We delivered one of our construction kits to a construction engineer and asked for a comment on the delivered product and the experience of building a shelter yourself.

This resulted in a very long letter, for which we are very grateful. Read for yourself here:

"Hey Jess,

Tried calling you.

As a customer of your business, I just wanted to express my great satisfaction with the shelter delivered.

I am a structural engineer myself.

I have now managed to build the shelter, the gables together with my son, but then alone. See the finished result in the photograph.

I have a few comments:

• Impressively beautiful timber and wood materials that were delivered. It took a whole morning to move the whole pile the 35 m into the garden and sort and turn it over so that the timber you need came first. I must have walked a total of 5 km to move the timber.
• I changed the foundation a bit. I found that the small 20 cm tiles were not stable on the soft forest floor in my garden, so I dug a hole about 25 cm deep and laid out four pieces first. 40 cm tiles instead. I then used these as a foundation for the living 20 cm tiles. It worked fine.
• You could perhaps also give correct measurements on the lower beam in the front, just as you have done with the drawing of the rafters. But it could be done just fine with the information you have provided.
• Otherwise, it was just a lot of hours with the circular saw and the screwdriver. You will probably recommend that you have both available in good quality, otherwise it will be really hard and slow.
• As for the roof, I bought a roll of cardboard and a 2.5 l can of tar adhesive (same as you supplied in a single tube). The bottom cardboard was placed under the triangular strips, which I then planed a pat etc. off the top so that they did not stick up over the stern boards. The tracks were also glued to the overlays. It turned out really well.
• I laid the shingles myself in a long day. It was 30 degrees and in the sun, so the adhesive on the back softened and stuck well. As for the smoking, I improved a bit on what was suggested. I smeared adhesive underneath so it would stick better and then I sewed visibly, but covered the seams with a little adhesive so they turned black. You quickly realize how clever you have been in choosing the width of the roof, so that there are 3.5 shingles on the width, so you don't have to cut as many as would otherwise have been the case. It also fits very well on the second link. Just a note. The first row of shingles, which have had the flaps cut off, should be made from right to left, ensuring full overlap of the pieces at the foot. The whole shigles are then doctored from left to right as before.
• Really good screws that have been delivered, and only need to be drilled a few times. A pleasure to work with. There were a lot of screws left over.
• The materials fit in quantity, but there were 4 pieces. floorboards, and 6 pcs. calamari boards left over? [see answer further down, ed.]
• So when I was done, I wanted to use some of the excess materials to make a child-friendly staircase on the front, so that my grandchildren, aged 1 and 3, can better climb up and use it as a playhouse as well and not fall as far or as hard if they smoke out. The steps are 15 cm high and 22.5 cm wide, see photo. The stair rails are nailed into a pressure-impregnated batten that I had. It is the only piece of wood added.
• So I have chosen to give the shelter a lot of wood protection. The raw and rough wood has now swallowed approx. 20 l primer inside and outside, and must have a coat of normal transparent wood protection in pine color on the outside.

So once again thank you for a good product and a nice delivery and at an affordable price. I can recommend you to others if the opportunity arises.

You are welcome to use this email as advertising if you wish.

Good luck with the business.”

We thank you many times for the nice words and for just answering the question about the extra boards:

When sawing, mistakes can occur or other things can make a board unsuitable. That's why we're happy to deliver a little extra so that you don't lack for anything. It is a painful experience for you as a customer and an expensive pleasure for us if just a single board is missing. So of course we make sure that everything is as it should be, the first time.

Do you have the courage to start building a do-it-yourself shelter? See the selection here