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FAQ’S

At Green Retreats we believe in keeping things simple. We’ve compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions about our garden rooms, offices and studios. There is no question too big or small, so if you can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact us.

AllConstructionDesignMaintenanceOptionsPlanningProcessShowroomSite Survey

Are your garden rooms warm enough to use in winter?

Construction,

Yes, they are warm enough to use throughout the year as they are all well insulated and come with a wall-mounted radiator as standard.

Can I add a skylight to my garden room design?

Construction, Design, Options, roofs, rooves,

We are unable to offer sky lights as our roof construction is so meticulously engineered for superior quality of insulation, longevity and quality that it cannot support a skylight. However, we are able to supply and fit ceiling mounted LED panel lights that are a great alternative.

Can I have a sedum roof?

Design, Options,

Yes! We offer a sedum green roof on our garden room buildings that are up to 3.5m deep. This is an optional extra and varies in cost depending on the size of your building.

Can I have a toilet and/or kitchen in my garden room?

Options,

Yes, you can, however we do not offer a plumbing service. We are happy to liaise with a plumber of your choice to discuss any plumbing services that are required. We do request that any plumbing work is carried out once the building has been finished and that all pipework goes through the walls of the Garden Room and not through the floors. Please get in touch for further information.

Can I have dividing walls / separate rooms?

Construction, Design, Options,

Yes, we can install partition walls in any of our larger sized garden rooms. Please enquire for more details.

Can I have underfloor heating?

Design, Options,

Underfloor heating can be installed as an optional extra, however the heat retention properties of the floor in all of our garden rooms are so efficient, that it is not essential.

Can I install a log burner in my garden room?

Design, Options,

We’re afraid not – doing so will interfere with the structural integrity of the walls/ceiling. Plus, our rooms are so well insulated we really don’t think you’d need one!

Can I install a wood burner into my Green Retreats garden room?

Design, Options,

Customers have previously fitted wood burners into their Green Retreats garden room, however it is not something that we recommend. We are unable to fit or prepare for fitting of a wood burner.

Can I live in a Green Retreats garden room?

Maintenance,

Our garden rooms are not designed to be lived in as they do not comply to building regulations.

If you would like to live in a garden room, The Annex is part of The Green Retreats Group and offers garden annexes with full planning permission, which comply to building regulations.

Can I paint/stain the outside of my garden room?

Design, Options,

The building will not need painting or staining, however if you would like to change the colour, you can paint or stain your garden room with a water based substance without damaging the protective properties in the wood.

Can I put a hot tub in my garden room?

Construction, Design, Options,

We do not recommend putting a hot tub in our garden buildings as our structurally insulated floor panels are not designed to take the weight of a hot tub. They can also cause the excess build-up of moisture inside your garden room due to the warm water which can lead to damp and mould issues.

We do however offer a side canopy option, available on our G1 building, which is the perfect external hot tub enclosure.

Can I put a sauna in my garden room?

Design, Options,

Unfortunately, we do not recommend putting a sauna in our garden rooms due to the excess build-up of moisture which can lead to damp and mould issues.

Our buildings can accommodate infrared saunas which use a different type of heating technology and will not create a build-up of moisture.

Can my completed garden room be moved to a different location at a later date?

Construction, relocate,

Whilst our garden rooms are temporary structures and are moveable. It is worth considering that the costs to move a building is chargeable to you and can equate to an amount that does not make moving the building viable.

Can you attach a garden room onto the side of my house?

Construction, Design, Planning,

Our garden room structures will need to remain free-standing due to the nature of their construction. However, we can build as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, such as your house.

Can you create me a completely bespoke garden room?

Construction, Design, Options,

We do not offer bespoke building options. However, we do offer many different sizes and styles to suit your tastes and budget. We will create a full design with you and explain your options as part of your free no-obligation quote. Get in touch with our Sales & Design team today to find out more.

Can you design my garden room as a custom shape?

Construction, Design, Options,

We are only able to construct buildings that are either square or rectangular within the Green Retreats range.

Can you fit solar panels to my garden room?

