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Garden pinball house?

That is full on ruddy mental! As long as your back garden has access (I would need a truly MAHOOSIVE crane to lift over neighbours garden from the road) then this seems like a stunning idea. The front door opens outwards; it's doube-glazed and guttering. It's even chock full of power points! And if it's about 13' wide on the inside you'd get a row of 5 pins in there with about a yard wide strip of clear space. Cosy!
 
Definitely an option, but looks more like a dolls house than a man cave being honest.

I'm in the same boat as you and waiting for builder to come round and give me quote. Got a couple of ideas though on the foundation and construction to keep cost down... hopefully.
 
Sorry mate, didn't want to p*ss on your bonfire. Was first thing that struck.... It's probably more than you need I reckon, designed and built as a mini home when you just need a decent insulated structure to make into a games room.
 
My "pin shack" was definitely less than £9k!

farm6.staticflickr.com_5545_14295354092_ba66515688_b.jpg
Paragon: Test Vinyl Playfield Overlay by staticboy, on Flickr

I had to have a lot of landscaping done as the garden is on quite a slope, but the summerhouse itself sits on a 6" concrete slab that cost £500. The building itself is a FinnForest Finnlife Riekko for which I paid £2,099 back in April 2010 but you can now get from Wickes for just £1,800.

It's a slightly oddball design as it's a summerhouse and shed in one. It's fully insulated with Kingspan and will soon be fully lined with plasterboard. It was never intended as a pinball/games room but as a home office as I'm a software engineer and mostly work remotely from home. But now that I've caught the bug it would comfortably accommodate 3 pins. For me I've got 2 pins in there with a cocktail cabinet video game sandwiched in-between and I still have room for my desk.

But looking around you can get larger buildings for similar or slightly higher prices. For example, the Wickes Sarka is a single room nearly 5m x 4m for £2k. Obviously you'd need to add on a few hundred for insulation, flooring and electrics, etc. But the biggest savings come from putting it up yourself. I understand that may not be possible for you. I was lucky - bribed a dozen family members with summer garden lunch and beers, and we had it up in a day!

PS. In case you're wondering the thing hanging on the washing line is a reproduction playfield overlay decal for my Bally PARAGON restoration project that had just arrived. I hung it up in the sun to warm up and stretch out flat!
 
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I have to say, anyone looking to build a shed, don't bother, buy that!!!!.

A miniature static home at a BARGAIN price. I'm staggered. If I were in the market and had room I'd buy that.

Double glazed, insulated and ready to live in, it's a no brainer at a bargain price.

I used to brick these things up on a site near me years ago, build the walls up to underside and they're very nice. Wow, still cant believe the price. A large mobile crane will cost you £500 if it had to be craned in.

What you boys waiting for!!
 
I'd never thought of looking at Wickes, does seem good value. Just seen this one, near the size I was looking to build an outbuilding for £4,800 (£7,000 at B&Q !):

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Shire-Elveden-Log-Cabin/p/119060

It's exactly the right shape/layout too, although don't need internal the room division. Just wondering if and how much additional insulation would be needed if the walls are already 44mm thick? When people occupy as living spaces or offices, they don't additionally insulate them surely?
 
Wouldn't make much difference really as a central entrance in line with the front wall would still need to be kept clear internally to get to machines along the back wall and either side of the entrance. Suppose would be better if they could open outwards though instead of internally.
 
JMP said:
I'd never thought of looking at Wickes, does seem good value. Just seen this one, near the size I was looking to build an outbuilding for £4,800 (£7,000 at B&Q !):

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Shire-Elveden-Log-Cabin/p/119060

It's exactly the right shape/layout too, although don't need internal the room division. Just wondering if and how much additional insulation would be needed if the walls are already 44mm thick? When people occupy as living spaces or offices, they don't additionally insulate them surely?
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Wow! You are going big! You might be able to remove that internal wall, at least up to head height because it already has a doorway in it. But above head height there are likely to be beams that stretch from the front to back to provide cross-bracing, otherwise the walls might bow out under the weight of the roof! Searching around on Google I can't believe how much cheaper these buildings are now compared to four years ago.

As for insulation, it depends how and when you want to use the building. Even with 44mm wood a building that size is going to loose heat pretty fast once you start trying to heat it up in winter. Before I insulated my 2.7m square office it needed a 2kW fan heater running almost constantly to keep it at 21°C - in fact, I gave up using it mid-winter and came back indoors the first year. But after adding 100mm Kinsgan/Celotex to the roof and 50mm on the walls it stays nice and toasty with the heater running occasionally on the 1kW setting (also stays cooler in the summer).

My biggest concern however was moisture. But after 4 years it's stayed as dry as a bone! I did consider getting a small dehumidifier, but I don't think it's vital. I think the most important thing is to try and stop the damp from rising when you build the foundations. I did lots of work on the wooden frame that sits on top of the concrete base, adding extra damp proof layers and using lots of external sealant to prevent any water from getting underneath. On the inside I put down a layer of interlocking foam mats before laying laminate flooring to keep the cold out!
 
