For businesses that provide a designated outdoor smoking area for employees or visitors, the British weather can make choosing the right shelter particularly important.
Rain, strong winds, cold temperatures and year-round exposure can quickly highlight the weaknesses in a poorly designed or badly maintained shelter. An all-weather smoking shelter therefore needs to offer more than somewhere to stand when it rains. It should be durable, appropriately positioned, easy to maintain and suitable for long-term outdoor use.
Businesses should also consider whether an existing shelter actually needs replacing. In many cases, a structurally sound workplace smoking shelter can be repaired or refurbished, extending its useful life while avoiding the cost and waste associated with complete replacement.
So, what should businesses look for when assessing an existing shelter or planning improvements to an outdoor smoking area?
1. Protection From the British Weather
Weather protection is naturally one of the first considerations when choosing an outdoor smoking shelter in the UK.
A good shelter should provide useful protection from rain while helping to reduce exposure to prevailing winds. The roof should provide adequate coverage, and the overall design should help prevent rainwater from making the sheltered area uncomfortable.
However, there is an important balance.
Businesses cannot simply enclose a smoking shelter on every side to provide maximum weather protection. In England, smoke-free legislation applies to enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places.
Where a structure has a roof or ceiling, it can be regarded as substantially enclosed if the permanent openings in its walls are less than half of the total wall area. Doors, windows and other fittings that can be opened or closed do not count as permanent openings for this calculation.
For this reason, businesses considering alterations to an existing smoking shelter should make sure that additional panels or screening do not inadvertently make the structure substantially enclosed.
2. A Strong, Durable Shelter Frame
An all-weather shelter is permanently exposed to the elements, so the condition of its structural frame is particularly important.
Over time, businesses may notice:
- damaged or deteriorating coatings
- corrosion or rust
- loose fixings
- damaged framework
- general wear caused by years of outdoor exposure
These problems do not automatically mean that a complete smoking shelter replacement is necessary.
If the main framework remains structurally serviceable, professional smoking shelter refurbishment may be able to restore the shelter and significantly improve its appearance and condition.
At Tamstar, refurbishment can include work such as repairing damaged areas, preparing existing steelwork and recoating the shelter frame. This can give an ageing shelter a new lease of life without unnecessarily removing a structure that can still be used.
3. Durable Glazing and Side Panels
Glazing panels are another area businesses should inspect carefully.
Polycarbonate or similar shelter panels help provide protection from wind and rain while maintaining an open, practical environment. But they can become damaged, cracked, discoloured or vandalised over time.
Damaged panels can make an otherwise serviceable shelter appear neglected and may reduce the weather protection it provides.
Fortunately, damaged glazing does not necessarily justify replacing an entire shelter.
Smoking shelter panel replacement can often be carried out independently, replacing damaged panels while retaining the existing framework.
For facilities managers working with limited maintenance budgets, this can be a much more practical solution.
4. Correct Positioning
Where a smoking shelter is positioned can be just as important as how it is constructed.
Businesses should think carefully about:
- entrances and exits
- pedestrian routes
- neighbouring buildings
- windows and ventilation openings
- accessibility
- prevailing wind direction
- other walls and structures around the shelter
A smoking area positioned immediately beside a building entrance, for example, can allow smoke to drift towards employees, visitors or customers entering the premises.
Nearby walls, fences or other structures also need consideration because they may affect airflow and potentially affect whether a roofed smoking area is regarded as substantially enclosed.
Businesses planning a new shelter or significantly altering an existing one should therefore assess the wider site rather than looking at the shelter in isolation.
5. Compliance With UK Smoke-Free Requirements
Businesses should understand the legal requirements before installing, modifying or refurbishing a smoking shelter.
Under the Health Act 2006 and the Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 in England, enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces must be smoke-free.
For a roofed structure, the amount of permanent open wall area is therefore particularly important.
Planning requirements should also be considered. Depending on the type of premises, location and proposed structure, planning permission for a smoking shelter may be required. Businesses should check with their local planning authority before carrying out work where there is uncertainty.
The regulatory position is also developing.
The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 provides powers for further smoke-free measures, and the Government consulted in 2026 on proposals to extend smoke-free requirements to certain outdoor settings.
Businesses should therefore check the latest Government and local authority guidance when installing, relocating or substantially modifying a smoking shelter.
6. Easy Maintenance and Cleaning
A good workplace smoking shelter should also be straightforward to maintain.
Outdoor shelters naturally collect dirt and debris, while smoking areas can require particularly regular cleaning. Leaves, litter and cigarette waste can quickly make an area look untidy.
Facilities teams should periodically check the shelter for:
- cracked or loose panels
- damaged fixings
- corrosion
- deteriorating paint or powder coating
- roof damage
- litter accumulation
- signs of vandalism or accidental damage
Small problems are generally easier and less expensive to address when identified early.
Regular smoking shelter maintenance can therefore help extend the lifespan of the structure and reduce the likelihood of more extensive repairs later.
7. Accessibility and Safe Use
A smoking shelter may be used every working day, so practical access should not be overlooked.
The route to the shelter should be appropriate for the site, and businesses should consider users with different mobility requirements. Uneven ground, poor access routes or badly positioned obstacles can make an otherwise suitable shelter difficult to use.
The area should also be large enough for its expected level of use without encouraging users to congregate outside the shelter or block surrounding pedestrian routes.
Lighting may also be worth considering where the smoking area is used during early mornings, evenings or night shifts.
8. Refurbishment Potential
One of the most important questions for businesses with an ageing shelter is:
Does it really need replacing?
A shelter can look significantly worse than its underlying structural condition.
Faded coatings, damaged glazing and surface deterioration can make a shelter appear to have reached the end of its life when the main framework may still be suitable for refurbishment.
A professional smoking shelter refurbishment service may include replacement glazing panels, frame repairs, surface preparation, recoating and other remedial work.
Refurbishment can provide several advantages. It can reduce waste, avoid unnecessary replacement costs and extend the service life of infrastructure that is already installed on the site.
This approach fits particularly well with facilities management strategies focused on maintaining and improving existing assets rather than automatically replacing them.
Repair, Refurbish or Replace?
There is no single answer for every shelter.
A relatively modern shelter with one damaged panel may simply require a replacement polycarbonate panel. An older shelter with faded paintwork and several damaged panels may benefit from a complete refurbishment.
A structure with serious damage or one that is no longer suitable for the site’s requirements may ultimately need replacing.
The key is to assess the shelter before making that decision.
At Tamstar, we specialise in the repair, refurbishment and restoration of existing bike and smoking shelters across the UK. Our aim is to help organisations determine whether their existing infrastructure can be restored before committing to unnecessary replacement.
Give Your Existing Smoking Shelter a New Lease of Life
An effective all-weather smoking shelter needs to balance weather protection, durability, accessibility, maintenance and legal requirements.
For facilities managers, estates teams and businesses, regular inspection is one of the simplest ways to protect that investment.
If your existing smoking shelter has damaged panels, corrosion, deteriorating coatings or general wear and tear, it may not need to be replaced.
Tamstar provides smoking shelter refurbishment, shelter repairs and replacement glazing panels across the UK, helping organisations extend the lifespan of their existing outdoor facilities.
Before replacing your old smoking shelter, find out whether it can be repaired, restored and brought back into service.
