As we finally see the weather turn away from cold, and the clocks leap forward once again, maybe you’re finally feeling some spring in your step, too. It’s a fresh, reinvigorated time of the year, and we often feel motivated to make big improvements to our homes when the weather is starting to improve. But has it improved enough to put in an oak garage? Whether you want somewhere safe for your vehicular pride and joy, or are hoping to use it as a home office, an oak garage is surprisingly low-fuss to install, but has a massive impact on your home and curb appeal. Today, the Monarch Oak team takes a look at some seasonal tips for the best possible installation experience.
Spring Thoughts
One of the major positives with installing oak garages is that a lot of the construction is done in controlled environments. This is why they can be so speedy to erect, and even why they’re much easier to handle DIY than standard mortar construction. Most of what you need, especially the more complex and temperature-sensitive aspects, will be assembled in a factory ahead of time, in the perfect conditions for the wood.
But oak garages do need groundwork, so the state of the ground, rather than the weather outside, should always be your primary consideration when deciding on the best time to install an oak garage. We want a stable soil that won’t be open to expansion and contraction. Heavy snows or late frosts can cause these, known as ‘soil shift’ in the industry. While snowfall should be mostly behind us, we may still get hit by heavy frost, so take a look at the advance weather report.
Remember that the wood for your oak garage has been stored and handled professionally, so it’s ready to use. However, especially for DIY constructions, if it lies around the site for weeks with expansion and contraction happening and dew saturating it every night, you can still damage the wood, so plan to store the wood under a trap, or better yet under full shelter, if the project will take a while.
Why Spring is the Best Season for a New Oak Garage
Snow, ice, and sleet are unpleasant to deal with when clearing and preparing a site, even the minimal preparation needed for your new oak garage. If you’re eyeing a spring build, you’re ahead of the pack in many ways. It’s when the weather truly starts warming up that a lot of people want to get busy in the garden- and by then contractors and reliable pros already have lists of people ahead of you and building supplies have been marked up or are already sold out.
Now is a great time to deal hunt, and to make sure you can get your preferred work team and installation date lined up just as you want. Since you’ll need planning permission for your garage in most situations, it’s also a great way to get ahead of everyone else and get the paperwork out of the way before everyone else starts clogging up the system.
While you ordinarily need only the normal planning permission because the building is bigger than 3 metres squared, do remember that listed buildings, or a home in a conservation area or facing a highway, can need extra permission. Several trades you will probably want for the finished garage, including glaziers and electricians, may need permission or permitting too.
Should I Look At DIY Installation?
While Monarch Oak is proud to offer you DIY options, remember that it’s not always the better option for your home. This is still a chilly time of year, and chances are your social schedule is also picking up a little. You might prefer to go with the ease and convenience of a professional installation. Pros are also very well placed to advise you on the exact weather conditions and viability of your project, too.
Of course, you can do a DIY installation any time of the year you choose, however. Just make sure you have the time available to get the job done, have the strength and patience for the project, a few buddies to help with the heavy lifting, and that you will be able to get it done timeously without allowing the project to sit open for a long time when rain and ice are still a possibility.
Ideally, you’ll want to look for a cool and dry patch to get the job done. While we often joke that there’s no such thing in the UK, late winter into early spring is actually an ideal time to get these weather conditions. It’s also one of the most rain-free seasons we have. Not only is hot weather muggy and uncomfortable to work in, you’ll find that later in the season rain showers will be more common and unexpected. Extreme temperatures or weather of any sort is never the best for a build.
If you’ve opted to use pros instead, they will do their best to complete the job on time, and can often work efficiently in weather where you would have to give it up for the meanwhile, but if you hit a particularly unlucky patch of weather, there may be some delays.
Spring, especially early spring, is one of the very best times to install an oak garage, so if you’ve been looking for the right excuse to upgrade your home, it’s time to make those dreams a reality! Cool, mostly stable weather and a calm time of year are on your side.
Are you looking for a high-quality oak garage or extension for your home? The Monarch Oak team specialises in making your dreams come true, so give us a call today and we’ll get your project rolling.