin base frame that is than placed on top of the slab is secured via gal steel angle brackets.

The outer timber frame is insulated from ground moisture by not only oiling it before construction, but also by running a plastic strip called "snake skin" between the log and the slab.

This will guarantee many years of weather protection and hassle-free enjoyment of your cabin!

MAKING PROGRESS...

Once the foundations are done the fun part begins - the actual cabin assembly, creating a roof above your head. The natural beauty of the timber coupled with the scent from the pine oil makes for a very pleasant and exciting construction procedure.

Walls always go up quickly. The log that connects the two sides of the window sometimes needs a bit of "convincing" before it fits properly.

The gable logs also often do not line up straight away, as the two door side walls sometimes lean to one side or another. However, with a bit of pulling (as well as head scratching and may be a cold drink...) it will eventually pull everything into square.

The roof beams slide in easily, and then it's on to installing the tongue&groove roof boards.

Taking Shape:

We installed Anna and Dan's cabin during the week before the "Splendor in the Grass" Festival in Byron Bay - during that time the weather was overall great, but turned bad literally the day we were all done and the festival was about to start.

We all heard the term "Splendor in the Mud" - outdoor festivals are as dependent on good weather as log cabin builds!

It is always a great feeling when the roof goes on and the cabin is dried-in. Windows and doors are normally installed last, as the roof is considered to be more important in terms of weather proofing the cabin.

By the way - the images might look confusing - the aluminium foil always goes on the bottom!

Oiling in "Dark Ash"

Anna started oiling the outer and the inner of the cabin the day after we left the site - well done!!. It is important to protect the cabin from the environment as soon as possible after the built, to ensure it last for many years to come.

The window and door can be painted or oiled in a contrasting colour, often a very bright colour is chosen.

Anna and Dan chose the name "Konnichiwa Beaches" for their cabin, we will post new images here once the sign has been installed - should look great!

ACUPUNCTURE STUDIO "SAM10" - Kerry and Mark, Greenslopes, QLD

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 05:28:46 GMT

June / July 2022

Kerry and Mark run a very successful and busy acupuncture studio from their home - and needed more space to look after all their clients. The SAM10 was the perfect solution, despite only having access to a small front yard we managed to fit it in nicely!

From the initial measure through to final key handover we enjoyed this build very much. Kerry and Mark were easy to deal with, and did their very best to help wherever possible, but always managed to juggle business and building activities.

Post Hole Digging / Electrical / Adjustable Stumps / Steel Base

As Kerry and Mark wanted to use their cabin as an acupuncture treatment room the provision of power points and lighting was essential.

On the very first day of the build the electrician was on site, and prepared al leads - all we had to do is feed the leads through the log centres via holes we drilled, ready for the sparky to come back after hooking it all up.

As always any electrical works must be carried out by a licensed electrician, for obvious reasons. We can help with drilling additional wiring holes through the centre of the logs, but all other electrical work we always leave up the the professionals!

Building in restricted spaces:

"Who said the SAM10 won't fit??"

From the very first day Kerry and Mark contacted us, the issue of not having a lot of space available was discussed. The only way to ascertain if a project like building a garden shed log cabin is feasible or not is to meet on site and go through all details.

One of the images above shows logs simply being placed on the lawn, to gain an accurate impression of the space needed.

Yes, not much room to play with, but it worked out in the end!

Local building regulations very from state to state, but in general it is important to stay away between 1 and 1.5m from the closest fence line.

Roofing and Floor Coverings:

We sometimes get asked to provide additional services such as adding a deck out the front, installing floor coverings and the like - we will try our best to help, but need to be mindful of our busy log cabin building schedule so might not be able to help - but we will try!

For Kerrie and Mark we squeezed in laying vinyl plank flooring (see image bottom right).

Included in the installation price we quote is of course the roofing. Obviously, roofing installations need to be watertight, but roofing installation methods and finishes do vary from standard class 1A residential buildings.

We have included a couple of images here to show the way we install the roofing, for your information. Please ask for more details.

Sitting Pretty - the new Acupuncture Room is ready!

Kerry was determined to make her new Acupuncture room look modern and fresh. For this she decided to paint the outer in a soft yellow, and white for the inside.

Painting is not for everyone, it's time consuming so often it's hard to fit it into our busy schedules - but it MUST be done as soon as possible after completion of the cabin. This is the only way to guarantee the longevity of your brand new cabin, so that you will get many years of enjoyment out of it.

