Garden office

[pinkerseal]

Has anyone had a garden office built with SIPS? We have 2 quotes so far, one using SIPS and the other traditional timber frame. We've just read that SIPS aren't breathable and unless ventilated all the time become very hot and may also in the long term suffer mould. Not read this elsewhere- does anyone have any experience with garden rooms built using SIPS? (The quote is cheaper but also the quote is from a company who are just moving into this type of work from general building, so may not be familiar with long-term problems associated with this type of build).

Hi OP, did you find anything out in the end about SIP garden offices?

DH built his own garden office with these about four or five years ago, and it's been fine. He's not used it for months, but opens the windows on warm sunny days in the winter, if he's in the garden, for ventilation. He does that with the house, too, so not sure whether it's necessary. No sign of mould, and very dry.

Like any other building containing a source of moisture - such as a person breathing - a garden office needs an appropriate amount of ventilation designed in.

I have a garden office which is semi-detached with an adjoining storage shed. There are small air vents in the end walls and in the wall separating the two areas. This keeps everything dry and fresh. Something similar could be achieved using trickle vents on the windows, or using windows with a 'cracked open' vent setting. The best solution in terms of energy efficiency could be mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, but this might be overkill for a small outbuilding as opposed to your main house.