Design, Options,

We can! Green Retreats offers a range of solar panel and battery options to power your building and even put energy back into your home! Contact the sales team for more information specific to your garden room project.

Can you give me the details of a garden room near me so I can go have a look?

Showroom,

A lot of our garden room buildings are built for personal use, so we are unable to give out any of our clients details. However, we do have two showrooms for you to visit – one in Westcott (Buckinghamshire) and one in Twickenham (London). Our showrooms offer you the opportunity to our garden building quality in person, as well as a one-to-one consultation with one of our sales & design team.

Can you soundproof my garden room?

Construction, Design,

We don’t offer a completely sound proof solution for your garden room. We do, however, offer an acoustic pack which reduces the transfer of sound to approximately -45db – however this is not ‘sound proof’. Although we use industry-leading acoustically laminated glass, this is the least effective component of our acoustic pack. Please bear in mind that the more glass you opt for on your garden room, the lesser the effect the acoustic pack will have.

Do I need to be present at my design consultation?

Site Survey,

We ask that all decision-makers are present at the design consultation. Your design consultant will look at the space available as well as your access and tell you what size buildings you can have. They’ll design your room with you, placing doors and windows on the building and select electrical and internal options. At the end of the consultation, you’ll know exactly how much your building will cost and what work needs doing.

Do I need to remove trees and shrubs before my design consultation?

Site Survey,

Generally speaking, as long as your design consultant can see and get to the boundaries to measure the area then there is no need to remove any trees or shrubs before your design consultation.

Do we pay separately for installation and the base?

Construction, Options, Process,

Full installation including your base is included in the cost of our garden rooms.

Do you deliver garden rooms overseas?

Process,

Unfortunately, we only install our garden rooms in mainland UK and cannot deliver or install our garden rooms in other countries. We also offer free delivery within 100 miles of our Buckinghamshire factory & showroom (postcode HP18 0XB).

Do you have electric vehicle (EV) charging points at your Bucks showroom?

Showroom,

We do indeed! We have two EV charging points and parking bays at our Buckinghamshire Showroom that are completely free of charge for any of our customers who are fortunate enough to have an electric car. Our EV charging points are powered by our local solar power grid too, making your charge-up an eco-friendly one! Browse our flagship showroom at your leisure whilst your car recharges for your return journey home.

Do you offer electrical connection from my house to my garden room?

Options, power,

We offer a complete electrical connection from your house to the garden room at an additional cost, which will be confirmed at your design consultation. However, you are more than welcome to use your own preferred electrician for this.

Do you offer finance plans?

Process,

Yes we do! Check out our finance page for more details.

Do you offer painting?

Design, Options, decorating, decoration,

If you should opt to have your garden room building plastered, you can either paint the internal walls yourself or have our professional painter do it for you. Please note painting should only be done once everything in your building has been installed.”

Do you offer plumbing?

Design, Options,

If you are looking to install a bathroom or other facility that would require water to your building, we would be happy to liaise with your plumber of choice to ensure they are comfortable carrying out all plumbing work required to and from the building.

Do you supply CAD drawings for planning permission purposes?

Design, Planning, Process,

We do. CAD drawings take usually a week to be supplied. We charge £200 per drawing and this is non refundable.

 

 

Do your garden rooms come with a guarantee?

Construction, Maintenance,

All Green Retreats garden rooms come with a 12-year structural guarantee.

Do your garden rooms come with heating?

Construction, Maintenance,

Yes, our buildings come with a wall-mounted radiator as standard or you can opt to upgrade to one of our premium heating options including underfloor heating and air conditioning.

Does a garden room add value to your house?

Planning, Process,

Garden buildings are a unique and cost-effective space-creating solution; having a high-quality garden room has been shown to boost the value of UK property by 5% to 15%.

Does my quote include VAT?

Process,

VAT is included within the cost of all of our garden room buildings.

Does the area that I want to have the garden room need to be level before installation?

Site Survey,

Not before your design consultation. Your design consultant will be able to tell you how much levelling needs doing before the base team arrive.

How close can I build a garden room to my house?

Construction, Planning, attach,

Garden rooms can be built as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, including your house.

