Pub Shed Perfection: What Is The Best Building

When building a pub shed in the garden the main aim is to get it perfect. Whether it be a traditional or modern style, the main thing is perfection. But what is the best building for a pub shed?

A standard shed, a summer house, a log cabin or a brick building. All of these are good for a pub shed, but which is best?

A standard shed may be the most economical to build. The summer house will look more aesthetically pleasing. A log cabin could give better protection from the elements. While a brick building could be the ultimate choice, but more expensive too. They all have their pros and cons, so it can come down to personal choice and budget.

I personally chose the log cabin for my pub shed project. However this may not suit everyone, so lets look at these four buildings in more detail.

The Standard Shed

The standard shed is normally for storage of garden equipment, bikes and garden furniture. Or it might be used as a workshop. But they can have many uses, as a garden room, gym, office or the good old pub.

A shed is normally constructed in the factory into panels that fit together using nails or screws. This makes them easy to construct on site on an appropriate base.

However this can also be a problem too. If you have access problems, then you may not be able to get these large panels to your garden. Make sure you check height and width restrictions before you buy a standard shed.

A shed is normally pretty cheap, so is a great option for a tighter budget. Also a standard shed will not need planning permission in most cases.

The panels that make up a shed are pretty thin, the norm being around 12mm (0.47 inch) to 16mm (0.6 inch). This is not the best protection from the elements. Making them hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

You can of course insulate them, but this will add a fair amount to the budget with battening, insulation and then boarding on top.

Sheds normally have smaller windows and solid doors, giving less light. Plus they look what they are, a shed.

The Summer House

In many ways the summer house is similar to a shed, but with a few differences. They are constructed into shiplap panels just like a shed.

So again easy to construct the panels fit together with fixings. This means they have the same access problems that a shed has.

Just like the shed the wood is not that thick and doesn’t give the best protection from the elements.

Again this can make them hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So they are not ideal for year round use (probably why they are called summer houses).

They do have bigger and more windows than a shed, sometimes too many windows. Also the doors are normally half or fully glazed too.

This does make them far better looking than a shed, but a bit more expensive too.

Log Cabin Pub Shed

When I say log cabin, it is not the same as a cabin made from tree logs you might find in a forest.

The one I am talking about is a manufactured kit that is more like a deluxe summer house. They are supplied as individual timbers that interlock.

This makes the access problem dissolve as a single piece of timber doesn’t pose any height or width restrictions.

On top of that they are extremely easy to build, one timber interlocking to the last until you get to roof height. Then the roof goes on and the floor goes in.

The timbers are thicker too, ranging from 28mm (1.1 inches) to 70mm (2.7 inches). This gives far better protection from the elements. As well as better insulation meaning they are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

This makes for a better year round experience, so the pub doesn’t have to shut in the winter months. Just like the summer house they have more and bigger windows and doors too. They are normally double glazed units, better for protection and sound.

However a log cabin is when things start to get expensive. They are more than both a shed and a summer house.

Also the timbers are not fixed together, they are independent of each other for expansion and contraction. The widow frames are floating as well as the floor too.

This stops any warping or distortion of the timbers. However it does pose some problems when decorating out the pub shed.

Anything that is put on the walls that spans several timbers has to be mounted on battens. The battens need to have an elongated fixing point at one end. This allows the timbers to move freely and stops warping and distortion.

This may not seem like much, but add a dart board, a TV, pictures, plaques and you have to make a lot of battens.

Also high winds pose a problem too, because the timbers are not fixed to each other. This means that the roof and the timber it is fixed to could lift in exposed areas during high winds.

There is a fix for this, but it costs extra, you have to fit storm braces that span all or almost all of the timbers from top to bottom. Again this is with an elongated fixing at one end or a spring to allow movement.

Brick Building As A Pub Shed

Obviously a brick build may be the ultimate building for a pub shed. It is more sturdy, offers better insulation and gives the best protection from the weather.

It is going to be the most comfortable in all seasons making it ideal for year round use. As it is seen more of a permanent structure it should last a lot longer than a timber building.

The window and door options are up to personal choice and can be decided on when planning the build. A brick building is going be the best for sound coming in as well as sound escaping too.

However this is also the most expensive of building for a pub shed. It could be by a fair amount too.

Also there is more chance that it could need planning permission too. I built a brick out building at a previous property. It was mainly for office use, but I also added a dartboard and drinks cabinet just for that pub shed vibe.

