As the building industry has begun to re-realise the economic and aesthetic benefits of prior traditions the oak frame is gradually reclaiming the popularity it once enjoyed in the hands of the Tudors and their predecessors.

Oak is an exceptional material for building purposes. A sturdy Oak framed construction will withstand all sorts of extreme weather conditions. An Oak beam can be regarded just as sturdy and dependable as any steel joist, it is durable and practical and uniquely, its beauty increases with age. Also, not only is an oak framed building more lightweight than its masonary contemporary but it can be fabricated completely off site and erected in a matter of days. The attraction of constructing any building from a sustainable resource is obvious, but the timber frame option can be cheaper and is certainly more aesthetically pleasing. Britain's native Oak evokes a feeling of security, national pride and longevity and in fact, currently over 70 per cent of new homes in Scotland are built using this system.

Royal Forestry Society information.

The methods used to build a timber frame have changed little since mediaeval times. Manufactured and assembled in the workshop, they are produced in the form of a kit, which can then be fitted together on site. The joints are formed by hand using traditional techniques and tightly secured with oak pegs so portions of the frame can then be lifted into place by hand or with a raising device. Because of this approach, timber frames are one of the most efficient options to consider for any construction and are generally regarded in the trade as fast and convenient.

Timber is usually visible inside an oak framed building but not necessarily on the outside and people are often surprised that whilst the brick, stone, render or timber that surround the outer walls of a modern oak framed house are essential to keep the building weatherproof, they are of little significance in structural terms. The load is spread across the internal skeleton of large timbers and the outer wall panels are simply cladding. This is a considerable attribute for the planning of interesting spaces within the building and, since the bays can be assembled in more or less any permutation, for interesting and varied overall plan forms.

Timber frames can also be implemented in flexible and innovative ways. For example, it is also possible to place a complete oak framed first floor onto a less expensive block work ground floor.

Further Independant Writing

FRAME WORKS
Solid seasoned English oak produces beautiful period homes. So where does green oak come in?
Libby Swale investigates...

Oak is an incredible material. If someone had patented the oak tree they'd be hailed as a genius. Use oak to construct a house frame and it will withstand tornado-force winds of up to 110 miles an hour. Set fire to it and it forms a protective layer of charcoal around the heart wood which burns slowly enough to give the homeowner valuable time to escape.Under similar conditions an unprotected reinforced steel joist would buckle and bring down the house. Let an oak beam season for a century and it will perform like a piece of concrete, hard enough to blunt a hand saw. And there's the problem; the longer you leave oak the harder it is to cut and carve into the teasel posts, trusses and dragon beams that make up the traditional, half-timbered home.

The answer is to work the wood when it is green and unseasoned and then let it season in place. Our Tudor house builders practised the craft of green oak building centuries ago. More recently these techniques have been revived by the builders of the contemporary half-timbered home.

They fetch their oak fresh from the forest (English oak is best),prefabricate the framework with great mortise and tenon joints in the builder's yard and then marry the framework up on the house site.

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