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Generic assembly instructions for log cabins Please read these generic assembly instructions and other instructions carefully before proceeding with the construction of your cabin. These generic instructions are written in the order required to build the cabin and any options you have purchased. We have a wide range of products that these instructions are suitable for so you may find numerous sections do not apply to you, each section is clearly labelled. Each pack you have received will also contain instructions giving component lists and elevation drawings that you will need to refer to. If you think that you are missing any of the necessary assembly instructions please contact our Customer Service department at cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk before you begin the construction of your cabin so that we can send these to you as a PDF file. If you experience difficulties installing your cabin please look at the Trouble shooting/Maintenance section at the back of this manual as there are many helpful hints there which may answer your questions. Should you then still have any queries please contact our customer services team whose details are also at the back of this manual. IMPORTANT: ALL of the diagrams in these Generic instructions are for illustration purposes only; windows and doors may be located in different positions and quantities not the same as your model of cabin. Specific technical diagrams can be found in the instructions supplied separately with your particular cabin. To ensure correct installation of your cabin please follow the technical diagrams and any written instructions (which will take priority over these generic instructions) in the specific instructions for the cabin and any options that you have bought. The Nature of Wood The wood provided for your log cabin is soft wood which has been kiln dried and is untreated, except for the bearers or if you have purchase a fully pressure treated log cabin which have been treated for protection against rot and insect infestation. Wood is a natural product and may have knots, knotholes, imperfections, cracks and warping, which are inherent properties of the material. We will not replace any lengths of timber for any of the following reasons:

• Any timber that has been treated, painted or stained by the purchaser. • Any timber that contains knots or knot holes where they do not influence the structural

stability of the cabin. • Cosmetic appearances – e.g. colour variations caused by the structure or age of the timber. • Timber that has shakes, cracks or gaps that do not influence the structural strength of the

cabin. • Twisted timber that can be installed. See Trouble Shooting/Maintenance section for help with

this if required. • Boards that have imperfections on hidden surfaces for example any surface defects in the roof

or floor boards can usually be hidden by turning the affected surface upwards in the roof so that it is hidden under the felt or downwards in the floor so it is never seen. Queries arising from a neglectful manner of construction, be it with the foundation or erection of the cabin.

Any valid queries will be satisfied by the exchange or replacement of the defective parts only.

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Treatment

• You will need to treat your cabin with a preservative; if you are building your own cabin then whether you choose to treat each piece of timber individually as you build the cabin, or treat everything once it has been assembled, is up to you. If we are installing your cabin then you will need to treat the exterior of the cabin once it has been built.

• If your log cabin is pressure treated then you will not need to immediately treat or apply a preservative. Pressure treatment does not mean that the timbers are waterproof so you may wish to apply a water repellent. Water repellent can also be applied to timbers treated with a preservative.

• You will periodically need to re-apply a preservative. • If purchasing our treatment, we supply enough treatment to coat the exterior of your cabin

twice. • If you wish to treat the interior of your cabin then this is a personal choice. • You may choose to varnish the floor, please ensure you choose a suitable product for soft

wood. Getting Ready Prior to assembly, store all components in a cool, dry place away from direct contact with the ground, sunlight or moisture. Keep all timbers straight and well supported at numerous points along their lengths to avoid twisting the timber if storing for any prolonged period of time. When selecting the location for your cabin, ensure that the cabin will not be subjected to extreme weather conditions. If your cabin is in an area where strong winds often occur, then you should take precautions beyond these instructions, to secure the cabin as it is not designed to withstand high winds.

• Always check all parts are present and correct prior to commencing the cabin construction • Allow sufficient time to familiarise yourself, or your nominated installer, with the instructions

prior to the building of the cabin

When the instructions ask you to use screws - Please Pre-drill all screws to avoid splitting the timber. Preparation for Assembly To build your cabin you will/may need:

• 2 people • Hammer • A stepladder • Sharp knife • Spirit level • Silicone • Screwdriver • Drill with 3mm and 8mm drill bits • Socket wrench or adjustable spanner • Pair of pliers • Saw • Measuring tape • Tarpaulin/plastic sheeting • Pair of clamps • Gloves – if you wish to protective gloves as a precautionary measure

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Contents Page

1. Foundation/Base 2. Bearers – all cabins

2.1. Bearers – extensions 3. Sidestore / Verandas 4. Walls – All cabins

4.1. Walls – Dual/TripleTherm 130mm or 145mm 4.2. Walls – Extensions 4.3. Walls - Extension Dividing wall 4.4. Walls – Extensions and Dual/Triple Therm Option

5. Windows and Doors SMB Brackets – All Cabins 5.1. Windows – All cabins 5.2. Doorframe installation – Single wall Cabin 5.3 Doorframe Installation – TripleTherm Cabin 5.4 Doorframe Installation – DualTherm Cabin 5.5 SMB Bracket Installation – All cabins

6. Walls Continued – Single Walled Cabins 6.1. Walls Continued – Dual Therm Cabins 130mm or 145mm

(optional extra) 6.2. Walls Continued – Triple Therm Cabins 130mm or 145mm

(optional extra) 6.3. Walls Continued – Extensions (optional extra)

7. Extensions (optional extra) Attaching connecting boards – Single Wall Cabins 7.1 Extensions (optional extra) Attaching connecting boards – Dual/Triple Therm Wall Cabins 7.2 Trims around the walkthrough in extensions (optional extra extension)

8. Walls - Storage Walls (optional extra) 9. Apex and purlins – All Cabins

9.1 Apex and purlins – Single Walled Cabins 9.2 Apex and Purlins - Dual/Tripletherm Cabins AND Storage Wall 9.3 Apex – DualTherm Cabins 9.4 Apex and Purlins – Extensions

10. Roof boards – All Cabins 11. Roof insulation (optional extra) 12. Roof trims – Standard Non-Insulated Roof Cabins

12.1 Roof trims – insulated roof cabins

page 5 page 6 page 6 page 7 page 7 page 8 page 8 page 9 page 10 page 10 page 10 page 11 pages 11-12 page 13 pages 14-16 page 17 page 17 pages 17-18 page 19

page 19 page 20

page 21 page 22 page 23 page 23 pages 23-24 page 24 page 25 page 26 page 26 page 26 page 27

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13. Felt or Shingles (optional extra) 13.1 Felt Installation 13.2 Shingle Installation

14. Fascia Boards – All Cabins 15. Internal Apex Trims – Single Wall Cabins

15.1 Internal Trims - Dual/Tripletherm Cabins, Storage Walls and Dividing Walls

16. Guttering (optional extra) 17. Floor Insulation (optional Extra)

17.1 Floor Boards - Dual/TripleTherm Cabin 17.2 Floor Boards – Storage Wall 17.3 Floor Boards – Single Walled Cabin 17.4 Floor Boards – All cabins

18. Storm braces – Single Walled Cabins 18.1 Storm braces – Dual/Tripletherm 18.2 Storm Braces – Extensions

19. Vents in Apex – All Cabins 19.1 Vents in Apex – Single Walled Cabin 19.2 Vents in Apex – Dual/Tripletherm Cabin

20. Securing Windows and Doors against sideways movement – All Cabins

21. Installing Additional Windows and Doors 22. Fitting the Door Sash 23. Fixing the glass inside the Windows and Doors – All Cabins 24. Georgian Bars and Drip Rails 25. Troubleshooting/Maintenance Guide

page 27 page 28 page 29 page 31 page 32 page 32 page 33 page 35 page 35 page 36 page 36 page 36 page 36 page 37 page 38 page 38 page 38 page 39 page 39 page 40 page 41 page 42 page 43 pages 44-51

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1. Foundation/Base

Only a completely level and square, stable, load bearing foundation should be used to install your log cabin or this may lead to serious issues later on.

Foundations can be prepared using (this list is not exhaustive): • RapidPad/RapidGrid foundation system • Concrete • Paving slabs • Sleepers • Decking If you build a full concrete or decking base please make sure that it is approximately 100mm larger than the cabin base (bearer plan). If a foundation is used that is not fully supporting the bearers please ensure any gaps between supports are kept to a minimum. **EXAMPLE ONLY** Concrete foundation - plan view Concrete foundation Bearers Specific technical diagrams with a layout of your cabin’s bearers can be found separately in the manual specific to your model of cabin and should be used alongside these generic instructions. 2. Bearers – All Cabins Each cabin has its own specific arrangement of bearers. Please refer to the technical diagrams and instructions in your specific log cabin manual to arrange and assemble these.

