Outdoor SunSpaces News

For many Brits, the garden represents the perfect place for relaxation, recharging and overall R&R.

When the weather is great and the sun has its working boots on, there’s nothing quite like kicking back and chilling out in the airy goodness of your own outdoor space.

However, for those that like to take things one step further, there are ways to make your garden a true temple of tranquillity.

Two words: outdoor spa.

If you love relaxing in your garden and don’t have space in your house for additional luxuries, what better way to let off some steam than with a spa in your garden?

Soak up the possibilities and warm up to the idea of your very own property paradise as we slide into the toasty waters of Garden Spa 101.

How do I create a garden spa?

If you’re looking to create a home spa in your garden, there are a few things to consider before you jump in at the deep end.

Site for sauna

The perfect location for relaxation is an area that acts as a suntrap but also offers privacy. While those two descriptions seemingly don’t go hand-in-hand, there are ways to achieve both with surprising ease.

Hedgerows, trellis and fencing can act as a decent border, allowing for ample sunlight while also shielding your outdoor oasis from prying eyes. However, for the ultimate in garden spa seclusion, nothing compares to a veranda or a garden room.

Both offer great solutions in terms of functionality and privacy: verandas offer an abundance of natural airflow ideal for hot summer days, while garden rooms provide protection in the event that the weather isn’t quite California hot.

Verandas are perhaps the better choice for summertime enjoyment, providing the complete outdoor experience without the drawbacks of being completely open-air; however, if you’re looking to make the most of your spa year-round a garden room may just tip the scales.

On the surface

Like any good house or relationship, the foundation of your garden spa can prove to be make or break, particularly if it’s not fit for purpose.

For a garden spa, that means water-proof decking, slip-resistant tiles and generally ensuring your surfaces are skid-safe. This is one area where it pays to invest and a top-quality tile or deluxe deck board can make all the difference in both style and substance.

Let there be light

Once you’ve picked the site, decided on the shelter that’s right for your and landed on your chosen surface, it’s time to tie up the loose ends in a beautiful bow of pampery goodness.

One of the main things worth considering once you’ve checked off the main boxes above is how you plan on lighting your space. After all, the sun has to go down at some point, so why limit your enjoyment hours to the daytime?

There is a cornucopia of options to choose from when it comes to outdoor lighting, from built-in LED lights within your outdoor space to eco-friendly solutions like strategically placed solar-powered planters.

Effective lighting can turn your garden spa into a place of enjoyment that’s equally as inviting after sundown as it is during the height of the day.

Complete your outdoor oasis

You may also want to add additional accessories to fully furnish your outdoor feature and make your home spa truly complete. Our SunSpaces verandas and garden rooms can be fitted with a variety of features to help ensure your outdoor spa is just that – yours.

From sliding frosted-glass doors and UV-protecting shades to remote-controlled blinds and retractable roofs, we offer a number of customisable options to make your outdoor spa as private, comfortable and bespoke as possible.

We even offer numerous heating options to ensure your SunSpaces spa area is just as comfortable outside the water as it is within it. These options even include heater/sound system combos with Bluetooth technology, allowing you to truly relax and unwind in a space that’s music to your ears.

Do I need planning permission for a garden spa?

Most hot tubs and spas do not require planning permission; however, you may need planning permission to build a large enclosure to house one. This is particularly prevalent when it comes large outbuildings that take up over half of the garden.

While it is unlikely you will need planning permission for a SunSpaces product, forging ahead without doing your homework could get you in hot water of a different kind, so it may be worth dropping your local authority a line, just in case.

To find out more about planning permission, check out our planning permission blog for further details.

For more information on outdoor spas and hot tubs in your garden, click here to see our various options and real-life examples of our work. To talk more about making your spa dreams a reality, drop us a line on 0800 085 8110 or hit the button below to get in touch now.

Get in Touch

When it comes to personal space in the home, many men throughout the western world like nothing more than to retreat to the comfort of their man cave for solitude, sport and a sly beer.

Yes, the secluded sanctuary of the man-cave makes it the perfect venue for us blokes to disappear into a state of stereotypical bliss and enjoy some occasional alone time.

