KEOPS is the name of one of the great pyramids in Egypt, which has exceptional geometry, orientation and proportion and claims remarkable powers of longevity.
We at KEOPS Interlock didn’t have much to do with the building of the pyramids but we do strive to be just as awesome in the field of log cabins.
Residential log cabins have of course been around for many years. Over the past twenty years they have become increasingly popular in smaller versions for multi-purpose accommodation in the garden. Primarily recreational, home office, spa cabin, guest-room, to name a few uses, the growth areas have been in Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
Keops Interlock has been one of the fore-runners in testing and growing the U.K. market with this product.
We have compiled a most extensive range of standard designs, which provide for most solutions and are available on short delivery times.
However, to ensure we are able to satisfy everyone, we provide an extremely flexible tailor making facility where virtually everything is possible. Furthermore our portfolio of products extends to summerhouses, garages, annexes, holiday lodges, saunas and garden offices.
All of our product is sourced from manufacturers that have attained forty plus years of experience. We only select product that is demonstrably of superior quality. The wood used is strictly from properly managed Northern Scandinavian resources.
We are Chartered Engineers and take responsibility and pride in advising our clients correctly in their selection, ensuring the design and specification is precise and project managing the contract until the customer is delighted. Indeed as professional engineers, we are very experienced in the design, structural construction and quality aspects of such projects.
Despite the high levels of quality and service that we provide, we offer the keenest prices. This is achieved, primarily by economies of scale, and strict control of overheads, never by cutting corners or supplying inferior product.
We are based in Evesham, Worcestershire and our displays are at our Evesham office or at various publicly accessible sites – click here for where to view Keops log cabins. Our market is nationwide and this is covered by several other display sites around the country. We have also undertaken national advertising, many shows and exhibitions throughout the years, notably the Ideal Home Show and Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, the internet and of course word of mouth. We actively support “keeping up with the Jones’s”.
We do offer an efficient installation service nationwide, although many of our customers take enjoyment from self assembly and we can provide expert advice over the telephone or by email should the need arise.
Please enjoy visiting our website and be sure to comment if you have a special requirement, require further help or feel you have seen better elsewhere to allow us the opportunity to prove we are the best.
Keops Ltd (T/A Keops Interlock) collects personal information when you request a brochure and/or a quotation or place an order for products or services. We will use this information to provide the services requested, maintain guarantee records, and , if you agree, to send you marketing information. Keops Ltd. will not share your information for marketing purposes with any third party.
For more information explaining how we use your information, please see our privacy policy.
Log cabins are complex structures and their designs and their relationship with the peripheral elements of the project as a whole require a sound knowledge of mechanical, structural, civil and electrical engineering practice and principles. A practical knowledge of strength and performance of materials is essential.
Keops Ltd is an engineering company which was formed and is run by its directors.
Richard M Lewis B.Sc C.Eng. MIMechE MIEE, Managing Director is a Chartered Engineer in mechanical engineering. To achieve such a professional status he was required to demonstrate to the Royal Institute of Chartered Engineers achievements by way of academic qualifications in the subject, a considerable number of years experience in the field of engineering and the holding of a senior post of engineering responsibility.
As a professional engineer Richard has an obligation to the public to be trustworthy and to provide honest accurate information and service which others can rely on.
You, the customer, will soon realise how important this is. If for example you need to know the merits or needs of a particular method of insulation, or the differences in grades of wood, or the ability to span a certain distance with a roof beam or the benefits of a particular glazing type, and so on, Keops will give you facts which can be supported by theory and practice.
All of our team are trained in the technical aspects of log cabins and will provide consistent information.
Additionally we can call upon a wealth of experience gained from over twenty-three years in the log cabin industry. During this time we have designed and supplied thousands of log cabins to all types of customer and for all types of use. Aside from the multitude of domestic installations in gardens we have provided solutions for commercial buildings, farm buildings, holiday applications, educational establishments, council projects, sports venues, the National Trust and the Caravan Club none of which would be entertained by the client if they didn’t put their trust in our expertise to deliver a building that was entirely fit for purpose.
Furthermore, whilst we were one of the first companies to recognise the possible market for log cabins in the UK back in year 2000. They had been made to service the Scandinavian and Northern European markets for many years prior to this and hence our machining resource has been producing these buildings for over 40 years and can also contribute a wealth of experience.
