Published Tue 8 Feb, 10:24
Comparing the quality of various kinds of garden studio is a tricky process, especially when companies hide their u-values and wall thickness. The u-value is relates to the speed of heat transfer through a specific element of the construction, like the wall panel. The lower the value, the better the building: cool in summer, warm in winter, which equates to lower energy costs to maintain an ambient temperature.
Studioni have always published a full specification and price list and are pleased to have taken part in an independent survey of garden room quality by the garden room guide. If you want a garden room without the hassle of planning permission, it needs to be less than 30m2 and under 2.5m high. (There are other parameters but for the sake of argument, let’s keep it reasonably simple to reflect the bulk of our clientele).
The height restriction is where the panel size becomes important. Many other companies beef up their wall, roof and floor panels to offer a decent U-value but then encounter a height problem because their panels are too bulky to comply with the 2.5m rule. This problem is regularly tackled by imposing extra ground works to dig the building into the ground and by removing the design finesse of recessed ceiling lights and recessed window blind systems. Needless to say we never encounter these issues, as our panels are slim and very thermally efficient.
| U-values | Building Regulations 2010; W/m2k | Studioni Ltd. Low spec rooms (100mm) | Studioni Ltd. Medium spec rooms (125mm) | Studioni Ltd. High spec rooms (150mm) |
| Floor | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.17 |
| Walls | 0.3 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.17 |
| Roof | 0.2 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.18 |
| Glazing | 2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
We outperform building regulation standards, between our excellent glazing and high performance structure, even though we do not have to comply for most detached garden studio rooms. In the circumstance where the standards must be met, we can easily exceed them. Keep in mind that these values are for the SIPs panels only and by adding battens, cladding and plasterboard, the wall value becomes even better. Likewise, the roof and floor finishes further improve the overall thermal efficiency of the building.
As an option for every project, you can choose our highest specification insulation. So your Studioni garden studio room actually is better than a new build home after all. For comparison with other companies, check out the independent insulation survey by the garden room guide, February 2011.