JMP said:
I'd never thought of looking at Wickes, does seem good value. Just seen this one, near the size I was looking to build an outbuilding for £4,800 (£7,000 at B&Q !):

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Shire-Elveden-Log-Cabin/p/119060

It's exactly the right shape/layout too, although don't need internal the room division. Just wondering if and how much additional insulation would be needed if the walls are already 44mm thick? When people occupy as living spaces or offices, they don't additionally insulate them surely?
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I like that! Little too big for my garden though.

Thats a bargain!
 
Please keep these conversations going and any decisions made and lessons learnt. I reckon there are quite a few of us on the verge of planning one of these buildings.
After the last round of conversations, I already have an issue as my boundary maybe under two metres from the proposed site.

I also have a challenge in the fact my house sits within the land with the formal garden being on the side not the front. The front and back of the house are actually a series of terraces cut into the hill, both are woodland/wilderness with tree preservations orders in place). The following statement might mean my pinball house plan has an issue or has to be reduced in size.
  • No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
Is the principle elevation the main front wall or can I count the two story casement window? Or better still the large bow window (single storey with a balcony on top)?
We are talking about most of it being behind the principle elevation.
 
Yeah, thanks for info, great for all of us to know what's worked. Have seen one supplier of that cabin offering roof insulation (hidden above ceiling and under roof) which would be wise I think. Garden is 650 sqm. hence the size I'm looking at, but is a bit longer than wanted for the allocated space. Something else has just come to mind; combustible construction will no doubt have to be at least one metre from boundary (right @Paul?) unless these things are already exempt from Buildign Regs. due to design etc. Could do with being closer to boundary really.....

You'e right about the price though, these have come down a lot, found this same cabin with three other suppliers for around same price today, but others out there still quoting £7-£9,000! I know @lukewells played a few off against each other to get the price down. May have to take a leaf out of that book !
 
JMP said:
Yeah, thanks for info, great for all of us to know what's worked. Have seen one supplier of that cabin offering roof insulation (hidden above ceiling and under roof) which would be wise I think. Garden is 650 sqm. hence the size I'm looking at, but is a bit longer than wanted for the allocated space. Something else has just come to mind; combustible construction will no doubt have to be at least one metre from boundary (right @Paul?) unless these things are already exempt from Buildign Regs. due to design etc. Could do with being closer to boundary really.....

You'e right about the price though, these have come down a lot, found this same cabin with three other suppliers for around same price today, but others out there still quoting £7-£9,000! I know @lukewells played a few off against each other to get the price down. May have to take a leaf out of that book !
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Yep, I more than halved the price of my building by picking 4 suppliers and telling them to submit their best quote. Then I picked the 2nd from lowest one (as they seemed better than the cheapest one) and got them to throw in free delivery and installation even though it was supposed to be Birmingham only area for delivery ;)

I also had the benefit that I was buying it January when it was snowing, and shed builders would have been desperate for work, you might want to avoid buying in peak summer season if you can.

Also why do you need to care about "combustible" materials? that was not an issue for me when I spoke to planning control about mine. Is yours going to be above the size limit for permitted development?
 
Thats how i read it @JMP, however unless someone complains i cant see how anyone would ever be aware...... ;)
 
Cheers Paul. My garden is segregated by a right of way (through our own yards) with neighbours and as much as we all get on, think I'm risking it not following the code. Anyway, after re-measuring, looks like I can achieve 1 metre distance so best play safe.

Luke, if over 15m2 it appears materials have to be non-combustible if within one metre of boundary, appears a Building Regs. thing rather than planning.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/
 
Ooops. Well in that case then mine is 14.9m2 ;)

I'll blame Blackpool planning if anyone moans about it
 
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Yeah, you gotta watch those boundaries! I would have preferred to push mine right back into the corner but kept it 2m from the neighbours fence (right side of my photo above). We're on very good terms and our garden in about 2-foot lower than theirs (hence the low retaining wall) but as my summerhouse has quite a pointy roof (many of them are fairly flat) I didn't want it looming over the fence for next door.

Regarding roof insulation my neighbour had a great idea when he did his summerhouse (like mine, built as a home office). After he finished the roof but before laying the felt he covered the top with 150mm Celotex on the outside, put on another layer of 12mm plywood and then put the felt on. There are two advantages to this approach: firstly it's a hell of lot easier to do than fixing insulation between the joists on the inside and then covering, and secondly the inside still has a lovely wooden roof and wooden joists exposed which looks very nice.

The other top tip is to run a good sized underground pipe/tube from the main house in which to run power and network cables. I cheaped mine and just buried the armoured power cable but forgot to do the network cable at the same time, so it's now strung along the fence like an old-fashioned over-head telephone cable.
 
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MM CELOTEX??????

I've got 50mm and if I so much as leave the lights on in there is heats up!
 
My old summerhouse in the back garden sounds like it breaches some of the regulations from reading on here. img.tapatalk.com_d_14_06_02_bu4aby3u.jpg

The one in the back, not at the front :)


Sent from my Windows Phone using Tapatalk
 
Jughead said:
The one in the back, not at the front :)
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I reckon you could keep a cocktail pin in the front one actually! Might be a bit tricky to play though.

