Do Garden Office Pods get Damp?
As the number of people working from home has increased over the last few years, the importance of a safe and secure working space is at a premium. A lot of people have opted for the Dory All-in-One Office Pod which provides excellent protection from the elements and a warm, quiet place to concentrate.
A properly-insulated pod allows for the inclusion of safe electrical hookups inside, making setting up your perfect garden office that much easier. However, if you are planning on filling your office with electronics and other work-related items, it is important to know you are getting a garden pod exactly suited to your needs.
We will look at some of the mistakes that are often found in garden office pod designs, and how the Hully Pod aims to solve these issues.
Do garden offices get damp?
The frames for most garden offices are made from wood. Wood is chosen due to the ease with which it can be worked, its relatively low cost, and its universal availability. However, garden office pods sit outside and are often totally unsheltered by trees or other buildings, and wood is porous, meaning it absorbs water very easily.
Even treated wood will eventually decay and start to introduce dampness to a structure. Where water gets in and sits for a while, harmful organisms such as mould and mildew are never far behind. These can damage the structure of garden office pods, whilst also affecting the air quality for anybody inside.
However, wood is not the only lightweight, sturdy and cost-effective material available from which to make cheap garden pods. As we will discuss later, the use of fibreglass is the perfect choice of material to make something both sturdy and cosy.
How can you prevent a garden office from getting damp?
In order to avoid dampness in an outdoor workspace, it is important to ensure you are purchasing something that is completely fit for purpose. Many cheap office pods rely on building techniques usually used for temporary structures, so don’t have much-staying power at all.
Here are some of the elements which distinguish Hully Pods from other garden offices, and why our design will likely be left standing long after the others have succumbed to dampness and mould.
Design
In order to build a sturdier, more weather-resistant garden office pod, you have to start from scratch and build every part of the design to be perfectly suited for its function. That is what our founder Aiden did when he realised his boat-building expertise could be harnessed to create small, cheap garden pods with all of the sturdiness of sea-going vessels.
There’s nothing damper than the sea, so anything that can withstand many years on open water is suitable for a durable office pod, capable of keeping you and your devices dry as you work. When you consider that sailors need to be both comfortable and protected for months on end, you can see why this design makes it perfect for home office use.
Superior Materials
As we alluded to earlier, the use of fibreglass in a garden office pod largely removes the risk of dampness seeping into a structure and causing long-term damage.
It gets its strength from the strong fibres which crisscross throughout the material, and its durability and water-tightness come from the resin which is poured around it. This gives moisture no way in, giving damp and mould a hard time latching on.
It is also lightweight and easy to mould to different sizes and shapes, making it the perfect material for customisable office pods. As well as a waterproof, insulated fibreglass shell, several insulating layers are then added to Hully Pods, giving even more separation from the outside.
Well-fitted windows, doors and floors
Our customisable pods come with multiple window options, all of which are double-glazed, and able to be opened and locked. Additionally, all of the doors on a Hully Pod are constructed from energy-efficient uPVC with secure door-lock mechanisms.
These doors and windows not only help to keep your electronics safe from the elements, but the high quality of the materials and design aid in keeping them secure too. By opening windows and doors, air will flow through the pod, helping to reduce moisture content in the air, further reducing any chance of dampness and mould forming.
All of our Hully Pods come with multiple floor options, including light Oak, Walnut, Grey and Herringbone. This extra layer of flooring adds extra protection from the ground underneath, whilst offering a beautiful aesthetic finish at the same time.
How to remove dampness from a garden office
If your garden office already has dampness, you will need to identify the source. Rising dampness may be caused by damage to the underneath of your structure letting water in, so ensure that your base is intact.
Damp and mould on the walls suggest condensation might be building up inside the garden office. This happens when warm air from inside the structure meets a surface that has been cooled from the outside. If you see this occurring, wipe it as soon as possible to stop it from spreading or having the chance to cause long-term damage to your walls.
As previously mentioned, the main preventative measure you can do to avoid condensation is airing out your office using the windows and doors. This is obviously not always possible, especially in the UK wintertime, so if your office pod are hooked up electrically, you could consider running a dehumidifier.
Keep yourself and your workspace dry
If your garden office already has dampness, you will need to identify the source. Rising dampness may be caused by damage to the underneath of your structure letting water in, so ensure that your base is intact.
So, do garden offices get damp? Not if they are properly designed, securely built and professionally installed! If you are looking to purchase a Hully Pod, start here and buy yours today through our website.
For more information, or to book an appointment to visit our workshop, please contact us today by emailing hello@hullypods.com, or by calling tel: 02382546400.