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Fig.2

2.1 Bearers - Extensions (optional extra)

There are two different ways that the bearers for extensions may be configured.

Method 1: If you have an Avon or Rhine cabin with extension then: • Lay out the cabin and extension bearers as per diagrams in specific manuals. • Screw together the back of the cabin bearers and the front of the Extension bearers using 4x

120mm screws as per (Fig.1) • Check that the assembly is square by measuring the diagonals A and B and checking that they

are the same (A=B).

Method 2: If you have a Lantera, Modetro or Carsare cabin with extension you will need to: • Use 70mm screws to join a full length bearer from the extension pack onto the ends of all of

the bearers on the main log cabin. • Using 50mm screws, fix smaller bearers (approx. 500-600mm long, may need to cut to fit) to

this full length bearer, on the cabin side at the two outer edges. • Now screw the other full length bearer onto the ends of the remaining extension bearers, using

70mm screws, before then joining the two full width bearers together with 50mm screws.

Main log cabin bearers Extension bearers

Fig. 1

Use 50mm screws Use 70mm screws

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3. Sidestore / Verandas (optional extras)

If you have bought a Sidestore and/or Veranda you should build this after the main cabin has already been built. At this stage simply make sure that you leave enough space for the Sidestore/Veranda when you position the other bearers on your base. The assembly instructions for these options are packaged with them.

4. Walls – All Cabins

IMPORTANT! – Stop building the walls once you reach the height of the window, which you can identify by referring to the cabin specific manual. The below instructions will tell you how to fit the bottom few logs and will then move onto fitting the windows and doors before reverting back to fitting the rest of the wall logs. It will also cover what different steps may be required for extensions and dual/triple therm log cabins.

Please refer to the wall layout drawings in the specific instructions for your cabin and any options you have purchased to show you which components should be used whilst following these instructions.

Lay down the first layer of wall logs (the half logs that are placed at the cabin’s front and rear, and the two full logs which go at the side) on top of the assembled bearers (Fig. 4). The face of the wall logs will overhang the bearers by approximately 5mm on the outside of the cabin.

Once you have the first layer of logs in position, ensure the diagonals are equal A=B), and then fix the logs and half logs to the bearers using 70mm screws at an angle to secure them

Fig.3 Fig.4

Wall logs are assembled with the tongues facing upwards; to ensure a tight and secure fix, knock each layer down with a hitting block and hammer (Fig. 3). Please do not hit the tongue directly as this will damage the wall log.

70mm screws 70mm screws

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Fig.5

4.1 Walls – Inner Walls (optional extra) In a Dual/Tripletherm log cabin, there is an outer wall and an inner wall. The inner wall sits on top of the floor boards. Please see the Floor section (section 13) for how to fix the floor boards and then return to this section. The internal wall’s first logs are shorter than the external first logs (full log height 102mm, half log height 45mm). Screw these internal wall logs to the floor boards using 70mm screws at an angle. Please note – The internal walls in Dual/Tripletherm log cabins have been designed to be free floating, which means you cannot fix both walls (external and internal) together.

4.2 Walls – Extensions (optional extra)

If your cabin has an extension, the back wall of the cabin will be used at the back of the extension and the middle wall from the extension pack will replace it. You must build the extension at the same time as the main cabin. Fig. 6

Floor boards

Internal wall log

External wall log

Use logs from cabin pack for back wall of extension

Use logs from extension pack for the middle wall (unless you have a dividing wall).

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4.3 Walls - Extension Dividing wall (optional extra)

Between the cabin and the extension, you normally have a middle wall with a large opening. If you have bought an extension dividing wall however, this will replace the middle wall with a completely solid dividing wall (featuring a single door on one side).

The extension dividing wall will need to be built at the same time as the cabin and extension because the logs interlock with the external wall and will replace the middle wall entirely.

Once the wall is fully built, you can fit the single solid door as per the window and door fitting instructions (section 5).

Fig. 7

Extension dividing wall

with single door

Extension

Main cabin

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4.4 Walls – Extensions and Dual/Triple Therm Option (optional extra)

If you have bought a log cabin with an extension and the Dual/Triple Therm option you should build the external walls as per section 4.2, then install the floor

In the same way as the externals walls, what would have been the back inner wall of the cabin, will now be used as the inner wall at the back of the extension as per Fig.8.

The middle wall will remain as a single layered wall when you buy a Dual/Tripletherm (as it does not need to be insulated).

Fig. 8

5. Windows and Doors – All Cabins

In this section we will cover in order:

• Assembly of the door frame • Fitting of SMB brackets to the window and door frames • Fitting of SMB brackets to the logs • Installing the windows and door frames in the cabin

5.1 Windows – All Cabins

The windows for your cabin will come preassembled. Additional windows and doors are covered in a later section as they will need to be fitted once the cabin is fully built.

Please take logs from cabin inner wall pack to build inner back wall of the extension. The diagram of the back inner wall is shown in the log cabin inner wall assembly instruction.

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5.2 Doorframe installation – Single wall cabin The door frame for your cabin comes as separate parts which need to be assembled. (please note that the bottom part will be slotted together with the top part to prevent damage in transit.

• Place the four parts of the door frame together as show below (Figs 9 & 10). • Check that the frame is square (Fig 10). • Use one 70mm screw in each corner of the frame fixing through from the internal side of the

frame trim (Fig 9).

5.3 Door and Window Frame Extension – TripleTherm Cabin Additional trims must be fitted to expand the door and window frames for a cabin with an inner wall. This is so that the frame can cover both walls and the space between them. The below diagrams show a doorframe viewed from inside the cabin:

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Once the doorframe has been screwed together as per Section 5.2, remove the internal frame boards A and B from the door frame. Fit the extension trims C and D as per Fig.12. Use 95mm screws to attach to the original frame, securing the C and D trims together using two 70mm screws per corner.

Once the frame has been extended, re-attach the A and B trims removed earlier using the original screws (Fig.13).

For a window, please follow the above procedure, noting that the bottom part of the window must also be extended.

5.4 Door and Window Frame Installation – Dual Therm Cabin

Extend the door and window frames as for a Tripletherm cabin. If you do not have wall insulation you need to fit a 70mm timber trim which prevents the walls from collapsing inwards.

These trims need to be screwed to the side of the frame in the middle of the U channel using 55mm screws spaced up to 600mm apart. Make sure to leave a 30mm gap either side of this trim where the walls will fit (Fig.15).

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5.5 SMB Bracket Installation – All cabins

Window and Door Bracket Locations

These brackets secure the window and door frames to the wall logs either side to strengthen the front wall. The diagrams overleaf (Figs. 16 & 17) show the approximate locations of the brackets, and the number needed for each frame.

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Fig. 16 Fig. 17

Fig. 18 Fig. 19

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Fig. 20 Fig. 21

Fig. 23

16

Fig. 24 Fig. 25

Now that the doorframe and windows are in place you can continue building the walls.

6. Walls Continued – Single Walled Cabins

Single Walled Cabins (28 or 45mm) - If you are building a single walled cabin with no extensions continue to slot in the wall logs referring to the elevation diagrams in your specific cabin instructions until you reach the top of the cabin.

6.1 Walls Continued – Dual Therm Cabins 130mm or 145mm (optional extra)

Continue to assemble both the external and internal walls approximately at the same level until you reach the top of the cabin. 6.2 Walls Continued – Triple Therm Cabins 130mm or 145mm Wall Insulation (optional extra) If you have purchased the Triple Therm option your cabin will come with insulation panels. These simply slot in between the walls as you build them up. Some of the panels require cutting on site to ensure all of the space between the walls is filled. Off-cuts can simply stack on top of each other where required. IMPORTANT: Your cabin walls WILL settle over time. The insulation panels however, will NOT compress as the cabin settles therefore you need to cut the insulation down by at least 50mm under the roof, the purlins, all windows and the vent holes to allow the walls to settle. IF you fail to do this gaps are likely to appear near the tops of the cabin walls as the roof will rest on top of the insulation and not drop with the rest of the cabin walls. Please note: this is not the only possible cause of these types of gaps.

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Fig. 26

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Connecting boards

Fig. 29 – View inside the walls

Cut insulation 50mm lower than the height of the wall 6.3 Walls Continued – Extensions (optional extra)

Continue building the extension walls up to top log height.