 

 

How close can my garden room be built to a wall, fence, boundary or obstacle?

Construction, Design, Planning,

Our construction methods mean that we can build as close as 400mm to any solid boundary or obstacle.

How close can you build my garden room to my house, fence or outside obstacles?

Construction, Design, Planning,

We simply require a 400mm gap between your garden room and any solid obstacle, such as your house or irremovable fence etc. for construction purposes.

How do I contact the Twickenham London Showroom?

Showroom,

To contact the Twickenham London Showroom you can call our head office on 01296 325777 where a member of our team will put you through.

If you need to contact the London Showroom outside of our head office hours, please call 02039855777.

How do I get internet into my garden room?

Options,

We offer two solutions for internet connectivity.

The first is called ‘Home Plug’: Simply insert one of the plugs into a wall socket and connect the included patch cable into your home router, then insert the other plug into a wall socket in your garden room. This method sends your internet signal through the power network of your home and replicates your home Wi-Fi in your building.

The second solution is to run a full armoured CAT 6 network cable from the router in your house to the garden building. This will usually follow the same route as your main power cable and we can quote for this at your free design consultation.

How is my electrical quote made up?

Site Survey,

Your design consultant will talk to you about the different ways of running electrics. We run a cable from the fusebox in the house to the fusebox (consumer unit) installed in the garden room. Your design consultant will also look to see if you have any spare capacity in your existing fusebox, or if you’ll need a sub consumer unit installed. The quote will include a part P certificate sign off by our fully qualified electricians.

How long do garden rooms last?

Maintenance,

Well-designed garden rooms will last over 30 years, making them a long-lasting investment. Our 12-year structural guarantee covers any building defects within this time, giving you peace of mind.

How long does a garden room take to build?

Construction, Options, Process,

The base will normally take between half-a-day to 1 day to install. The building itself will usually be constructed the following week where we allocate between 1 and 5 days depending on the size. If you require plastering or our acoustic pack then the process will take a couple of weeks longer due to the drying time of the plaster.

How long does the design consultation take?

Site Survey,

A design consultation usually lasts just over an hour.

 

 

How many sets of keys will I be given for my Green Retreats garden room?

Construction,

You are normally given 3 sets of keys.

How much is it for a design consultation on my property?

Process,

We offer free on-site design consultations. If you would like to book one in you can fill out our design consultation request form.

How quickly can you build my garden room?

Construction, Process,

Our garden buildings take around 2-5 days to install on your property. Installation slots are available all-year-round. Due to high demand, lead times for our buildings are currently significantly longer than usual. Please contact our Sales & Design team to discuss your project with us. We do sometimes have cancellation slots available – so be sure to get in touch with a member of the team to discuss your needs.

If you would like to know our next available installation date, please give us a call on 01296 325777.

How secure are the doors & windows?

Construction, Options,

Our windows and doors are double-glazed to BS7412 specification and feature tough Pilkington K double-glazing which is both safe and thermally efficient. All windows and doors are fitted with high security (insurance grade) multi point locks and bolts with a 5-lever locking system.

How well insulated are your garden rooms?

Construction,

We use the industry’s leading providers for our insulation and double-glazing for excellent thermal retention. The floor and roof panels are filled with market-leading high-density polyurethane insulation and the roof is double steel-backed for optimum performance. Our highly efficient walls are filled with A* fire-rated natural Rockwool insulation and engineered with a layer of PhotonWrap multi-foil, an air-open reflective insulating breather membrane. All windows and doors are fitted with Pilkington K™ Optiwhite double glazing. Our double glazing is 28mm thick as standard and 28.6mm for our acoustic pack.

U values:

Glazing on Windows and Doors:  1.2

Walls:  0.35

Roof:  0.35

Floor:  0.22

I already have a concrete base in place, is this ok?

Construction,

Yes; as long as the concrete slab is of the correct size, is free from cracks and is a minimum of 4” deep. If your pre-existing base is too high, the building will exceed 2.5m and require planning permission. Your design consultant will be able to advise you on your base and if any work needs to be carried out.

I have a shed, do I need to get rid of it before I can have a design consultation?

