Buying a timber garage is a big investment, so it’s important you get it right. It can be difficult to understand what kind of quality you’re getting, with prices and specifications varying widely across the market. We’re here to help guide you through this decision so that you can choose the best timber garage, whether you need a fully watertight structure or a more budget-friendly option.
When you know what to look for, your garage buying process will be stress-free, and you can be confident in your buying decision.
How to choose a long-lasting timber Garage?
If you want a timber garage that’s going to stand strong for years to come, you’ll need a building that can withstand the Scottish weather. Heavy rain, strong winds and damp conditions mean that specification matters.
Does single-skinned vs layered construction make a difference?
A timber garage with a layered wall construction will always outperform and last longer than a single-skinned garage. A single-skinned garage is basically just a big shed; one layer of timber forms the wall, with the cladding being attached straight onto the framing with nothing in between.
Single-skinned timber buildings are always susceptible to water ingress. Timber is porous, which means that moisture can build up in single-skinned buildings and cause issues such as damp and rotten boards.
We used to build our Garages as single-skinned buildings, but found that their larger size led to more water ingress issues compared to our timber Sheds. That’s why we developed our 3-Tier specification, which keeps our timber Garages completely watertight.
How important is framing when buying a garage?
Framing is the bones of your garage – it’s holding everything up, so it’s key that it’s strong and sturdy. We use 95mm x 45mm pressure-treated C24-Graded framing as a minimum, which is the sort of timber you’d find in a new build home. A good-quality garage will have framing that’s at least 70mm x 45mm thick.
C24-Graded means the timber used to make the framing comes from a conifer tree which can withstand 24N/mm²: simply put, this grade of framing is very strong. C16-Graded framing is also commonly used in timber garages and is still very sturdy stuff. Anything other than this is ungraded timber, which means you can’t be sure how strong it is.
What cladding thickness should I choose for a garage?
In a single-skinned garage, cladding is your only line of defence against the weather, so you want it to be durable.
We use 19mm-thick cladding for our timber garages. Look for a garage cladding thickness of at least 16mm, but somewhere in the range of 19mm – 22mm is best. Any cladding less than 16mm isn’t going to provide your building enough protection from the elements. Cladding thicker than 22mm is likely to be susceptible to timber movement, like you find in log cabins.
Is the cladding profile used for a garage important?
Our Garages feature horizontal tongue and groove weatherboard because this gives them the weatherproof performance that we need. The shape of the tongue and groove board allows water to easily flow off the boards and onto the ground instead of pooling anywhere along the cladding and seeping in. When buying a single-skinned garage, tongue and groove weatherboard is going to give you the best weather resistance.
We also use close board and strap cladding, which consists of rough-sawn boards (close boards) laid next to each other, and a rough-sawn batten (the strap) that’s attached over each join in the boards, meaning each join is covered and no water can get in, creating a very watertight structure.
Shiplap is a common cladding profile that involves the boards being overlapped and nailed to the framing. This doesn’t create a very durable wall because the boards are only being held together by the nails rather than slotting together like tongue and groove.
For a large timber building like a garage, try to avoid shiplap cladding.
Lots of timber garages also feature tongue and groove loglap cladding, which is a more weatherproof cladding option compared to shiplap. However, the curved shape of the loglap boards is for aesthetics rather than to keep water out.
Read more: Shiplap vs Weatherboard vs Loglap
Does timber type matter when choosing the best garage?
We make our Garages from Scandinavian pine redwood, which grows in colder climates. Pine grows slowly, which is ideal; slow growth means the timber is sturdy, less susceptible to movement and long-lasting.
Whitewood, which is typically spruce, grows quickly, resulting in a looser grain which allows water into the boards more easily. As you can imagine, whitewood is not going to withstand the Scottish weather as well as redwood. A single-skinned timber garage made from whitewood is also likely to have issues with movement, causing water to leak inside.
Some timber garage suppliers claim to be making their garages from “slow-grown spruce”, which is vague phrasing and a little confusing. Slow-grown is good; however, they don’t tell us where the spruce is grown, which is what will give away if it’s good quality and how it will perform in Scotland. If you’re looking at a spruce garage, make sure it’s specifically Norwegian or Scandinavian spruce.
Which garage door should I choose?
You’ll find that a lot of timber garages come with timber doors rather than a traditional garage door. Timber doors are tricky because they can warp and stick, especially at this size. If you plan to keep your car in your garage, you probably don’t want it to get trapped inside if the doors get stuck.
A sectional or roller garage door is going to be much more durable and reliable than timber doors, which is what we offer at G&M.
Read more: The Best Garage Doors For A Timber Garage.
How does my choice of garage roof impact the building?
Our Garages have steel box profile roofing, which protects the building from wind and rain, as well as providing longevity. We’d always recommend a steel roof for a timber building; however, they can be more costly, and they aren’t to everyone’s taste.
An alternative option is shingles. Shingles are very weatherproof, it’s easy to replace a few at a time, and they offer more aesthetic appeal than a steel roof. Unfortunately, shingles are not suitable for all roof shapes, though, and do require more skill to install.
Roofing felt is another option for garage roofs. Although felt does provide a good level of water resistance, it’s not as durable as shingles or steel. The places where the felt joins can allow water to leak through, and felt will need to be replaced sooner than shingles or steel.
