Garden Rooms Wicklow glossary of terms & specifications
15 technical terms, material grades and Irish standards explained in plain English so you know exactly what is on a written quote.
Sorted A to Z for quick reference when comparing specifications.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
Key garden rooms wicklow terms explained
25 m² Private Open Space Rule
Under Class 3 planning exemption rules, at least 25 m² of clear private garden space must remain behind the house after the new garden room and any existing sheds or stores are counted.
4 m / 3 m Height Cap
To stay exempt from planning permission in County Wicklow, a garden room roof must not exceed 4 metres in height for a pitched tiled or slated roof, or 3 metres for a flat or mono-pitch EPDM roof.
Architectural Conservation Area (ACA)
Protected streetscapes in parts of Bray, Greystones, Enniskerry, and Wicklow Town where Wicklow County Council may check roof heights, boundary visibility, or external finishes before building.
Breather Membrane
A vapour-permeable, water-resistant sheet wrapped around the outside of the structural sheathing behind the rainscreen batten cavity, letting moisture vapour escape outward while blocking wind and driving rain.
C24 Kiln-Dried Studwork
Strength-graded structural softwood (typically 100 mm x 50 mm or 150 mm x 50 mm) kiln-dried below 20% moisture content so insulated wall frames stay straight through wet east-coast and upland winters.
Class 3 Exempted Development
Schedule 2, Part 1, Class 3 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 allows up to 25 m² of total detached garden outbuildings behind the front wall of a Wicklow house without planning permission, provided height and open-space rules are met.
EPDM Rubber Roof Membrane
A single-ply synthetic rubber sheet (1.2 mm to 1.5 mm thick) cold-bonded in one piece across flat or mono-pitch roofs, rated for a 40-to-50-year lifespan with zero torch-on seams.
Ground Screw Foundation
Galvanised steel screws driven 1.2 m to 2.2 m into load-bearing subsoil using a portable hydraulic rig, ideal for sloping Wicklow gardens in Bray, Greystones, Enniskerry, and Roundwood without digging out tonnes of clay.
Safe Electric (RECI) Completion Certificate
The statutory electrical completion certificate issued by a Registered Electrical Contractor after testing the SWA sub-main, RCD protection, earth rod, sockets, LED lighting, and panel heater.
Sloping-Site Ring Beam
A laser-levelled C24 treated structural timber or galvanised steel bearer frame bolted across varying-height ground screws to create a dead-level floor platform over stepped or banked Wicklow gardens.
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP)
An engineered wall and roof sandwich panel consisting of a rigid PIR or EPS insulation core bonded between two structural OSB3 facings, combining high wind-racking strength with low winter heat loss.
SWA Sub-Main Cable
Steel Wire Armoured electrical cable (typically 6 mm² or 10 mm² 3-core) buried at least 500 mm deep in a ducted trench from the main house distribution board out to the garden room consumer unit.
Thermally Broken Aluminium Glazing
Double-glazed sliding or French door frames with a polyamide thermal break separating the inner and outer aluminium profiles, stopping cold bridging and condensation on frosty Wicklow mornings.
Vapour Control Layer (VCL)
A polythene or foil-backed membrane fitted on the warm indoor side of the insulation behind the skimmed plasterboard to prevent warm indoor humidity condensing inside cold outer walls.
Ventilated Rainscreen Cavity
A 25 mm to 38 mm treated counter-batten air gap behind external cedar, larch, or composite cladding with insect mesh top and bottom, allowing wind-driven coastal or upland rain to drain and dry.
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Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
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Questions people ask
How much does a garden room cost in Wicklow?
A small timber cabin is €6,700 to €9,000 room only. Insulated and fitted, a timber-clad room is €13,450 for 3 × 3 m to €23,450 for 5 × 5 m, and composite-clad €16,850 to €28,450, VAT included. See the price guide.
How long does it take?
Most of the time is the wait for a slot and the making. On site, a cabin on a ready base goes up in a few days; a fitted room takes longer, with the base, the electrics and the finish. Ask for the lead time and the days on site in writing. See how long it takes.
Is there a grant for a garden room?
No. SEAI grants are for energy upgrades to the home itself, and there's no council grant for garden rooms. What you can control is the spec and the size.
Garden rooms across Co. Wicklow
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