Running electricity to your Summerhouse – Let there be light!

In order to enjoy your summerhouse throughout the whole year adding electricity is essential. Read through my guide on how to add electricity as well as some other home comforts which will enable you to enjoy endless hours in your new home from home.

Electricity
You need to ensure that the connecting wiring from your home to your garden building is protected by an armoured cable. You can decide whether this cable is ran above ground and clearly marked or buried in a trench.  The latter is the safer but unfortunately more labour intensive and time consuming option.
Do get help from a qualified electrician who will run a separate supply cable from your consumer unit to your new summerhouse.
Now for the technical part…… Inside you are required to have a separate lighting and power socket ring both of which need to be protected by RCD’s. Get a qualified electrician who is NICEIC approved to put the master switches just inside of your buildings doorway so you can turn everything off when you exit the summerhouse. An NICEIC approved electrician will issue certificates for all work they have carried out in accordance with the national standard BS 7671.
The type of lighting you use in your summerhouse is completely dependent on how you intend to use the room. Florescent tube lights give even light which is great for a home gym or studio. If you are planning to spend time working at a desk I would recommend adding spot lighting around your work area.
Telecoms
If you are looking to use your summer house as an office or simply planning to spend a great deal of time in it is worth getting a telephone point added. This can be done either by a local telecom engineer installing telephone or internet connections into your garden building or alternatively you can simply purchase an extension kit yourself.  You can thread a piece of cork onto a fishing line and use water pressure to push it through a hosepipe. Next tie the end of the fishing line to the telephone cable and pull it through. This method allows you to protect the line.
Heating
If your summerhouse does not have adequate heating installed, come the winter months this room will become redundant and unusable. Small ceramic or portable electrical heaters are a great cost effective way of heating your summerhouse if it is used as an occasional hobby room but if its purpose is as a home office, a more permanent heating system will be required. One or two oil filled radiators are a great option fitted along with a thermostat and timer.
Double or triple glazed windows will also help to keep the heat in and insulate your garden building.
Visit Jacks Garden Store for a great range of summerhouses. Here you will also find a fantastic range of alternative timber garden buildings.
Good Luck!
Gardener Jack