Finally, we keep totally abreast of what is happening in our market place. We make a point of being knowledgeable of the competition, what they do well, what is not so good, their abilities and so on. If asked, we are happy to point out the difference in what we offer and the way we work.
Some of our recent clients
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The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Keops Ltd (T/A Keops Interlock) and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics or colours contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Keops Ltd. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, Keops Ltd takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
A first stage payment of 25% is required at the time of order. You will receive an order confirmation, deposit invoice, plus a “What Happens Next” letter, a timetable of events, insulation fitting instructions (if applicable) & preservative treatment information.
An invoice for the balance of payment will be sent to you approximately 2 weeks prior to your cabin delivery. The balance payment is due Friday before the week of delivery.
Bearing in mind that most of our cabins are being made fresh especially for you to your design requirements, we need a sensible time frame in which to process the order, design, schedule production, source correct high grades of raw materials, manufacture, package and transport.
At present this is reliably achieved in 8-10 weeks on average.
We do offer an efficient installation service nationwide, although the majority of our customers take enjoyment from self assembly and we are available to provide expert advice over the telephone or by email should the need arise. Read more about our construction service.
Whilst we strive for perfection, sometimes (rarely) something goes wrong with your log cabin or a part is missing.
You can be sure that we will bend over backwards to get you out of a problem in the shortest possible time. We have several methods that can help us overcome difficulties.
We have thorough knowledge of log cabin construction and your design in particular, and will understand the problem.
We can often suggest a method of using another piece for the time being to allow the build to continue while we replace the part used.
There will always be several people to turn to within our organisation, all with experience in log cabin construction that can offer some assistance or advice.
We are contactable by phone or email and offer excellent before, during and after sales customer service and technical support.
We carry many spares in stock in Worcestershire, and if practically possible, will use express couriers and / or private cars to get the part to you.
Our lorries are loading in the factory every week so we can ensure that your part will be on the very next lorry.
Why not need read some of our many log cabin testimonials and reviews?
To everyone at Keops.
I would like to start by saying Alan was fantastic yesterday, very professional. He completed all the jobs and then while showing me around the work he had done in the cabin asked if there was anything else he could help with. (Excellent customer service)
From start to finish your company has helped. At no point did we feel uneasy about the project we were undertaking. The office staff were friendly and answered all our questions. The installation team worked long hours. In snow and rain to complete on the arranged day. They were all very respectful and seemed happy in their jobs.
We emailed with a few minor problems and had a reply very quickly. To our surprise you sent someone out the following day to rectify this!! Amazing service that we do not believe other companies would of done.
We would like to thank you all and we will be recommending Keops to family and friends.
Sarah & TimOur normal office opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. You are welcome to visit us here at Evesham by appointment. Appointments will be offered at 9:30am and 2:00pm Monday to Friday (subject to availability).
Aka bespoke, customised, made to measure, original, individual, flexible design…
Our ability and success in producing 1000’s of tailor made log cabins over many years has been the envy of many other supplier. They all realise that they need to make similar claims to exist in this market place. However their definition of “tailor made” is always very different to ours.
We define “tailor made” as our ability to provide the log cabins in ANY size, ANY shape, ANY layout of internal walls, ANY configuration of doors and windows, ANY standard of glazing to suit the application, ANY standard of insulation to suit the application and ANY choice from our wide menu of other options and upgrades and to suit ANY use and within ANY reasonable budget.
By implication, EVERY log cabin is made fresh especially for you.
Remember “tailor made” is not just limited to special, unusual or difficult designs. We make ANY design. It is important to understand this concept because it allows us to make whatever you might have seen elsewhere in some standard range, exactly as you saw it or we can still enhance such a design if required with additions or changes as you might like and often at less cost.
How we compare
Some suppliers with just a little flexibility in their design term their products as tailor made, but they are not truly tailor made.
Some examples of so called tailor making that we have noticed amounts to little more than offering a few options, as follows:-
- If the suppliers range has a large number of standard cabins.
- If the supplier is able to supply the cabin without any cut outs for doors and windows so that you can cut them in yourself wherever you wish.
- If the same cabin is available with different windows or doors.
- If the same cabin is available in different log thicknesses.
- If a standard cabin can be taken from stock and altered on site to be closer to your requirements.
- If a complex layout cabin is made up of any assembly of smaller cabins.
Not what we call “tailor made”!
