Professional Builder discovers more about a company which can provide the room – in more ways than one – to grow your business.
Q. From the name it’s clearly all about the future but sometimes the past is equally important to get a feel of a company. Tell us more about the background to the business?
A. Future SIPs is part of the Future Rooms group of companies that has been constructing and installing its acclaimed range of garden rooms, glamping pods and timber framed buildings across the UK for 10 years.
Started by the founder and Managing Director of Future Rooms, Richard Kocerhan, to meet the increasing demand for self-build garden rooms, it now offers energy-efficient DIY garden room kits supplied as a shell, with the required structural insulated panels (SIPs) to construct the floor, walls, and roof.
Q. The pandemic has obviously had a massive impact on how we view the useable space within our properties and, of course, the need to work remotely. Was this the thinking behind the design and development of a system which could be installed easily by a builder/proficient home improver?
A. Absolutely. As workplaces changed, Future Rooms experienced unprecedented demand for its garden rooms and received enquiries from customers unable to wait for a room to be installed and keen to buy the walls, floor and roof and build it themselves. To meet this need, we came up with an energy-efficient DIY garden room kit – The Studio. As a professional manufacturer and installer, we understand every aspect required for a fit-for-purpose garden room and supply all the materials and expert guidance needed for every project. With working from home and ‘hybrid working’ a permanent feature for many, and the cost of moving increases, the need for additional multi-functional space in gardens has become more important than ever before, and this often needs to be created quickly.
Q. Being family-owned and run we have been able to adapt to the needs of our customers quickly and efficiently while remaining committed to the highest standards of workmanship and design and have recently expanded the team to cope with the extra demand. Is it a one size fits all approach? Or can it be configured to meet space and budget restraints?
A. The team develops rooms that offer a practical and affordable solution to the need for extra living space, with designs and features to suit every area and budget. All garden room kits are manufactured in-house at the purpose-built workshop in Gloucestershire, allowing quality control to remain at the forefront of production. With a DIY garden room, homeowners can improve their homes and add space and value, without the need to move, creating a room to be enjoyed by all the family.
Q. So why the SIPs approach for DIY Garden Room Kits?
A. In our opinion SIPs use the best materials available and offer numerous benefits:
Energy Efficiency: high levels of air tightness and thermal performance and reduced cold bridging
Strength: stronger than traditional timber build
Speed: fast on-site construction
Straightforward: full assembly instructions, advice, and option to buy self-install groundscrews and concrete pads
Ease: delivery and collection available
Each SIP consists of two sheets of oriented standard boards (OSB3) adhered to a sheet of rigid foam insulation ideal for a garden room. These panels are compressed together under high pressure to form a structurally strong panel, set with specialist adhesive, and insulated joining splines. Walls formed from SIPs significantly reduce time and costs, making projects quicker and more efficient than a standard build. SIPS can be bought in a range of sizes and quantities and are guaranteed for one year against defects, provided they have been installed to Future SIPs’ guidelines.
Q. We understand that the options available have also recently been extended?
A. The original Studio Shell Kit is the most popular style of garden room, with its clean shape, contemporary feel, attractive overhang and glazed front aspect. Each kit comprises the number of SIPs required to construct the walls, roof, and floor as a shell. The build then requires finishing with external cladding, glazing and internal finishes to the homeowner’s specification. These finishes can also be purchased with the garden room kit
Shell Kit Features:
- SIPS panels to construct walls, floor, and roof
- Joining splines
- Floor bearers
- Polythene sheet for weatherproofing during construction
- Screws, fixings, and adhesives
- Assembly instructions
Alternatively, there is a ‘Shell and External Kit,’ which includes all the elements of the Shell Kit, plus a choice of glazing, external cladding, and roof finishes, leaving just the internal finishes to provide.
Shell and External Kit Features:
- Shell kit
- Breather membrane
- UPVC glazing
- External cladding
- EPDM rubber roof
- Guttering and downpipe
The Complete Kit offers all of the items for Shell and External Kit, with the addition of internal decorative MDF walls, laminate flooring, and underlay, skirting and architraves.
Q. And what about the all-important foundations?
A. Garden rooms require one of three types of foundation which will be familiar to builders.
Groundscrews: provide a solid and strong base for uneven ground with less impact on ground conditions. Materials, time, and labour costs are lower, and they can be installed on the same day and used immediately.
Pad foundation: suitable for rocky conditions, the topsoil is removed, and a hole dug and back filled with quick dry concrete to form the foundation. Adjustable pads are used to level off the base for the garden room.
Existing hard standing: adjustable pads placed on the hard standing levels the base, if required due to uneven base
Q. Apart from online, is there an opportunity for builders to see the kits up close and personal as it were?
A. The four garden room showrooms at Future SIPs’ premises are based on The Studio and installed using the ‘Shell Kits’ the ‘Shell and External Kit’ and the ‘Complete Kit.’
Quote from a builder who installed a garden room for a client:
“Just wanted to email to thank you and your team. Great customer service and I’ll definitely be using you guys again. The driver was a really nice guy and very helpful. The build went really well, and the customer was very happy.”
The showroom is open from 10:00am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday and by appointment on Saturday, where the team is on hand to discuss all requirements.
For further information on Future SIPS visit www.futuresips.co.uk