Site Survey,

No, our design consultants can work around any sheds, decking, garages etc that may be in the way of where your building will go. We will just ask that you send a photo of the ground under the obstacle once you’ve moved it before your base is installed.

I live in a conservation area, do I need planning permission?

Construction, Planning,

If you live in a conservation area you would need to build behind the rear elevation of your house for the garden room to fall under permitted development. If your garden room falls within permitted development rights then you should not require planning permission.

I live in a flat, can I still have a design consultation?

Site Survey,

Yes, you can! Once we have ascertained the feasibility of installing a garden room at your property, we will then book in an on-site design consultation with a £300 fully refundable deposit.

Why do we need a £300 deposit?

Please bear in mind that flats (including maisonettes) do not have permitted development rights, and as such you will be required to apply for planning permission. In order to apply for planning, you will require CAD drawings. The £300 deposit will secure an installation date in our schedule that allows enough time for you to submit the planning application. We charge £200 per CAD drawing and this usually takes a week to be supplied. For more details on planning permissions for garden rooms and your property types see our general outlines on our Planning Permission page, or visit planningportal.co.uk

I live in an area with an Article 4 directive, can I have a garden room?

Construction, Planning,

Yes! You will require Planning Permission in order to have a garden room on your property, but we can help with this!

If you live in an area that has an Article 4 direction, this means that your local planning authority has removed Permitted Development rights for your area. If your property does not have Permitted Development rights then we can help you with your planning application for your garden room project.

Is a garden room cheaper than conservatory?

Construction,

Per square meter, garden rooms are a cheaper solution to conservatories. Our garden rooms start at £883 per m2 while conservatories start at £1,120 per m2, proving to be a cost-effective alternative.

Is there car parking at your showrooms?

Showroom,

Westcott, Buckinghamshire:

Car parking is completely free and right outside our front door! We also have two electric vehicle (EV) charging points that are completely free of charge for visitors to our Buckingshire flagship showroom.

Twickenham, London:

There are a number of car parks just a short walk away from our Twickenham Showroom. All of the car parks have a charge per hour:

– Arragon Road (TW1 3ND) – free on Sunday

– The Embankment (TW1 3DU)

– Holly Road (TW1 4HF)

My property or area has a restrictive covenant, can I still have a garden room?

Planning,

Restrictive covenants set conditions in your property’s contract or deeds to restrict certain actions, normally to preserve the aesthetics of an area. These can be for a limited time only and can apply to both new and old homes.

Contact our sales team today to find out more about your particular circumstance if you have a restrictive covenant.

On average, what is the lead time for a design consultation appointment?

Site Survey,

Design consultation lead times are typically two to three weeks. We may also be able to get to you sooner if we have a team member in your area for an on-site design consultation.

On what days do you perform design consultations?

Process,

We offer on-site design consultations Monday through to Saturday during the day. If you would like to talk to us about booking one, please submit a design consultation enquiry.

What access do you need?

Site Survey,

Your design consultant will assess the access to your property. Our roof and floor panels come in solid one metre wide panels. A 3m deep building will typically have a panel which is 3-4m long, so we need to be able to walk this through your side access or house.

What are my upgrade options to customise my garden room?

Options,

We have a wide range of optional upgrades available to personalise your garden room building to suit your needs. This includes bi-fold doors, air-conditioning, plastering and painting, extended heights and much much more.

Discover the range of optional upgrades and custom options that we offer by visiting our Options and Upgrades page… 

Our Sales & Design team can also discuss what options best suit your project during your showroom visit or design consultation. A fully transparent quote is always provided with every design for complete peace of mind.

What are the exterior finish options for cladding?

Construction, Design,

As a standard our Green Retreats garden rooms are clad in Scandinavian Redwood, which is maintenance free. We also offer upgrades to a honey redwood, cedar and composite black cladding. Best of all, you’re able to configure your building to have different cladding on certain elevations.

What are the first steps?

Design, Process, Showroom, next steps, process,

If you are interested in one of our garden room buildings, contact us for a comprehensive brochure & price list, along with any additional queries you may have. A visit to one of our showrooms gives you a real feel of the quality we offer and is a great way to start your project.