7. Extensions (optional extra) Attaching connecting boards in Single Walled Extensions

• To join the cabin to the extension use the four connecting boards supplied. • Use two connecting boards on each side of the wall (Fig. 30 & 31), the longer boards go on the

outside, the shorter boards on the inside. • There should always be a gap of at least 90mm at the bottom of the connecting boards on the

inside and 40mm on the outside so that the walls can settle (the difference is due to the floor which is yet to be installed).

• Drill 6mm holes in the walls through the slots in the boards, and join the boards with the walls using 80mm (28mm walls) or 100mm (45mm walls) x M6 bolts, nuts and washers provided in extension pack. Only finger tighten these fixings to allow the bolts to move vertically in the slots.

Fig. 30

Bolts

Bearer Add connection boards inside and outside min.40mm

Wall of extension

Wall of your cabin

Insulation panel

min.90mm

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Fig. 31

7.1 Extension (optional extra) Attaching connecting boards in Dual/Tripletherm Extensions

If you have an inner wall, you need to fit wall insulation to prevent the walls from collapsing inwards where the extension meets the cabin. Dual Therm Cabins are not normally supplied with insulation but we supply you with one sheet of 70mm thick insulation to pack out the walls at this point. Cut the insulation sheet in half, or more (if necessary due to windows), but no less than 300mm wide (it needs to be quite wide so that it won’t fall over once in place) and slot it in between the walls in the extension from the top. The insulation should be positioned within the extension walls right next to the middle wall (Fig. 32). Fig. 32 Once the wall insulation is in place you can fit the connecting boards. With a Dual/Tripletherm extension you attach the extension walls to the main cabin differently to the method used in a single wall extension, please refer to Fig. 33 below.

Shows insulation panel position – needs to be cut shorter

Cut insulation 50mm lower than the height of the wall

Add connection boards inside and outside

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Fig. 33 Use the longer 120mm x 19mm connecting boards on the outside and shorter 120mm x 19mm boards on the inside. Always leave a gap of approx. 40mm at the bottom of the connecting boards so that as the walls settle the boards continue to free float rather than transferring the weight of the roof through these boards (instead of the wall) to the floor. If necessary cut these boards to length to leave this gap. For the 120mm x 19mm boards, pre-drill 2-3mm diameter holes in the walls, through the middle of the slots in the boards, and join the boards with the walls using 50mm x M6 hex nut screws. The 38mm x 19mm connecting boards should be positioned tight against the inner wall to hold it back against the insulation. Drill 6mm holes, though the middle of the slots in these boards, and through the middle wall (between the cabin and extension); then bolt the boards either side of this using 80mm (for 28mm wall) or 100mm (for 45mm wall) x M6 bolts, washers and nuts. Do not connect this board to the extension inner wall itself, it is designed to free-float next to it. Do not overtighten any of these fixings as they need to be loose enough to allow the bolts to move up and down in the slots as the cabin walls increase and decrease in height with humidity changes.

40mm gap

Internal connecting board 120x19mm profile with slots, covers over most of the unused wall log notches.

Internal connecting board 38x19mm profile with single slots, holds back extension inner wall.

External connecting board 120x19mm profile with slots, connects outer cabin wall logs to extension wall logs.

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7.2 Trims around the walkthrough in extensions (optional extra extension)

Fig. 34 Unless you have bought the Extension Dividing Wall option you will need to fit trims around the walkthrough area. These trims are U shaped and fit around the wall logs; in the component list they have the pre-fix S28 or S45. The piece with two chamfered ends should be attached to the bottom of the wall log running above the walkthrough using 70mm screws. The other lengths have slots in them and should be attached through the top of those slots to the walls on each side of the walkthrough using 50mm M6 hex nut screws and washers. When fixing these please ensure that there is a gap of approx. 40mm between the trim and any floor board or floor edging trim below it, so that the walls can settle without this trim holding them up.

8. Walls - Storage Walls (optional extra)

Fig. 35

S28/45 U-trim

S28/45 U-trim S28/45 U-trim

40mm

Support battens

Storage wall with optional single door

40mm gap

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In most types of cabins storage walls can be installed; these make an extra room in your log cabin without having an extension. This wall is secured inside the cabin by attaching wooden support battens to the wall; it is your decision where the storage wall is placed and how big your new room is going to be. You will need to build these walls after building other walls but before apexes and purlins are put into place. You will also need to install the floor boards as per section 17, so please follow the instructions in section 17 and return here after that. You will also need to have bought an extra single or double door to fix into either this wall or your external wall in order to be able to access the newly formed room; see example in Fig.35 and use Generic Window and Door instructions to fit these if you have bought them. Dual/Tripletherm - The storage walls are designed to fit single walled cabins and need to be cut to length if fitted into a Dual/Tripletherm cabin. So before following the instructions below you will need to cut the wall logs down to length. If fitting to a 130mm or 145mm thick walled cabin cut the length of the apex down by 100mm on each side (so that the apex remains central). The wall logs themselves can be cut down by 200mm on one end as they do not have a shape to follow, so there is no need to cut them at each end. Place the support battens vertically on the wall in the positions needed to support your storage wall and fix them in place. Make sure you leave a gap of about 30-40mm, for expansion/contraction of wall logs, at the bottom of the battens (Fig.36). To fix them pre-drill the wall, through the slots in the battens, with a smaller drill bit (2-3mm) and then use the 65mm x M6 Hex nut screws and washers to secure the support battens to the walls through the slots in the battens. 9. Apex and purlins – All Cabins

IMPORTANT - Use a spirit level to check that all of the walls are upright and square prior to fixing purlins, if necessary push the walls to get them upright before fixing purlins and roof boards. 9.1 Apex and purlins – Single Walled Cabins

The roof boards are supported by apexes and purlins; roof apexes are provided with pre-cut notches for the purlins. With single walled cabins simply slot the apex onto the top wall logs and then slot the purlins into the apex and secure each purlin in place using two 70mm screws screwed at an angle through the apex into the purlin. (Fig. 37 inset)

Use a step ladder to install purlins and roof boards. Do not put your weight on the roof before all roof boards are secured. If you need to fix felt etc. only one person may be on the roof at a time. Spread your weight evenly and the weight of any roof coverings. You should not stand or put point loads on the roof.

With some apex sections you may find you need to unscrew the bottom wall log in order to slot the other side’s wall logs into position. The apex wall logs are held together with screws from the top, which can be unscrewed if you need to do this, be careful with the weakened apex when this is done as the notched out sections may mean there is only a small amount of timber holding the rest of the apex together.

Secure using M6 x 65mm screws and washers

40mm

Fig. 36

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Fig. 37 9.2 Apex and Purlins - Dual/Tripletherm Cabins AND Storage Wall (optional extras) The Dual/Tripletherm cabins AND storage wall apexes do not come with notches in them for the purlins. Before you put the apexes into place for the main cabin lay one of them on top of the Dual/Tripletherm cabin or storage wall apex, lining up the top edges of the apexes directly over each other. Then, using the main cabin apex as a template, mark the notch positions on the other apex. Next, measure the FULL height of each purlin (typically 140mm or 210mm) and mark the notches on the Dual/Tripletherm cabin or storage wall apex to these depths. Using a saw, cut the Dual/Tripletherm cabin or storage wall apex notches to the full height of the purlins, you may also need to cut into the wall log below the purlin to achieve this full height notch (Fig. 38 shows an example of this with 140mm high purlins). Please note: The purlins are designed to rest on the outer walls of the cabin as well as any walkthrough wall or dividing wall of an extension (if you have bought an extension). They should free float with the inner walls of a Dual/Triple Therm Cabin and/or the storage wall, so should not usually rest on these inner walls or storage walls when the cabin is first built. Slot the purlins into place and use 2 x 70mm screws at an angle to screw the purlins to the outer walls at each point where they meet. (Fig. 37 in section 9.1) DO NOT screw the purlins to the inner walls or storage wall. You may notice that the inner walls are not in line with the tops of the purlins and there will be gaps between the inner walls and the roof boards once fitted. There are trims supplied to cover the gaps at the top of the inner wall that will be fixed to the roof boards once they are in place, this is covered later on in (section 15.1) after the roof boards have been fitted. Fig. 38

140

140

140

140

Cut this notch into full log

45 45 45 45

Screw all purlins into apex using 2x70mm screws at an angle. Pre-drill these to avoid splitting the timber.

Do not notch the purlins.