Kerry and Mark's paint job is sensational!

We will soon post images showing a deck at the front!

GLAMPING PAD "SAM10" - Joel, Esk, QLD

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:55:38 GMT

May / June 2022

Joel uses his cabin in a number of different ways, again highlighting the many different possibilities a SAM10 offers. While large enough for storage, or an office, a therapy room etc, it can also be used as a sleep-out temporary accommodation. Of course a picturesque location by a lake in a forested area also helps to enjoy log cabin living!

GROUND PREPARATIONS:

Vegetation Clearing / Steel Base

On first arrival Joel had the site already prepared to a large extend - the grass and leaf litter had been removed, and the site was easily accessible all round.

The four main post holes were also dug already, saving a lot of time doing all the foundation preparations.

Timing of the building worked out well too - at the end of the first day the outer frame was assembled and the four posts concreted in, just on dark.

This allowed the concrete to dry overnight so we could make a fresh start next morning assembling the entire frame including the adjustable post shoes supplied by LEVELMASTER.com.au

FOUNDATIONS:

Steel Base Frame

While the the most cost effective foundation is simply placing a treated pine or hardwood base frame on top of road base and pavers we do strongly recommend to consider a steel base frame to lift the cabin off the ground which is not only ideal for sloped sites, but also provides better termite protection.

While hardwood or treated pine base frames are pretty much termite proof YOU SHOULD still apply three coats of CUTEK Wood Preservative all round. This will repel moisture as well keep any creepy crawlies away.

The particle board flooring used is also Termite Treated "TERMIFLOOR".

The base frame is attached via gal steel brackets to the steel frame.

Taking Shape:

Finally the weather was on our side - the build progressed well and fast, as always with two people on site build time is reduced drastically.

You will notice in the image on the right that we use a yellow builders' edge to align the roofboards 100% - not really needed as the roof edges are later on covered by timber anyway but it makes for a faster and more accurate construction procedure.

We also drilled electrical holes through the centre of the logs for a powerpoint and lighting - just to keep the sparky happy!

OUTER FINISHES:

Oiling / Barge Capping / Gables

Once the main structure is done and the roof is on, the raw timber needs to be protected from the elements. To apply the first coat of oil as soon as possible after the construction is highly recommended. Often the first coat is applied by one person while the roof is being installed by another - the guy on the ground passing roofing sheets etc up to the roofer as work progresses.

Windows and Doors are often done in a contrasting colour, to offset the otherwise rustic looking cabin.

Joel opted for a CUTEK "black ash" stain for his cabin - the manor red roof matches nicely!

Let there be Light....

After some weather induced delays the power was finally connected, and what a difference it made!

The additional work drilling holes through the centre of the logs paid off nicely.

A properly lit log cabin at night excudes even more charm and a homely feel that is unsurpassed.

A bit of trivia - lighting a candle and placing it in the window dates back hundreds of years. In the olden days when hunters tried to make their way home they often had to reach the safety of their cabin after dark. On clear cold winter nights a single candle helped locating the cabin, as the relatively small flame could still be seen over larger distances.

BASIC - BUT EFFECTIVE!

The SAM10 is a little too small to "house" all facilities inside. An easy solution was to build a deck out the front and on the left side, put up corrugated iron for screening and bingo - a basic but very functional wet cell was created!

A simple camp shower provides running hot water for a hot shower, and a small vanity unit and a composting toilet provide all basic facilities.

We are always amazed how our cabins are used.

As they are very solidly built and as such lend themselves to being so much more than "garden sheds" the variety of end uses is impressive - and so are their individual fit-outs and the way they present a short while after construction has been finished.

Congratulations Joel, you have created a real haven of peace away from the hustle bustle of the big cities!

Timelapse

LUXURY CAMPING "SAM10" - Laura, Mount Warning, NSW

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 01:43:19 GMT

May 2022

Laura lives on a stunningly beautiful block near Mount Warning, and it was a real pleasure working on this cabin.

As is often the case, access to the site was a "little" difficult, with our 4WD getting yet another thorough workout. Due to recent floodings in the area around Murwillumbah and the Tweed River Valley the main road also had its difficulties, with many sections of the road being washed out, various road works and deviations were put in place. "Another day at the office" they say!