I didn’t need planning, however after a neighbour complaint, planning did visit. Because I satisfied the height, and boundary guidelines it all passed. If you are going down the brick built building, make sure you checkout your local building regulations.

What Building Is Best For A Pub Shed?

Each outdoor building has its pros and cons when it comes to using it as a pub shed. So it may come down to personal choice.

However lets recap with a list of the pros and cons for each type of building.

Standard Shed

Here are the pros and cons of a standard garden shed.

Pros

• Easy to build: As they are manufactured in panels they are easy to build using fixings to fit each panel to each other.
• Cheap: A shed is relatively cheap to build as standard.
• No Planning Permission: Under most circumstances a shed will not need planning permission.

Cons

• Thin Panels: Sheds are constructed with fairly thin timber.
• Seasonal Use: Because of the thin wood a shed is not the best protection from the weather. This means they are not ideal for year round use.
• Access Problems: The size of the panels makes a standard shed more prone to access problems.
• Aesthetics: The lack of good size windows and solid doors doesn’t give a shed the best look. Nor does it give much light to the inside.

Summer House

Here are the pros and cons of a summer house as a pub shed.

Pros

• Easy To Build: Just like a standard shed a summer house is manufactured in shiplap panels. So this makes them easy to construct with fixings.
• Better Looking: With more and bigger windows, a summer house is better looking than a shed. Plus doors are normally glazed too.
• No Planning Permission: Just like a shed, in most cases a summer house does not need planning permission.
• Inexpensive: Although more expensive than a shed, a summer house is still relatively cheap.

Cons

• Thin Timber: The timber used to construct the summer house panels are fairly thin.
• Seasonal Use Only: Because of the thin timber, a summer house is only suitable for the warmer months of the year.
• Access Problems: The size of the summer house panels make them prone to access problems;

Log Cabin

These are the pros and cons to think about with a log cabin.

Pros

• Individual Timber Logs: A log cabin comes in a kit form made up of individual logs.
• No Access Problems: Because all the timber parts are individual there are no access problems to deal with.
• Easy Build: A log cabin is very easy to build because each log interlocks together. Plus they get to roof height very quickly.
• Year Round Use: The timber on a log cabin is thicker making it more suitable for year round use.
• Better Windows: The windows in a log cabin are bigger and double glazed. Plus the doors are half or fully glazed, also being double glazed.
• Aesthetics: A log cabin looks great in any garden adding to the whole look.
• No Planning Permission: Again in most cases a cabin will not need planning permission.

Cons

• Expensive: Log cabins are more expensive than summer houses and sheds. Especially as some things like the floor is an optional extra with many companies.
• Decor Problems: Due to the nature of log cabins fixing things like pictures to the wall becomes a little tricky. Everything spanning more than one log need to be mounted on special battens.
• Storm Braces: Again because of the nature of a cabin storm braces are advisable to avoid the roof lifting in exposed areas during high winds.

Brick Building

Ultimately a brick building could be the best option for a pub shed. Here the pros and cons to consider.

Pros

• Substantial Building: A brick building is far more sturdy than a timber building.
• Good Insulation: A brick building provides better insulation than a timber building.
• Good Protection: You get better protection from the elements with a brick building. As well as sound proofing too.
• Year Round Use: Brick buildings provide year round use compared to many timber buildings. Plus they are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
• Longer Lasting: Because of the materials a brick building should outlast any timber building.

Cons

• Very Expensive: Compared to any timber building, a brick building is very expensive.
• Planning Permission: A brick building may need planning permission. There are times when they won’t, however build regs need to be followed.

Final Thoughts

I hope the comparison between these buildings help you come to the right decision for your pub shed project.

Much of your decision will come down to personal choice and budget. I opted for a log cabin because the expense and disruption of a brick building.

Log cabins do look great, however I didn’t know about the problems with fixings things to the walls. It is a niggle and does affect the electrics too. You need to leave enough slack in the cable so as not to hamper movement or cause electrical problems.

The dartboard I fitted is on battens with an elongated hole one end for movement. The plaques I have put up to this point are all only fixed to the walls at the top. This avoid trapping the logs they span.

Another thing to consider is to build your own shed from scratch. However this might not work out cheaper than a log cabin with the cost of timber. But at least you can design it to your own personal taste.

Whichever building you opt for, I hope it works out well and you enjoy the process. Do share your experience and what type of building you choose by leaving a comment below.