The process

A Swift Installation!

Are you looking forward to “the builders” arriving?

Please rest assured, we want your experience of the installation to be enjoyable and interesting, not a trial or test of your endurance.

Once your design and specification is completed, the process of manufacturing and installation swings efficiently into action.

Plan your project

Here are the main stages:

Most of these are out of sight and out of mind for you, leaving the final stage at your home a well-prepared and slick operation. This cuts down the time on site and any disturbance at your home.

1. Engineering and Structural Calculations

All buildings go through a vital stage with our qualified and specialist engineers and draughtsmen to make absolutely sure that the structure will perform as well as it will look. Whether or not your building is subject to Building Regulations, we carry out a full process of structural design and modelling that includes calculations to work out the optimum specifications for every element of your garden room.

This determines the position and materials used in the structural framework that adds strength and rigidity to the main SIP panel envelope. Timber or steel beams are included as required, and to a level that ensures quality without the over-use of materials that are less environmentally friendly.

This work produces the specification and design of each single piece that combines to make your beautiful new room. You may surprised at the number of parts in this pre-fabricated kit, each one specially manufactured to exacting tolerances, then marked and indexed ready for packing and shipping to site.

“The office didn’t take long at all to build and Martin’s contractors were all efficient and unobtrusive.”

M & HC, Cheshire

2. Procurement

Once we have a full list of the structural elements of your garden room, we order any outside-sourced parts, such as steel reinforcing beams. We also compile a full list of all the other parts required, from windows and doors to light switches. We procure the colour of paint that you have requested and the floor finish of your choice. Cables, roof covering, gutters, screws, nails and glues… all the items are carefully and efficiently quantified, logged and allocated to your own project.

“They could not have been more conscientious if they had been working on their own property.”

DW, Cheshire

3. Delivery

We operate throughout the country and organise the most efficient delivery methods to minimise the carbon footprint of your project and to ensure reliability and efficiency. The pre-prepared stacks and packages are carefully loaded onto vehicles and timed to arrive at site in the correct order and in perfect condition. We take into account the storage space that is available on site and the scale of the project.

Some elements may arrive a couple of days into the installation process to ensure that they are safe from damage. We take into account the access to the site and warn you about the size of delivery vehicles and try, whenever possible, to minimise the number of deliveries and any potential disruption to your normal life and that of your neighbours.

“The team worked extremely hard in all weather and were responsive to any questions or concerns we had. They communicated clearly when they needed to and always left things as tidy as possible at the end of the day.”

RK, Farnsfield

4. Installation

The most exciting part for many of our clients! Although sometimes they never see this part as we can construct your garden room whilst you are away… whatever suits you best. We set in place the necessary facilities for power, water, welfare (toilet and shelter), and waste management and remove as many variables as possible. That way we reliably forecast the whole process and keep you informed.

What do you have to do?

Very little! We go through the process with you beforehand to ensure that any health and safety issues are covered and that you are aware of any requests that we have. For example, we may ask space for our delivery, maybe a skip and a portable WC.

We ask that you keep children and pets under particularly close control and we may ask for access to a power supply. We certainly don’t expect a constant supply of cups of tea and refreshments… it is whatever suits you best. Our installers work hard and are self-sufficient, though that doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate the odd fresh “brew” from time to time!

“Right from our first meeting with Cath and Martin it felt like being reunited with old friends and that reassuring, genuine relationship never changed.”

G & GM, Lancashire

What will we do?

All of our projects are scheduled to be installed with efficiency and accuracy. It is an advantage that we work “Swiftly” as there is less invasion to your normal home life, but it certainly is not a race. The quality of the finished building is more important than trimming a day or two off the time on site.

“From start to finish everything has gone well with early delivery from a very committed, hard working and professional team. It was a pleasure to have them working here.”

SW, Langley

There are some unpredictable elements of the process (such as the weather conditions, and underground conditions) and daytime light hours make a difference, so we keep you posted about progress and enable you to plan your life around us. Here are the key stages that you see as we get to work:

Main delivery of your building
Site preparation and installations of footings
Construction of ring beam and floor structure
Erection of walls and roof
Installation of windows and doors
Roof covering
First electrical and (where included) plumbing fixes
Plaster-boarding
External cladding
Flooring, decorating and final electrical fixing
Cleaning and completing
Handover inspection and instructions

5. Completion

We clear the site and leave it clean and tidy. There will have been a number of days of intensive hard work and many tons of equipment and materials moved around your garden, so there may be some marking to lawns and surfaces, but we take all sensible steps to ensure that given a little while and maybe some attention, your garden will be back to normal in no time.

This is a stage where you may see our landscaping design services come to their fore as perhaps a new pathway, patio or flower bed are created to transform the setting.

Why not start planning your project today?

Swift Project Planner