Couple delighted with new garden room which replaces rotten timber summerhouse
15th November 2022
EYG's Marketing Manager Lisa Baxter interviews Vince and Linda, from Lincolnshire, about their new garden room...
The couple chose an EYG garden room after their old wooden structure started to rot. Their new garden room, made from a UPVC and timber frame, clad in composite panels, stands at an impressive 3.5 x 4.5m.
They opted for eye-catching Chartwell Green doors and windows, with cream cladding on the sides, and an anthracite grey base.
Q. So I know you've looked into a number of garden rooms from other suppliers and different options before coming to EYG. What were you looking for specifically for your project?
A. Well, we needed something as big as we already had, and because of the size of it – it is about four and a half metres by three and a half metres - not too many alternatives were out there.
If you didn't want wood, which we didn't because the wood one we had for 12 years was rotten, there weren’t many options. Many of your competitors don't even do anything bigger than about two and a half metres square.
So, this was the best option for us in the market. Obviously we wanted something that looked good and we wanted something that was no maintenance and this was the answer.
Q. Talk me through why you chose the colours, and the layout with the windows and doors - what was the process behind all that?
A. Well, we wanted doors that we could open up, and we wanted Chartwell Green so that ruled out patio doors, because you can’t get Chartwell Green patio doors, and we wanted the green and cream contrast to go with everything else we have in the garden. All of our garden furniture is the same shade of green.
That kind of drew us to this choice. We went through every combination of doors. But we didn't want bifolds that come into the room when folded back, as we wanted the space to put a dining table in as well as the sofas, so we chose French Doors that opened outwards, which we’re very happy with.
Q. Is it warm enough in the cold months?
A. Even now, in October, it's not cold in here, it's so well insulated. And if you did put a little bit of heat in the for half an hour and then shut the doors, it would keep that heat for a reasonable time.
Q. Talk to us about how you decided what you want to use it for?
A. We have had have birthday drinks and cakes in here and we use it for barbecues. When the sun disappears out of the garden at about 6pm in the summer, we then move in here if it goes a bit chilly outside.
We just come in here sometimes of an afternoon. If it's not warm enough to sit outside, we can sit inside here and play cards. We read, or sit with the iPads.
We are really looking forward to next summer when we will get to enjoy it for the whole season, as we only had it built this September.
Q. And what's been the reaction being of people who've seen it?
A. We posted lots of pictures on Facebook, and we got an awful lot of really positive comments back. We’re very pleased,
Q. Brilliant. And can you talk to us about the decision to put the grass roof on?
A. The black rubber roof, from our neighbour’s point of view, didn’t look the best from their upstairs window, so we decided to put the roof on for them really because it’s so close to the two houses. If it had been further down the garden from the houses it wouldn’t have mattered, but it’s very close.
It makes a big difference, a big improvement. And from our perspective of looking out of our upstairs windows, we like it better. The neighbours have joked about going up there with a deck chair next summer.
Q. What was the decision to go for the UPVC and not a wooden garden room?
A. Well, simply because we are of an age where we can't keep doing all the maintenance work. We’ve done that over the last 12 years on the other one, painting it every summer.
The doors were never very good pretty much after the first year, because they didn't sit properly together. It was a constant worry, and honestly the floor was rotting again for the second time. And so we wanted something that would see us for the least the next 10 years, and the 10-year warranty makes all that difference in terms of just peace of mind.
Also, the wood made the old summer house feel quite dark inside, whereas this is lovely and white with modern lighting and that makes all the difference.
Q. How did you find the process from start to finish?
A. Lee and Carl, the fitters, were very pleasant and personable, they were great. They dismantled the old summerhouse, and they were able to use the base as it had been so well made. When they came back to fit the grass roof it only took a couple of hours. The whole process has been very smooth and it took less than two weeks to build from start to finish, including the electrics.
Q Finally, are you happy with it?
A. We love it, it’s wonderful. We are absolutely delighted with it.
