How to Heat a Garden Office

More than ever before, people have a garden office. Whether it’s been a lifelong dream or a way to work from home, a garden office is a fantastic asset. They even raise the value of your home.

But here’s the thing. Britain is often cold. 

Rain, snow, frost, and low sunlight levels in winter can turn your garden office into an unattractive ice chamber where typing an email is a painful affair. 

Garden office heating is essential, and preferably in a way that doesn’t skyrocket the electricity bill because those never go down, do they? 

Here are the best heating solutions for a garden office. 

Go To Town On Insulation 

Insulation is really important. 

Draft proofing on the doors and windows retains heat and good quality insulation in double-skinned walls will keep heat inside instead of warming up the atmosphere. 

It might seem like a waste of cash, but it really isn’t. Insulation traps heat which means you pay for less electricity or gas.

And speaking of paying less, a south-facing window is an excellent source of passive light and heat, and dark floor tiles soak up and retain heat too. Free heat – that’s what we like!

Double glazing

Not only does double glazing trap heat and keep out the cold, it also helps prevent noise intrusion. No one wants to hear next door’s dog barking on your Zoom meeting.

A Green Roof

Green roofs are very popular now. They insulate your garden office with a thick layer of soil which maintains a steady temperature in the garden office. They also help out wildlife. It’s a win/win set up. 

Electric Convection Heaters 

Electric convection heaters are the most common way to heat a garden office. They heat up the space quickly and are cheap to buy compared to other heating options. 

Choose a wall-mounted or freestanding unit to suit your space and use a heating timer that’s thermostatically controlled. 

This means the office is toasty before you sit down for the day. An anti-frost setting is perfect to stop temperatures dipping too low overnight, which can cause problems with electrical equipment. 

You’ll need an electricity supply of course! Electric convection heaters are best suited to well-insulated offices as they heat the air and if the air escapes so does the heat!

Electric convection heaters are the quickest, easiest and cheapest option for a garden office with a power supply.

Electric Radiators

Electric radiators are another popular garden office heating solution. They’re much the same as the radiators we have in our homes, only these have an electric element. 

Electric radiators are wall-mounted and fairly slow to heat, but once they are warm, they maintain steady temperatures. 

Experts say they’re a safer bet in dusty environments as there’s no exposed element – say a woodworking space, or somewhere small children spend time.

Electric Oil Filled Radiator

Electric oil-filled radiators are a freestanding option many people already use to heat a greenhouse. They can be moved easily and are fairly cheap to buy. 

One of the better aspects of oil-filled radiators is that they retain their warmth for ages after being switched off, which is good if you want to save on energy bills. 

With no installation costs or upkeep, oil-filled radiators are the best portable option for heating a garden office. You can add timers and thermostats to some, so shop around if that’s a plus point for you. 

Wood Burners

Ooooo, get you with your garden office wood burner! 

Undeniably the most stylish garden office heating, a wood burner will have you working overtime just to stay in the office. 

Wood burners heat up quickly and retain lots of heat so they’re a good option, and eco-friendly fans will appreciate wood burners can be carbon neutral. Plus, you can pretend you’re on holiday in the Rockies with your lunchtime cheese roll. 

The biggest drawback is a wood burner must be professionally fitted by a HETAS engineer to ensure safety and comply with building regulations.

If you’re happy to splash out on a stylish garden office, then a wood burner is the one for you. But factor in installation costs as well as unit price.

Electric Underfloor Heating

What did the Romans ever do for us? 

Underfloor heating!

Garden office underfloor heating is achieved with a wire mesh cut to size. 

Whilst underfloor heating is great in a home with tiles, it’s not always the best option to heat a garden office as their usual types of floor covering lose heat quickly.

There’s always the danger it’ll go wrong and the whole floor will need taking up too. 

On the plus side, it frees up wall space and makes your toes toasty warm. Often if your feet are warm the rest of you copes just fine.

Bottled Gas

No electricity to your garden office? Try propane gas. 

Gas canisters can be fixed outside the garden office to power a gas heater, or it’s possible to buy small heaters with integral propane bottles. 

Honestly, they don’t look great, but when there’s no mains power, bottled gas heating can be a lifesaver.

Ventilation is especially important because bottled gas can build up water vapour and fumes. You’ll need to let air in which can defeat the object when you’re trying to heat a garden office. 

Infrared heaters 

A different way to heat a garden office is an electric infrared heater This is a good option for garden offices without much insulation.

They work by creating radiant heat that travels in a wave. It doesn’t heat the air, but the person or object. Less heat is lost this way. 

They’re generally small and unobtrusive and fit into most designs without looking like an obvious heating solution. It’s possible to attach them to the wall or roof and aim them at your workspace. 

The Best Heating Solution for a Garden Office Suits Your Set-Up

In the UK, garden office heating is essential.  A cold, uninviting space will have you longing for your 2018 commute – and who thought that would ever happen! 

The best heating option will depend on your circumstances, but the best advice is to insulate and block drafts before bringing in a suitable heat source. 

A drafty garden office will cost a fortune to heat, but a snug insulated space that retains the warmth, however you bring it, will always be an attractive place to work (or escape the kids) without breaking the bank.