We provide a free on-site design consultation service, allowing us to have a comprehensive look at your location, land and access. During this meeting, you are provided with samples of the building, and together we can design the perfect garden room to suit your requirements.

What are the heights of your buildings?

Construction, Design, Planning,

Our buildings are built as standard at 2.5 metres externally. The fronts of our buildings are always the highest point of the garden room, allowing water to run from front to back into the rear guttering. Making the heights externally and internally:

Ext. Height Approx Int. Height Front Approx Int. Height Back*
As standard 2.5m 2.2m 2m
Extended height option 2.7m 2.4m 2.2m

*Green Retreats garden rooms are built with a sloping roof of around 4 degrees from front to back – the internal height at the back of your building is dependent on the depth of your building.

What are the next steps for me to order?

Process, payment, process,

To order a building we simply require a £300 holding deposit to secure your installation date. Your £300 remains refundable until 6 weeks prior to your chosen base installation date. 6 weeks prior to your base installation date you pay 60% of the balance, which allows us to put your building into production. 30% will be required on the final day of initial construction and then 10% on project completion, including electrics, plastering and other optional extras.

What are the RAL colours of the windows, doors, flashing and roof?

Construction, Design, Options,

Black uPVC doors and windows –  RAL  9005 – Midnight Black Matt.

Black Flashing – RAL 9005 (BS00E53)

Grey uPVC doors and windows – RAL 7016 – Anthracite

Graphite Flashing – RAL 7016 – Anthracite

Green Roof – R1003020 (BS12B27)

What are the U-values of your buildings?

Construction, insulation, uvalue,

Our garden room buildings are fully insulated and highly effective against heat loss.

The thermal performance of a building is measured with a U-Value. The lower the U-Value, the better the material is as a heat insulator. Our buildings have the following U-Values:

Glazing on Windows and Doors = 1.2

Walls = 0.35

Roof = 0.35

Floor =0.22

What are your showroom opening hours?

Showroom, opening hours, opening times, showroom,

London Showroom:
Monday-Sunday | 9am-5pm

 

Buckinghamshire Showroom:
Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm
Sat | 9am-4pm
Sun | 10am-4pm

 

You can drop in any time during our opening hours with no need to book an appointment. There will always be a friendly and knowledgeable member of staff on hand to help.

What comes as standard in a garden room by Green Retreats?

Construction, Design, Options,

As standard, all of our buildings are clad in maintenance-free Scandinavian Redwood. Our garden rooms come with a 2.3m sliding door set as standard; additional door sets are available as optional add-ons. We also include a choice of four flooring options, three double plug sockets, a choice of internal lighting, an external light, 2-way consumer unit (fuse box) and wall-mounted radiator if you don’t opt for a premium heating option.

What groundwork is required before installation can begin?

Construction,

We would require the ground to be cleared and level to within 200mm prior to the installation of your base.

What is the construction of your roofs?

roof, water,

Our roofs are exceptionally strong and, you’ll be delighted to learn, maintenance free. The composition of our roof is a 60mm – 95mm section of high density fire resistant insulation surrounded by 2 steel plates. All weather-exposed steel elements are coated in PVC to ensure 100% weather proofing and resistance to growth of organic materials. All interior steel panels are powder-coated in a soft-sheen white finish. The roof of every building is pitched with a slight 4 degree slope from front to back, allowing water to run-off easily to the rear guttering system and down-pipe.

What is the deposit to reserve my garden room installation date?

Process,

We require a £300 holding deposit to reserve your installation slot.

What is the finish of your walls? Do you offer plastering?

Design, Options,

All of our buildings come as standard with a melamine finish, which is a UV stable, wipe clean, contemporary surface. However, we do offer plastering as an option, the cost of which will depend on your building size (please contact us for more details).

What is the kelvin of your LED panel light?

Construction, Design,

Our LED panel light is 4000k.

What is the largest building that you make?

Construction, Planning,

We will build up to 30 square metres internally in many different dimension options.

What is the lifespan of a Green Retreats garden room?