GROUND PREPARATIONS:

Levelling / Weed Suppression

On first arrival at the site we found that the ground had already been prepared to a large extend - the grass had been removed, and the site was reasonably level.

We finished the leveling and spread out black builder's plastic on top of the soil before spreading out brown road base on top.

Blue/grey road base was impossible to get at that time due to the road works being carried out after the recent flooding - we had to work with brown road base which is a little harder to flatten out!.

GROUND PREPARATIONS:

Road Base / Hardwood Base Frame

The most cost effective foundation is a simple hardwood base frame placed on top of road base and pavers. Due to the closeness to the ground termite protection is a must.

While the hardwood itself is pretty much termite proof we still apply one coat of CUTEK Wood Preservative all round. This will repel moisture as well keep any creepy crawlies away.

The particle borad flooring used is also Termite Treated.

The logs used for the cabin construction are also treated with several coats of the wood preservative, stained in the colour of your choice.

Taking Shape:

Despite frequent rain interruptions we managed to squeeze in just enough dry weather building time to get the cabin to a "sort of" dried-in state - even with the help of tarps if needed.

You will notice in the image on the right that we use a yellow builders' edge to align the roof boards 100% - not really needed as the roof edges are later on covered by timber anyway - this is just an example how we do things and how particular we are to ensure that you are totally happy with your new cabin.

We use the same method for aligning the corrugated iron roof sheets.

And the rains are back....

On the last day of the build the rains JUST started as we were sort-of all done.

Owner Laura had been flat strapped oiling the timbers while we installed the door and the window.

A second coat of oil always needs to be applied after 2 to 4 weeks, only then is the timber properly protected from the environment.

We also strongly recommend the application of a clear (or tinted) coat of a suitable indoor timber finish to the inside walls and window and doors.

This will avoid mold settling on to the logs during prolonged periods of high humidity, which this year (2022) has been a major issue.

Of course, if you run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier than the chances of this causing you problems are vastly reduced, but still - a clear coat on the internal walls is seen as a must.

The roof boards and beams seem to be unaffected by mold at this stage - but treating these as well definitely does not do any harm.

POTTING SHED "SAM10" - Arlene and Roy, Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Wed, 11 May 2022 05:51:48 GMT

April 2022

Arlene and Roy wanted some extra space in their very large backyard, so our SAM10 was just perfect. The chosen position sits very nicely within a flat level part of their garden, surrounded by a small concrete block retainer wall.

We had the luxury of working at this site off-and-on, aided by the closeness to our own location.

GROUND PREPARATIONS:

Levelling / Base Frame

The preparations for this shed were quite straight forward. Firstly we removed the lawn (and a few weeds...) and leveled out the soil. The more accurately the soil is leveled out at that stage the easier the rest of the following construction will be.

We then placed road base on top and constructed the base frame. Arlene and Roy had old pavers on site, quite large and heavy, which were perfect for the construction of their cabin.

We were even able to "inherit" more pavers we could use for the next install. Howzat for recycling?

WALL CONSTRUCTION:

Solid Timber Logs 44mm thick

One of the most common questions we get is regarding the strength of our solid timber log garden sheds. European made and engineered, they are of FAR SUPERIOR quality then any other type of garden shed available in Australia - GUARANTEED.

A good example of this are the interlocking corners - all logs are rebated and routed to the last millimeter and fit together perfectly, forming a solid construction with the highest possible structural strength.

This type of installing walls also makes the whole process much quicker, AND there is no need to line the shed inside - you will always see beautiful solid timber log on both the outside and the inside!

Timber Log Preservation:

There are two different finishes you can choose for the outer of your cabin - oiled or painted.

The first coat of oil OR one coat of good quality primer / sealer / undercoat / stain blocker is included in the "fully installed" option. It is VERY important to fully protect your new cabin immediately after it has been built, or even during the build.

When painting your cabin please first apply a top quality "sealer/primer/undercoat/stain blocker" noting the importance of using a stain blocker type undercoat - this prevents tannin showing through the paint, this can be bothersome and quite noticeable particularly in the branch knots of the timber logs.

Arlene and Roy wanted their cabin painted - and we reckon the chosen colors look GREAT!

You are only limited by your own imagination....

A bit of fresh colour makes all the difference - yes, it means a bit of "cutting in" when painting, but the end result is sensational!

