Important Information About Your Delivery

This useful guide contains information and advice about all aspects of your delivery. Please take a few minutes to read it. Also, please print it or save it on your computer for future reference. You should also have received our Important Product Information with comprehensive advice and useful tips to help you enjoy your purchase to the full. Please contact us if you have not received it.

CONTENTS

Scroll down or click on the links below:

• BOOK YOUR DELIVERY ONLINE
• BUILDINGS WITH PREFABRICATED PANELS
• THE DELIVERY VEHICLES
• DELIVERY
• HANDLING & STORAGE
• PANEL SIZES
• ACCESS FOR LARGE PANELS
• CHECKING THE ROUTE
• ACCESS THROUGH THE HOUSE
• HELPFUL ADVICE

BOOK YOUR DELIVERY ONLINE

• You need to book your own delivery online at www.bookabldg.com.
• It is a simple process. Within 7 days after you order you will normally be contacted by email, text message or voice message to advise your unique Order Number. Without this number it is not possible to book your delivery.
• You will need your Order Number and the Delivery Postcode to access your account and book your delivery.
• Delivery to most areas is on the same day each week.
• You can select the next available day or a later day if you prefer.
• The software calculates when the lorry is full.
• Delivery is normally to the kerbside only.
• Somebody needs to be present to receive the goods and sign the delivery note.
• Although the load planning software is very accurate, occasionally there is a mismatch between the plan and the actual loading. In a small fraction of cases it may not be possible to load a building which may cause an unexpected last minute delay.
• We recommend that you arrange the installation only after the goods have been delivered and checked.

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BUILDINGS WITH PREFABRICATED PANELS

PICTURE: A prefabricated roof panel with factory-treated wall panels in the background.

Your building will be traditionally made with large prefabricated timber framed panels, which makes installation more straightforward. Delivery by specialist trained staff in dedicated vehicles is included. The panels will be unloaded by the driver. Delivery is normally to the kerbside only. However, the large panels are heavy, awkward to carry and difficult to deliver. The size of the panels may be a problem at some sites, if the access for large panels is restricted. We recommend that you check the access as soon as possible using the detailed guidance within this document.

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THE DELIVERY VEHICLE

PICTURE: A smaller flatbed lorry with the panels laid flat. It normally carries around 4-6 timber buildings.

• Please advise if access for a large lorry is difficult.
• Reasonable access to your property and parking directly outside is assumed.

PICTURE: A larger flatbed lorry with the panels stored upright. It normally carries carries 10-12 timber buildings..

• Please contact us if there are any low bridges, narrow bridges, weight limits, width limits, parking restrictions, unloading restrictions or narrow lanes at or near your property.
• If the lorry access to your property is difficult the drivers can often carry the panels a short distance.
• Please advise if a large bin lorry cannot easily park outside your property.

PICTURE: A large bin lorry.

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DELIVERY

You will receive advance notice of the delivery day either in writing or by telephone.

• If the date is not convenient you can normally postpone the delivery with reasonable notice, ideally a week or more. Please note there may be a delay before the delivery team are in your area again. For this reason we recommend that you avoid postponing the delivery if possible.
• It is normally advisable for someone to be at home to accept delivery, if possible.

PICTURE: A timber building with large prefabricated panels after unloading at the front of a property.

• Our competitive price includes kerbside delivery with a single driver. Some of the panels are often large and heavy so the driver is unable to move them far away from the lorry. A suitable space is required at the front of the property where the panels can be unloaded.
• Your building is normally delivered to the kerbside, typically onto the drive. It may need to be moved soon after delivery.
• Some optional accessories are delivered with the building, for example if they are an integral part of the building.
• Some smaller and more detachable accessories are often delivered separately as parcels from our main warehouse.
• Please contact us if you are waiting for any accessories after your building has been delivered.

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HANDLING & STORAGE

Unless your building is installed immediately on the day of delivery, you need to ensure that it is stored safely.

• The large panels are fragile so care is required during handling.
• In normal weather conditions the panels can be leaned against a wall or fence, but if it is windy the panels should be laid flat.
• The panels should be not be laid down for long as they are more vulnerable to water damage or strong sunlight.
• For best protection conceal the most valuable and vulnerable panels, such as the door wall, behind the least valuable and most robust panels, such as the floor or roof.
• Make sure glass and sharp fixings are stored safely.