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9.3 Apex – Dual Therm Cabins In a Triple Therm Cabin the insulation will prevent the apexes from leaning backwards against the outer walls, for a Dual Therm you need to add trims to do this. You need to do this for BOTH inner wall apexes. Cut 100mm long pieces from the 19mm x 19mm timber trims. You will need four of these for every purlin that you have. These trims are packed in the main cabin pack. Pre-drill and use 35mm screws to attach these pieces to both sides of the purlin in the positions shown in Figs. 23 & 24 Do Not fix them to the apexes. The purpose of these timbers is to stop the inner apexes from being pushed backwards against the outer walls at some point in the future. There are also trims which you attach later which will hold the inner apexes on the inside face as well. The inner apexes can then slide up and down in relation to the purlins within these trims and remain in an upright position.

Trim

Trim

Purlin External front or back wall

Trim

Internal front or back wall

Trim

Please note: The external wall of the cabin is hidden to show trims position.

Trim

Purlin

19x19mm trim

Internal apex

Trim

View from the top

35mm screws

Fig. 39

Fig. 24

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Join the roof purlins (Fig. 41) using the metal connectors (Fig. 42). Use eight 80mm bolts per connector. Mount them to the purlins and predrill holes for bolts using a 6mm drill bit.

If you do not have enough space for the bottom part of the metal connector under the purlin, unbolt the bottom part and join the purlins using only the top part of the metal connector.

9.4 Apex and Purlins – Extensions Extensions use metal connectors and bolts to join the extension and cabin purlins (Figs. 40, 41 & 42). Also use 2 x 70mm screws at an angle to secure the purlins to the outer cabin walls and the middle walkthrough/dividing wall of the extension (not the inner walls, in the case of Dual/Tripletherm). Fig. 40 Fig. 41

Fig. 42 If you do have enough space for the bottom part leave it attached and secure it to the wall using 30mm screws. You do not have to leave a gap between this bottom part and any horizontal support such as the walkthrough trim as there will be very little movement due to settling between these two points.

Main log cabin

Extension

Metal connector for purlins

Screw purlin into apex using 2x70mm screws at an angle. Pre-drill these to avoid splitting the timber.

Roof purlin of main cabin Roof purlin of extension

Middle wall

Top part of connector M6x80mm bolts (8 of required)

Bottom part of connector

Middle wall

2x30mm screws

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10. Roof boards – All Cabins Begin to install your roof boards from the edge of the roof: - Tap the boards lightly together (IMPORTANT! leave a gap of approx. 2mm, Fig. 43, to allow for expansion). Fig. 43 - Secure to the purlins and top wall logs using nails, one nail per joining point. The roof boards must be flush with the ends of the purlins; it may be necessary to cut the last 2 roof boards along their lengths to achieve this. IMPORTANT - In a Dual/Tripletherm log cabin and/or with a Storage wall it is very important that you do not nail the roof boards into the inner wall/storage wall, you should only nail them to the outer wall and purlins so that the inner walls and storage wall can free float.

11. Roof insulation (optional extra) Please refer to the cutting sheets shown on your specific cabin instructions to find out how to orientate and cut the insulation boards. - After the roof boards have been attached, start from one side of the cabin and place the insulation boards on top of the roof boards, lay the boards with the insulation facing down and the particle board on top; insulation boards may require cutting on site to the right dimensions. - Screw the 35mm thick insulation panels down to the roof boards using 50mm screws; fix screws around the edge of the panels at approximately 450-500mm apart. IMPORTANT - screws are only 4mm shorter than the combined thickness of the insulation and roof boards so do not over tighten. 12. Roof trims – Standard Non-insulated Roof Cabins and Garages Please note that roof edge reinforcing and eave edging trims are supplied in different lengths for cabins which require cutting on site. Garages are supplied with a 19x19 roof reinforcing trim and no eaves edging trim. - Fit the roof edge reinforcement (19x38) to the underside of the roof boards; screw up into the roof boards at regular intervals, using 35mm screws (Fig. 44). - For garages fit the roof edge reinforcement (19x19) to the underside of the roof boards; screw up into the roof boards at regular intervals, using 35mm screws (Fig. 44). No eaves edging is supplied. - Fit the eave edging boards (19x70) to the roof edge reinforcements (Fig.44). Position the top of the eave edging board to be flush with the top of the roof boards and not higher. Fix the eave edging boards to the roof edge reinforcing trims using 35mm screws. Now you will need to fit the roof covering before then fitting the fascia boards. So please continue with the roof felt and shingles section.

2 2

Roof edge reinforcing trim

Eave edging board

Eave edging board

Cabin with apex on the front

Cabin with apex on the side

Fig. 44

27

12.1 Roof Trims – Insulated Roof Cabins (optional extra) Please note that roof edge reinforcing and eave edging trims are supplied in different lengths which require cutting on site: - Fit the roof edge reinforcement (19x38) to the underside of the roof boards; screw up into the roof boards, using 35mm screws (Fig. 30). - Fix the eave edging trim (19x70) using the provided L brackets. To do this, screw the brackets onto the back of these trims at approx. 1m intervals using 20mm screws, and then fix the other side of the L onto the top of the roof insulation (Fig. 45). Now fit your roof felt/shingles or other roof covering before then fitting the fascia boards, see following sections. 13. Roof felt and shingles (optional extra) If you have bought Roof felt or shingles from us the instructions on how to install these are provided here, please DO NOT follow the instructions on the felt or shingles packs themselves. If you have not bought roof felt or shingles from us then you will still need to provide some other suitable roof covering to protect the building. Please be aware that the Log cabin roof is not designed to take the weight of heavy tiles etc. The felt shingles that we sell have a weight of approx. 10-15 kg per m2.

Fig. 45

Eave edging board

Roof edge reinforcing trim

Cabin with apex on the side

Cabin with apex on the front

Roof edge reinforcing trim

Eave edging board

28

13.1 Felt fitting instructions (optional extra) Silicone, roof membrane and felt glue are not supplied All installations where we supply the felt and where we carry out the installation should have a membrane fitted to the roof underneath the felt. Fully cover the roof boards with the plastic waterproof membrane, then use a staple gun or tacks to secure the membrane to the roof boards. Starting at the lowest edge of the roof, lay the felt horizontally across the roof boards (Fig. 23). Make sure that the lowest edge of the felt overhangs the edge of the roof by approximately 30mm (Fig. 46). Nail at approximately 200mm centres

Overlap by 200mm if you need to connect two rows of felt

Continue laying down the next layers of felt and nail into the roof boards at 200mm centres horizontally and with 300mm spacing vertically. Overlap the layers by 200mm and seal any joints using felt glue (not supplied)

Fig. 46

Fig. 47

29

When the felt has reached the ridge, fold over a length of felt to cover both sides of the upper layers by 200mm or more, seal the joints and nail together, make sure to nail the felt on both sides of the ridge (Fig. 49)

13.2 Shingle fitting instructions (optional extra)

Please ignore the instructions on the shingle packs, please use these instead.

1. First fully cover the roof boards with the plastic waterproof membrane, then use a staple gun or tacks to secure the membrane to the roof boards.

2. Our shingles come in two types, the hex shingles have a peelable plastic backing which must be removed before installing them on the roof, the rectangular shingles have a thin clear strip on the back marked ‘DO NOT REMOVE’, do not peel this off.

3. Starting at the lowest edge of the cabin roof, place a row of shingles over the top of the roof membrane with the slots/hexagons running upwards and the black edge of the shingle overhanging the roof by 15-20mm. Nail along the bottom edge of the tile using 4 of the clout

Fig. 48

Fig. 49

30

nails supplied. Carefully trim off any excess at the end of the row and keep any full segments (1/3 of a tile) (Fig. 50)

4. Lay a second layer of shingles directly on top of the first row, however this time rotate the shingles 180° so that the slots/hexagons are running downwards. Each row of shingles needs to be offset so cut the first strip in half. Nail through the centre band of the tile using 4 nails supplied. (Fig. 51)

5. Lay the next row of shingles with the slots/hexagons in the downwards position, off setting the tiles by half a segment. Secure by nailing through the centre band (Fig. 52).

6. Continue to lay shingles in rows off-set and overlapping each row until you have reached the ridge. (Use off-cuts to fill in the spaces at the beginning and end of the rows.

7. Repeat these steps until both sides of the roof are covered by shingles. 8. To complete the ridge of the cabin, you first need to cut the remaining rows of shingles into

three segments and taper the adhesive edge of each segment to make the roof tiles (Fig. 53). 9. Rotate 90°, gently bend over the ridge and secure the ridge tiles in position with nails in all

corners at the opposite end of the roof from the prevailing wind (Fig. 54).