Construction, Maintenance,

Our garden room buildings are designed to last for over 30 years and come with a 12-year structural guarantee.

What is the smallest garden room that you can build?

Construction, Options,

The smallest building we offer in the Green Retreats G Range is a 2.5m x 2.5m G2. All G Range buildings are measured using the internal measurement, showing the total extra useable space you’re adding to your home and lifestyle, meaning that the smallest building in the G Range is approximately 2.7m x 2.7m externally. Alternatively, our Basebox range has a 2.4m x 2.4m building design, with the sizes of this range being based on the external measurements.

What is your flooring system like?

Construction,

The floors of our garden rooms are engineered to sit off the ground, removing the risk of rising damp. 80mm polyurethane insulation is powder-coated on both sides for a maintenance-free finish. For the finished interior product an underlay is fitted and then your choice of flooring on top. Incredibly strong, the floors can comfortably hold a 300kg load capacity per square metre. For heavy use and greater weight demands on the flooring, additional foundations are recommended and available.

What maintenance is required on the wood cladding?

Design, Maintenance,

None! Our standard Scandinavian Redwood cladding is slow-grown and pressure treated, so will not require any maintenance. Over time the wood will start to silver off, however, if you want to change the colour then you can do so with a water based UV oil or wood stain.

What planning permission do I need for a garden room?

Construction, Planning, Process,

Planning permission is usually not needed for garden rooms as they fall under your permitted development rights. Most houses, even in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty, have permitted development rights. The only residences without permitted development rights are flats and listed buildings.

What thickness is your double glazing?

Construction, Design, Options,

Our double glazing is 28mm thick as standard and 28.6mm for our acoustic pack.

What type of foundations do you offer?

Construction, Options,

We use a concrete pile foundation system. This comprises of a series of piles in a grid system spanning the entire building. Our composite floor system is then laid on top of these. This is included in the cost of your building. Our piles normally go to depths between 300mm and 600mm. The depth is assessed by the base team on the day of installation, and on some occasions due to ground composition the piles may be shallower or deeper.

What will happen at my on-site design consultation?

Construction, Process,

The design consultant will come to your house and usually start in the garden. They’ll look at the space you have available and tell you what size of building you can fit in your space. They’ll also assess the access and give you a quote for both electrical and network connection from your home to the garden room. The design consultant will also be able to show you samples of our building construction, complete a design consultation, site survey and answer any questions you have.

When do I pay my final balance?

Process,

We require the final balance once the building work has finished, and you have signed your garden room off as complete.

Where are your showrooms?

Showroom, address, location,

We have two showrooms! London & Buckinghamshire.

Our Buckinghamshire Showroom is our flagship space, with 17 garden buildings on display in an all-weather environment.
The London Showroom is our hub showroom, with 3 garden buildings on display in our interactive indoor space.

Buckinghamshire: Green Retreats, Street 2, Avenue A, Westcott Venture Park, Buckinghamshire HP18 0XB
Open 7 days a week: Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm, Sat | 9am-4pm, Sun | 10am-4pm

 

London: Green Retreats, 15-19 York Street, Twickenham TW1 3JZ
Open 7 days a week: Mon-Sun | 9am-6pm

Where do you deliver to?

Process,

We deliver across the entirety of mainland UK. Delivery is FREE within 100 miles of our factory in Buckinghamshire (HP18 0XB). If you are outside of the 100-mile distance, then we will be able to quote for delivery.

Who is Kevin McCloud?

Kevin McCloud is Green Retreats’s brand ambassador! Kevin McCloud is an architecture guru and BAFTA award-winning TV personality, as well as a noted environmentalist. As an authority on contemporary design and environmentally friendly building methods, the partnership of Kevin McCloud and Green Retreats was a natural fit. What initially drew Kevin to our company was our modern building solutions and our careful consideration of the environment.
To find out more visit greenretreats.co.uk/kevin… 

Will I be given a quote at my design consultation?

Site Survey,

Your design consultant will be able to give you a price for both the building and the electrical/network connection. A complete price will be given with no ‘hidden extras’ at a later date.

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