Log cabin - Possible renovation to insulated office

[Space Race]

Started looking at options for creating some office space at home, Usual suspects, House extension, dedicated garden office etc and wondering if renovating an existing cabin would be better use of funds vs a new purpose built garden office.

In the garden we’ve a 10x6m log cabin style summer house that’s not getting as much use as it might. The cabin came with the house and was erected about 11 years ago It’s constructed from 68mm logs and sits on a raised 145x45mm (6x2) joist base. The base is supported on timber posts (assume post mix concreted in), Height from ground to floor varies but It’s around 450mm at high point and well ventilated. It’s been maintained but the timber doors and windows need replacing and there are a couple of spots where driving rain gets in. 

 

If going the cabin route I’d want to 

 

* Upgrade / Replace support posts for additional weight and ensure these will last for many years to come. 

 

* Insulate floor

 

* Insulate walls

 

* Insulate roof. 

 

* Replace doors and windows, possibly changing the existing apertures.

 

* Clad the outside if the wall insulation was external. Cladding the outside would      also sort the rain ingress which i understand is not unheard of with these log buildings. That said, Insulating the inside seems like it would be much easier at initial glance.

 

Not sure if linking videos is permitted but this shows a similar scenario with a cladding detail that would work aesthetically. I’ve not looked at this too deeply though and open to options. Also worth pointing out, Our cabin is very similar to the one in the video but I’ll take some pictures once the snow has cleared and take a closer look underneath at the base frame. The attached image is the kind of thing we have

 

Has anyone done anything similar? Any advice? Would the savings (if any) make sense over building a new purpose made building. I’d be very interested to hear your ideas on how to deal with upgrading the support posts given this is an existing building with limited access to the underneath. The floor can be taken up but I’d still be working between joists. 

[gaz_moose]

someone on here built one of these and insulated it to be a home office. if you search the threads you will find it.

[Space Race]

On 11/01/2025 at 18:37, gaz_moose said:

someone on here built one of these and insulated it to be a home office. if you search the threads you will find it.

Guessing It’s this one by JohnMo? Some useful info, Thanks

 

https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/31017-summer-house-insulation/

 

If going the route of upgrading the cabin I’d want to clad externally though with a membrance keeping the rain out of the logs.

 

The movement of the logs around doors and windows is a problem. Would not be happy spending so much to insulate the building and then leaving large gaps around windows and doors.

 

In terms of the supports under the joist base It looks like I’m either digging new post holes or some kind of ground screw.

 

On the whole a new build elsewhere in the garden would be more straightforward but still researching