Fig. 50

Fig. 51

Fig. 52

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14. Fascia Boards – All Cabins - Using 35mm screws attach the fascia boards (19x96) to the wind braces (19x19) to form an upside-down L shape and then use 50mm screws to attach these to the roof purlins (Fig. 55). If you have insulation this will look more like Fig. 56, the method of attaching is the same though. - Finally, attach the two trapezoids to the fascia boards with 35mm screws.

Wind brace 35mm screws Fascia board

50mm screws

Wind brace, should be positioned on top of the roof covering on apex sides.

Roof board Purlin

Fascia board goes always to the apex side

Trapezoid

Fascia board

Eave edging board

Cross section view

Fig. 55

Roof material

Insulation board

Roof boards

Purlin

Fascia board

Wind brace Fig. 56

[

Fig. 53

Fig. 54

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15. Internal Apex Trims – Single Wall Cabins These trims should be positioned inside the cabin walls on single walled cabins only. They are designed to cover any obvious gap between the apex and roof boards. These trims should be cut to fit in between the purlins and side walls and butted up against the wall logs and the roof boards and then screwed up into the roof boards with 35mm screws (Fig. 57). Be careful not to overtighten the screws as they may otherwise protrude through the roof. 15.1 Internal Trims - Dual/Tripletherm Cabins, Storage Walls and Extension Dividing Walls There should be a gap between the inner walls and the roof that will need covering. The covering trims (28mm x 65mm) should be cut to length and abutted where needed to cover these gaps. You will need to pre-drill and use 80mm screws screwing up through the covering trim to do this. IMPORTANT - The combined length of the covering trim and roof board is only 4mm more than the screw, do not countersink the screw beyond flush, or it can protrude through the roof. - When fixing the covering trim along the internal eave edge the angled side of the trim should be against the roof so that the trim is near vertical (Fig. 58). - When fixing the covering trim in between purlins the angled side should be at the bottom so that the trim is near vertical (Fig. 59). - Cut the trims to fit the gaps and abut them where needed. - Only fix the trims to the roof, not to the walls, the trims are designed to free float next to the walls as the cabin settles. Fig. 58

Fig. 57

19x19mm trims

19x19mm trims

Roof board

Covering trim

Internal wall 80mm screws

Roof board

External wall

Covering trim

80mm screws

Internal wall

Cross section view

33

Fig. 59 - There are also triangular shaped pieces of wood to attach underneath the purlins to cover the gap between the bottom of the purlin and the internal wall (Fig. 59). Screw these up into the purlins, using 50 mm screws, to cover these gaps and do not fix them to the wall. - If you have purlins over doors and windows you may find that you have to cut down this triangular piece of wood to fit it above the window/door initially, and then as the cabin settles over time you may need to cut it down further to allow the roof to settle down correctly, or remove it altogether, in order to not have the purlin resting on the door or window frame at this point. 16. Guttering (optional extras)

1. Start with the rear wall of the cabin.

2. In the guttering pack will be provided wooden wedges which you should fix to the eaves edging using one screw per wedge. The outermost wedges should be positioned approximately 200mm from the ends of the eaves edging (Fig. 60). (Note - the wooden wedges are there to create a right angle for the guttering brackets to fix to. If the pitch of your roof is very shallow, you do not need to use the wedges.)

3. Next, fix the support brackets to the wooden wedges using two screws per bracket.

4. Connect the stop end outlet to one end of a length of guttering, and connect a gutter union to

the other. Click the gutter into the support bracket nearest to the edge of the cabin where you would like to position the water butt.

5. Fix the gutter union to the wooden wedge with one screw, ensuring that there is 1 degree of fall towards the water butt to allow the gutter to drain.

6. Connect the next gutter section to the second union and click this assembly into the first union and screw to the wooden wedge (Fig. 62).

7. Between the two gutter unions, position centrally a support bracket, mark with a pencil and screw to the wooden wedge, after removing the gutter to gain access.

Covering trim

80mm screws

Internal wall

Purlin

Roof board

Roof board

Purlin

Covering trim

80mm screws

Internal wall External wall

Cross section view

Triangular Trim

34

8. Continue adding gutter sections depending on the length of the log cabin repeating the previous steps and finish off by connecting the stop end to the last section of gutter (which may need to be trimmed to the correct length). The stop end should finish approximately flush with the end of the eaves edging (Fig. 63)

9. Connect the downpipe to the stop end outlet (Fig. 64) and at the same time position the water butt with stand into its rough location. Mark and trim the downpipe so it engages into the water butt by about 150mm. Note – the hole in the lid of the water butt needs to be cut out to suit the diameter of the downpipe. Once you are happy, screw the downpipe bracket to the support arm (a piece of timber spare from the cabin construction).

10. If you have purchased a modern roof cabin you will be fitting guttering to the front wall of the cabin. We recommend fitting the water butt for the front wall around the side of the cabin in this case. To do this use the 90 degree gutter angle and gutter off cuts (Fig. 65). Trim the fascia board on this side of the cabin so that it is flush with the eaves edging. Cut the spare logs and use to fix downpipe support bracket to provide extra rigidity for the gutter.

Fig. 60

Fig. 61

Fig. 62

Fig. 63

Fig. 64

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17. Floor Insulation (optional extra)

If you have bought floor insulation (25mm thick) this should be installed at this point prior to putting down the floor boards.

You should have at this point already screwed in place the first layer of wall logs as per section 3.1, which will hold the bearers in place. Now cut the sheets of insulation to fit tightly into the gaps between the bearers, then just push the clips into the sides of the insulation (about 400-500mm apart) and simply rest the clips on the bearers (Fig. 66). Fig. 66

Once the insulation has been installed you can then fix the 10x45mm profile trims to the ends of the bearers. These trims are fixed into position by screwing through the 10x45mm profile and into the

Clip Clip Clip

Bearer Bearer Bearer

Fig. 65

36

ends of the bearers using 1x20mm screw per connection (see Fig. 37). Repeat this process for both ends of the bearers. Please note that you may need to measure and cut these trims to length on site. Fig. 37

17.1 Floor Boards - Dual/TripleTherm Cabin If you have bought a Dual/TripleTherm Cabin you should install the floor boards as per section 17.4 very early in the building process before getting over 2-3 logs high on the external walls. Do NOT fit the floor edge trim (19x38) as the gap that it covers will be hidden between the walls anyway. You may wish to cover the floor boards with plastic sheeting or similar once they are installed to protect them from dirt and the weather whilst you build the rest of your cabin. 17.2 Floor Boards – Storage Wall (optional extra) If you have bought a storage wall you will need to install the floor boards as per section 17.3 once you have built the walls of the cabin but before you put the purlins in. You may wish to cover the floor boards with plastic sheeting or similar once they are installed to protect them from dirt and the weather whilst you build the rest of your cabin. 17.3 Floor Boards – All Cabins - The floor boards run at right angles to the bearers. - Lay the first board at one side of the cabin onto the bearers with a gap between it and the 3 surrounding walls; for 28mm thick walls this gap is typically 22mm and for 45mm thick walls it is typically 5mm. This gap is to allow for expansion and will be covered by a trim. - Using 35mm/40mm nails for 19mm floor boards, or 50mm nails for 28mm floor boards, nail through into the bearers beneath. Use one nail per joint (bearer-floor board).

10x45mm

37

- Place subsequent boards on the bearers, tapping them lightly together (IMPORTANT! leave a gap of approx. 2mm between the boards (Fig. 67), and a uniform gap around the perimeter of the walls) and nail into place.

Fig. 67

- If you have an extension on your cabin just continue the run of floor boards through to the end of the extension, cutting around the wall logs in the middle wall that runs between the cabin and extension. - You may need to cut the last board to fit; leave the same approx. 2mm gap between the boards and uniform perimeter gap around the cabin walls. - Once the floor boards are down, you will need to trim around the edge of the floor boards next to the walls and door with 19mm x 38mm or 19mm x 19mm floor edge trims (Please check component list in specific installation manual), to cover the gap left between the floor boards and the walls. Cut them to length, pre-drill the trim and screw sideways through the 38mm width of the trim into the walls using 55mm screws at regular intervals. 18. Storm braces – Single Walled Cabins

Ensure that the floor edge trims are already fitted, and the apex trims, then:

- The storm braces are fitted vertically on the inside or the outside (single wall only) of the cabin depending on your preference, and join the apex to the first, second or third log from the floor (depending upon how tall the cabin is).

