Alton Octagonal 10x10 User manual

08/17

2
10’ x 10’ Cedar Summerhouse
Assembly Instructions
Contents:
Introduction
Base Preparation
Overview
Floor Assembly
Side Assembly
Door Installation
Roof Assembly
Side Cloaking
Fixing to Floor
Roof Felting
Fascias and Capping
Slatted Roof Installation (optional)
Top Cap and Finial
Casement Stay Set-up
Cabin Hook Fitting
Architrave Fitting
Window Trim Fitting
Weather Strip Fitting
Parts Lists
Section
-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Page
3
4
5
6-9
10-14
15-16
17-23
24
25
26-27
28-32
33-36
37
38
39-40
41
42
43
44-45

3
Thank you for purchasing your new Alton summerhouse. We recommend you familiarise
yourself with the instructions and read all safety information before you commence assembly.
This instruction manual is also available online at www.greenhousepeople.co.uk in the
technical help section should you need to reprint it. Should you require any additional advice
you can always call us on 01782 385409.
Safety Warning
 Glass and timber can potentially cause injury. Please ensure you wear protective goggles,
gloves, headgear and suitable footwear when assembling the building.
 Please remember that glass is fragile and should be handled with extreme care. Always clear
up and dispose of any breakages immediately.
 Do not assemble the summerhouse in high winds.
 For safety reasons and ease of assembly, we recommend that this summerhouse is assembled
by a minimum of two people.
 Please clear all lying snow from the summerhouse roof as it can cause the roof to buckle or
collapse.
Site Preparation
 When selecting a site for your summerhouse, it is vital that you choose as flat and level an
area as possible.
 A concrete or slabbed base will provide the most solid foundation for your summerhouse. A
slabbed base would be our preferred choice as this helps with drainage.
 Avoid placing your summerhouse under trees or in other vulnerable locations.
 To minimise the risk of wind damage, try to select as sheltered a site as possible, e.g. beside a
hedgerow or garden fence.
Additional Considerations
 If you have arranged for someone to install your summerhouse for you, please check that all
components are included. Most parts are numbered and can be identified by a stamp or
removable label. Alternatively, the components can be identified by lengths detailed in the
packing list in your main cardboard box.
 Remember this is a natural timber product, the wood may soak up some water and some
staining may occur. Your summerhouse is factory dipped in a clear spirit based preservative.
We recommend that you re-apply some clear treatment annually particularly on the most
exposed areas. If you want to avoid this and give your summerhouse a more permanent
finish you could apply an oil based product (refer to manufacturers recommendations for
recoating).
Introduction

4
B
A
It is necessary to leave sufficient working room
around your summerhouse when you're putting
it up and also to allow for the possible need to
replace a piece of glass or for further wood
treatment. If possible try and leave a space of 2ft/610mm around the summerhouse.
Note that the door opens outwards so you should not have any higher ground or obstacles outside
the front of the summerhouse.
Choose a site where the summerhouse is relatively easy to get to and convenient to bring a supply of
electricity to.
Finally, and most importantly, choose a site where your Alton summerhouse will look right so that it
will complement your garden.
Base Preparation
Slab Base Size (Recommended)
Note: The base should always be larger than your
building.
The measurements given in ‘A’ and ‘B’ should
only be used as a guide.
Summerhouse
Width
Summerhouse
Length A (mm) B (mm)
10 ft - 3267mm 10 ft - 3267mm 3660 3640
SOIL
50mm
5 : 1
3’ X 2’ Slab (2” thick)
(910mm X 610mm)
Recommended
Note: If a membrane is used
this may hinder drainage.
1

5
30mm Panel Pin
(Stainless Steel)
50mm Countersunk (Stainless Steel)
80mm Countersunk (Stainless Steel)
Fixing felt
25mm Countersunk
(Stainless Steel)
12mm Clout Nail
02-1675 EV0336 02-1680 EV0332 EV0334
60mm Countersunk (Passivated)
02-5110
Used on side
cloaking and
fascias
Fixing roof
bracket and
finial
Used on floor
and side
panels
Fixes ply roof
panels
Fixes soffits
and roof bars
to the eaves
(Yellow in colour)
40mm Pan Head
(Stainless Steel)
11/2inch Countersunk
(Zinc Plated)
EV0333
02-1814
Used on
wooden
trims
Fixing
ironmongery
Overview
Set the base out in the exact position you
want the finished building in, its much easier than trying to
move it when it’s built!
Follow the manual and assemble the sections as recommended.
When screwing through one piece of timber into another it is always recommended to
pre-drill the first piece. This will prevent the timber from splitting which could be unsightly.
Read through the rest of this manual before starting, you are less likely to miss something doing this
and you will have a better understanding of how it all works.
If any glass is broken during construction or afterwards you will need to carefully remove the
beading on the inside of the building to replace this. You can either call our customer service team
for a quote or source it locally. The glass size in the windows is 321mm x 378mm and in the door is
264mm x 378mm.
To build your new summerhouse you will need the following tools:
Spirit Level Pencil
PZ2 Screwdriver Bit Cordless Screwdriver (2 would be ideal, 1 to drill and 1 to screw)
4mm Drill Bit Hammer
Step ladders x 2 Hand Saw
There are 8 different types of fixings used in the construction of the summerhouse. These are as
follows, with examples of where to look out for them:
2

6
Diagram 2
Diagram 1
ABA0010
ABA0008
Floor Assembly
Begin by laying out two of the floor sections. The floor sections are
handed, this is because of the notches in the sides so make sure you
have one of each hand. Slide them together making sure the outside
edges line up. Drill pilot holes with the drill bit provided and fix with
60mm passivated screws at the points shown by the arrows in the
diagram below. Repeat this with the remaining two end sections.
Fix the base noggins to one of the floor assemblies as shown in
diagram 2. Drill pilot holes in the noggins and fix with 60mm
passivated screws into the frame of the floor.
3
Dia. 3
Diagram 3
AB0104

