last updated 13th July 05
By 4ecotips

Do you have room for a cosy log cabin?

Log cabins always were a favourite in the Wild West but modern versions have come a long way. Now many people are building them in their backyard as an attractive, economical additional space as an office, gymnasium, play room, sauna and spa, bedroom or even an additional home.

They are easy to erect as they don’t require the same footings as a traditional building and they can be insulated and heated to keep out the rigours of even the worst winter conditions. However, depending upon size you will almost certainly require permission to build and this is something you should talk about to you local planning department.

There is plenty of scope for choosing your log cabin. Companies such as Finland-based Luoman have many years experience and has a sustainability policy backed by the Pan European Forestry Certification.

It’s a family-run business and which makes the very popular Lillevilla range. It prides itself on a reputation for the highest quality products and expertise in the production of traditional Finnish wooden cabins.

The reason behind the remarkable success of the Lillvilla range is due to the durable dense grain and slow grown timber and highly advanced automation that guarantees top quality at competitive prices.

This year the company will produce 70,000 units for the worldwide market from as little as £895 and most of them will be erected by the homeowner.

However, amongst Luoman’s advice to prospective cabin-dwellers is make sure you see and touch a cabin before you purchase because wood quality varies considerable from one manufacturer to another. Ensure you have a picture of the cabin you selected so you can confirm it’s the same one when it’s delivered. And make sure the wood comes from a sustainable forest with all the relevant certification.

The company says in the majority of cases no planning permission is needed but this is debatable. You wouldn’t want to put it up and find that the neighbours objected and it had to come down again. So do contact your local council first.

The UK importer for Lillevilla is www.buydirect.co.uk