- The slot in the storm brace should be positioned at the bottom and the hole should be near the roof. The storm brace should be positioned so that it touches/almost touches the apex trims at the top and leaves a gap of approx. 30-40mm between it and the floor edge trims (Fig. 68) at the bottom.

- The storm braces are usually installed approx. 100-300mm from the inner corners of the apex ends of your cabin, but the gap below the storm brace is the more important measurement to allow for movement vertically, so they can be mounted further from the corner if required.

- The Storm braces should be fitted to your cabin using the 6mm thick x 60mm long (28mm wall), or 80mm long (45mm wall), bolts and washers. Hex nuts and / or Wingnuts may be supplied together with the bolts.

- Drill a hole through the wall of the cabin, in the apex, for the bolt supplied and bolt the top of the storm brace to the apex using either a hex nut or wingnut.

- Drill a hole in the wall of the cabin through the slot in the storm brace, (Fig. 68) to fix it near to the bottom of the wall. If wingnuts are supplied use these for the bolt going through the slot for ease of loosening when needed.

- Do not over tighten the wingnut on the bolt in the slot. Leave this only finger tight so that the wall logs can settle and then contract and expand with humidity changes.

- Once the cabin has had time to become accustomed to its new location, usually within a few months, you should adjust/move the braces so that the wall logs can continue to move.

Fig. 68

In single wall log cabins fix the storm braces on the internal side

Keep approx. 30mm – 40mm gap between floor trim and storm brace.

2 2

38

18.1 Storm Braces – Dual/Tripletherm cabins

• The storm braces are fitted vertically on the outside of the cabin, and join the apex to the first, second or third log from the floor (depending upon how tall the cabin is).

• The slot in the storm brace should be positioned at the bottom and the hole should be near the roof.

• The storm brace should be positioned so that it is close to the roof at the top and leaves a gap of at least 30-40mm (usually much more) between it and the base (Fig. 69) at the bottom.

• The storm braces are usually installed approx. 100-300mm from the inner corners of the apex ends of your cabin, but the gap below the storm brace is the more important measurement to allow for movement vertically, so they can be mounted further from the corner if required.

• The Storm braces should be fitted to your cabin using the 50mm M6 bolts and washers. Hex nuts and / or Wingnuts may be supplied together with the bolts.

• Drill a small hole (2-3mm) for the hex nut screw supplied and screw the top of the storm brace to the apex using either a hex nut or wingnut.

• Drill a small hole (2-3mm) in the wall through the slot in the storm brace, (Fig. 69) to fix it near to the bottom of the wall. If wingnuts are supplied use these for the bolt going through the slot for ease of loosening when needed.

• Do not over tighten the hex nut screw in the slot, so that the wall logs can settle and then contract and expand with humidity changes.

• Once the cabin has had time to become accustomed to its new location, usually within a few months, you should adjust/move the braces so that the wall logs can continue to move.

Fig. 69

18.2 Storm Braces – Extensions

There are two storm braces supplied with an extension. These should be fitted to the middle wall (the wall between the main cabin and extension) using bolts, nuts and washers. Use 60mm bolts for a 28mm middle wall or 80mm bolts for a 45mm middle wall. They are fitted in the same manner as described in 18, as the middle wall for an extension is always a single wall (even for Dual/Triple Therm cabins). The four storm braces supplied with the cabin should be fitted as described in either section 18 or 18.1, as applicable, to the other two apex walls. The storm braces from both extension and cabin packs are identical so it doesn’t matter if you mix up their locations.

Position storm brace with slot on the bottom

In Dual/Tripletherm log cabin storm braces are fixed on the external side of the log cabin

39

19. Vents in Apex – All Cabins With each log cabin we provide plastic vents to be fixed into the roof apexes. These will aid good ventilation and help to prevent problems with excess humidity such as excessive log movement. Holes for the vents are pre-drilled (the position of the hole depends on the type of log cabin roof apex). Use 20mm screws provided to fix vents in position. Do not cover these ventilation holes and stop air going through. If you use your cabin in a particularly humid or dry manner you may also need to periodically open windows/doors to ventilate or fit additional ventilation/heating/dehumidifiers.

19.1 Vents in Apex - Single walled log cabin

With a single wall log simply attach the vents to the inside and outside of the single wall over the pre-drilled hole in both apexes (Fig. 70 & 71) the meshed grill goes on the inside, the slatted grill on the outside with the slats positioned downwards to help keep rain water out.

Fig. 70

Fig. 71

19.2 Vents in Apex – Dual/Tripletherm wall log cabin

In Dual/Tripletherm log cabins you should only fit the external vent as shown on Fig. 70 to the external apex. You should fit the internal vent to the inside of the internal apex as shown in Fig. 72. If the hole for the vent is not pre-drilled in the internal apex use the external log cabin apex as a guide for drilling it. Triple Therm Cabins - You need to have cut out the PUR insulation sheet below the ventilation holes as shown in Fig. 28 back in section 6.2. This is so that the gap is still present between the external and internal apexes as the logs of the cabin settle and drop over time.

External side of log cabin apex

Internal side of log cabin apex

40

Fig. 72

20. Securing windows and doors against sideways movement – All Cabins Once the cabin is completely assembled unscrew and remove the metal Dunster House logo from the top part of all window and door frames. Check the frame is square (angles are 90 degrees and diagonal measurements are equal, Fig. 73) Pre-drill a 2-3mm diameter hole in the wall through the slot and fix the frame to the first wall log immediately above the window/door opening using a 35mm hex nut screw and washer. Position this screw near the top of the slot (Fig. 73) and only screw it in lightly. It is designed to move vertically but prevent sideways movement, helping the correct operation of the window or door. Now screw the metal Dunster House logo back into place for a neat finish. As your cabin settles you may need to adjust the position of these screws.

Internal side of internal log cabin apex

Position the screw towards the top of the slot.

Position the screw towards the top of the slot.

Fig. 73

41

21. Installing additional windows and doors You may have bought additional windows and doors for your cabin in which case you need to follow these instructions to make apertures for those windows/doors. You can assemble the window/door frames as outlined in the above sections of these instructions. Make sure that you have enough space to fix the door/window. The dimensions of the opening for various types of doors and windows are given in the table below. The minimum distance (A) from the opening of the cabin wall is 100mm for single walled cabins. If you are going to fix a door or window on the apex side of the cabin, the distance (C) from the opening to the above purlin should be at least 95mm. If you are going to fix more than one window/door on the wall keep at least 100mm distance (B) between the two openings. To cut the aperture, first drill a hole in the cabin wall, and then use a jig saw to accurately cut out the space required. Unscrew the internal trims of the window or door frame to allow you to insert the frame into the prepared opening (Fig. 74). Then screw the internal trims back on to secure the window or door in place in the wall, making sure that the door or window sash and frame are all square, level and plumb.

Aperture Dimensions TYPE OF

DOOR/WINDOW APERTURE

WIDTH APERTURE

HEIGHT Double Doors 1675mm 17.5 Logs Single Door 870mm 17.5 Logs

Single Window 790mm 11 Logs

22. Installing door sashes – all cabins

Once the frame of the door is in place and the cabin has been assembled, you need to fit the door sashes. The hinges for the door are pre-fitted to both the frame and the outer sashes. Lift the door sash onto the door frame by lining up these hinges and lowering the sash down onto the hinges. Now try to close

Fig. 74

42

the doors. If you find that the doors do not close properly, because the sashes are not level, you need to adjust the hinges. To do this open the door and lift off from the hinges. Next you can wind in or out each hinge on the door sash in order to move the sash into line with the frame (Fig. 75). If you need to adjust the gap between the frame and the sash then you can screw in or out each hinge on the frame (Fig. 76).

23. Fixing the glass inside window and door sashes – all cabins

1. Place the glass into the aperture in the sash. 2. If you have bought double glazing, you need to put packers at the bottom of the aperture on the

hinge side and at the top of the closing side for doors and at the bottom and the sides for windows (Figs. 77 and 78). If the gap between the sealed unit and the top or the side of the sash frame is bigger than 5mm, use additional 1mm packers.

3. Secure the glass in place with the supplied trims on the internal side of the window or door sash. Use pin nails to attach these trims.

4. On the external side use clear silicone (not supplied) to seal around the edge of the glass where it meets the frame.

Fig. 75 Fig. 76

Fig. 77

43

24. Georgian bar and drip bar installation

Fig. 78

Fig. 79

44

Congratulations! Your cabin is almost complete. Just treat with a suitable preservative or paint, adjust door hinges (if required) then relax and enjoy!