The painting of this particular cabin was a work in progress for quite a few weeks due to frequent rain interruptions. Despite the normally dryer weather in May in SEQ yet another main rain event slowed down the progress on finishing the cabin.

But the wait was worth it - a relatively neutral wall and trim colour was offset with a bright orange door and window.

Painting your new cabin means a little bit more work during the initial construction and immediately after, but also means that once three coats have been applied your cabin will not need any more painting for quite a few years to come.

WEEKEND ESCAPE "SAM10" - Alexa and Mitch, Upper Brookfield, QLD

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 01:47:37 GMT

Feb 2022

Alexa and Mitch own a very picturesque property in the Northeast of Brisbane. While being located reasonably close to Brisbane CBD it is still miles away from any residential estate. Hilly and wooded, 4WD access only, it offers a respite from the every-day hussle of the more densely populated areas of Brisbane.

We thoroughly enjoyed being on site, soaking up mother nature and all it had to offer.

Ground Preparations: Excavation / Levelling / Base Frame

Alexa and Mitch started their log cabin journey with a hilly bush block, a stunningly beautiful property close to Brisbane, but still miles away from the hustle and bustle of any densely populated area.

Upper Brookfield is well known as a peaceful area, quiet and remote.

The building envelope was created by digging into the hillside far enough to create a building patch that allowed the cabin to be placed on original undisturbed soil, rather than partly on top of the dug-out soil that was placed on the valley side of the patch.

Drainage was provided by placing road base on top of the newly exposed soil.

Particleboard Flooring:

"TERMIFLOOR" 19mm T&G

European made solid timber garden sheds are normally supplied with softwood t&g floorboards. Being located so close to the ground the use of TERMIFLOOR t&g particle board flooring is the much better option for the floor of your new cabin.

You will notice that the floorboards are cut to size and installed AFTER the first couple of wall logs are positioned.

This will make for a neat fit reducing the gaps between the wall log and the particle board sheets.

Once the floorboards are installed the REAL fun part starts - building up the walls!

Log Walls and Roof:

The actual assembly of your new log cabin is as easy as playing with LEGO. All logs are individually numbered and detailed assembly instructions come with your SAM10.

During this particular built we were faced with frequent rain interruptions, typical for SEQ in February.

Adding to the various difficulties caused by the rain we also faced challenges with site access. Yes, the property is beautiful, but the access "track" posed a real challenge even for our trusty MITSUBISHI TRITON 4WD in low gear (with trailer, too!).

May be it was the driver ? After all, they say "Nothing can frighten a Triton"!

Wood Preservation - CUTEK Oil and Stain

All our solid timber log cabins and garden sheds are always imported in "raw" timber. There are several very good reasons for this.

Firstly this aids with the importing procedure. Raw timbers will readily accept any fumigation treatments AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Services) might apply when the shipment docks at any of the major Australian Seaports.

But much more importantly it allows you to create the ideal look of your cabin's outer.

You can freely choose between paint and oil. Paint will mean a bit more work initially, but also means less work in the long run. Oil will maintain the natural and "earthy/authentic" warm look of the cabin, and is available in lots of different stains.

When painting your cabin please first apply a top quality "sealer/primer/undercoat/stain blocker" noting the importance of using a stain blocker type undercoat - this prevents tannins showing through the paint, this can be bothersome and quite noticable particularly in the branch knots of the timber logs.

HOBBY ROOM "SAM10" - Meg and Darryl, Maitland, NSW

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 01:57:24 GMT

"FREDDIE" - Dec 2021

Meg and Darryl (as well as their Labrador "Freddie" of course) recently moved into their brand new home in a new housing estate. Using their large backyard they decided to create extra office space for Meg, who had been working from home for some time due to Covid19. Meg's office space originally set up inside their garage proved not to be suitable in the long run. Our log cabin model SAM10 was the perfect solution, providing Meg with a beautiful, environmentally friendly, well insulated, waterproof and airtight work space.

Ground Preparations: Lawn Removal / Levelling / Base Frame

Meg and Darryl had the luxury of starting with a reasonably flat level backyard.

For all log cabin builds in further away locations we try to provide the most cost effective building services. There are a number of steps that need to be taken by you before we arrive on site, so that we can hit the ground running!

In preparation of our arrival Darryl removed the lawn,

and placed a layer of road-base on top of the then exposed soil.

