Playhouse Project

[hemz80]

Hi

I have to say up front... i am completely new to diy, but am always willing to give things a go .

I bought my children a playhouse for christmas. It was errected by the company i purchased it from. It's on stilts with a swing and slide coming off it. I plan to paint the outside with cuprinol shades when the weather gets a bit better.

I also want to do something with the inside. Maybe insulate it in some way and put up either plasterboard and paint etc. Maybe some battery operated lights etc. I want to make it a bit like their own little house!

Does anyone have some tips for me? What materials to use? What type of insulation and other things to consider? Is the cuprinol a good idea?

Thank you!
Hema

 

[Burnerman]

Any chance of a photo?
Presumably this is in the garden, so any materials you choose must withstand considerable humidity - which rules out plasterboard!
Maybe the inside could be lined with polythene to keep the draughts out - its not feasable to heat it or insulate it really.
Most timber treatments are water based these days so once dry, present little hazard.
Battery lights are a good idea! LED ones will last a long time, whereas normal bulbs will drain a battery down in no time.
John

 

[hemz80]

I'm totally new to this forum, i just created an album with a picture in it of the structure! I hope you can see it.

Re: plasterboard, glad i'm doing my homework first!

 

[Burnerman]

Hey, how cool is that I'm thinking of putting myself up for adoption
Using a cuprinol type water based product is fine for colour effect - just treat the stilt legs handsomely to keep them good!
Regarding insulation - just keep the draughts out. Insulation doesn't warm the place up, it just helps to maintain the temperature that the structure is already at.
If the felt roof is nailed on, eventually water will seep through the nail holes, so some sealing compound over them is worthwhile.
Welcome to the forum!
John

 

[Richard C]

Hope you’ve got no near neighbours or you get on with the ones you have as I reckon you need planning permission for that one & possibly Building Regs approval!

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/

 

[hemz80]

I contacted the local council before hand to ask for advice and it's within the guidelines. As for the neigbours, there's a big wall of laurel so they can't see it and my children can't see into their garden either.

 

[Richard C]

I contacted the local council before hand to ask for advice and it's within the guidelines.

I'd ask them to confirm that in writing; from what I can see, I reckon it falls foul on at least 2 of the conditions in the link I posted.

 

[hemz80]

Might just do that Richard as i was looking at them and the raised platform seems to be a bit of an issue too! Before i start painting it and what not!

 

[foxhole]

It's deemed a summer house [and under 15sq mtrs]so regs don't apply.

 

[Richard C]

It's deemed a summer house [and under 15sq mtrs]so regs don't apply.

You are correct as far as B Regs go but there is no such specific thing as a summerhouse in terms of Planning. It’s classed as an Outbuilding & unless it complies with the list of criteria in the link, strictly speaking, it should require PP . There are at least two specific areas I would get clarification on;

• Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

BR’s won’t apply if it’s less than 15 sq/m (which it looks to be) but if more & within 2m of the boundary, they will.

 

[foxhole]

It's well under height restrictions , my daughter has one and local planning said it needs none.

 

[Richard C]

It's well under height restrictions , my daughter has one and local planning said it needs none.

The OP states there is a Laurel boundary hedge & if it’s within 2m of that or the property & is over 2.5m high, which it certainly looks like, then it’s not “well under height restrictions”.

The regulations changed quiet recently so the OP may well have a different scenario to your daughter; when was hers erected? Is it the same one? Her LABC may have decided to allow it anyway! I can’t see the point in this bickering, the revised Planning/Building Regs are plain & there to see, all the OP needs to do is take/confirm some measurements &, to avoid any problems, confirm with his LABC they will choose to ignore both the boundary height restriction & the fact that it’s a raised platform!

 

[foxhole]

It's well under height restrictions , my daughter has one and local planning said it needs none.

The OP states there is a Laurel boundary hedge & if it’s within 2m of that or the property & is over 2.5m high, which it certainly looks like, then it’s not “well under height restrictions”.

The regulations changed quiet recently so the OP may well have a different scenario to your daughter; when was hers erected? Is it the same one? Her LABC may have decided to allow it anyway! I can’t see the point in this bickering, the revised Planning/Building Regs are plain & there to see, all the OP needs to do is take/confirm some measurements &, to avoid any problems, confirm with his LABC they will choose to ignore both the boundary height restriction & the fact that it’s a raised platform!

OP must have deleted that info , there is no reference to it now ?
The photo appears to be from the online sales site.

 

[Richard C]

The OP states there is a Laurel boundary hedge

OP must have deleted that info , there is no reference to it now ?

there's a big wall of laurel so they can't see it and my children can't see into their garden either.

The photo appears to be from the online sales site.

Yes it is, I’ve seen it before.

 

[foxhole]

Like I said no mention of hight or distance from boundary.So how does it look like it is?