Frequently asked questions

Below is a small selection of the questions that we regularly get asked, we will be adding to this list over the next few weeks & months.

The standard roof covering that comes with the kits is bitumen felt shingles. These are in sheets of 3 generally and are nailed on. Their expected life is around 15 years and they can be supplied in red, green, blue, brown or black. When our fitters are erecting the building we will always use a layer of under-slating felt as well, to act as a second moisture barrier.

Many other roofing options are available.

All of our Bertsch Holzbau buildings have strong enough roofs to take slates or tiles as standard. Lugarde roofs have to be upgraded but this is also possible. Over the years we have used profile sheeting, rubber sheeting, reconstituted rubber tiles, cedar shingles, in fact anything you could put on a traditional roof.
Apart from the obvious uses of our buildings like summerhouses, garages, stores etc we also supply a vast range of home offices, art or pottery studios, workshops, games rooms, guest accommodation, alternative healthcare studios, teenage dens or just general entertainment rooms.

At Forest Products we can tailor the building exactly to your needs. You can start with one from the catalogue and vary it's size, add windows etc, or you can ignore the catalogue completely, and give us a rough outline of what you need. We will then draw the building, send you pictures and price it all for you. There really are very few limits to what is possible.

If you can use a hammer and a screwdriver then building your own cabin is relatively straightforward. They have been described by other customers as a "big jigsaw puzzle". There is very little cutting involved as all the kits are manufactured to be millimetre accurate. Most of the walls are held together by themselves so really all you need is a large rubber mallet, hammer and screwdriver.
The factories supply an accurate drawing of each face of the building so it is just a matter of matching the picture. We would be happy to talk you through the process if required. Alternatively we do supply a complete fitting service if required.

Bertsch Holzbau have recently released some videos showing the various techniques used to construct the buildings, they can be found below.
 





Typical Log Cabin








Corner Building








Pavilions








Prefabricated Building








Cara Post & Beam








Car Ports





Yes, Bertsch Holzbau can supply buildings to virtually any size. We regularly supply 12m+ buildings to be used as offices, garages, or stores. We have an 8.5m x 12m building on our display site. As you can see below, much larger buildings are possible.

Our buildings are available in 7 different thicknesses going from 28mm right up to a solid 115mm thick wall. As a general rule we would suggest that you look for at least 58 - 70 mm walls for an all year round work space. We have insulation kits available for all our buildings which cover the roof and floor, and all our Bertsch Holzbau buildings at 45mm or higher are double glazed as standard.

For heating we have fitted everything from standard electric panel heaters to underfloor heating. Our office is actually a log cabin which we heat with a log burning stove, the possibilities are endless.
The short answer is yes, the longer one is... 

Forest Products have been in the timber industry since 1989, and since 1992 have been selling timber buildings. We have a wealth of experience in all the trades involved in producing a superb building, exactly to your specification. Our team of fitters, joiners, builders and electricians are friendly, responsible, very experienced and hard working. We regularly visit trade shows all over the world to make sure that the products we offer are among the best available anywhere. We get regular repeat business from our clients, whether that be because they need a second building for another purpose, or because they have moved to new home. We also have supplied many members of the same family including even neighbours and friends. Although we are based in Aberdeenshire we have delivered and built buildings from Orkney to London and continue to do so.

So to answer the question again - yes!
Most log cabins and summerhouses are classed as temporary buildings and as such do not usually require planning permission. There are however a few criteria that the building must adhere to.

They must be...
  • Under 30 square metres in area
  • Under 4 metres in height
  • Situated at least 5 metres away from the house
  • Situated at least 1 metre away from your boundaries
  • At least 20 metres from a public road
  • They must be less than 30% of your garden area
If you live in a listed building or conservation area then the rules can change slightly, please contact your local planning office.

Please note that Forest Products cannot be held liable for any planning issues that may arise.

Forest Products have several teams of experienced fitters available to construct your building if required. Pricing for this is done as a fixed price quote on each individual job, just ask us for a quote. If required we can also supply builders for your foundations and electricians to wire up the building on completion.

No, all of the kits we supply come with pressure treated bearers that the building sits on, but the building itself is not treated and is supplied as bare wood. We recommend painting the building using Jotun Visir which is a clear basecoat, followed by 2 coats of your preferred finish. We stock all Jotun, Butinox, Spencers and Sikkens paint and would be happy to advise you on the correct finish.

What about inside?
Most customers do not do anything to the inside walls, however it is possible to paint, stain or oil them if required. You would be advised to apply a few coats of a good quality flooring oil on the floor just to protect it from wear and tear. Varnishes should be avoided on the flooring as they tend to stick the boards together and prevent the natural movement of the timber.

Forest Products Leisure Ltd, Mill of Hole House, Echt, Westhill, Aberdeenshire AB32 7AL

Tel. 01330 860505      -     Reg No SC315705

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