For some cave-dwellers, a PS4 and a gaming chair may be their idea of sequestered bliss. For others, a newspaper and a deck chair may suffice just as well. Luckily, the man-cave doesn’t discriminate.

Right, enough jibber-jabber. Let’s light a flaming torch and take a peek inside the inner workings of the Eighth Wonder of the World that is the man-cave.

Types of man-caves

Before we go any further and risk being labelled as misogynistic chauvinists, let’s make one thing clear: despite the name “man-cave”, that doesn’t mean ladies have to be excluded from the festivities either – this is the 21^st century, after all.

A man-cave can just as easily become a girly grotto, she-shed or lady lair with a few subtle tweaks or perhaps even no tweaks at all. The versatility of the man-cave goes beyond gender, age and nationality, making it perfectly adaptable to all tastes and personalities.

From carpentry workshops and art studios to garage gymnasiums and music rooms, the awesomeness of the man-cave knows no boundaries. You could even turn your personal space into your own make-shift bar!

Building a garden man-cave

While it’s easy to let your imagination run wild with the possibilities of what you could do with an extra room to manoeuvre, there is one notable catch - building a man-cave can be a mammoth task.

Before anything else, man-cave prep requires a lot of groundwork (literally), not to mention a colossal amount of construction. And all of that is before you’ve even thought about making your man-cave inhabitable with fixtures and furnishings.

If that sounds like a lot of work, it’s probably because it is. Overall, from start to finish, building your own man-cave from scratch is quite the undertaking, with enough labour to make Tommy Walsh cry uncle.

Luckily, for those without the time, patience or inclination to build their own, there is an easier way…

SunSpaces man-caves

Why not create the ultimate garden man-cave with the help of SunSpaces?

With a SunSpaces garden room, our team of expert outdoor aficionados can help bring the ultimate man-cave structure to your property, providing a professional finish that stuns and wows in equal measure.

Best of all, you won’t even need to lift a finger. Simply choose the structure you want, decide when you want it and, hey presto, you could be the proud owner of the coolest man-cave in town!

Garden man-cave options

If you do decide to go down the SunSpaces route, congratulations on an excellent decision! Next up is your second decision to make, this time regarding where your want your man-cave to sit in your garden.

There are two primary options to think about before anything else, which are as follows.

Attached Garden Room

The most common garden room option is the attached garden room that acts as an extension on to your house. Accessible immediately from your interior living space, the attached option allows you to roam freely from your home to your garden room without stepping out into the elements.

A great option for those looking to avoid the wind, rain and snow, an attached garden room provides you with an additional room without making it independent from your existing living space. While this can make it less private in terms of man-cave capacity, it does make it a lot easy as far as accessibility goes.

Free Standing / Detached

Independent from the rest of the house, our free-standing garden room option allows you to create a detached yet enclosed space that ticks all the boxes.

Private and separate from your main property, this option is much like a typical shed; however, it comes with a laundry list of perks that are night and day when compared with a simple shed.

Comfortable, bespoke and homely, this option is a great way to expand on your living space without extending on to your house.

Benefits of a SunSpaces man-cave

From remote-controlled blinds and UV protection shades to toasty heating and Bluetooth enabled sound systems, our SunSpaces man-caves can be as homely as you want them to be. Even after the sun goes down, our LED lighting options can keep your garden man-cave illuminated long into the evening hours.

With a variety of colours, styles and materials to choose from, we can make your man-cave specifically to fit your wants, needs and specifications. We have the ability to create and customise every SunSpace to ensure that it’s perfect for you and your individual needs.

When it comes to creating man-cave fit for a king, SunSpaces is the premier choice. Find out more by calling 0800 085 8110 today or hit the button below to drop us a line now.

Get in Touch

Sheryl Crow had the right idea back in 2002 when she told the world she was going to “Soak Up the Sun”.

We took that statement to heart and you can too – all from the comfort of your own home – with a gorgeous veranda courtesy of SunSpaces!

More...

For many office workers, most days are spent sitting in front of a computer monitor for several hours at a time. Even those not perched at a desk for eight hours a day can often find their evenings parked in front of a TV screen.

