OKOBASE is a Building Regs approved steel raft foundation that is an alternative to a concrete slab foundation for a garden room. It can be installed on top of levelled ground or sunk down to maximise the headroom in the building. Installed within a day and with a life span of 100 years, there is a lot to like about the OKOBASE.
The OKOBASE has been developed by the team behind contemporary garden room brand OKOPOD. When exploring their options for the foundation system for their garden rooms, they didn't find an option that matched concrete for its strength or stability, so they decided to design one.
Strong and stable, concrete slab foundations are the traditional base option for a garden room. They are a lot of work and do take skill to get right. You also need to leave time for the concrete to set before you can install the garden room structure. For this reason, they have largely gone out of fashion with garden room designers.
The patented OKOBASE spent two years in research and development and has recently received Building Regulation approval - it is pre-approved to work on all ground conditions.
The OKOBASE has been used on hundreds of OKOPOD's garden room projects of varying sizes. They even use it as the lifting frame on projects when they crane a complete garden room into a garden. Having craned buildings into position ourselves, we know how strong this frame needs to be as all the load is going through it!
Galvanised steel frame
The steel OKOBASE raft comes in both galvanised and un-galvanised versions. The ungalvanised option has an estimated lifespan of 25 years, with the more expensive galvanised version expected to last a 100 years.
The OKOBASE comes in bespoke sizes
The OKOBASE website offers example prices for standard size footprints, but they can manufacture the system in bespoke sizes too, so contact the OKOBASE team with your specific requirements.
The OKOBASE can be manufactured in modular sections so it can be transported to the site with ease, even when access is tricky. The OKOBASE team will advise you on the best configuration.
Above or below ground level
The OKOBASE has one of the easiest installation processes we have seen. The ground just needs to be cleared and levelled. Hardcore pads are strategically placed and the raft placed on top. These hardcore pads are relatively small and only need to go through the topsoil.
This process takes about two hours, so work can start on building the core structure that same day. This makes the OKOBASE system incredibly time-efficient.
The OKOBASE can also be installed below ground level if you want to maximise the headroom inside your garden room. Even with needing to excavate the ground, the OKOBASE system can be installed and ready to build off within a day.
A hidden benefit
There is a hidden benefit to the OKOBASE raft foundation compared with a concrete slab base. Should you remove your building in the future, the OKOBASE can be cleanly removed from the site and reused, making it an eco-friendly choice.
Explore the OKOBASE website to learn more or give the team a call on 01954 789 021. You can also email them at info@okobase.com