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PANEL SIZES

The size of the panels could be a major concern with some buildings, especially larger buildings:

• The panels are always very flat, typically only around 2"-4" thick (50-100mm).
• With some of the smallest buildings panel sizes are not a concern. For example, a 5'x3' storage shed (1.5x0.9m) with a 4' eaves height (1.2m) and a 5' ridge height (1.5m) is very unlikely to be a problem. The largest possible panel sizes can be deduced from the size of the building. The front and back walls are the largest and they cannot be larger than 5'x5' (1.5x1.5m).
• Even a small shed may include 1 or 2 panels which are too large to carry through a house or a garage, if the height is over 6'3" (1.9m).
• Although most panels are smaller, the largest panels are up to around 6' or 8' long (1.8m or 2.4m) and up to around 7' high (2.1m). These sizes are very approximate. The maximum panel sizes vary from one model or size to another.
• A panel 7' high and 6' or 8' long (1.8m x 1.8m or 2.4m) can be carried upright around a 90 degree corner in a 900mm wide passageway, although it is tight.
• The largest panels can normally be carried into the back garden, if it is physically possible and if there are no height restrictions.
• It is an obvious concern if the only access to the site of your building is through a single door, for example a back door, a kitchen door or a garage door.
• If you need to carry panels through a standard single hinged door, a 6'x4' panel (1.2x1.8m) will normally pass through the door easily, a 6'x6' panel (1.8x1.8m) is normally OK but more difficult and a 6'x8' panel (1.8x2.4m) requires a straight route through the doorway with no sharp corners on either side.
• We can always advise regarding panel sizes if needed. However, we ask that you check the route for your building first, as detailed below. After that, if you have any concerns please contact us without delay.

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PICTURE: A narrow passage with no height restrictions. With the recycling bin and storage chest moved, it is suitable for large panels.

ACCESS FOR LARGE PANELS

We recommend that you walk through the access route from the point of delivery, normally at the roadside, to the site of the building, normally in the back garden. Look for possible access problems such as height restrictions or narrow passageways with sharp corners.

It may not be possible to carry the panels into the back garden if there is a height restriction along the route, such as a gate with an arch. Some height restrictions such as a single piece of wood or a timber arch can often be removed, but more permanent obstructions such as a brick arch cannot be avoided.

Carrying large panels through an existing house or garage is often difficult, especially if the route is not straight or if there is not a clear flat area outside at each end of the route.

PICTURE: A gate with a height restriction, a piece of wood which could probably be removed if required to make it suitable for large panels.

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CHECKING THE ACCESS ROUTE

If you have any concerns about the delivery of your building and access for large panels at your property please contact us without delay. Our expert advisers can help you to check the route carefully.

• We normally ask you to send us images showing the route to the site, starting at the point of delivery and ending somewhere near the site of your building. At most properties this normally requires only 3 or 4 images.
• We also need the clear opening sizes of any small doors or gates on the route (minimum internal height and width) and the width of any narrow passageways.
• Our expert advisers will check your images, compare the panel sizes against your dimensions and answer your query promptly.

Please warn the delivery company about any restrictions when they contact you, as a precaution, because people do not always read notes. You should also warn the fitter if installation is arranged separately.

PICTURE: A gate with a solid brick arch, which cannot be moved so the access for large panels is limited to the size of the opening.

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ACCESS THROUGH THE HOUSE

• The panels of some smaller buildings can be carried through a single hinged door so access through the house or garage is normally possible, but this should be carefully checked if it is the only option.
• Please contact us if you have any concerns. Our expert advisers can always offer practical solutions.

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HELPFUL ADVICE

This advice could be helpful whether you plan to install your building yourself or if you plan to have your building professionally installed:

• You should do what you can to ensure that delivery companies and installers do not make unproductive trips to the site. For example, if the base is still being built later than expected you may need to postpone the delivery or if the building is delivered late you may need to warn the fitter not to visit.
• The best time to discuss possible access restrictions is well in advance of delivery. The worst time is when a lorry is parked nearby, waiting to be unloaded.
• The company responsible for delivery assumes that there is good access at your property and normally asks you to confirm this, so if it is not possible to complete your delivery at the first attempt you may be liable to pay for a second delivery. You should not allow the delivery to proceed unless it can be successfully completed.
• Any installer normally assumes a clear site with ample working space and good access from the point of delivery with no restrictions, so if it is not possible to carry out the installation at the first attempt you may be liable to pay for a second visit. You should not allow the installer to visit unless the work can be successfully completed.
• Some delivery companies and installers choose not to carry large panels through the house, due to the risk of damage to the product or your property.
• Most delivery companies and installers choose not to lift large panels over obstructions such as a wall, a fence or a garage roof, due to the risk of product damage or personal injury.
• If you need large panels to be carried through the house or lifted over an obstruction, we recommend discussing it when the delivery is booked in and with your installer if this work is arranged separately. If there is no other option you may need to carry those panels yourself or find somebody who can help. This may need careful timing if your order includes same day installation.
• Our expert advisers can help you with advice so please contact us with any queries.

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THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING WITH SUMMER GARDEN BUILDINGS

We produced these guidance notes in order to inform and reassure our customers, with detailed advice about many aspects of the delivery. However, despite our best efforts to provide comprehensive and accurate information and to update the details as required it is not always possible to describe in advance every situation which may arise. We apologise if your specific circumstances or queries are not adequately covered. All timescales are approximate and any procedures described may be subject to change. Please contact us if you have any queries.