Darryl also organized the flooring and the roofing - so all materials other than the cabin were on site - brilliant!

Particleboard Flooring:

"TERMIFLOOR" 19mm T&G

You will notice that the floorboards are cut to size and installed AFTER the first couple of wall logs are positioned.

This will make for a neat fit reducing the gaps between the wall log and the particle board sheets.

Once the floorboards are installed the REAL fun part starts - building up the walls!

Log Walls and Roof:

The actual assembly of your new log cabin is as easy as playing with LEGO. All logs are individually numbered and a detailed assembly instruction comes with your SAM10.

You will notice temporary braces on either side of the entry door opening, these serve as connectors and stabilizers during the construction phase and are removed just before the installation of the double-width french door front.

The weather prevented us from installing all roof boards in one go.

Door and Window

Your SAM10 cabin comes with one french style double window - both sides open individually "Tilt'n'Turn" for maximum ventilation variations. And you can choose which way you want your window to face - left or right side wall! You can also add flyscreens to your window if you like.

Also included is the solid timber double front door featuring a European locking mechanism with quality and functionality second-to-none. On closing, just push the door handle up, this activates a cam lock system pulling the door tightly against the rubber seals, ensuring air-tightness keeping heat/cold and dust etc out of your cabin.

The lock will than secure the handle in the locked hizontal position.

Protect Your Shed - Our Yearly Maintenance Checklist

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:35:30 GMT

Just like your house is an investment, so are high-quality garden sheds.

Backyard sheds are a valuable and worthwhile investment - so be sure to upkeep them to ensure they last many years and always look their very best. It's the same what you do for your family home - it needs the occasional home maintenance and repair job and the yearly home spring clean. Your new "SAM10" also needs regular inspections and maintenance.

You don't need to spend a lot of hours on your shed, but there are some basic tasks you can do throughout the the year to ensure that your shed is in tip-top shape at all times. Staying on top of regular shed maintenance tasks will help you to avoid larger, costly repairs, and save time.

NEED HELP WITH THE MAINTENANCE?
WE OFFER A MAINTENANCE SERVICE WITH EVERY GARDEN SHED!

MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR GARDEN SHED

Looking good there!

Basic Timber Garden Shed maintenance is a simple as taking a look, really. Regular visual inspections from the outside and in is the very first step in identifying any issues that you might need to address. Yes, we know, you fell in love with your new SAM10, we just want to make sure your relationship remains a match made in heaven!

Outside

Any surface exposed to the elements will need a bit of TLC, and timber garden sheds are no different here.

Things to look out for is vegetation that grows too close, under or on to your shed, the state the logs are in (cracks? paint peeling? looking dry if previously oiled? etc) and in general making sure that log walls are well protected from wind and weather via proper wood treatments applied.

The Roof above your Head

Like all other components of your SAM10 your roof is designed to last many years. In general, it should not really need a lot of attention.

Depending on your location (i.e. if you are close to the beach), it might over many years develop rust and therefore need replacement.

Check for loose screws and rivets, and that the insulation did not come loose anywhere.

Finally the diamond shaped gable end pieces will need more paint and/or oil than the rest of your timber cabin, as part of these two pieces are fully exposed to the elements on both sides and as such you will need to pay particular attention to these in respect of timber protection measures.

The Inner Beauty

Entering your SAM10 will always feel special. The aroma of pine, the warmth of the timber, the strength of the construction and being 100% weather-tight will always make you feel welcome and happy. Once every now and then look around, up to the ceiling boards, check behind furniture, operate the window and lock up the door of your SAM10 from the inside - make sure all works as it should, and fix anything that needs attention.

The walls will also need a new coat of oil or paint (depending on your initial treatment) but overall the inside needs less frequent applications due to not being exposed to the elements.

Last but not Least

We all heard stories of termites (white ants, subterranean ants etc) happily munching away at unprotected wood - and yes, this is something that needs to be taken into account when inspecting your SAM10.

Of course, the appropriate pest treatments were applied during the construction phase either by us or by you (depending on who built it) and for all intents and purposes this will be sufficient to protect your SAM10. BUT - it is highly recommended to keep an eye out for mud trails and other tell-tale signs of termite activities.

The easiest way of having total peace-of-mind is to add your garden shed to the annual pest control treatment list that you would normally get done for your main dwelling.

We can help with this, too!