Also, I've nabbed a Honda eu20i, now I just need to insulate my garage in time for the winter. I'm thinking of sealing the door gaps with this stuff , insulating the roof with, er, bugger knows what (not researched that bit yet) and putting down some rubber floor tiles from these guys. I'm hoping that'll keep things safe and dry without having an actual heater in there, I've got a little temp/humid sensor in there to keep an eye on mix/max temps just in case.
 
Jughead said:
My old summerhouse in the back garden sounds like it breaches some of the regulations from reading on here. img.tapatalk.com_d_14_06_02_bu4aby3u.jpg

The one in the back, not at the front :)


Sent from my Windows Phone using Tapatalk
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A few years ago I build a UPVC lean to shed between my house and the neighbours which was right alongside the border as yours is in the pic but actually between the houses. Neighbour didn't like it and sent the council planning guy round to check it was legal. After taking all his measurements he said it was fine. It did come close to the figures for permitted development ( volume ) as I already had a conservatory but it was just in. I got him to put it in writing that it was legal and still have the letter.
 
From http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/:

  • No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
  • Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
  • Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.
  • No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
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And you also got this:

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.
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So, in basic terms for most projects, you can't build in front of your house. Has to be single storey. Max. eaves height of 2.5m. Max. height 4m if dual-pitched roof else 3m. Max. height of 2.5m if less than 2m from a boundary. Can't cover more than half your garden including other existing outbuildings.

The other bit about not needing building regs approval if between 15 and 30 square metres is only just going to apply if you go with that Wickes Shire Elveden as I calculate the internal floor area to be 29.87 square meters! Anything over 30 always needs building regs approval.

If in doubt talk to your local planning department. If you're not on 100% good terms with all your neighbours then definitely talk to the planning department as you don't want some narky curtain twitcher dobbing you in and having to take down your man cave because it's 3" too tall or 6" too close to their fence.
 
Nedreud said:
So, in basic terms for most projects, you can't build in front of your house. Has to be single storey. Max. eaves height of 2.5m. Max. height 4m if dual-pitched roof else 3m. Max. height of 2.5m if less than 2m from a boundary. Can't cover more than half your garden including other existing outbuildings.

The other bit about not needing building regs approval if between 15 and 30 square metres is only just going to apply if you go with that Wickes Shire Elveden as I calculate the internal floor area to be 29.87 square meters! Anything over 30 always needs building regs approval.

If in doubt talk to your local planning department. If you're not on 100% good terms with all your neighbours then definitely talk to the planning department as you don't want some narky curtain twitcher dobbing you in and having to take down your man cave because it's 3" too tall or 6" too close to their fence.
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Yes, that Shire Elveden 'just' fits within all the guidance providing I keep it at least one metre from boundary. However, it's slightly wider than I wanted. Found these guys located up the road from me (offering custom build):

http://www.latvianlogcabins.co.uk/

Going to invite myself over for a chat. Clarify everything and talk about wall insulation (got floor and roof covered I think). Anyone got one of these with 45mm walls and nothing else for insulation? Keen to know how they perform on their own with nothing added.
 
The one metre from boundary, if the building is over 15sq m, is a pain as our garden is approx 60m long but only 11m wide and due to trees, other buildings, etc I can only locate a pin hut in one place so I am going to have to site it within one metre of a boundary, probably 0.5m so if I have read the planning info right then the max size I can have is 15sq m or under (if built of wood) or fall foul of planning or neighbours?

Cabins I have been looking at are from here http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Log-Cabins/BillyOh-Dorset-Log-Cabin/20549 as we bought a smaller finn forest from them a few years ago

The other alternative I considered was having a purpose built one from blocks and then as long as I don't exceed max eves of 2.5 and 30 sq m then I can go as close to the boundary as I want as it would be built from non flammable material.

Any thoughts suggestions?
 
Steve, I'm sure I've read somewhere about treating/lining of timber building with fire-retardant materials when boundary issues crop up. May have been on the Dunster House site? Will check later when get time, but worth looking into before writing off. I'm also looking at block build but expecting cost to be much higher and the building to look more like a bunker which wouldn't be great for the garden tbh.

Steve C said:
The other alternative I considered was having a purpose built one from blocks and then as long as I don't exceed max eves of 2.5 and 30 sq m then I can go as close to the boundary as I want as it would be built from non flammable material.
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I did this at our old house where we also had a long, narrow garden. The side wall actually faced the neighbours garden so was bang on the boundary line. P*ssed him right off but he couldn't do anything about it. :D
 
Know what you mean about block build/looking like a bunker. We did briefly discuss at last meet that a block built could probably be faced with boards to make it more pleasing to look at.

Block build will be more expensive as cabins are really cheap but have also got to take into consideration cost of heating, etc plus don't know about others on here but we already have a small log cabin, no pins in it, and on a sunny day it is absolutely maffting in there if window or door isn't open.
 
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