If you have the option to upgrade your garage roofing from felt to shingles or steel, this will be a worthwhile choice, increasing the lifetime of your building.
What’s the best roofing material for a timber garage?
The roof construction underneath the roofing material is also important. We use tongue and groove timber for the roofing boards in our garages, which helps deal with any condensation. Always look for a garage with a solid timber roof, and avoid buying a garage that uses OSB for its roof construction, as OSB breaks down if it gets wet.
For more advice on what specifications to look for in a single-skinned garage, sign up to our Timber Garage Buyer’s Guide to get access to our Single-Skinned Garage Buyer’s Checklist:
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How to choose a timber garage that suits your needs?
When investing in a timber building, you want to ensure that it suits your needs, and the best way to do this is to think about how you’re going to use the space.
If you want to store valuable, delicate items or expensive machinery, you need a watertight space that’s going to reliably protect these items – a timber building with tiered construction.
If you’re just using your timber garage for storage of general items that wouldn’t be damaged if they were to get a bit wet, or for working away in the warmer months, then a single-skinned garage will work for you.
Both our timber Garages and our 3-Tier Workshops feature our 3-Tier specification, which keeps them completely watertight. For car storage or heavy machinery, one of our timber garages will be your best choice, whereas for a smaller woodwork space, our 3-Tier Workshop could be ideal for you.
How to choose a timber garage with a good level of service?
Beyond the building itself, whether it’s the guarantee, delivery and assembly or base work, always check what sort of service comes with your building.
Guarantee & Aftercare
When investing in a timber garage, it’s best to look for one with a warranty or guarantee; this way, if anything goes wrong with your building, it can be rectified. A G&M timber Garage comes with a 30-year guarantee, but a 10-year guarantee is about industry standard. Avoid companies that offer no guarantee or warranty; they’re likely not building garages that will last.
A timber building is always going to need some kind of aftercare, especially if it’s single-skinned. Whether it’s treating the timber or airing out the building, look to buy a timber garage from a company that’s going to give you some sort of aftercare advice. For example, G&M timber garages need to be repainted every 5-7 years in either Sadolin Superdec, Sadolin Quick Dry, or Osmo UV Protection Oil.
Delivery & Assembly
Be careful when buying a timber garage; make sure the supplier includes delivery and assembly with your building. You don’t want to end up assembling the garage yourself (unless that’s your thing, of course).
Most manufacturers will include delivery and assembly of your building, but be sure to check how far their delivery radius is. At G&M, we deliver and assemble our timber garages within a 40-mile radius; after that, a delivery charge applies.
Base
Your timber garage needs a solid base. We require that our timber garages have a concrete base because they are so large and heavy; however, for a single-skinned garage, this is probably overkill.
Sometimes you’ll see that suppliers only ask that you have a level base for the garage, but for a building this big, you don’t want to just chuck it on the grass and hope for the best.
A good middle ground is a slabbed base, as they tend to be cheaper than concrete but still provide your garage with enough support by evenly distributing its weight across the surface. Another option is to put the garage down on compacted hardcore and breeze blocks.
Your garage company may include the base for your garage; otherwise, choose one that advises you on the type of base your building needs. Remember, if your garage doesn’t come with a base, you may have to organise third-party trades yourself, at an additional cost.
At G&M, we include project management with our Garages, which includes a site visit for your base work. The price of your concrete base is highly dependent on your site, so you’ll receive a custom quote for the work following your site visit, then our accredited base layers will build the base to our exact specifications.
How to choose a garage that’s within your budget?
If you need a high-quality timber garage that stays watertight and will last for years, then you need a G&M 3-Tier Garage. Our 3-Tier Garage prices start at £11,404, but you’ll also need to consider additional costs like base work and additional doors and windows.
If you need a garage for light use, that doesn’t need to be fully watertight, then a single-skinned garage will suit you. A single-skinned garage can cost anywhere between £3000 and £5000. Buying from a supplier will likely be cheaper; however, the aftercare service won’t be as comprehensive as buying from a manufacturer. It’s important that if you do buy a single-skinned garage, you understand its limitations – remember it won’t last forever and may require extra care.
If your budget for a timber garage is less than £3000, you might be better off investing in a good-quality shed. A smaller single-skinned building like a shed is going to be sturdier and less susceptible to water ingress than a big, flimsy timber garage. In this case, it’s worth reducing the space you’re getting in the interest of getting a high-quality building that will last. At G&M, we guarantee our Sheds for 30 years, and prices start at £2,188.
How to choose the best timber garage?
Buying a timber garage is a big decision that requires plenty of thought. Whether you’re looking for a 3-Tier watertight space to protect your car or a single-skinned building for seasonal use, you don’t want to make the wrong choice.
Now you know the key specifications to look for to buy a timber garage that survives the Scottish weather. By understanding your budget, what you need from the garage and what level of service you want, you can choose the best timber garage for you, that doesn’t disappoint.
Book a no-obligation Consultation with our team to start your timber garage project.
To see our 3-Tier construction in person, visit our Show Area in Errol, where we have two timber Garages and a 3-Tier Workshop to explore.