Do not forget that verandas are available for most cabins, to make that outdoor experience even more pleasurable; perfect for the barbeque or party season!

25. Trouble Shooting / Maintenance

Many of the below topics are also covered in our online guidance videos. www.dunsterhouse.co.uk/troubleshooting-video-guides/premiumpluscabins 1. Missing some of the assembly instructions. How can I get them?

E-mail Customer Services cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk who can send a PDF attachment.

2. Missing/Damaged Components parts. What should I do?

Please note: We always provide you with one spare log (which is always the longer of the two sides), which may be used or cut down and used as a replacement in the event of a missing or damaged log/s. We also provide you with one spare floor board which can be used as a replacement floor board or cut down to form a spare roof board in the event of one of these being missing or damaged beyond use.

Fig. 80

45

Bearing in mind those spare parts, if you are still missing parts required for construction of the Cabin please double check all components against the component list (which will show 1 extra longest style of wall log and 1 extra floor board, compared to what is actually needed) and e-mail our customer services department, cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk, with details of what is missing using the code number from the component list, please also include your order number. To check the number of components required you can also look at the elevation diagrams and count the wall logs in each section to check how many are actually required.

3. Broken timber next to notch. How do I fix it? Very occasionally, a notch from the end of a log may split at the notch and part of the notch may come away. To repair this, simply hold the piece of timber in place, where it should be. Pre-drill a hole through the broken piece in to the notch of the log. Drill through the Tongue and Groove so that it will not be visible once assembled. Take the broken piece, and apply wood glue to the broken face. Hold tight in position and screw together using a suitable screw through the predrilled hole to repair the notch. Use a tissue to remove excess glue. 4. Warped Timber.

Timber is natural, warped timber is unavoidable, and can warp in the pack even after we have packaged it. With longer and larger sections of timber such as those in log cabins warping is far more likely to occur than in smaller sections.

If you come across warped timber whilst building your log cabin you can straighten it either by hand or (if thicker sections) using clamps and wooden blocks at each end of the timber, whether it be wall logs, trims or floor/roof boards etc.

If the first wall logs that you are placing on top of the bearers are warped, select different wall logs, as slotting in these warped wall logs higher up the wall will be easier than trying to twist them and fix them to the bearers. If it is the half wall logs that are warped then you cannot select different logs, as there won’t be any, but these logs always lie in line with the bearers so can be twisted straight using clamps and then fixed to the bearer with multiple screws to hold them reasonably straight.

If you do have warped timber we would recommend using these logs as low down in the wall (not the first row) as possible, as once twisted into place the weight of the cabin will hold the logs straight.

If it is the bearers themselves that are twisted then the most twisted of them can be screwed together at the sides of the cabin (where the bearers are doubled up), with the twists working in opposite directions so that they act to straighten each other out a bit and then when the half wall log is screwed to them which can also help to straighten them. The weight of the log cabin itself will also straighten these pieces as the cabin is built. With these techniques there are extremely few warped timbers that cannot be immediately used.

Once these bearers and first wall logs are in place the next wall logs slot into place and if needed can be twisted straight using clamps whilst being knocked down using a hammer and hammering block (block of timber to protect the wall log from the hammer). Twisted roof and floor boards can also be

46

straightened out as necessary either by hand or with a set of clamps at each end and then nailed down into place, as can trims/purlins etc. if needed.

If you cannot physically twist the timber manually, or with clamps, you can lay the timber out on a flat surface and apply water and weights to it to straighten it over the course of a few days.

5. I have splits/knot holes in my timber.

As timber is a natural product, splits/knot holes may occur. The quality of our timber is very high for our industry, so problems are unlikely to occur due to this but if you feel that these splits/knot holes will cause structural problems with your cabin then please send photographs to our Customer Services team in order for them to assess.

Please note that the vast majority of splits/knot holes will not affect the integrity of the timber and cannot be guaranteed against.

6. How to remove windows and doors.

If you need to remove an entire window or door for any reason you can do this quite simply without having to dismantle the walls of the cabin.

Fig. 80

First remove the Dunster House Logo and unscrew the locking hex nut screw behind it that holds the window/door in place at the top of the frame. Then go inside the cabin and unscrew the inner boards on the window/door frame (see Fig. 80).

Make sure that you have someone outside the cabin holding the window/door as you unscrew these boards to prevent the window/door from falling out when it is released.

To refit the window/door simply reposition back in the hole in the wall logs and refit the boards and hex nut screw and logo.

47

7. My doors have become stuck. How can I adjust them?

After installation the cabin will settle and this movement can cause doors to become stuck. Below are a number of steps that may solve this problem, they are in no particular order:

- The most likely reason for the doors to drop if you have double glazing is that the timber in the door sash has expanded or contracted since the installation, causing the heavy glass units to be unbalanced and pull the door out of square. To correct this you will need to re-pack the sealed units in the door. To perform this please refer to page 41 of this document, and remove the beading on the doors, to correctly position the packers once more.

- Check to see if the frame is square (90 degree angles in the corners and diagonals measurements equal). If it is not you can remove the locking M6 hex nut screw in the slot above the door and then push the door square before then reattaching this screw. If you find it difficult to straighten up the frame, it may be because the wall logs have moved due to strong winds. To first straighten the wall logs push the walls in the top corners of the cabin. You can also add additional screws at the bottom of the frame screwing through the frame into the wall below the window to prevent sideways movement at the bottom of the frame.

- Adjust the hinges. Fully open the door sashes and lift them off of their hinges. The hinges on both the sash and the frame will twist in and out to allow you to adjust how the sashes sit in the frame. Twist these around to move the sash as required and then put the door sashes back onto the frame to check if this has fixed the issue, repeat as necessary. If this does not fix the issue you may need to fully unscrew the door hinges and reposition them. Mark new positions for the hinges either 25mm above or below the existing hinges. Use a 7mm drill bit to drill the holes as they have been marked. The hinges should be tightened into the door frame and door sash predrilled holes leaving approximately 8mm gap between the head of the hinges and the timber. After fitting the door it may need further adjustment to fine tune the position of the door. You will then need to cover the old holes with some wood filler.

- Your cabin may not be level; if it is not, level the foundation bearers and wall logs. - Humidity/moisture could have caused the timber to move or swell. You may need to plane off

areas of the opening sash to stop the sash from hitting the frame.

8. My windows have become stuck. How can I adjust them?

After installation the cabin will settle and this movement can cause windows to become stuck. Below are a number of steps that may solve this problem, they are in no particular order:

- Check to see if the frame is square (90 degree angles in the corners and diagonal measurements equal). If it is not you can remove the locking M6 hex nut screw in the slot above the window and then push the window square before then reattaching this screw. You can also add additional screws at the bottom of the frame screwing through the frame into the wall below the window to prevent sideways movement at the bottom of the frame.

- The hinges on the windows are not adjustable, and it is very hard to unscrew and slightly reposition them as trying to screw them back in will be very hard due to the previous screw holes, so adjusting the hinges is not normally a possibility, or the cause.

- There are guide blocks (otherwise known as riser blocks) that are small wooden blocks positioned generally either side and at the bottom of the window frame. You can either plane these slightly to increase the chamfer and help guide the window more into place if it is hitting

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them prior to the chamfered edge, or you can remove them entirely if doing so does not affect the locking of the window.

- Humidity/moisture could have caused the timber to move or swell. You may need to plane off areas of the opening sash to stop the sash from hitting the frame.

- You cabin may not be level; if it is not, level the foundation bearers and wall logs.

9. Troubleshooting door locks If you find that your door is not locking correctly check the following:

- When the door is open can you turn the key and make the deadbolt come out of the locking mechanism?

- If you can then please go to the Misaligned Locks section. - If you cannot then please read below. - If the door is open and the deadbolt doesn’t move when you turn the key, then you need to

remove the lock barrel and test the lock barrel to determine if the fault is with the barrel or the locking mechanism.

- To remove the barrel unscrew the locking screw which holds the lock barrel in place and then jiggle the key around until you find the right place for it to be in to remove the barrel, this will be slightly to one side of vertical.

- When the barrel is removed from the lock you will notice that, when you take out the key from the barrel, the locking arm (the bit in the middle of the barrel that spins around, usually black in colour) is slightly to one side of the barrel. This is normal and helps to prevent the barrel being removed from the lock. Anyway, to test to see if the barrel works correctly simply put the key in it and turn the key, you should see that the locking arm rotates around as you turn the key. If this is the case the barrel is operating correctly. So if the barrel is working correctly on its own but the deadbolt was not operating correctly with the door open and the barrel was within the door lock, then the problem is the door locking mechanism that pushes out the deadbolt. In this case please contact our customer services team cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk and they will advise you further.