“What is the best type of base for my log cabin?” is a question we get asked all the time. Generally speaking a lot depends on the ground conditions. With this in mind we’ve written an overview of different types of bases, their advantages, disadvantages and what to look out for. Click the link for everything you need to know.
Height is always measured from the highest natural part of ground next to the cabin. So if for example your cabin is sited on sloping ground, the overall cabin height measurement is always taken from the highest ground to the top point of the cabin. You can read more about measuring log cabin height here.
One company insists that it is important to have the circular growth rings of the log ends all aligned in the same direction in the wall stack. They claim that the small radius growth rings indicate the centre of the tree where the wood is older and therefore harder. Thus the harder wood should all face outwards from the walls to give the best weather protection.
We will concur that the smaller radius growth ring will indicate the centre of the tree and therefore the oldest wood. All good quality timber is cut from the central area of the tree known as the heartwood. If the wood is Northern Scandinavian Pine then the tree will have been slow growing and will have attained an age of at least 70 years. For typical 45 or 56 mm thick wall logs there will be miniscule and negligible change in hardness from one side of the log to the other. However there may be a significant change in hardness if the heartwood is compared to the young new growth around the outer surface of the tree.
Firstly, if the company is genuinely concerned about hardness variation across their log width then it might indicate that the logs are not cut wholly from heartwood but instead from younger smaller trees and that the logs contain both hard heartwood and soft young wood.
It is well known practice in woodworking that it is always best to orientate the grain direction of two mating timbers in opposing directions in an attempt to neutralise the forces that cause warping. Thus if all the logs are stacked in a wall all orientated the same way it is more prone to twisting or curvature than a wall stacked with logs in random orientation. This is why all other companies do it this way but one chooses to be different.
We would also suggest that the driving force is really a manufacturing difficulty that they are trying to overcome, perhaps they have to deal with non flat or non straight raw stock and by feeding the stock unidirectional into the machine they get some dimensional consistency but if so, it is probably that the resulting logs cannot be assembled in reverse direction.
Fancy having to look at the grain direction of each log during assembly! There are enough pieces in the jigsaw without having to sort into grain direction as well!
We are suspicious that their so called unique selling point is really a cloak for some deficiency earlier on in their process and which may lead to warped walls.
Several companies will show off that their logs are machined with double tongue and groove and therefore twice as good as single tongue and groove!
This could be debated at length and fortunately we do both types so we are not biased one way or the other, but it is worth exploring a little further.
In general the actual tongues and grooves in the double system are less robust than the single system There are three situations where the tongue and groove is important:
- During construction, the tongue and groove engagement will have an influence on the control of log straightness. If an occasional log is a little out of straight over the long length then we find that the controlling effect of a deep wide bodied single tongue is far stronger than shallow narrow bodied twin tongues. If the twist is severe then the weak tongues or grooves can break away.
- During movements in the cabin as logs swell and contract, it is possible that two logs may try to come out of engagement. The difference between double or single tongue & groove is irrelevant in this situation; it is the depth of engagement that is critical. A shallow tongue will be out of engagement long before a deep engagement tongue.
- During normal use when the logs are closed tightly together under the weight of the superstructure. The tongue and groove has little significance in the draft proof ability, because the remaining top and bottom faces of the logs are tightly in contact with each other and create an adequate seal.
In conclusion it is the depth and strength of the individual tongue that is important rather than quantity.
We use a very deep tongue that is wide at the base on all logs up to 45 mm thickness. Our 56 mm log has adequate width to allow us to use a double tongue but still with deep engagement and wide base width. This is far superior to some of the double pimples we see in the marketplace these days.
Many suppliers will claim that their thicker logs will mean better log cabin insulation.
We will agree that a thicker log is a better thermal insulator than a thinner log. However this is only part of the story. You should be concerned with the overall performance of the cabin as a whole. It is necessary to appreciate that the primary heat loss zones are the roof, glazing and floor. There is absolutely no advantage in making the wall logs thicker and thicker if the weak links (roof, glazing and floor) are not capped as a priority.
Also it is possible that low grade, open grain wood used to produce some thicker logs are not in fact as good insulators as the high density Northern Scandinavian Pine at less thickness.
A customer recently summed this up by saying, “it’s not much use putting on an extra coat in the cold if you’re not wearing socks and a hat!”.
One cabin manufacturer claims that if you stand your log cabin on a concrete base then the floor will rot. Their argument is that if you elevate it off the ground on pillars then air will flow underneath and keep it dry.