Depending on your location, we are more than happy to come past every 12 months or so to have a look at the condition of your SAM10.

This service is offered at no charge and covers a 30-minute on-site meeting and assessment of what needs to get done to keep your SAM10 in top shape. You can then decide whether you want to do this yourself or if you would like us to quote on the job. Easy peasy.

LOG CABIN "SAM10" - Ray, Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:29:53 GMT

"ACERS" - Nov 2021

Joanne and Ray are enjoying their retirement on beautiful Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland. After purchsing and renovating their new home, they decided to get two new timber garden sheds for their large property. This second one is called ACERS and was constructed by our crew close to the side boundary of the property.

This shed was placed on the ground, on a basic road base / pavers base, a very cost-effective solution for level ground building spots.

Ground Preparations:

Lawn Removal / Levelling

Joanne and Ray chose a reasonably level area at the side boundary of their large property. Our team removed the lawn and leveled out the then exposed soil.

Road based was then placed on top of the soil and also leveled out (not shown on images).

To prevent the soil and road base washing out in heavy rain a temporary timber retainer wall was secured via two star pickets.

A much neater hardwood retainer wall was later on installed.

Ground preparations:

Road Base / Pavers / Hardwood Base Frame

The second step of creating a proper shed foundation was placing 400mm square pavers in the corners of the shed area, screw together the four main frame surrounds and place them on the four corner pavers, accurately adjusting the position and levels.

The internal frame timbers were then added, and additional pavers placed where needed, with centre and edge noggins finishing the base frame.

We also concreted in a few stirrups as ACERS was placed in a high wind area.

Protection from the Elements

In general you have the choice between two different external finishes - painted or oiled.

This particular cabin was oiled using CUTEK Timber Preservatives with "New Bronce" color stain.

Our crew applied two coats within 7 days. The first coat quickly penetrates the raw timber surface, but only the second coat will give you the longevity and level of timber protection you will need.

A third coat will be needed after about 6 months, and from there on as required.

Internal Fitout

Your SAM10 comes with 19mm solid t&g roof boards and solid timber log walls, guaranteeing the authentic timber cabin look internally.

For the floor we recommend TERMIFLOOR particle board flooring, which allows you to choose any floor covering you like!

Ray opted for vinyl plank flooring.

For this we first filled in the flooring screw holes to create a 100% smooth flooring surface on to which our crew then glued down the vinyl flooring.

Skirting boards gave the whole inner the final touch.

TEA ROOM "SAM10" - Joanne, Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 01:21:33 GMT

"AERIE" - Oct 2021

Joanne and Ray are enjoying their retirement on beautiful Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland. After purchsing and renovating their new home, they decided to get two new timber garden sheds for their large property. This first one is called ARIES and was erected close to their driveway and garage.

It is a great example of using a raised timber platform as a foundation, and was finished in white paint with red door and window to match the colors of their main house.

Foundation:

Raised Timber Platform

Joanne and Ray's property features great views to the Gold Coast. To take advantage of these views the standard cabin needed to be placed on a slightly raised timber platform foundation.

For the main support beams we used 75x200mm treated pine beams, supported by fully adjustable metal stumps to help with leveling the SAM10.

On top of this we placed 35x70mm hardwood beams spaced at 435mm centers.

Floorboards

After the first few rows of logs were properly positioned and screwed into the base frame, the floor boards were installed to provide a stable working surface for the cabin construction.

Once the particle board flooring was complete we than proceeded to build up the log walls - one of the "funner" parts of the build!

The timber braces you see on either side of the door opening are temporary, to ensure that the log walls on either side of the door line up nicely.

Log Walls

Building up the log walls is quick and easy. All logs are individually numbered and fit together perfectly.

On the odd occasion that a log is slightly twisted a scrap piece of timber and a hammer are used to "convince" the log to align with the next corresponding log.

Once all logs walls are done, the three main connection roof beams pull everything into square, ready for the installation of the roof boards.

Roof

Your SAM10 comes with 19mm solid t&g roof boards, guaranteeing the authentic timber cabin look internally.

On top of this goes the corrugated iron roof in the colour of your choice, installed with metal top hat battens and proper insulation.

Once the roof sheets are installed the cabin is "dried in" - so if rain is threatening you can breathe easy!

A coat of a good quality acrylic based primer/sealer/undercoat/stain blocker is applied to the outside, further aiding in making your cabin protected against the elements.