7
Floor Assembly
3
Now connect the two middle sections of flooring. Drill two
pilot holes and fix together with 60mm passivated screws.
Makes sure the groves in the floor boards line up before fixing.
Next fix the rest of the base
noggins to the middle section of
flooring. Fix these as before with 2
screws per noggin.
Diagram 4
Diagram 5
You can now move the
first end section of
flooring into position
(the one with the
noggins attached), then
slot the middle section
onto the noggins.
Diagram 6

8
Floor Assembly
3
Check that the edges of the floor are in line before drilling pilot holes through the floor board in line
with the noggin. Then fix with 60mm passivated screws (diagram 8). Its is crucial to get the floor flat
and level as this will affect how your building goes together and how well your windows and door
will operate.
Finally line up the other end section of flooring, before sliding this onto the noggins make a small
mark on the floor board on the centerline of the noggin. This is to help you get the fixing screw in
the correct position. Once you have made the marks at each position you can slide the floor section
onto the noggins of the middle sections.
Diagram 7
Diagram 8

9
The positioning of the side panels is entirely flexible and can be
decided as you fit them, so for example if you want an opening
window in the rear corner of the building you can. This instruction
manual will show the standard layout.
Take the first panel and position it at the rear of the building, get a
helper to hold this in place while you position the next panel
(diagram 9).
Diagram 9
ABA0027
Floor Assembly
3
Drill pilot holes with the 4mm
drill bit supplied at each point
shown by the arrows on
diagram 10. Make sure the
panels line up perfectly on the
inside (diagram 11) before
fixing with 60mm passivated
screws.
When you screw the two
panels together you may find
the screw pulls the other panel
in too far, you can prevent this
by off-setting the two panels
slightly and then the screw will
pull them together.
Dia. 11
ABA0027
Diagram 10
Do NOT fix the side
panels to the floor yet
as this will make
construction hard later
in the build.

10
Side Assembly
4
Diagram 11
When fixing the panels
bear in mind which
faces will be most
visible when you walk
into the building. Try to
keep the screw heads
on the least visible faces
where possible.
ABA0027
Diagram 12

11
Side Assembly
4
If you have followed the standard panel layout you can now fit a window section. Again it is up to
you whether you chose a fixed window or opening window section. If the opening window is next
to the door it does have the potential to knock into the window frame when open. If the cabin hook
is used correctly this shouldn’t be an issue.
Diagram 13
ABA0028

12
Side Assembly
Fit the next panel as you did the last.
4
Diagram 14
ABA0028

13
Side Assembly
4
When fixing two window
sections together you should
drill your pilot hole through the
frame as normal, just be extra
careful you don’t drill into the
window frame on the other side.
Then fix with 60mm passivated
screws.
Diagram 16
Dia. 16
Diagram 15

14
Side Assembly
4 With all the side sections in place you can now install the door.
Remember do not fix the sides to the floor yet.
Fix this panel with the same care as the last. Once you have done this you should make 2 final fixings
on the outside of the last two panels (diagram 18).
Diagram 18
Dia. 18
Dia. 18
Diagram 17
Make sure the
screw head is not
sitting proud of the
surface as this will
interfere with the
fascias.

15
Door Installation
ABA0041
5
Diagram 20
EV0608
Dia. 20
Before you can install the
door section you need to fit
the door handle. Slide the
spindle through the lock to
give you the position of the
handle on the door. Fix the
handle with the 3.5 x 25mm
countersunk screws supplied.
Diagram 19

16
Door Installation
5 Diagram 22
Slot the door section into position, drill pilot holes shown by the arrows below (diagram 21) and fix
with 60mm passivated screws. Again fix the panel at the top on the outside, making sure the screw
head is flush with the surface (diagram 22).
Diagram 21
Dia. 22

17
Roof Assembly
6
Diagram 24
You can now start to construct the roof. First you need the top bracket (AB0099) and two roof bars
(AB0021).
AB0099
Working on the floor, slot the bracket onto the first roof bar. Drill pilot holes through the pre-drilled
holes in the bracket. Then fix in place with 50mm countersunk stainless steel screws. Add another
glazing bar in the opposite position to the last bar and fix this in place (diagram 24).
AB0021
AB0021
AB0099
Diagram 23

18
Roof Assembly
6
Lift the 2 roof bars and bracket into
position, It doesn't matter which
position you start in as long as it is
corner to corner. Diagram 25
Diagram 26
Then slot the rest of the roof
bars into position. Fix them to
the ridge bracket with 50mm
screws as you go.
AB0021

19
Roof Assembly
6
With all the roof bars in place you should then drill 2 pilot holes in the bottom of each roof bar. This
should go vertically down so that the screw goes into the corner bar of the side frame. The diagram
below shows a good position for the hole (diagram 27). Before fixing with an 80mm screw make sure
the heel of the roof bar is tight up to the side section on the inside of the building.
65mm
Diagram 27

20
Diagram 28
With all the roof bars installed you can fit the soffit boards. Have a helper hold the soffit in position
while you fix it from the inside through the pre-drilled holes with 4 x 80mm countersunk stainless
steel screws. Its important to keep the ends inline with the joint between side panels.
Roof Assembly
6
AB0055
These are fixed to the top of
the side panels (diagram 29).
Push the soffits tight up
against the underside of the
roof bars. Screw position
shown in diagram 30.
Diagram 29