5 Reasons to Buy a Steel Framed Garden Room

Garden rooms, unlike sheds or summerhouses, are built in much the same way as a modern home. At their core, most use either conventional timber-framing or, more recently, structural insulated panels (SIPs). As the construction industry adopts new techniques, however, there is an emerging trend of building a garden room around a light gauge steel frame.

What is a steel frame garden room?

Garden buildings commonly use timber studwork to form a structural load-bearing frame. A steel frame garden room uses light-gauge galvanised steel instead of timber studs.

What are the benefits of a steel frame garden room?

Steel-framing may be a newer technique in garden room construction, but it has been a staple of building design for decades. Below are some of the reasons metal frames are growing in popularity with garden room suppliers.

Strength

While timber is a strong building material, it is no match for steel. Light gauge steel, also known as cold-formed steel, is far lighter and stronger than wood of equal size. The added strength means there is potential to use thinner joists in the floor and roof structure. Permitted development size limitations put ceiling height at a premium — smaller beams can potentially add 2–3 inches of headroom.

Speed of Assembly

Fully designed and fabricated offsite, metal frames need only be assembled upon arrival. They are lightweight too, which makes them easier to transport and handle. In practice, the shell can be built in a matter of hours instead of days. Faster assembly means less disruption during construction and lower labour costs — ultimately reflected in the final project price.

Long-Lasting

Simple, sturdy, and reliable — a metal frame will not undergo the same rotting, warping, splitting, and cracking over time that a timber frame might. Steel frameworks are not vulnerable to pests or insects either.

Accuracy

Galvanised steel frames are designed and fabricated offsite. Suppliers use computer-aided design (CAD) tools to plan the framework, with structural calculations ensuring the proposed garden room is solid and durable. Computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) then turns those plans into a prefabricated structure accurate to within 0.5mm. Stick-built timber frames, by contrast, are measured and cut on site and are inherently less accurate.

Cost

Labour costs are just one way steel framing is competitive with timber. Timber prices have risen significantly in the UK since 2020. Steel has increased in price too, but not to the same extent as lumber. Beyond raw material cost, steel results in less waste — you pay for waste twice: in unused material and in disposal.

Whether you need more information on our range of garden rooms, want to book a free site visit, or would like a no-obligation quotation, contact us using our contact form or call 0333 091 3778.