Finishing Touches

The roof is done, incl. ridge and barge capping, as well as a little diamond-shaped crown at the top of each ridge end.

The door and window are painted and securely installed. Cabin Hooks are installed to keep the doors open in windy conditions.

The proud owners of the "AERIE" decided to install a deck out the front and to the side to allow easy level access from their driveway.

Last but not least a classy engraved timber sign was installed on the side wall.

The end result speaks for itself - another winner!

Create a Luxurious Work-From-Home Office

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 10:21:36 GMT

If given the choice, most office-bound workers would prefer to work from their own home. The advantages are obvious – you can plan your day around your personal lifestyle.

You can work at your own pace, collect the kids on time, walk the dog, feed the cat. The current pandemic has made this now a necessity rather than a choice for millions of quarantined workers.

Already for many businesses and employees this shift in lifestyle will never return to the “old normal” of the daily commute. Since the first wave of COVID-19, many companies have decided to make home-working a permanent part of their infrastructure. For the forseeable future, with self-isolation periods and employers doing all they can to reduce spreading the virus, working from home is an important factor in our work lives.

The new focus will be on creating the perfect work-from-home office to adapt to these changes. In many cases the office simply does not fit in with at-home situations, often restricted by the availability of space.

How Can Log Cabin Kits Be Turned Into Perfect Home Offices?

Working from your kitchen, bedroom, even bathroom or an empty cupboard may have been ok for the occasional home-based work stint. However, a dedicated office / workspace is now essential and one of the best solutions is to purchase a log cabin kit.

These self-assembly Eco-friendly kits are designed to be assembled by two people in just two to four days (or we can get this done for you, of course!).

“Timber Garden Sheds” offers the “SAM10” - a high-quality outdoor cabin kit that you can fit out to suit your personal requirements. Aesthetically pleasing and functional, it is an affordable and speedy alternative to renting space or considering house extensions to accommodate your home-run office.

Compact enough to fit into a small garden space, this one-room cabin provides sufficient space for a complete workstation to replicate an actual office. Filing cabinets, bookshelves, table, and chairs, or even a small sofa can fit comfortably into the “SAM10”.

The “tilt’n’turn” window adds natural lighting and airflow. The light coming in through the glass panel door makes them a perfect place for a home office, a quiet and safe room away from the house but within easy reach. They are also adaptable and can convert to many other uses, an Eco-friendly solution to many problems in the new age of work-from-home.

Preparing to Work from Home?

You need to take various practical steps to prepare working from home. Make sure any passwords, web bookmarks and reference documents you keep on your desktop are saved to your cloud. Assess what software you will need on your home laptop or PC and what security you will need to have in place.

Create a dedicated work space. Ideally, this will be a distraction free area that you can walk away from at the end of the day. We here at “Timber Garden Sheds” think our “SAM10” would be the best home office for achieving high productivity with a healthy work/life balance.

Looking to Work from Home Permanently?

Many of us who self-isolate or have a temporary move to working from home will request to make this a more permanent situation. So planning for this to happen will invariably start with creating an appropriate space such as a log cabin.

The Benefits of Working from Home

No more rush hour traffic jams, saving you commuting time and expenses - you’ll have an extra hour or two to spare each day and more money in your pocket. AND it’s good for the environment.

Also no more costly or hastily-prepared packed lunches. Instead, you’ll be in full control of your job from the convenience and comfort of your own home.

No office politics to worry about; no battle over whether the office is too hot or too cold; and you won't have to make 6 cuppas when it's your turn for morning or afternoon break.

Plus, if you have a furry friend, you'll both benefit from the calming company.

The Benefits of Working from a Garden Office

One of the difficulties of working from home is separating home and work life. If your desk is a permanent fixture in your living room or your papers are continually spread over the kitchen table, it can be impossible to switch off.

Creating a garden office establishes boundaries between home and work areas. You avoid the distractions of day time TV, parcel deliveries and your little darlings eager to 'help' you with your paperwork.

Best of all, you can make your garden office an environment you are really comfortable in. Fit it out with your favorite pictures, turn on the radio if you want (and the coffee machine!) and you can even wear your slippers!

OK - Decision made. What's next?

The planning phase is as exciting as moving in! Where should you begin? What will you need to buy? Which option should you choose?

We here at “Timber Garden Sheds” are here to help.