- If you find that the door barrel on its own does not rotate the locking arm as the key is rotated, if the key can even be rotated, then the problem is with the door barrel. Please contact customer services team cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk and they will advise you further.

Misaligned locks

So the door lock is operating correctly when the door is open.

Now check to see if the door lock is properly lining up with the receiver. To check this open the master door and use the key to lock the door, this will push out the deadbolt. Push the door almost closed so that the deadbolt is resting against the other door/frame and make a pencil mark above and below the deadbolt on the receiving door/frame. Then open the master door fully (to get it out of the way) and compare your lines to the position of the receiver.

If the lock is not lining up with the receiver correctly try the following:

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- One or the other of the door sashes could have dropped so you may need to adjust the position of the hinges to move the door lock into alignment. Unscrew some or all of the hinges and reposition them to pull the door lock into the proper alignment.

- If this is not possible it may be better to reposition the receiver which will need to be unscrewed, chiselled out, and then repositioned.

- If this will not resolve the issue does the glass in the dropped doors sash need heel and toeing? To check this you need to remove the wooden beads that hold the glass in place (these are just pinned in with pin nails), then whilst holding the glass in place so that it doesn’t fall out of the door you push up the bottom of the door and see if a gap forms between the door sash and the packers. If you can fit more packers in in the places shown for heel and toeing (see glazing section in Generic Window and Door instruction manual) without undue force being used to push up the door then you should do this in order to hold the door up in this position.

- If this will not fix the problem you may find that planing/sanding away some of the top or bottom of one or the other doors helps the locks to align.

Door is stuck closed in a locked position

If your door is stuck closed in a locked position and you cannot perform these checks, first try to turn the key in the opposite direction to normal and then in the normal way, this can sometimes help to free a stuck mechanism. If this doesn’t help push up on the underneath of the door handle to lift the door slightly and then try to unlock the door with your key. If a door has dropped too much the pressure of the weight of the door on the lock can cause the lock to become stuck and pushing up on the door handle as you unlock it will release that pressure and allow you to open the lock. Once the door is open perform the checks as above.

If after trying the above methods you still have an issue with your door lock please contact our customer services team cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk.

10. There are gaps forming in the wall or between the wall and my windows/doors

Gaps can form between the wall logs for a number of reasons most of which can be overcome.

If you do get gaps in your cabin they are generally more likely to form in the first two years of the cabin life than at any other point as the cabin settles and adjusts to local humidity, which is both externally and internally created and so depends upon how you use the cabin as well as your location, base, and weather conditions.

First check to see if the storm braces need adjusting if they are holding the logs in place. Providing there is sufficient gap between the storm brace and the floor boards/floor edge trims, and that the bolt in the storm brace is positioned to allow the cabin to move in the required direction, then you can just loosen the bolts to allow the wall logs to move, closing up the gap due to the weight of the roof. Alternatively you can fully remove the storm braces (check the weather forecast to make sure no strong winds are expected) and leave the cabin for a period of up to 3 months to see if the logs will settle without the storm braces in place. Once the cabin is settled put the storm braces back on, re-drill the holes for the bolts as necessary. If you have an extension please check, and if necessary adjust, the connecting boards also, though do not remove them fully.

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Whilst doing this you can also check to make sure you have not added any other items that may prevent the cabin from settling, eg. A book case that has been screwed to the wall near its top and is resting on the floor at the bottom which would prevent the wall logs from settling between those two points; or any other items joining two or more logs together such as pipework or electrical conduits; or furniture that is touching the roof and so propping up the roof and not allowing the cabin to settle; or furniture propping up a window surround, and not allowing the window and the logs above it to settle. Check also any guttering that has been attached and loosen it/remove it temporarily if necessary.

If you have gaps appearing between the wall logs next to the windows and doors first check to see if the hex nut screws behind the Dunster House logos are resting at the bottom of the slots. If they are you will need to remove and reposition these. If this does not resolve the gaps you should remove the inner boards of the windows and doors as described in the ‘How to remove windows and doors’ section and see if the cabin walls are resting on top of the inner section of the window or door frame. When the cabin is first built you will have had a hidden gap at the top of the windows and doors which in the vast majority of cases is sufficient to allow the wall logs to settle without touching the top of the window and door frames, but how much the cabin settles does depend on your local climate and cabin use. If, once you have taken off the internal boards you can see that the logs are resting on top of the inner section of the window and/or door frame, then you can remove the window and/or door and cut out a section of the wall log above the window and/or door frame, as shown on the next page.

If you have the reverse of this situation, gaps forming between the top of the window/door frame (whilst the inner boards are still attached) and the wall logs then your cabin walls have increased in height by an unusual amount; again at the point of building there will have been a good coverage of the wall logs to allow movement in this direction. Excessive movement could be due to a humid use of the cabin such as a hot tub or even just people breathing without heating/ventilation so you should ensure that the vent already fitted is clear, and if it is, fit additional ventilation to the cabin to help reduce the moisture content of the air within the cabin. Excess external moisture could also be the

Cutting line

GAP GAP

GAP

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cause in which case you should treat the outside of the cabin with a water repellent product and ventilate the inside very well to allow the moisture in the logs to escape through the interior side of the walls, or, if a Dual/Triple Therm cabin, wait until dry weather has reduced the height of the cabin before then sealing the exterior side of the walls.

Check also the base of your cabin in either case, if it is out of level due to perhaps the ground settling under your foundations or the foundations being initially out of level, this can also cause problems with gaps occurring and you may find that jacking up a part of your cabin and packing underneath it will rectify these issues.

11. Additional things to look for when gaps form in Dual/Tripletherm Cabins

- Gaps in Dual/Triple Therm log cabins can be caused by the different moisture levels between internal and external walls; ensure that the internal wall is free floating. Please make sure that: All internal roof trims are ONLY screwed to the roof boards or purlins and NOT to the walls; Roof boards are only attached to the outer walls and purlins, NOT to the inner walls; and the purlins are only attached to the outer walls and NOT to the inner walls.

- In Dual/Triple Therm log cabins, ensure that all storm braces are screwed to the log cabin’s external walls only.

- In Dual/Triple Therm cabins any connecting boards (in the case of extensions) are only screwed to either the inner or outer wall, not bolted through both walls.

- The triangular cover pieces directly underneath the purlins should be cut down in height or removed, if, as the walls settle, they begin to rest on the frames of any windows and/or doors.

- In Triple Therm Cabins sometimes the wall insulation will require additional cutting down to allow the cabin walls to settle down. In this case you will need to unscrew the covering trims around the roof and use a hand saw/sharp long knife to cut down the insulation and remove it before then re-attaching the covering trims.

- Ventilate/heat/dehumidify the cabin more if you find that the inner wall is expanding in height more than the outer wall and pushing up on the roof boards.

- Heat/dehumidify less (or humidify and potentially ventilate more) if you find that the inner wall is decreasing in height more than the outer wall and leaving a gap between it and the internal roof covering trims. You can also use a water resistant treatment on the outer wall.

12. Regular Routine Maintenance

- You should treat your cabin periodically with a quality timber preservative to prolong the life of the timber, especially in areas more prone to weathering such as roof trims.

- To avoid gaps appearing between the logs you should read the above sections (10 & 11) and take preventative measures such as adjusting storm braces, connecting braces, hex nut screws above windows and doors (behind Dunster House Logos) and removing/adjusting any other items that can otherwise prevent the cabin from settling correctly.

- Periodically reapply silicone on the windows and doors if required. Wood treatment that is specifically water repellent can also help prevent your timber from soaking up rain water on any exposed elements of your cabin.

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Many of the above topics are also covered in our online guidance videos. www.dunsterhouse.co.uk/troubleshooting-video-guides/premiumpluscabins

If you couldn't find an answer to your problem in the above FAQ’s or online videos please contact our Customer Service team in writing, by either: E-mail: cs@dunsterhouse.co.uk Fax: (01234) 224497, OR, Post: Dunster House Ltd., Caxton Road, Elms Farm Industrial Estate, Bedford MK41 0LF, England. Please include your Sales Order (SO) number in any correspondence with Customer Services to enable them to locate your file.

At time of printing our Customer Service department is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

We aim to respond within 2-3 hours of receipt, however, this may be longer during busy periods.