Top 5 tips when embarking on a garden room build

Words from Charlie Mills – Head of Oakwrights’ GreenRooms division

1. You might not need planning permission…

…when an extension or addition to your house is considered to be permitted development. You may not require an application for planning permission, provided certain limits and conditions are met. You should check with your Local Planning Authority whether permitted development rights apply. They may have been removed by what are known as Article 4 directions. Other consents may be required if your house is listed or in a designated area.

2. An Architect may not always be required, if adding an extension such as an orangery, sun room/garden room.

Oak frame design consultants can carry out the design and planning, integrating the oak frame in from the start. Our highly trained GreenRooms design team will work with you from the offset – listening to your initial ideas, planning your bespoke oak building and realising the construction process. We ensure that from start to finish you will have the support of a dedicated oak frame design consultant who will help to make your oak greenroom the best it can be.

3. Plan the end game from the start – If you are looking to create a kitchen-diner, how will you lay it out? How can the extension benefit the design?

Consider how you will use the space at the very beginning of the process, so you don’t have any niggles down the line that could cause extra expense. For example, window layouts will need to be higher against kitchen worktops than for a normal layout. When choosing windows, or any other element of your oak frame extension, we will advise and help you select from our approved suppliers. The choices you make are yours, and may in some cases be guided by your home’s existing exterior and interior design.

4. Sliding doors or bifolds?

Like with any building materials there are pros and cons. In this case what doors you choose are very much dependent on how you want to use the space.

Sliding doors provide more of a view throughout the year than the odd occasions you open up the bifolds. Sliding doors are easy to operate, requiring no more than a gentle nudge to move, the entire weight of the moving panel is supported by the track, so very little effort is required to open or close. They also provide a wonderful way to expose a view from your oak frame extension, opening up to allow the outside in. On the other hand bi-folding doors are a superb way to bring the outdoors in, helping exterior space function as an additional room that flows off the interior. They also work beautifully when closed, offering big views of the outside, pulling in lots of light, thanks to their full-height and width glazing.

5. Maximise natural light face glazing.

Natural light has many benefits, from bringing out the natural beauty of the oak frame to, (as research has shown), making people happier and healthier. Maximising on your glazing brings as much natural light in as possible. There are plenty of options to help you do this. Why not consider a contemporary finish such as face glazing, a system of applying glass to the exterior face of oak frame or, if you are working to a tight budget, consider a roof lantern as an option. This will be glazed with specialist roof glass that is both energy efficient and carries an easy-clean coating. When finalising the design, we can help you with the finer details and provide you with the reassurance that it will be fully designed and manufactured with the utmost care and attention.

Discover more inspiration for oak frame garden builds here.