As we specialise in all type of solid timber log buildings and all associated products, we can show you the best way to achieve your garden office dream.

Choosing the Right Garden Building

The best garden building to transform into a garden office is a proper tongue-and-groove solid timber log cabin such as our “SAM10” – guaranteed!

It is aesthetically appealing and provides a watertight and well-insulated working environment.

Put aside some of your budget for an electrician. A qualified electrician will be able to run an underground cable through your garden to your log cabin, providing you with power for lighting, computers, printers – and the aforementioned coffee machine!

Don't forget your WiFi. Plug-in WiFi boosters will ensure your internet connection reaches your log cabin. As your mobile phone will be your office phone and you'll want your PC or laptop to access the internet, it is important to get your WiFi connection right.

And that’s about it – now all you need to do is get in touch and start on your home office log cabin journey – we are here to help.

Why the "SAM10" is the Perfect Choice for your She-Shed or Man-Cave

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 10:21:36 GMT

Everyone wants a place where they can have some alone time, away from the noise and stresses of everyday life and a place they can call their own.

The “Man Cave” or “She Shed” concept is not new because we always liked to keep some sort of personal space at home. The concept of a “She Shed” though is a bit newer, no longer is the idea of a break-out garden shed a purely blokey thing.

A man-cave or she-shed in your backyard is, in many ways, far superior to an in-house set up. The physical separation means you don’t have to worry about noise disturbing other members of your household. You can crank up the telly, listen to your favorite music – you can pretty much by yourself. Once you built one of our “SAM10” solid log cabins and started using it you will wonder how you ever managed to do without one!

Here is how you can go about setting up that comfy man-cave or she-shed.

Convert your old shed or get a new one?

Creating the perfect man-cave or she-shed close to always means a new purpose-built structure, something much better than what you would end up with by trying to convert your old tin garden shed into the “ME” space of your dreams. This also allows you to keep using your tin shack for its proper purpose – keeping your lawnmower, garden tools and other similar bits out of wind and weather.

So what is the best spot for your new “SAM10” ?

How long is a piece of string? There are many factors that will influence your decision where to place your new log cabin. We have created the ideal size – just under 10sqm so you will not need Council approval, meaning that you are free to choose your preferred position.

There are of course some basic rules that you need to follow when choosing a spot in your backyard, such as distance from any fence, easements, taking advantage of views etc. We here at “Timber Garden Sheds” are more than happy to have a chat with you on site, regardless of whether you decide to build your “SAM10” yourself or hand this job to us.

Design the internal layout of your “SAM10”

Treat this new space as more than just another room inside your house. Be creative! Make sure the space is designed according to your preferences, your hobbies, and on the sheds’ purpose. Think about where a desk might need to go, what lighting do you need, shelving may be, a work bench? Go for it – it’s all part of the fun of getting your own space. Oh, yeah - and decide in which side wall you want your window?

Decide on what you want to place in your man cave

Utilize your space well. Maybe for starters don’t fill the room with too much stuff like posters, gadgets, lava lamps, limited collectables, and other thingies. Include only the things you think are important to what you want to do in your “SAM10”. If you want to add some more, you can do that later. For now, keep it open. Remember, this is your new heaven of peace, creativity and me-time. Less is more.

Get ready to always feel really happy in your timber log cabin

Every single time you enter it does something to your soul. It’s got to do with our yearning for mother nature, for natural beauty of timber, for green spaces and soft sounds – your “SAM10” will make you feel at peace every time you enter. The light pine fragrance only adds to this feeling.

Wow, darling, the log cabin is so clean! Was the internet down for a while today?

A clean room is more welcoming than a dirty one. If you want it to remain your own personal haven, be sure to keep it clean and organised.

Better safe than sorry!

Your she-shed or man-cave will most likely contain many of your valuable things, which is why it’s important to keep it secure. Your “SAM10” comes with European style lock hardware, so you can rest easy. This is especially important since your man cave will be in the outdoors.

Mankind's best ideas derived from being able to sit in a quiet room alone

But that does of course not mean no-one else but you is allowed to enter! It is primarily YOUR space, yes, but sometimes sharing your peace of paradise is twice the fun. A she-shed or man-cave is also enjoyed when you have good company, perhaps your family, your colleagues, or your friends. Be sure to design it so that any guests you may have will feel comfortable in it.