On top of that, many of us are also guilty of spending downtime, bedtime and even meal-times peering into a phone screen, endlessly scrolling through Facebook feeds and Twitter timelines. After all, those cat videos and dog memes aren’t going to “like” themselves, right?

Nevertheless, all that screen glare isn’t good for the eyes. Luckily, there’s a simple workaround for this and regular breaks can be a wise move. Better still, switching off completely can have untold health perks, particularly when that time is spent outside.

Benefits of being outdoors

Spending more time outdoors can have a whole host of health benefits, with the potential to heal mind, body and soul. These can range from improved vision to increased mental performance, all from simply stepping outside and escaping the confines of your living room or workplace.

Now we’re not saying you need to spend your days wandering the Earth with nothing but a pop-up tent for nightly shelter, but a healthy dose of natural sunlight and fresh air can truly work wonders.

Don’t believe us? Take a look at these surprising health boosts you can gain by stepping away from the screen and out the front door.

Anti-fatigue

While it’s true that being exposed to heavy sun for prolonged periods of time can make you feel tired and drowsy, soaking up natural daylight can be great for energy levels, particularly in the wintertime when days are shorter.

According to NHS.uk, lack of sunlight causes your brain to produce melatonin which, in turn, can make you feel sleepy. Taking a break outside can not only help you feel energised in the day, but it can also give you a better night’s sleep later on when you do call it quits.

Improve mental wellbeing

Exposure to sunlight can also have a notable impact on your mental wellbeing while being cooped up indoors can have notable adverse effects. This particularly evident in the winter months when daylight hours are notably reduced.

Many people in the UK experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) when the clocks go back, bringing summer to a cold, wintry halt. The shorter days and extended nights that accompany it can make for a depressing combination.

Mental health charity, Mind, has found that being outside can help benefit your mood greatly and experiencing nature can profoundly affect your overall outlook. This has even been known to include mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

Improve vision

Our increased daily reliance on computers, phones and tablets has meant a notable increase in myopia (or nearsightedness). Throw in a national love for TV and computer games in our spare time and it’s no wonder the UK’s eye-sight is taking a dip.

The New York Times has previously reported a strong correlation between eye health and a person’s overall exposure to sunlight. These facts were the result of a sizeable study done by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, King’s College London and several other respected institutions.

According to the study, those who had gotten the most sun during their younger years were about 25% less likely to develop myopia by middle age. Exposure to sunlight up to the age of 30 proved to have a protective benefit, notably benefitting eyesight in later life.

Enhance focus

Your eyes aren’t the only things that can lose focus – lack of daylight can also cause your brain to lose focus as well. Exposure to natural environments can be just the boost you need if your mind is wandering and your attention is waning.

According to AskTheScientists.com, breaking up the working day with time outdoors has been shown to enhance concentration and increase productivity. Meanwhile, creative problem solving and cognitive function has also been known to improve through outside activities, particularly when indulging in prolonged outdoor pursuits.

A healthier you

Perhaps the most telling and important finding of all is that being outside has been shown to contribute greatly to overall bodily health – particularly due to its association with Vitamin D.

According to medical experts, humans are said to get as much as 90% of their Vitamin D intake from natural sunlight. Vitamin D can be a vital component in helping to maintain healthy bones and teeth, as well as contributing to cardiovascular health, including healthy blood pressure.

Vitamin D has also been known to regulate insulin levels and can help aid and prevent diabetes, while it has also been found to strengthen the immune system. With such a profound list of great health benefits, is there any wonder they call Vitamin D “The Sunshine Vitamin”?

Spend more time outside

So, we’ve heard all about the health benefits of being outside and worldly goodness that can be gained from being out and about – now what?

Getting outside doesn’t mean you have to take up gardening or begin park running every morning. The outdoors can be a great place to simply relax and unwind and what better way to do that than in the comfort and privacy of your very own property?

SunSpaces offer a wide range of garden rooms, verandas and awnings for a variety of properties, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of being outside without having to leave your home.

Give us a call today on 029 2037 1575 or click below for more information. Alternatively, visit a showroom near you and get an in-depth look at outdoor living!

Enquire now >