This is only true if the air is not moist! We find that it is more likely that the air underneath the elevated building will be very damp at times of the year from the ground conditions under the cabin and that there is an even greater risk of subjecting the under boarding to dampness. If the under boarding material is not totally impervious to moisture then rotting will take place much sooner. In fact the same company use chipboard as the under boarding and sometimes its purpose is to contain the Rock wool type insulation material under the top floor. So not only does the under boarding rot but then the insulation degrades in the moist environment also.
The use of a concrete base is a tried and tested method for all manner of building foundations.
It is good practice for it to be laid onto a plastic membrane to prevent it from curing too quickly. This also controls rising damp through the concrete after curing. The overall size of base should be dimensioned so as not to create too much of a rain trap shelf around the perimeter.
Timbers in contact with the concrete base should be pressure treated to preserve them. If the cabin floor is not to be insulated then a small airflow is permissible across the dry top surface of concrete and the underside of the cabin. If the floor is to be insulated then a small void under the insulation is good practice but otherwise the perimeter sole plate of the cabin can be sealed to the concrete base to prevent ingress of moisture from the sides of the cabin joist network and entering below the cabin.
There are occasions when the cabin does need to be elevated off the ground, and in these situations we would always choose marine ply or similar as the under boarding to combat the rising damp issue.
To delight our customers by providing desirable products of exceptional quality at keenest prices on time.
To gain the trust of our customer by demonstrating an in depth knowledge and experience of the product and by having a flexible approach to their needs.
To maintain this relationship throughout the project and thereafter by providing first class ongoing service.
To strive for continuous improvement in all that we do..
Richard M. Lewis BSc. CEng. MIMechE MIEE
Managing Director
Keops Ltd is a company engaged in the manufacture, supply and construction of interlocking log cabins.
Protection of the environment in which we live and operate is part of Keops Ltd’s values and principles and we consider it to be sound business practice. Care for the environment is one of our key responsibilities and an important part of the way in which we do business.
In this policy statement we commit our company to:
- Complying with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and approved codes of practice
- Protecting the environment by striving to prevent and minimise our contribution to pollution of land, air, and water
- Seeking to keep wastage to a minimum and maximise the efficient use of materials and resources
- Managing and disposing of all waste in a responsible manner
- Providing training for our staff so that we all work in accordance with this policy and within an environmentally aware culture
- Regularly communicating our environmental performance to our employees and other significant stakeholders
- Developing our management processes to ensure that environmental factors are considered during planning and implementation
- Monitoring and continuously improving our environmental performance.
The policy statement will be regularly reviewed and update as necessary. The management team endorses these policy statements and is fully committed to their implementation.
Richard M Lewis
Managing Director
January 2009
It is the policy of Keops Ltd to develop a positive health and safety culture throughout the organisation because we believe that high health and safety standards are a pre-requisite in the pursuit of company efficiency and competitiveness.
To achieve this the Company will progressively identify all workplace hazards and take appropriate measures to eliminate or control risks to employees and others affected by our operations by applying positive control standards and provision of information, training and supervision as needed.
Employees are reminded that they have a duty to ensure that the Company’s Health and Safety Policy is observed and in particular they are required:-
- to take reasonable care for their own health and safety at work and of those who may be affected their actions, or by their omissions.
- to co-operate with their employer to ensure that any duty, or requirement, for health and safety imposed upon their employer by law is performed or complied with.
- not to intentionally, or recklessly, interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.
- to report to supervisory staff hazardous conditions or defects in the company safety arrangements.
The company recognises that it has the ultimate legal responsibility for health and safety. Accordingly the Managing Director accepts overall responsibility for policy formulation and implementation. In turn, all levels of management and all supervisors are responsible for carrying out those health and safety duties placed on them. The Managing Director will ensure that the safety plan includes sufficient resources for the successful implementation of the Health and Safety Management Policy.
Where appropriate, the monitoring and review of the Company’s Health and Safety Management Policy will be carried out by the Health and Safety Management Committee under the direction of the director responsible for health and safety within the Group who will be appointed from time to time by the Managing Director.
Development of the Health and Safety Management Policy will be conducted through the normal business meetings where health and safety will be given standing equal to other activities of the business.
The company will appoint a number of competent persons to assist the company directors implement this policy. The Safety Officer’s role is to provide independent and authoritative advice to managers with individual responsibilities for health and safety.
Richard M Lewis
Managing Director
January 2009