Picking the right garden room for you is a big choice.
This is a big investment, so you must ensure you are getting a garden room that is designed right and is built to last.
There are three common materials used to construct the frame of a garden room. SIPs, timber, and steel.
Here at InFrame, we make exceptional quality steel framed garden rooms, and we’ve wrote this guide to tell you why you should consider this material for your next project.
But first, let’s take a close look at what each material really is.
SIPs Framed Garden Rooms
Let’s start with SIPs.
This stands for structural insulated panels, and that provides a great summary of just what SIPs are.
Each component of a SIPs garden room frame will be prefabricated and will consist of a layer of foam that is held tightly between two boards.
These are commonly oriented strand board.
The foam acts as an insulating layer and should help to regulate temperature within the garden building.
When installing this kind of garden room, the SIPs panels are joined together to create all structural elements of the building, including the walls, roof, and floor. As these components are prefabricated off-site, they are simply transported when installation is ready and all that is needed on-site is to attach them together.
Timber Framed Garden Rooms
A material that has been used to create garden structures for many years is timber.
Put simply, these garden rooms are primarily constructed using wooden frames, posts, beams, walls, and more.
The way this kind of garden room is constructed is by creating a skeleton structure with the timber, before filling in the gaps on site to bring the garden building to life.
The framework can be quick to construct and is connected using traditional joinery techniques to ensure a tight fit.
Steel Framed Garden Rooms
If you buy a garden bulding from InFrame, you will receive a steel frame garden room.
These garden rooms are built on a steel framework that is prefabricated off site and is joined together on-site during the installation process.
There is a lot to love about a steel-framed structure, including the fact that it is tough, versatile, and relatively low maintenance.
Steel framed garden rooms are not as commonly seen as the other two materials in this article, but that isn’t down to a lack of quality.
While often available at a higher cost, there are many benefits that really make choosing steel-frame value for money.
Why You Should Choose a Steel Framed Garden Room?
Now, you may be thinking we’re biased as we work with steel frames, but there is some clear evidence that this is a great choice compared to SIPs and timber, and we’d like to show you five right now.
It is More Durable
There are no doubts about it, steel is tough.
When you choose to use steel for your garden room, you are picking a long-lasting and durable material that is resistant to rot and decay.
While timber and SIPs frames are susceptible to such issues, features such as not absorbing moisture provide steel with a clear advantage.
While the other materials may warp in extreme weather, steel stays true to its current shape and can almost guarantee it will stay in shape and healthy for its entire lifespan.
It is Stronger
Strength is important in a garden room, especially when you are creating large buildings such as garden annexes, or buildings which may want to hang heavy items such as garden gyms.
Steel is incredibly strong and is capable of holding weights much heavier than timber and SIPs.
This makes it ideal for garden rooms where you are occupying a lot of space and have to stay firm against the elements.
While timber and SIPs frames may sag or alter shape over time, you don’t get this with steel, which makes it the ideal material to create high-quality and sturdy structures with.
It is Fire Resistant
A key feature of a steel frame garden room is that it is resistant to fire.
It is a non-combustible material, which differentiates it from timber and SIPs.
This can be a big factor in deciding on the material to use for your garden room, especially if you are having electrics installed or if your garden room is near to other buildings.
If there was a fire, it would take incredible temperatures for steel to melt (well over 1000 degrees Celsius), and as it is non-combustible and doesn’t add to the flames or wilt to them, your structure should remain in place, which can save a big expense and be much safer in the unfortunate event of a fire.
It is Low Maintenance
If you have a garden room in your garden, the last thing you want is to constantly have to maintain it for it to hold its integrity and appearance.
With a steel frame garden room, you are getting a structure that is resistant to many forms of decay and deterioration, which means it is a lot easier to maintain in a good condition.
While timber and SIPs may require regular inspection and repairs to ensure they are still looking healthy, you can rest assured with steel that it is always in a good shape.
Water, sunlight, fire, pests, and more shouldn’t do it any harm, resulting in a long-lasting and always healthy building.
It is Quick to Install
The final benefit is that it is incredibly quick to install.
Every component of your steel frame will be precision engineered to ensure that when it arrives on site it is the perfect fit to attach together in an efficient time.
If you are installing a large building, the fact that steel can hold the weight without the need for load-bearing walls for instance can also help cut down the time it takes to construct the structure.
With a steel frame from InFrame, your framework arrives ready to go, and this can mean you’re enjoying your garden building in no time.
We also use screw pile foundation systems that are ready to be installed within one day. Whilst with other materials you may have to wait for the weather to be just right, with this you can get straight to work, without any hold ups.
Steel Framed Garden Rooms from InFrame
If you’re weighing up your options for a new garden room, then we hope this blog has helped you make a decision.
While steel may be more of an initial outlay, it will last longer and maintain its structural integrity for much longer, which is why we offer a large guarantee on all of our garden rooms.
Want to know more? Then get in touch with our team today who would be glad to help.
